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Crafted
art Vaijayantatantra,
belongs to the field of arts and crafts. Only a few works in this
field have been edited and translated up to date. The Manjusrivastuvidyasastra
published in 1995 with the co-authorship of Professor Jayasuriya
was a gigantic effort. The Manasara, Silpaprakasa, Mayamata and
Ratnapariksa are some of the other works published in this field.
The science of arts and crafts is a vast field that covers a number
of specific subjects. It consists of five kinds: woodwork, stone
work, iron work, gold work and painting. Wood work (carpentry) is
used to build ships and the framework of houses; stone work for
palaces, pillared halls, temples, towns and forts; iron castings
for the support of buildings for weapons and ploughshares; pure
gold for objects of luxury, ornaments and coins and to make images
and plates on which to carve inscriptions and painting is done on
wood, stone, pottery and walls inside doorways. The science
of arts and crafts includes not only these major subjects but also
many other cultural aspects related to religion and astrology. These
major and minor subjects are dealt with fully in the works of arts
and crafts. Vaijayantatantra
pays attention mainly to the luxurious royal ornaments made of gold,
silver etc. A considerable amount of text describes the related
religious and cultural aspects. The units of measurements, throne,
the method of manufacturing beds and seats, the setting up of workshops,
16 auspicious rites, the five-fold royal insignia, the 64 ornaments,
the 36 varieties of the crown, the 16 auspicious occasions of young
maidens, the royal consecration, the 12 dances in honour of the
gods for the 12 months and the offerings to the nine planets are
some of the topics. Prof. Jayasuriya's
edition and translation are mainly based on the first Sinhalese
edition of the work by Prof. Nandasena Mudiyanse published in 1983.
As Prof. Jayasuriya
mentions in his preface, 'It does not appear to have been Prof.
Mudiyanse's intention to correct what were obviously scribal and
grammatical errors nor to subject the metres to critical scrutiny'.
Further, he says, 'As a result, the text which has been reproduced
by him abounds in linguistic irregularities which could easily have
been rectified with the help of the commentary (Sinhalese paraphrase)
where the text has been repeated word for word.' Prof. Jayasuriya's
has been able to produce a critical edition and reliable authentic
English translation in consultation with Prof. Mudiyanse's edition
as well as some other manuscripts not utilized for the Sinhalese
edition. This work no
doubt, exemplifies a number of qualities such as the vast knowledge
of many fields, talent and erudition of Prof. Jayasuriya who belongs
to the clan of Gate Mudliyar W.F. Gunawardhana, an eminent oriental
scholar to whom this work is dedicated. It is indeed a very difficult
task to supply this text with an English translation due to its
highly technical vocabulary. Therefore, this edition can be considered one of the best productions of Prof. Jaysuriya who represents a handful of eminent scholars in Sanskrit in this era. Only a scholar can understand the labour of a scholarly work. Understanding
banking law Hitherto, the
standard works on Banking in Sri Lanka consisted of the very learned
treatises written by Dr. Wickrama Weerasooria and published during
the years 1996- 1998. To the above
collection, must now be added the book published in September 2001
titled "Practice and the Law of Banking" written by Mr.
Wijeyadasa Rajapakse, President's Counsel. Mr. Rajapakse's
book caters not merely for lawyers or for others requiring a specialised
knowledge of banking. In his opening words in the Preface, he says: "In the
modern context, law and business are inextricably intertwined. The
concept that any problem faced by businessmen in their field of
business activities is best left in the hands of lawyers is outdated.
Businessmen instead must understand the law in the general sense.
They must appreciate the nature of the legal environment in which
their businesses operate. One must be able to predict with some
accuracy the legal effect of future conduct. Otherwise, no activity
would ever be legally safe." Mr. Rajapakse
paves the way for an understanding of Banking Law by laying the
necessary foundations in Chapter 1. He commences by giving a brief
history of banking in Sri Lanka. During the early part of British
rule, there was no banking or money lending system in Sri Lanka.
Instead, the "cheetu system"(which still prevails among
the less affluent) came into operation amongst some people. The
first commercial Bank was the Bank of Ceylon in 1841 but its lifespan
was short because of the "coffee boom" and it was closed
down in 1847. It was (re-)established in 1938, by the Bank of Ceylon
Ordinance No 53 of 1938. Chapter 1 also provides for very valuable
information on the services provided by commercial banks, other
financial institutions, such as State Mortgage and Investment Bank,
Insurance Corporation, Employees Provident Fund etc. He explains,
in simple terms, the workings of the main components of the money
market, viz the Treasury Bills, the Inter-Bank Call Money market
and the Forex market. He also discusses other elements having a
bearing on the money market such as the Central Bank Securities,
Corporate Securities, Share Market, Bond Market, and Unit Trusts.
An overview of the workings of the Central Bank is also provided
in this chapter including the workings of the Cheque Clearing House
and aspects of the Automation of Cheque Clearing in Sri Lanka. The Bank Act
of 1988 was primarily designed to protect the customer or the depositor.
Having this in mind, Mr Wijeyadasa, in the ensuing Chapters, succinctly
reviews the important aspects of the banker-customer relationship
and, more specifically, matters such as Bills of Exchange (including
detailed aspects of cheque transactions), Bank Lending, Securities,
including Stocks and Shares, and Hire Purchase. Chapter 7 contains
a summary of the relevant statutes affecting banking. Some twenty
statutes, including the Bank Act No 30 of 1988, are analytically
summarised. Unlike in the
U.K., banking transactions in Sri Lanka may be affected by the operation
of personal laws, which are currently existent in Sri Lanka. In
this context, very useful outlines of Kandyan Law, the Thesawalamai,
and Muslim Law are also contained in Chapter 7. Overall, the
book is not merely a ready reference book. It is a compendium of
information on other connected or accessory statutes. The book is
written in easy to read language. It contains up to date references
to statute and case law, both in Sri Lanka and the United Kingdom.
Words are defined, expressions commonly used in the field of banking
are explained, wherever necessary. The script is clear, easily readable
and printed on good paper. The typesetting and the general look
of the book are excellent. In the next edition of this book, Mr.
Rajapakse may perhaps consider adding a Subject Index, a Table of
Statutes, a Bibiliography, and other references to cater for the
more research-minded. Chief Justice
Sarath Silva, in his foreword to the book, has, this to say, inter
alia: "Mr. Rajapakse
has an extensive practice in the original Civil Courts and the Appellate
Courts of this country. He has had an insight into the working of
the Law of Banking at first hand. He has to be commended for the
industry he has shown in not only advancing in stature as a legal
practitioner but also for presenting this book being the combined
output of his rich experience and meticulous research….." Mr. Rajapakse's
previous publication, "The Case Law on Civil Procedure"
is a well-thumbed book adorning the libraries of judges, practitioners,
academics and students. It is a worthy successor to the late Mr.
E.B.Wickramanayake's work on the same subject published in 1959.
Legal publications, nowadays, bring little financial rewards to
the authors concerned. The reading public is limited. There are
thus more debits than credits in their income and expenditure accounts.
But these factors have not deterred writers like Mr. Rajapakse from
adding to, and enriching, the legal literature of this country. Mr. Rajapakse is a self-made man and President's Counsel of no mean repute. He is often in the front-line of battle in the fields of civil and commercial cases. It is hoped that, despite his heavy responsibilities, he will find time to write on many more subjects pertaining to Law. New
lease of life for the old oil pumps in Trinco Made in the
1920s, the machinery was used to pump petroleum products from tankers
to the storage tanks as well as fuel oil stored in the facility
into vessels at the oil berth. The cylinders
had to be heated with a blowtorch to get the machine started, recalls
the CPC's resident manager Dominic Corea. Corea's interest
in antique cars and motorcycles prompted him to have the machinery,
which fell into disuse after most of the tank farm was abandoned,
restored. The pump house
even has an oak ceiling. Corea recalls how he wrote to the manufacturers,
W.H. Allen Sons & Co Ltd, Bedford, and Stothert & Pitt Ltd
Pump Makers, Bath, England, seeking spares for the engine. But the
letter came back because the company no longer exists. The oil storage
facility is set to see more activity in the future with the lease
to the Indian Oil Corporation. The pump house could even become
a tourist attraction for those with an interest in all things antique. |
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