Letters to the Editor

• More strength to your elbow, Mr. Minister
• God save these hapless women
• Welcome the bigger EPF
• Attidiya: Act fast
• Time to use the Pan Malla instead of polythene
• Teledramas and Buddhism
• The cause of bloodshed

More strength to your elbow, Mr. Minister

It was heartening to read in the newspapers that the new Minister of Urban Development Construction and Public Utilities is taking steps to clean up the city and its environs.

It is a long overdue programme to make the city a healthy place to live in. But it is a great pity that a few other ministers are trying to hinder him from going ahead with his plans.

They had even tried to belittle the project by saying that there are more important matters to attend to rather than ejecting people from their homes. What they seem to forget is that the purpose of demolishing such shanties is not only to make the environment look better but also to prevent our drainage system getting further clogged up and flooding roads and dwellings and even posing a threat to public security. It is also well known that such overcrowded shanty areas breed crime.

It is a sad reflection on our society that when some constructive work is planned, it is opposed. It is a well-known fact that most of the illegal structures in the city and suburbs are put up with the backing of powerful people in high places.

No doubt those who have no other place to live in and are ejected should be found alternate accommodation in suitable places. And from the statement made by the Minister of Urban Development that is what he plans to do.

The human problem is very important, no doubt, but how can a city develop if unauthorised structures are allowed? Pollution is a grave problem in the city. The drainage system is bursting at the seams, with illegal filling of water retention areas for buildings. Flooding of roads and dwellings is a recurrent feature with every monsoon and sometimes even with a single shower of rain.

It is not only the Cabinet of Ministers who should give thought to this serious problem but also all right-thinking persons who have the future of our country at heart. Sadly on all public matters, our people are not civic conscious and only grumble when things go wrong. It is time the people took a collective stand on such a vital issue and strengthen the hand of the Minister to carry out his plans.

L.S.

Nawala

God save these hapless women

A news item published in Thinakural of October 7, under the heading 'Nine Upcountry women given bail' states that nine young women between the ages of 15 to 20 years, were arrested by the Mulleriyawa Police and produced in the Colombo Courts on September 20.

Their names are given and also the name of the male who accompanied them; they are all Tamils.

The police allege that they had been brought for a 'slavish' purpose, while the women's guide, had stated that he was escorting them on a journey to visit the zoo. They had been released on bail.

It is common knowledge that there are racketeers in the plantations, Tamil males, who make a good trade by bringing young women to be employed as domestics in urban areas. Within about two months these women leave these places on some pretext and their 'guide' takes them to a new abode. These women are helpless. They require some sort of employment and unfortunately most of them do not have Identity Cards, so they are at the mercy of unscrupulous persons.

In a news item in the Thinakural of November 24, under the heading, 'Female Tamil Student Raped and Pushed Down the Hill', it is reported that in Ella, a 17-year-old Tamil student had been waiting in the evening for the Bandarawela bus to go home.

Some people in a van had given the girl a lift saying that there would not be any bus services that day. Half way on the journey, they turned into another road and the girl, sensing trouble had asked them to drop her there. They had then threatened her, taken her to a remote area and raped her.

She had then been pushed down a precipice from the moving van, at a 'U' turn on the road. But fortunately the girl had fallen on to a tree and had held on to the branch till dawn when she got down slowly and climbed up to the road. The girl was being treated at the Bandarawela hospital. The Bandarawela Police had arrested a person in connection with this incident and also seized his van. When the suspect was brought to the courts the Judge ordered him to be detained at the remand prison.

From a news item in an English paper of December 6, under the heading, 'They left her and walked away' comes a report by the Kuruwita correspondent of an elderly mother who had been neglected by all her seven children, all living compfortable lives in Ratnapura. She had sought relief from the police. Police Inspector Vijaya Gunaratne had summoned the six sons to the police station but could not convince them of their duty to the parent. Wiping her tears, the mother had walked away, appealing to the Gods, 'Is this what I get in return from my children?'

"Yes mother, 'the old order changeth, yielding place to new, And God fulfils himself in many ways, Lest one good custom should corrupt the world'."

S. Thambyrajah,

Colombo

Welcome the bigger EPF

This refers to the news item that appeared in The Sunday Times of November 26.

We thank the new Minister of Labour for his suggestion to increase the E.P.F. contribution. We hope that the proposal will be implemented in spite of opposition from the employers. The present rate of 20% came into operation over 10 years ago and since then conditions have changed rapidly and hence demands that the rate be revised.

P.A.Y.E. is a tax levied only on private sector employees. Government sector employees who enjoy many benefits like free holiday warrants, tax-free cars and 42 days holidays, are exempted from the Pay As You Earn tax.

It is unfair that only the private sector employee is made to pay. It looks to be an infringement of our basic rights as special treatment is conferred on one sector of the working population whereas the other sector is subjected to tax. Even the former Minister of Internal Trade Kingsley T. Wickramaratne made a public announcement that the P.A.Y.E. should be done away with.

If the tax is levied on all, irrespective of whether they are in public sector or the private sector; then there is some logic.

In addition to the P.A.Y.E. tax; the Finance Act imposes another tax on an individual when E.P.F. claims are refunded when the refund money exceeds a certain limit.

This becomes a double tax on the employee. E.P.F. money is the contribution of both the employer and the employee. The government makes use of this money but the interest paid is less than the current interest rate. Thereby the contributor is denied a fair deal.

Therefore we appeal to the Minister to recommend the removal of unfair P.A.Y.E. tax from the private sector employee; and the retention money on refunding E.P.F. claims, as these are taxes levied mercilessly on the private sector employees.

G.W.De Silva

Wattala

Attidiya: Act fast

I refer to the letter by Cecil Dharmasena, former Director, Forest and Environment, Mahaveli Authority which appeared in The Sunday Times of 3.12.00. While I appreciate his views, I wish to expose the damage done to our parks and sanctuaries by encroachers with the blessings of the powers that be.

A specific example is the Bellanwila, Attidiya Bird Sanctuary, which is being filled and built on at an alarming rate. A walk along Pitawella Road from Ambalama Junction will convince the authorities of the damage done.

The excuse of the Wildlife Department, when contacted, is that the land belongs to private land owners and the Wildlife Department has no jurisdiction.

If that is so, one fails to understand why the department has put up notice boards threatening legal action against offenders who fill and build in this area and also how a Bird Watch Tower had been put up at government expense.

If the Wildlife enactments do not provide safeguards, it is high time the department takes action to amend the existing law.

However, if the Wildlife Department is really interested and anxious to save this bird sanctuary, help could be sought from the Land Reclamation Board where provision exists in their enactments, prohibiting the filling of low-lying areas, although they belong to private land owners. This enactment specifically states that any land filled or built on, without the approval of the Chairman of LR&DA will be taken over and buildings demolished without compensation.

If the Wildlife Department is genuinely interested in saving this sanctuary, this suggestion should be taken up by the department and the minister concerned and action taken immediately. Lovers of bird life will appreciate it if the Wildlife Department or the ministry could let us know what action they propose to take before it is too late.

S. Gardiarachchi

Boralesgamuwa

Time to use the Pan Malla instead of polythene

While some of us are struggling to clear the island of polythene, others are dumping it everywhere. Everyone surely wants to get rid of polythene. The solution is already with us. Let's use the Pan Malla instead of polythene bags. Why can't it be introduced to the school, office, market etc?

It is shameful to see people going to the temple with polythene bags full of flowers. What happened to our leaf tray (wattiya)? True, they are not as freely available as before but we could make an effort to use them.

It is high time we produced these items in bulk and urge the people to use them if we want to protect our environment. The Department of Rural Industries should take the initiative. Let's be Sri Lankans and buy Sri Lankan Pan Malla.

A.K. Lalith Kumara,

Sandalankawa

Teledramas and Buddhism

The demoralised state of our "Buddhists" is clearly exposed in our teledramas. When any stressful situation peaks, the Christian character automatically rolls his eyes skyward "Oh, God! Save me"! In contrast, faith in Buddhism is totally ignored. It cannot simply be because the true Buddhist has no blind faith, but saddha - confidence based on knowledge which is expected to suppress hindrances, break the stranglehold of defilements and passions and make the mind brightly clear and pure to absorb the Buddha's teaching.

When terror grips the Buddhist movie character, the best he can do is to squeal, Amme (mother) or Deiyane (god). The audience has to decide which god is it this time - Jehovah, Brahma, Allah, Kataragama? This, although the Buddha has expressly stated - appealing to gods may or may not bring relief, whereas appealing, in true faith, to the Buddha, Dhamma, or the Ariya Sangha, will trigger the rush of succour to himself. Why so? "Because, disciples, the Tathagata (Buddha) is free from desire (vitarago), free from hate (vitadoso) free from ignorance (vitamoho).

In one teledrama, a son up to his neck in drugs, theft, murder, suddenly gets repentant and, to the delight of his doting parents, is found enraptured before the Buddha image. His stance leaves no doubt, that the serene representation of the Master has brought out from the depths of his murky being, reverence for the good.

The glow of the moment is shattered by his mother turning to his father with these words: "Ask god to look after our son!" The father looks nonplussed, but only for an instant. Ra? Odin? Saman?

The Jathaka stories relate the trials and tribulations of the Bodhisatta, while acquiring the ten perfections.

In one teledrama scene, a character points to another's low exploits and sneers, "Maybe we can insert them into the 550 Jathaka tales?"

Bana is the Buddha's doctrine, basically urging listeners to refrain from evil, to do what is good, to purify the mind. We now hear on all sides, Bana kiyanawa! spat out offensively, both in the movies and out, especially by the politicians. Scenes of irreverence abound.

At least for the movies, dare we request our Sinhala Buddhist actor - when next the director orders him to show reaction to danger - to let out a resounding Buddhu saranai! before knuckling down to action?

No matter how the script goes, we bet the shock of hearing the words will paralyze his aggressor!

Prema Ranawaka Das

Moratuwa

The cause of bloodshed

With Christmas, Ramazan and Haj round the corner, animal slaughter is bound to increase by leaps and bounds. In wealthy homes, Christmas lunch is not complete without a roast turkey on the table - the bigger the better. And everyone gorges to bursting point on the goodies spread out. Little thought is spared to the waifs on the streets who are begging even on Christmas day.

At Haj, our good relationships with our Muslim brethren wears thin or snaps completely, as goats brought to their backyards for slaughter start bleating possibly knowing what awaits them by instinct, or calves are tied in full view of horrified and sympathetic vegetarian Buddhist and Hindu neighbours.

Every religion is guilty of cruel practices, as Hindus, though mostly vegetarian go in for animal sacrifices in at Muniappar kovil in Jaffna and a few other kovils.

So people should not be surprised when the soil of Sri Lanka turns red with the blood of its youth of all communities. This is written with malice to none.

C.B.Perera

Colombo 4

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