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Queen Mahamaya’s dream a miracle,
Magnificent white elephant depicting oracle,
The birth of Rahula, a fetter on this day
Leaving Princess Yasodhara amidst moonlit rays,
On faithful Kanthaka, galloped away,
From Kapilawasthu, forgetting royal ways,
To seek Supreme Truth, for man’s Liberation
To end untold suffering – great Renunciation!

Performed maiden sermon, melodious
“Dhammachakka Sutta” Wheel of Law wondrous
To pancavagga ascetics of Migadaya
First Bhikku ordained, Ascetic Kondanna
At the foot of spreading tree, Ghandamba
Curbed, reformed arrogance many a Nigantha
Established “Vas” a retreat rainy season
With panchavagga monks, observed with reason.

Memorable visit to see mother in heaven Thusitha,
Dwelling among Devas to preach Vijambana
The first Council significant at Isipathana
Yammaaha Prathihara, great phenomena
Ordained numerous Aryan lads’n Prince Aritth
At Thumburu Chapter house, Seemamalaka.

Initiated ‘Kandy Perahara’ colourful pageant
Tooth Relic’n golden casket in caparisoned tusker elegant,
Paraded streets in regal splendour,
Traditional, cultured, pompous grandeur
King Dutugamunu laid foundation, Ranvelisaya
Coincident, “Sadhu, Sadhu” rhythmic chants at Migadaya

Esala flower strands cascading piously
Like a yellow ascetic robe strewn gently
To pay humble homage, utmost reverence
On this historic day, abounding, obeisance

Bus fares keep on rising but passenger care keeps dropping. No one seems to bother about the convenience of passengers.

I avoid using the word comfort as it will be too much to expect from an exclusively profit based environment. Those who proposed privatization made a big noise about it. Better buses, better service, better passenger care, no more long queues, no strikes, no work stoppages etc. The private sector-C.T.B. competition was going to be the sure fire cure.

Desperate and disgusted with the decadent C.T.B. ruined by political interference, the public swallowed everything lock, stock and barrel. Anything was going to be better than a C.T.B. more on the blocks by now.

How this situation was created is a long story. Those who could afford invested in new buses, others who had the necessary political clout and the proper connections, bought the very C.T.B. buses that were condemned as irreparable, obtaining the necessary spares from the C.T.B. back door. The one and only aim was to make money.

With the passage of time with excessive over-loading and careless driving by incompetent drivers, the buses as well as the service deteriorated much faster than expected. The expected profits never materialized owing to dishonest staff having a field day. Finance companies came to a superficial rescue. More money had to be earned to pay their instalments.

The strikes and stoppages started from those who were brought in to curtail others. The service deteriorated. Fares were increased several times. Though the fuel prices went up it was not always the cause for fare hikes. The situation has become worse than before. The poor passenger is at the receiving end.

Inhuman overloading never experienced before is becoming more the rule. Young girls and older women are herded in with the ever echoing ‘Passata, passata, nethnam bahinta’.

They are packed so tight creating a field day for the perverts but utter embarrassment to the others. Where is the law on sexual harassment?

Where are the women’s organizations that are so vociferous over the radio and TV? May be they travel about in luxury vehicles and do not probably realize that those who travel by bus are also women like them.

Before and after the ordeal inside the poor souls have to suffer the ignominy of being pushed into the bus with a good squeeze of their behind and get off the bus squeezing past the conductor who stands on the foot board shouting at them to get off quickly as the driver pulls up while they have one foot only on terra firma and the other still on the foot board.

There are laws in this country to regulate the loading of cattle, goats and poultry being taken for slaughter and those are being enforced.

The number to be loaded in trains and lorries and the type of basket for poultry are specified, and those who do not abide by these are taken to courts. But human beings, no one seems to care

Mallika Perera’s letter in The Sunday Times of June 25 gives hope to many unmarried women who are dependent on their parents’ pension. After the death of their pensioner-parents many unmarried daughters are forced to spend a beggarly life with their relatives (if there are any) or be real beggars.

So it is quite reasonable to permit unmarried daughters to draw their parents’ pension. They may be considered for the payment of part pension at least, upon the death of their pensioner-parents.

If a survey is conducted by the authorities it is quite possible, they will come across a sizable number of unmarried daughters who after their parents have died are living in penury.

We wonder what the keeper/caretaker/overseer or whoever of the Jawatte Cemetery is doing? Is he really performing the duties entrusted to him?

Jawatte was known as the best maintained and managed public cemetery in Colombo, but now it has become a virtual jungle, overgrown with weeds with dogs loitering around the place.

Meanwhile, the staff employed there are idling and relaxing, except for working on those graves for which they are paid monthly by the owners for their maintenance. This attitude, recently adopted by the staff should be remedied as they are paid for the maintenance of the entire cemetery.

Perhaps, what the staff who work here do not realize is that if this sacred place is maintained as it should be they will be rewarded more by those who visit the graves of their loved ones on their birthdays, anniversaries and other special occasions, irrespective of whether they are buried in common graves or otherwise.

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