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Once again the Middle East is in turmoil, we have seen horrendous bombings in Mumbai, India, killings and bombings in our own land and there are pockets of violence across the world. How should we view all these? In this context what the modern Indian sage, Sri Aurobindo has said may be apposite and I quote:

“Falsehood and darkness are strong everywhere on the earth, and have always been so and at times they seem to dominate; but there have also been not only gleams but outbursts of the light. In the mass of things and the long course of time, whatever may be the appearance of this or that epoch or movement, the growth of light is there and the struggle towards better things does not cease.

At the present time falsehood and darkness have gathered their forces and are extremely powerful; but even if we reject the assertion of the mystics and the prophets since early times that such a condition of things must precede the manifestation (of the divine on earth, or of the end of the world-mine) and is even a sign of its approach, yet it does not necessarily indicate the decisive victory, even temporarily – of the falsehood. It merely means that the struggle between the forces is at its acme. The result may be the stronger emergence of the best that can be; for the world movement often works that way.”

The crisis today in the Middle East with the Israelis attacking the Hezbollah entrenched in south Lebanon and Hezbollah firing rockets and missiles into Israel, is perhaps a reflection of such a struggle.

We have on a smaller scale a parallel in Sri Lanka. The LTTE believes its cause to be a righteous one but the government and a great many others think of them as merely evil. Each side in these several global conflicts presumes the other to be on the side of falsehood. Only time will tell where the truth is. As I see it, all hatred and violence stemming from it, is evil. Either side has to forget old grievances and think of the ‘now’ and the ‘future’ of our world.

Will this ever be? The result from the present struggles will no doubt be, as Sri Aurobindo says "the stronger emergence of the best that can be". Besides I also believe that nothing will ever change unless we as individuals look inwards, turn our gazes inwards and not outwards at the distorted shape of things.

This is some food for thought.

It would be worthwhile to consider what Sunil Handunetti said in Parliament on July 20.

He said more than ten letters sent to the chairman of the Ports Authority and the minister asking for a date to discuss the workers’ problems went unanswered. After losing patience waiting for many months, the unions decided to resort to the go-slow. It is common courtesy to reply a letter received and it shows utter indifference to ignore ten letters sent by a union.

If this is assumed to be correct, both the chairman and the minister have to answer for the loss of hundreds of millions of rupees as a result of the go-slow. The manner in which the dispute was settled shows that this result could have been achieved before the go-slow action commenced.

In any other country, the Minister would have been stripped of his portfolio and the chairman fired. It will be too much to expect that here.

I can well appreciate the reluctance of a government installed by the electoral process to incur the displeasure of influential trade unions. But is that a good enough reason to allow the public to be held to ransom by government doctors and the railway and postal employees? The same goes for employees of state-run corporations such as the CEB, the CPC and the Ports Authority.

It behoves the highest judiciary in the land to step in and bail out the government by banning strikes of public servants and employees of state-run corporations. A new machinery is also needed to enable the workers to have their grievances adjudicated expeditiously.

I am delighted to write a few words about the Eye Hospital at Hospital Square near the Town Hall in Colombo.

I am an elderly person and I had cataract in my left eye. I went to the Eye Hospital at about 8 a.m. one day last month, not without some fear. I found the staff polite and prompt. Through various processes after careful examination by the doctors, I was instructed to come on a certain day with necessary lenses according to the prescription.

I got ready with all requirements and went there on the day fixed by them. I had to undergo so many tests again and was taken to the operating threatre. Dr. Charith Fonseka, the eminent eye surgeon with his team of medical staff did a super job of implanting a foldable lens into my left eye. Then I was guided to bed No. 5 in ward No. 13, Floor No. 3.

The bed, the ward, everything was spick and span and up to the standard of a paying ward which I have seen in foreign countries when I was there for about 10 years. No mosquitoes, no bed bugs in the ward or the bed to worry you. The toilets are washed every now and then and the wards are swept in the mornings and evenings. No visitors were allowed other than at the visiting hours — as that would disturb the staff and the patients.

The medical staff called on the patients at the stipulated time and enquired about their condition and attended to their needs. Hot water, plain tea and even food were served to the needy.

It is such service the government, the Health Minister and the public expect from the medical staff.

I wish the standard of the Eye Hospital will be maintained and other state-run medical institutions and private hospitals follow the exemplary standards of diligence, discipline and service prevailing in this model hospital.

Now I have clear vision because of the staff of the Eye Hospital, Colombo.
S.A. Masilamany

The magnanimous gesture by the President in allowing an LTTE leader to undergo treatment in a hospital in a government-controlled area – with no fear of being attacked by the enemy should be commended by all.

This proves that the Sri Lankan Government is not inhuman. It has the magnanimity and strength to help a human being even though he is a terrorist and enemy of the state.

I hope the LTTE and those supporting this terrorist group will at least now realize that the Sri Lankan Government does not advocate revenge, violence or terror against the Tamils. However, let them not interpret this action of the President as a sign of weakness.

Now it is for the LTTE to reciprocate with similar actions of tolerance.

May be Prabhakaran, Thamilselvan and other terrorist leaders will be compelled to seek the help of the President to undergo treatment in a government hospital.

In spite of the magnanimity shown by the President, the LTTE is continuing their acts of terror and brutality against the Sri Lankan state.

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