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Ceasefire
and its immediate benefits to the people However, the
decision to come to a ceasefire was a brave one and should be applauded.
The ceasefire
has brought about a number of benefits: * A sense of
security without the constant worry of bombings, harassment etc.
* The reopening
of the A9 and A5 highways, allowing the people of the south and
the north-east to interact with each other. * The removal
of landmines which have cost the limbs of thousands. * The removal
of checkpoints and barriers. * The possibility
for some refugees to return to their own homes. * The withdrawal
of troops from schools and places of worship contributing to the
return of a semblance of normalcy for those living in the north-east. * The opportunity
for both sides to witness and understand the "human face"
on the person they were fighting. * A sense of
seeing the light at the end of the tunnel as to what it means to
live in a peaceful society. * A build-up
of trust and understanding among all the communities. We are aware
that the road to peace is long and arduous. As Christians, we believe
that the quest for a true and lasting peace goes hand in hand with
justice. We appeal to all citizens to exercise compassion for we
know that failure to do so would result in the non-achievement of
true peace. The road to
peace might be littered with hardship and provocation and compromises
will have to be made by all concerned. However, if both parties
are sincerely committed to achieving peace then any obstacle can
be faced and overcome successfully. Fellowship
Of Christian University Students (FOCUS) Premature babies
on cement floor The speech
in Tamil would have been very meaningful to the Sinhala participants,
as people living in these parts would never have undergone the traumatic
experiences shared by the speaker. Referring to
the health facilities provided by the state in the Northern Province,
he said that at the height of the conflict, the people ran helter
skelter from their homes, leaving everything behind. Among them
were a number of expectant mothers. Due to tension, some of them
developed premature labour pains and had to be admitted to the nearest
hospital. The speaker's
wife who was seven-and-a-half months pregnant was among them. Since
he had to be away looking into the needs of the people in distress,
he could not stay with his wife. When he was informed that his wife
had delivered the baby, he had rushed to the hospital and seen premature
newborns lying on the cement floor. There had been no incubators
and the babies had been kept warm with hot water bottles. When inquiries
were made, the medical staff had said that no incubators were supplied
from Colombo. There had also been an acute shortage of medicine
and the mortality rate at birth had been high. The government
is receiving aid for rehabilitation work in the north and these
funds seem to be diverted for the development of roads, electricity,
water supply etc. These are long term projects involving commissions
and omissions. People are interested in immediate needs such as
health care, medical facilities, an adequate number of doctors,
nurses, health workers and ambulances. Reconstruction of damaged
hospital buildings and the Deaf and Blind School at Kaithady which
has been destroyed should be given priority to win the confidence
of the people. Yellow lines,
red lines
The vital questions
are: Who teaches learner drivers? Who issues driving licences and
to whom? Who lets all these maniacs loose on our roads? Driving licences
are issued to all who bribe the officials. Any driving school will
tell you that after so many lessons they will get the licence. How?
Is it because the person is competent to drive, or is it because
part of the fees charged goes to some corrupt RMV officials? Does
anyone fail or does everybody pass? Isn't it time
the government provided proper driving schools in all districts?
Forget computer education and give the people a practical education.
I have had
a succession of drivers and what I have found is that some do not
know that there is a right of way. Some toot the horn the moment
the driver in front signals he's turning and stops and everyone
leans on the horn when the green traffic light comes on. Nobody tolerates
three wheelers. They, of course, should be banned in Colombo and
the main trunk roads. All three-wheeler drivers should be compelled
to get car licences. Then there
are some who overtake on the left. Most do not know to drive within
the lanes marked and all join the shorter lane of traffic when there
are two stationary lanes of vehicles. Nobody shows any courtesy
or gives way to anyone. A Mother Politics not
for monks There have
also been a number of instances where the Buddhist clergy has taken
to the streets on a political issue. Some political parties incite
student monks in universities to take part in demonstrations to
fulfil a hidden agenda. These monks find it difficult to lead a
restrained life once they go back to the temples. Then they give
up their robes. There is only
one Buddhist monk in Parliament today and Buddhists will be appreciative
if he steps down and gives his place to a layman. This will then
be in keeping with the Buddhist Commission's appeal to all party
leaders not to use Buddhist monks for political work. P.A. Binduhewa
Dr. T. Lobsang
Rampa, a medical genius, priest and psychologist, in his first book
'The Third Eye' says that according to Tibetan astrology, there
are two separate houses in the horoscope depicting two kinds of
love. It is said
by wise people that 'there is no grief like hate, no pain like passion,
and no deceit like sense' and that 'the dividing line between love
and hate is very thin'. It is also said that 'all is fair in love
and war'. So, do you hate someone of the opposite sex passionately? Be aware then
that you are also capable of loving that person passionately! L.N.J. Perera
Crack down on
abortion centres The alarming
increase in abortions poses a serious threat to society. According
to statistics, about 1,500 abortions are carried out daily at illegal
medical centres run by quacks. About 25 percent of maternal deaths
are due to abortions. There was a
recent news report that a medical officer and some schoolgirls were
taken into custody at a medical centre in Wellawaya. Under Section
303 and 304 of the Penal Code, abortion is illegal. Only if the
mother's life is in danger, a doctor has the option or the right
to abort. To counter
this social problem, sex education programmes should be introduced
in schools, while laws should be strengthened to crack down on illegal
medical centres and those who run them. The public
too have an important role to play in countering this illegal practice,
by informing the authorities of such centres. Don Sarath
Abeysekera
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