Letters to the Editor

Interim Council:Should we wait and see?
The hot topic of the day is the north-east problem and the solution suggested by the LTTE is an Interim Council for the area. Although the rest of the Tamil parties disagree about the constitution and representation of the various parties in the Interim Council, they all agree in principle that the north-east should be considered their traditional homeland.

Recently they too opposed the de-merger of the north-east. The Muslims, on the other hand, are demanding either a separate Interim Council or a separate entity at least for the areas with a majority of Muslims in the east.

Then, what will be the plight of the Sinhalese who live in the north-east? If they demand a separate Interim Council will that be considered? However, there is a crucial factor, which has been forgotten, especially by politicians of both the UNF and the PA and the international community.

This is the paramount importance of the land problem. Even former President J.R. Jayewardene who introduced the Provincial Councils system stressed that when devolving power to the provinces, although certain powers could be allocated, the land rights or ownership of land should be with the central government.

This emphasizes the fact that we can never forget the population factor. Of the total population, Tamils of Indian origin form about 6% and Jaffna Tamils not more than 9%.
Of this 9% about half live in Colombo and the suburbs, in cities and areas other than the north and the east.

But for more than 20 years, the LTTE has been demanding one third of the land of Sri Lanka - the north and the east. Terror tactics have been used to push this demand.
Serious consideration needs to be given whether the Interim Council should be allowed to control over one-third of the land.

Ultimately the balance population of about 85% consisting of all communities - Sinhalese, Tamils, Muslims and Burghers will be confined to the other areas and the extent of land left for them will be definitely less than even two-thirds of Sri Lanka.
The resolutions on the Interim Council have still not been finalised.

Interested parties may say let us wait and see what they are before a final solution is agreed on. At the same time we cannot forget that Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe has said that Sri Lanka is the homeland of everybody. Are we to wait and see where he is leading us?

Help the forgotten housemaids too
A. Abeygoonawardana of Homagama has given a good account of the forgotten employees, both in the government and private sector (The Sunday Times of September 21).

Another group of employees who are facing untold hardships are the housemaids in the Middle East. These poor women have to work round-the clock for meagre wages. Some of them are not paid even their salaries and occasionally they are sent back to Sri Lanka in sealed coffins.

The women who do get their wages bank whatever they have earned in Sri Lankan banks. Till recently the interest for such deposits was 15-18%. But now the rates have plummeted and families living on such deposits have been thrown into penury.
Therefore, the government should draw up a special scheme not only for retired employees but also for these housemaids.

Bring on the lights before it's too late
Saratha Street in Trincomalee is a busy one from dawn to midnight. Motorcycles, cars, trishaws,vans ply this street. However the streetlights have not been functioning for about a month. One of these days there will be an accident.

Dagoba desecrated
I was the compere at a recent fashion show at a Colombo five-star hotel where 25 graduating 'students of fashion' presented their 'creativity' based on the theme of "Sri Lankan Identity".

The show unfolded with each student presenting their collections. One particular collection was titled 'Dagoba'. The script I read out ran thus: "Dome shaped dagobas represent Buddhism inSri Lanka. My inspiration is drawn from the Buddhist philosophy, the path to higher mental and intellectual attainments. This collection is based on the shapes of dagobas.”

I was firstly appalled and stunned, and then fuming, when the collection opened with a model appearing on the catwalk dressed as a dagoba. She wore a white bell-shaped skirt at the bottom of which was affixed 'floral offerings' and a brief top. A 'pinnacle' was mounted atop her head. In her hand she carried a lit lamp. As she walked down the catwalk swaying her hips to the music, it looked as though a dagoba was walking towards the audience.

I thought this was horrendous and insulting to Buddhism, to say the least, and, amounted to gross sacrilege. Fashion has obviously got to be creative but should never be permitted to make a mockery of any religion and its symbols.

I would have been equally appalled to see the Shiva Lingam, the Crucifix, the Crescent Moon, the Rosary and other such religious symbols, held sacred by followers of those respective religions, made a mockery of.

I later found out that many others too in the audience had been shocked and angry at this spectacle, which insulted Buddhism and masqueraded as 'creativity'. Allowing anyone to insult Buddhism or any other religion should not be condoned.

The phone is not for gossip
Reader Yoganathan's views on SLT charges seem to be one-sided and narrow. A phone is an essential requirement today and not a luxury as in days gone by. It should be used sparingly, and only in an emergency, or when there is something urgent and important to be conveyed.

It is not for gossip. (Is it raining there? Heavy rain here! Have you read today's news? See what the politicians we appointed are doing today! Did you read how they rule with thuggery? etc.) Many a wrong number is also dialled - yesterday, I had three!

We got the phone 25 years ago and the mandate signed with the old Tele-Dept. did not specify a rental for the instrument. With the payment of an initial sum, this remained the property of the government and we had to pay only the call charges.

There were no other levies, like today. This rental, arbitrarily imposed later is illegal and can be contested in a court. Many would do so, if not for the expenses involved.
Without using the phone, unnecessarily, our monthly unit charges always average only 100, but the other charges total much more than the cost of the calls. Is the SLT hoping that people will soon go for cell-phones?

Today's media, which should uphold the rights of the people and agitate for justice, are indifferent and silent, except for publishing letters. The leaders to whom the population gave their vote are deaf, blind and dumb to the hardships we face.

Tough laws, the answer
Thank you for the report ‘Underaged kid drivers playing hell on the road’ (The Sunday Times, October 5), which highlighted this new road menace. It is a tragedy that underaged drivers are allowed on the road endangering not only their lives, but also those of pedestrians and other road users.

Parents, however, cannot be blamed in all these cases. I know of many parents, whose children disobey them and of other instances where the children take the cars without the parents' knowledge. Ministers, MPs and top government officials are given cars at the tax payers' expense. As a result most of these children have a car each.

The parents are often unaware or too busy with their own involvements to check on their children. As a result these children whose fantasies are paid for by the taxpayers go about driving flashy cars often jeopardising the lives of all road users.

I wholeheartedly agree that the penalty for underage drivers should be increased. They should also be made to do compulsory voluntary work. As long as money can get them off the hook these spoilt children will not hesitate to indulge in these offences.

They should be punished harshly so that this menace is halted forthwith. I commend the Colombo City Traffic OIC who has called for tougher laws and heavier fines.

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