Letters to the Editor
View(s):End this farcical political system
There is no argument that a majority of the Sri Lankan population is totally alien to the Westminster system of governance. Even when the leader of the leading political party, the UNP proposed someone from the major rival political party i.e. the SLFP, the Lankan voter did not see the pitfalls ahead and we are experiencing the repercussions bitterly, today! At this rate, Lanka will never be able to raise its head! Every day there are meetings, reshuffles etc, that take us nowhere!
The prevailing idiosyncratic feature I noted again is the accommodation of ‘certain’ people in the Government via the so -called ‘National List’ despite them losing their parliamentary constituency at the general election. Yet we are made to understand this is within the realm of ‘Yahapalanaya’. This to me is ‘Yakapalanaya’. What logic is there left for the voter of this land to latch onto? After all ‘Democracy’ itself is ‘Yahapalanaya’ – a system of the people – by the people – for the people, and what more?
The people of the electorate (effective voters) know so well the candidates seeking their ballot. How can the entire country (silent majority) know better (‘Jathika Laisthuwa’) – better than the people of the electorate who made the decision not to elect this politician to parliament?
This is a mockery. This is giving into politicians once again! The people of this land, including those in Parliament (those with reasonable thinking ability) must move to get rid of this type of ‘selection of guys’ to Parliament bypassing the general election system.
Please give your readership an opportunity to reflect their thoughts on the above matter through a forthcoming Sunday Times online poll.
Dr. S.W. Gunasekera Via email
Protecting Knuckles is our duty
There are various allegations regarding the proposal to acquire land from the Knuckles forest reserve for various purposes.
The Agriculture Minister is reported to have sought a detailed report on the area earmarked for development work. This matter has been discussed at a Cabinet meeting. Knuckles is a very valuable forest reserve and we should not use this UNESCO World Heritage site for haphazard development work.
The Knuckles mountain range features 34 peaks ranging in height between 1900 metres and 900 metres.
The mountain range lies in central Sri Lanka in the districts of Matale and Kandy. People of the villages traditionally referred to this area as Dumbara Kanduvetiya meaning mist-laden mountain range.
The higher montane area is often robed in thick layers of cloud. In addition to its aesthetic value, the range is of great scientific interest.
The name Knuckles came from a series of recumbent folds and peaks which resembles the knuckles of a clenched fist when viewed from certain locations in Kandy district.
More than 34 percent of Sri Lanka’s endemic trees, shrubs and herbs are only found in these forests.
The Knuckles range is home to mammals such as wild boar, spotted deer, giant squirrel, barking deer, purple faced monkey and mongoose. Porcupines are also found here and many varieties of lizards also make their home here.
Knuckles features a great diversity in its forest cover – dry green forests, montane forests, sub montane forests, dry and wet patana, sevana etc.
The average annual rainfall of the highland areas of Knuckles is 5000 mm.
Knuckles is a major tourist attraction. It is our duty to protect this natural paradise for our future generations.
D. Weeratunga Nugegoda
Theosophy and Buddhism
I agree with most of Goolbai Gunasekara’s observations on my article about Lobsang Rampa (The Sunday Times Plus, 26/5/2018). Buddhists, Hindus and followers of other Asian paths of wisdom all owe a debt of gratitude to the early theosophists, myself included. It is possible I would never have converted to Buddhism if not for their pioneering work and the barriers they broke down.
Ms. Gunasekara could have added to those influenced by theosophy Kusno Sukarno, the first president of Indonesia, whose beloved grandmother was a theosophist. And I too read and was enthralled by ‘The Third Eye’ when I was 15, although fortunately I later found a copy of Walpola Rahula’s ‘What the Buddha Taught’ and that steered me away from third eyes, speaking cats, reading auras, and astral travel to other planets.
The fact remains that what the theosophists presented as Buddhism was not Buddhism at all, but as I said “an untidy mixture of western occultism, Asian superstitions and a sprinkling of authentic Buddhism.”
This comment was not so much about Madam Blavatsky as a person and certainly not about Henry Olcott, but about what they claimed was the Buddha’s Dhamma. Ms. Gunasekara will probably know that Anagarika Dharmapala eventually fell out with the theosophists over their interpretation of Buddhism. And Olcott finally parted company with Madam Blavatsky once he found out what real Buddhism was from scholars such as Ven. Sri Sumangala. Krishnamurti turned his back on theosophy too.
Ms. Gunasekara herself acknowledges that she does not practise much theosophy any more. Being grateful for those who pointed us in a direction that changed our lives is one thing, accepting everything they said after we have matured and discovered new and more realistic truths is another. I think this is an acceptable approach.
Bhante Dhammika Australia
Recalling uncalled for unruliness by Uni students
This happened at the time when Lalith Athulathmudali was the Minister of Trade and Commerce. He had commenced the Mahapola scholarship scheme and all the students were reaping the benefits of it.
I was called for an interview for a post of assistant lecturer at the Kelaniya Campus. I along with the other applicants was seated outside the office waiting to be called for the interview. From where we were seated we could see what was happening outside. A large group of students consisting of hundreds of males and females had surrounded a van belonging to the Trade Ministry and were attacking it. Later they overturned it, wrecking it completely.
Later as we learnt from the office staff, a team of officials had come in the van to meet the Registrar. This was to get permission to hold the next Mahapola on the campus premises. This was how the students reacted – they were ironically all Mahapola recipients.
R. Amarasinha Dehiwala
Dutch canal in Urubokke needs urgent attention
The rehabilitation of the Dutch canal, the national heritage at Urubokke in the Matara District has been completely overlooked by the relevant authority for more than 30 years.
The surrounding areas of the canal are in a bad way and pose a health risk to the residents.
We urge the relevant authority to take prompt action to restore the canal soon for the good of the many people in the area.
A.A. Ramanayake Dorapana