Sunday Times 2
Broken promises: Resolutions
View(s):By B.Anton Jeyanathan
The popular acting duo, the late Eddie Jayamanne and Rukmani Devi acted in a film titled Kadavunu pronduwa (Broken promise), which was acclaimed as a memorable production in the years gone by. With the new year dawning, the title of the film came to mind. Not because of the promises made to the damsels, which were never kept, but because of the solemn promises made by all of us at the beginning of each year, to adhere to many undertakings of “do’s and dont’s” but invariably forgotten the day after the new year.
Rukmani Devi
Hangover
The majority of us must have woken up late, having attended Church ceremonies, dinner dances, get- togethers, drinking parties which would have started in the evening of the previous day and ending in the early hours of the next day. In all these parties more than the “bites” and food, the bottles of hard liquor would have been the well sought after item which kept the spirit of the party at high level. It is a pity that the majority of us who are guests at such parties, do not enjoy the “bites” and the food prepared with care and concern by the host, as they embrace the bottle and do not give up until they have seen the bottom of the bottle. Most of us enjoy the drinks and the food, but a few of us imbibe more in liquid food than the cooked food, and at times end up a nuisance to others causing embarrassment to the host.
Resolutions
At the beginning of each year all of us solemnly make resolutions not to do this and that, but within 24 hours the thought out resolutions are never in our mind as they are all forgotten. Some of us make too many resolutions and none of them are achieved at the end of the year. I do not want to go into detail of resolutions made by husbands and wives, lovers, businessmen, politicians, youngsters etc. Let us make resolutions which can be achieved considering the environment in which we live in. Besides the resolutions made by individuals and groups, what all of us have to resolve is to work towards is a concept of one country, one Sri Lanka.
Peace and harmony
Our beloved country, having obtained independence from the British, has gone through political changes, insurgencies, a tsunami, upheavals, terrorist activities which have divided us into various ethnic, religious and political groups, but has survived to come out of all these calamities. Our country is a multi ethnic, multi religious country, where there is freedom of worship and freedom of speech. We are blessed with a beautiful country with climatic conditions which cannot be found in any country in the world. What we are lacking is peace and harmony amongst the various citizens of our country. It is unfortunate that political manipulations have caused discord amongst brothers and sisters of one mother – Sri Lanka.
Let us all strive to establish peace and harmony amongst all of us. Let us make this the most important resolution for all of us in the coming year. It is a futile exercise to change the attitude of the people of the entire country. However, as individuals each one of us in our own way can contribute to build a peaceful country.
Discipline
Discipline amongst us individually and collectively has been deteriorating day by day. Self discipline is the best discipline and if all of us strive to discipline ourselves in our day to day chores, life will be much more pleasant.
Though road discipline amongst the drivers is nothing to write about, the number of fatal and serious accidents has been on the increase. This is due to negligent and indisciplined drivers who think that the public road is a racing track and have no respect for law and order. Irrespective of position and wealth, one has the law of the land to be observed. Let us make a determined resolution to help the authorities to maintain law and order and resolve that we will not violate the rules of the law of the land. Let us also resolve that we will not be party to any accidents which occur on public roads. Let us resolve to be mindful of the responsibility we should display when we are driving about in our vehicles.
Sri Lankan
Irrespective of race or religion all of us are the children of mother Lanka. We must build up the concept of Sri Lankan rather than calling ourselves Sinhalese, Tamils, Burghers, Muslims, Malays etc. We, in our own way should be contributing our little mite to build up this concept so that there will be peace and harmony in our country and there will be no discord amongst the citizens of our country.
This reminds me of a Sinhala ballad which goes thus:“Lovey samaa, ekama seyei, dhu dharuwan wewa; waada nathi, bedha nathi, lassana lova heta, apata udaa wewa”
Which means “May all in our country be children of one nation; may there be a beautiful dawn tomorrow in our country, where there will be no differences or dissention.”
I also recollect a prayer recited almost daily by the Catholics in their churches which goes on to say “Help us to build in our land a kingdom of justice and peace, guide the destinies of our nation, and obtain for us lasting peace so that all of us may live as brothers and sisters of one family”.
Let the dawning of 2017 bring peace, harmony and prosperity to all of us Sri Lankans. Let us all live up to the concept of one country, one nation – Sri Lanka.
I wish you all a peaceful, harmonious and stress free new year.
(B.Anton Jeyanathan is a retired Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of Police.)