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Whither sports
sans business?
Recent letters in newspapers have been critical of the appointment
of an interim committee to administer the Cricket Board. There have
been objections to the Chairman appointed to the committee and the
company he is associated with.It is pertinent to inquire why persons
experienced in administration and who have a reputation for integrity
should be criticised for coming forward to shoulder a burden, which
places them in the spotlight of public attention.
While admittedly
there is national and international exposure and presumably resultant
benefits in holding such positions, we must be a nation consisting
entirely of cynics, if we believe that anyone or everyone who volunteers,
or is in fact persuaded to accept office, is intent on serving his
interests alone.
As for the involvement
of business in sport, we would have no sport at all if not for business
backing. It was the Ceylon Tobacco Company, the Colombo Commercial
Company and Brooke Bonds which helped our cricketers in the 1960s
and later.
Internationally, can the Olympics survive without the assistance
of business houses? Where would Formula 1 racing be and what would
happen to international and English soccer? Who revived cricket
through the one-day game? Even at home, who supports the teams through
advertising and providing their gear?
Singer may or
may not gain from their Chairman's appointment to the Interim Committee,
but if they should do so in some oblique way, we should not grudge
them that.
D.G.
Colombo
We knew it
all along
Reference "The Norwegian bombshell" (Situation Report
on May 12), Mr. Athas, we expected it all along. Remember that old
adage, "horage ammagen pena ahanawa wage", i.e., Inquiring
about a robbery from the mother of the very robber.
Metthananda Wijekulasuriya
Polgasowita
No help for
a sinking elephant
A radio station recently announced that an elephant had fallen into
a swamp at Gomarankadawata in Paniketiyawa and was sinking slowly.
It quoted villagers as complaining that appeals to authorities to
rescue the elephant fell on deaf ears.
When we telephoned those who could be of help both at official and
unofficial level, we were told that there was no crane available
to lift the elephant.
What a funny
excuse from a government that allowed a suspect in a murder case
to come to court in a helicopter at a cost of more than Rs. 100,000
in taxpayers' money!
We are still wondering whether the elephant has been allowed to
disappear in the mud. Does anyone know?
Animal Lovers
Moratuwa
Amend
Rent Act
When tenants apply for tenancy, they often give impressive references
pledging to hand back the premises to the landlord when requested.
The tenants often do not pay the authorised rent to landlords or
deposit the money with the Rent Board of the area.
Whenever rates are revised tenants often do not pay the increased
rate, making the landlord pay the new amount.
It is regrettable
that landlords cannot get back their premises for themselves.
The Rent Act should be amended enabling landlords to give six months'
notice to a tenant or to pay him six months rent to ensure vacation
of premises sans the hassle of court procedure.
Bernard Jayaratne
Colombo
Tamil women
back in shackles?
I was saddened to read in The Sunday Times of April 28, that the
LTTE is about to impose a dress code on the women of Jaffna. I am
not surprised because men throughout history have co-opted women
into the political struggle and when it was over, reasserted male
hegemony. During the Algerian War of Independence, women played
an important role, convinced that the fight was not merely for freedom,
but all "freedoms", political freedom for Algeria, economic
freedom, freedom for Arabs from French domination, for Islam and
the emancipation of women. Female LTTE cadres have been celebrated
by the LTTE leadership for their courage, resourcefulness and moral
rectitude. Now there is the danger that all women in LTTE-controlled
areas would be dictated to by men, and driven back to attitudes
and behaviour patterns one hoped had been thrown into the dustbin
of history.
Chandran Seevaratnam
Bahrain
Queries
on advisers
A recent news report claimed that 12 defeated UNF candidates are
to be appointed as advisors to various ministries on a monthly salary
of Rs. 22,000, plus a vehicle and a fuel allowance.
An advisor must
necessarily be a person with special knowledge or skills in a particular
field. Do these people possess such expertise? If not, what purpose
would they serve?
A Civic Spirited Citizen
Colombo
Vesak moon
shines for all
Vesak Full Moon shines
With equal radiance
On every being
Bereft of race, caste or creed.
Human flesh,
blood and bones
Of all humans are the same
Be it any race or nation
But human hearts aren't the same.
Why cannot all
human hearts
Be nourished with kindness
Sympathy, compassion and respect
Towards all other beings?
May the Vesak
Full Moon
Instill kindness, compassion
In the hearts of all humans
In the hearts of all Sri Lankans!
Malini Hettige
Galle
Promises
and prices
During last year's general election campaign, UNP politicians blamed
the PA government for the increase in the cost of living. Ravi Karunanayake,
who is now Consumer Affairs Minister, said the COL was so unbearable
that Sri Lankans were suffering like famine-stricken Ethiopians.
He claimed that the price of milkfood was so high that a family
with two infants could not afford to use more than two spoons of
milk powder a day.
He vowed that
as soon as the UNP was elected to office, the prices of milkfood
and other food items would be reduced. On the contrary, what is
happening is that prices of all essential items are going up while
Mr. Karunanayake, as minister in charge of consumer affairs, has
conveniently forgotten what he said on election platforms.
Since the UNF government was elected to office, milk food, petroleum
products and flour have gone up in prices while water, electricity
and telephone rates have also been increased.
M. Hamza
Colombo 10
Granting
LTTE right to self-rule
The recent news reports about ADB-LTTE talks to repair the A-9 road
were shocking, to say the least. The ceasefire agreement between
the government and the LTTE has already been plagued by accusations,
violations and disagreements. The manner in which the Norwegian
ceasefire monitors allow things to get out of hand in the north
and east is also questionable.
One wonders
whether these are part of a plan to grant the LTTE the right to
self-rule with the blessings of the international community.
Bhumiputra
Colombo 3
Cost
of living and lying
The cost of living has risen by leaps and bounds ever since this
government was elected to office. When in the opposition, UNF legislators
vowed to bring down the cost of living. Their promise of a "Garden
of Eden" has now turned out to be a "Garden of Sorrow"
for the poor.
A vociferous
youthful minister has stated that the cost of living cannot be reduced,
but only controlled. What words of wisdom from a man who not so
long ago lamented about the cost of living?
This high cost
of living is directly linked to the high cost of lying as happened
during the regime of J. R. Jayewardene who came to office promising
eight pounds of grain per person per week but ended up cancelling
the rice ration book with just one stroke of his pen.
"The price
of all commodities continue to rise The hapless labourer cannot
afford a packet of rice Ministers continue to bluff saying all sorts
of lies Deaf to people's suffering they remain cool as cucumber
and ice."
George Tillekeratne
Etul Kotte
The other
side of roads
Minister R.A.D. Sirisena said recently that "if not for British
planters, rural roads would not have been developed and, therefore,
we should be grateful to them....". This is outrageous. All
roads in the plantation areas, in the hill-country in particular,
and main roads linking the capital city were built by the British
to transport coffee, and later tea cultivated on usurped lands,
to Colombo. It was not through any consideration or love for the
Kandyan Sinhalese who rose in revolt five times against their treachery.
The roads were
built by forced labour and those who refused to work, were jailed.
The lands on which they planted coffee and subsequently tea were
usurped by them under the Waste Lands Act, introduced after the
1817/18 Wellassa Revolt. This is history.
It is the British who should be thankful to the Kandyan Sinhalese
for letting them fleece and bleed them with the help of traitors
and converts.
Politicians,
theoreticians, or bandits in pundits' garb should not venture into
unfamiliar terrain lest they get bogged down.
R. Wijaya Siriwardane
Kandy
President
should safeguard nation
It is a basic right of the general public to receive correct information
concerning various issues that affect the nation. But since the
UNF assumed office, it is systematically denying this basic right
and the democratic right to dissent. UNF politicians projected themselves
as defenders of democracy and media freedom during their opposition
days, but when in office they do quite the opposite.
The opposition
must make use of every opportunity to voice the sentiments of the
people, protest against the denial of correct information on the
peace process and carry out a vigorous campaign to create public
awareness of the perilous situation the country is faced with.
Buddhist monks
who speak of majority rights are silent. Only the JVP and the Sihala
Urumaya are vocal about the dangers. It is time the President asserted
her authority and took firm action to safeguard the sovereignty
of the people and the nation by giving orders to arrest LTTE cadres
violating the ceasefire agreement.
Patriotic Lawyers
Colombo
'Letters
to the Editor' should be brief and to the point.
Address them to:
'Letters to the Editor,
The Sunday Times,
P.O.Box 1136, Colombo.
Or e-mail to
steditor@wijeya.lk or
stfeat@wijeya.lk
Please note that letters cannot be acknowledged or returned.
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