Optical giant sets sights higher

One of Sri Lanka's best known millionaire optician Albert Edirisinghe has set his eyes on higher enlightenment by becoming a Buddhist monk.

The 86-year-old businessman who had for decades played a prominent role as a lay Buddhist was ordained at Kimbiela Sri Wijayawardenaramaya.

The businessman whose company has branches all over the country is now known as Ganegama Sri Devamitta Thera.

His son Gamini Edirisinghe, one of the heirs to the optical empire said his father had always longed to enter the monkhood and see life at a higher level.

"He has not been involved in business for almost 10 years and after my mother's death two years ago, he finally decided that would enter the priesthood," Mr. Edirisinghe Junior said.

Out with stripes, keep only lion

By Shelani de Silva

A mass campaign is being carried out by a Sinhala Buddhist group to promote and change the National flag to symbolise only the lion symbol.

The Federation of Buddhist Organisations last week called on top Buddhist prelates to seek support for the campaign.

The organisation which hopes to change the National flag by removing the two lines which symbolises the minority communities is to have only the lion symbol.

Secretary of the FBO Gallege Punyawardene told The Sunday Times that a poster campaign together with hoisting of the new national flag was underway from February 4. The organisation last week met the Malwatta Mahanayake Thera and presented him a new flag.

"The Mahanayake extended his fullest support and permitted us to carry out the poster campaign in Kandy. We also met the Ven. Madihe Pannaseeha Thera who also expressed support," he said.

However several other Buddhist prelates have shown dissatisfaction claiming that such a move will only worsen the country's ethnic issue.

Ven. Sobitha Thera told The Sunday Times that it was not a wise move specially at this time since the Government was making plans to resolve the ethnic issue. Meanwhile President of the All Ceylon Hindu Congress Mr. Kailasapilai told The Sunday Times his party would agitate only if the Government makes any move to change the flag.

"However it is unfair on the part of any group to make such changes specially at this time. The stripes were meant for the minority groups. By removing them there will be no unity. We must integrate all communities and religions," he said.

However the FBO claims that as long as the two stripes remain there was bound to be a separation and only by removing it would the flag signify unity.

Flats for slum dwellers in exchange for their land

By Nilika de Silva

The government is working to liberate nearly 600 acres of prime land in Colombo and the outskirts presently being used by slum and shanty dwellers, by rehousing them in flats in high-rise buildings.

The Sustainable Townships Programme(STP) expects to rehouse 66,000 households currently living in 1,500 slums and shanties in the city of Colombo, in fully developed modern compact townships, simultaneously liberating nearly 600 acres of prime land.

"This is the only way that Colombo can be upgraded to a world class city," Dr. C. Krishan M. Deheragoda, Director, Sustainable Townships Programme and Chairman Real Estate Exchange (Private) Limited (REEL), said.

The first phase titled 'Sahaspura' is underway with the foundation being laid for a housing complex coming up at Wanathamulla. The complex to be built on two acres of land will be made up of 14 floors and comprise about 680 units.

The Sustainable Townships Programme, through which townships such as Sahaspura are being made, is the concept of the Minister of Urban Development, Housing and Construction, Indika Gunawardena, and is being implemented by Real Estate Exchange (Private) Limited.

The project, a joint venture between Pillar Singapore and Asset Construction Sri Lanka will employ local engineers while the management team will comprise both Singaporeans and Sri Lankans.

Sahaspura, a compact township with 20,000 housing units will be located in Borella and adjoining areas. The infrastructure cost is estimated to be Rs. 1161 M and will include roads, drains, sewerage, water supply and electricity.

Similarly six other compact townships are to come up in Minikelanipura, Kochchikade, Slave Island, Narahenpita, Mayura Place and Pothuwilkumbura.

Post-poll squatters evicted

By Tania Fernando

More than 200 families claiming to be acting on the promises of a PA cabinet minister who had put up shanties in a state-owned land were evacuated by the Dehiwela Police early this week.

The squatters claim that on the strength of an election pledge given by Industrial Minister C.V.Gooneratne they had put up shanties in the Attitidya area close to a bird sanctuary.

But Minister Gooneratne strongly denied the claim that he had given permission to put up shanties in the land which comes under the purview of the Land Reclamation Board.

"I do not encourage people to do what is illegal and the land does not belong to the Ministry. I told the squatters when they came to see me that they should appeal to the Ministry concerned", he said.

Officers of the Land Reclamation Board with the aid of the Dehiwela Police broke shanties put up by squatters at Attidiya, opposite the Bird Sanctuary on Thursday morning, where more than 200 families had forcibly put up shelters on the marshy land which rightfully belongs to the Land Reclamation Board.

The dispute arose when some others who claimed to be the owners of this land which according to them are paddy fields, had made an entry at the Dehiwela Police about the illegal squatters. Their question was how could others put up huts when they were the rightful owners and still cultivate the paddy fields.

W.A Nimalsiri, a squatter on this land who has been there for a month, claims that he had got permission from the Mayor of the Dehiwela-Mt. Lavinia Municipal Council to put up a hut. He says this is a temporary measure, till the government as per election promises finds him and the others a permanent solution.

"An official from the Land Reclamation Board visited us a few days ago and told us to settle in fast, before something happens. I cannot understand why they did this to us after that", he said.

The letter he showed The Sunday Times was not one from the Mayor, giving permission but requesting the Land Reclamation Board to grant them some sort of redress, on sympathetic grounds.

Rajiva Perera, another squatter with a two month old infant who had put up his hut two days ago, said that they had broken down the house he put up, while his baby was asleep. He says that if people who can afford are being sold land, why cannot they who need and will not be in a position to own property be given this marshy land which is not being used.

The land was acquired a few years ago by us and a certain portion was filled and sold to individuals, said Mr. D.J.Talagala, General Manager of the Land Reclamation Board. "With the help of the Dehiwela Police we broke down all the huts that were put up by the squatters. It is illegal for them to put up huts on government property", he said.

While the squatters claim to be from that area, others say that they are outsiders and have come from as far off as Panadura. The question still in the air is what prompted these people to suddenly come and squat on this particular land.

The residents in the vicinity are not very happy about squatters living in that area, since they feel that most of these squatters are unemployed which would mean that they have to watch out for thefts.

'B' positive doctor saves mother's life

A rare story of human caring comes from the heart of the country, when a doctor in Matale donated blood to revive his own patient.

The doctor, a gynaecologist, having delivered a baby, realised that his patient, the mother would require a lot of blood.

However, the hospital had only two pints of her blood group, 'B' positive, and the ambulance was not available to fetch blood fast. The doctor said his blood was of the same blood group and donated blood to save the patient.

Then many others in the hospital followed suit and the patient who required 27 pints of blood was saved.

The doctor was an example of what it means to be 'B' Positive.

Police now a half-baked militarised organisation

The main functions of the Police very broadly are:
— to ensure the security of the state;
— to enforce law and order;
— to preserve the public peace;
— to protect public and private property;
— to safeguard life and liberty of the citizen;
— to prevent/investigate crime and breaches of the law, and;
— to prosecute offenders in the magistrates courts.

The functions of the Police have become more complicated in recent times. The public have all along opposed the militarization of the Police but wish to retain the character of the Police as a disciplined non-military organization. But the current situation is such the Police force has ceased to be the public service it was intended to be and is used as a half-baked military organization due to political expediency. At the same time it is expected to perform its public service civilly, if one were to go by the sermons preached to the Police in public every now and then by the powers that be.

In order to ensure maximum efficiency of the Police force for the purpose of maintaining law and order, the training imparted at the Police Training College, and the probationary period thereafter (three years in all), should be oriented to meet present day needs. A strict code of discipline should also be prescribed and strictly enforced. Elaborate training schemes have in fact been designed following the recommendations of the Basnayaka Police Commission report of 1969 and recommendations of various other committees. But the training scheme for recruits, which is designed for three years under the supervision and control of the Director Training, has not been followed. The trainees learn from what is being done, which could aptly be described as the blind leading the blind.

The interests of the service are being subordinated to the interests of some politicians. There is a growing practice of employing the Police as a force to strike terror into those who oppose or criticise the government. These are all functions the Police are not authorized by law to perform and should not perform. The numerous Supreme Court judgements against Police officers for violation of fundamental rights are only a fraction of these misdeeds. Not only are these deeds illegal, but also cast an unfavourable light on the Police in the eyes of the public. No lesser person than the Chief Justice recently stressed the fundamental requirement of maintaining a close relationship between the Police service and the judiciary, which are linked in an important public service of maintaining law and order among the people. He went on to explain how the well-being of society and the maintenance of law and order will be hampered if these two institutions failed to render the duties and responsibilities expected of them properly.

The remedy to arrest this deterioration in the efficiency and morale of the Police service is to appoint an Independent Police Commission to deal with appointments, transfers, promotions, and the disciplinary control of the Police service. The only reason not to implement this recommendation is the desire to carry on exploiting the Police in the pursuit of political gains.

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