Letters to the Editor

• Nothing wrong with those names
• Lessons from Gates and America 
• Security and women: Let's get it right 
• Women wake up
• Cruelty to animals: amend the law
• Any photos of this ship?

Nothing wrong with those names

We have shown loving kindness, as taught by Lord Buddha, irrespective of whether they are friends or foes. This respect shown to the enemy is not something new to us. 

In the first century A.D. King Dutugemunu erected a tomb where his enemy, King Elara fell at his hands in battle and declared the area a silence zone. Even today any procession passing the tomb has to stop playing music. 

The Ruwanveliseya is a hallowed stupa for the Buddhists built by King Dutugemunu. 

The person who wanted to demolish this stupa and build toilets in Colombo with those bricks (I heard him say so) was honoured by naming a street after him. 

Then again we have embraced and perpetuated the memory of our colonial masters by adopting their names such as Perera, de Silva, de Livera, John and Jane to name a few. 

A large number of words in daily usage such as almairah (almariya), verandah (istoppuwa), pickle (achaaru), drawer (laachchuwa) to name a few are derived from the Portuguese. 

Yet again not a single of our get-togethers is complete without a session of baila and kafaringnga borrowed from the Portuguese . 

Another thing we have embraced is the religion the Portuguese, the Dutch and lastly the British brought to Sri Lanka, namely Christianity. 

To add to that we wear their dress, speak the language they taught us and now are clamouring for more and more of it. 

If we take a look at our recent history you will see that we are still friendly with our big brotherly neighbour who created the Tigers and set them against us to destabilize Sri Lanka. 

Well, this is the way with Sri Lankans. We show loving kindness to our enemies and sometimes to wrongdoers too. 

So what's so wrong with naming streets after some of those British governors who, though they may have been callous, have unknowingly but undoubtedly contributed to our progress?

Let's hope Mr. Jayasinghe will not take offence.

P.A. Binduhewa
Panadura

Lessons from Gates and America 

Gates is reputed to be the richest man in the world with personal assets estimated at a staggering 100 billion dollars plus. 

A great benefactor of popular causes, the unassuming Gates is said to have pledged a hundred million dollars to Stanford University for its cancer research programme. 

In the only overseas visits he undertook recently, he was the guest of the Chinese President and the Indian Prime Minister. 

The indictment of Gates by US courts underlines the US justice system is no respector of persons - however high and mighty one may be. Gates was subject to adverse publicity including high profile public indictments by Attorney-General Janet Reno and President Bill Clinton himself. 

In spite of some negative features in US society it certainly helps their political culture, where money and influence do not exempt the privileged and the influential from complying with established law. Societies such as these, in spite of marginal weaknesses, are built on very strong foundations, where money cannot buy everything and everybody.

How does this example compare with Sri Lanka? In recent times, public confidence in senior politicians - no doubt all honourable men and women - has never been lower. 

There was the case of a high -flying industrialist in the transport business who took quick flight to safer climes six years ago amidst allegations of non-payment of bills, staff dues etc. While many thought he is a "has been", being a shrewd businessman he certainly was clever in his own way. 

He waited until he met the right people and pronto he was back here - through courtesy of high politicians. He had the right connections and the appropriate wherewithal to get many to spring to action on his behalf. 

By Jove, in good time this former "baddie" was on many a T.V. channel and newspaper front pages in the company of smiling politicos giving away goodies to the needy. 

His business deals caused rifts; he threatened public exposure of weak points in sensitive issues unless his business demands were met. 

Finally, all ended well for him. Lucky man. The former baddie gets his business though much less than the whole cake he wanted. However, for the moment everybody is happy. The moral here is you can have a questionable past with all the sordid details, but compliance with the law is only for ordinary mortals and those without influence and contacts. 

Those with high spending capability and with the right contacts are exempt in this land.

You want to bet why the law and order machinery in such a society is bursting at its seams and with more to come?

K. Arvind
Colombo

Security and women: Let's get it right 

While the rationale in this context may have been to avoid another attempt at destruction in the city, forcing a woman to strip to prove that she is not a suicide bomber, seems unprofessional. 

The fact that she was later identified as a sex worker is irrelevant to the larger issue at stake here. 

It is also disturbing how the inhuman treatment meted out to her has been justified.

While clearly such degrading measures do cause immense personal violence to the dignity of persons, these "mechanisms" rather than protecting, endanger lives.

Then again while the LTTE must be condemned for its inhuman use and deployment of women on suicide missions, practical guidelines must be put in place to enhance the protection of civilians and guarantee their personal security.

M. de Silva
Colombo.

Women wake up

Recent events in our country have proved the vulnerability of women. Krishanthi and Sriyalatha are just two glaring examples. Unless women themselves take up their cause and call for improvement in their educational, social, political, economic and legal status nothing fruitful can happen. 

Mrs. Wazeera Hassan, 
Mawanella.

Cruelty to animals: amend the law

The home slaughter incident created immense mental agony to all those who read about it. No wonder it caused trauma to neighbours where the slaughter took place.

The present regulation on cruelty to animals viz: Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Ordinance, was enacted in 1907 by the British.

This Act needs amendment to cover present day developments. 

No one seems to have taken any interest in that regard.

Even Britain, a country with a predominantly Christian population, has made religious home slaughter of animals illegal, with effect from March 16, 1999, through an amendment to its "Welfare of Animals Act 1995". 

The amendment prohibits the slaughter of animals in private houses or in open areas even in the performance of religious rites.

It is regretable that this practice still exists in this inaptly named Dharmadipa said to be overflowing with Mettha, Karuna, Muditha and Upekkha.

It is time all animal lovers and animal protection societies took up this issue with the authorities concerned to enact legislation similar to that in Britain.

D.J. Dangalla
Palliyapitiya East.

Any photos of this ship?

Late in the evening of March 3, she was torpedoed by a Japanese submarine (and later sank), but happily with all the crew surviving and being returned to Colombo on the March 8. 

Does any photograph of the vessel (she'd been "tramping" around the Indian Ocean area for many months), taken at the time, exist, I wonder? I realise that unofficial photographic recording of shipping movements, in the conditions prevailing, would have been much frowned upon - to say the least but, one never knows!

R. Travers-Bouguse
Hampshire, UK.

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