Letters to the Editor
View(s):Ten years ago, we had a good life!
Mr. Podinilame has a jak tree – I live in an apartment. Ten years ago, we had a ‘good’ life, ‘good’ food, consulted specialist doctors. Now my medicines cost more than Rs. 15,000 a month.
Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the sea, but an average family cannot buy fish even once a week. Pensioners cannot go fishing. Even a
vegetarian diet is difficult to manage.
A ‘del’ (breadfruit) costs over Rs. 100.
I ask the vendor from which country
he imports it.
Pensioners are treated with indifference by the authorities. We can just hope and pray that the evening of our lives will pass away soon, then we can rest in peace.
Mrs. R. Goonewardene Nugegoda
That land bridge between India and Sri Lanka
Reference to the column Double speak by Gamini Weerakoon and the letter on the proposed land bridge between India and Sri Lanka by Dr. C. Ratnatunga in the Sunday Times of August 6, I find it difficult to substantiate the arguments against it.
India is already connected to Bangladesh, Nepal and Bhutan. The entire world is focusing on improving on connectivity from Africa, Europe and Asia. New train links are developing from China all the way to Singapore. A rail link is prospering from China to the UK via Europe
and a new link is proposed from
Iran to Moscow.
All this existing and proposed connectivity improves the speed of transport at a lesser cost, improving trade, thereby increasing productivity and employment opportunities. Further, Sri Lanka would have access to very large market in India through the bridge as well as to international trade through India.
It was very true at that time that Nehru’s view was that the independence of Ceylon and Burma would pose a security threat to India, a fact demonstrated today in other parts of the world, namely Ukraine and Taiwan. But it is common sense that Sri Lanka’s path should be pro-Indian with Sri Lanka rupee being replaced with the Indian rupee (similar to the Euro in Europe) to get the benefits of being allied to the third largest economy in the world in a few years’ time.
The land link between India and Sri Lanka is needed and I hope that the political leadership of both countries will complete the bridge as soon as possible.
Manoj de Silva via email
Health: Speaking from experience
With reference to the letter by Dr. Channa Ratnatunga – ‘Land bridge: Consider the potential health issues’ published on August 6, he says: “One must note that our indices have been achieved by the remarkable effort of our Public Health sector and must not be undermined by one fell stroke.”
As a Public Health Inspector who served the Department from 1952 – 1989, I can safely vouch for the veracity of this statement by the learned administrator. The remarkable achievements were reached under trying conditions, with limited facilities, manpower and resources.
D.C.M. Weeratunga Bandarawela
Centenary of the Labour Department forgotten
At a time when the livelihoods of working people and their rights are being eroded in Sri Lanka, it is disappointing that the centenary of the establishment of the Labour Department in July 1923 has not been commemorated. The Department was initially founded to address issues affecting Indian immigrant labour but later expanded to cover all workers in the country.
On its 25th anniversary in 1948, the Departmental Minister, T.B. Jayah, said in the publication which was produced to commemorate the anniversary: “The worker in Ceylon, in most trades now enjoys protection in respect of minimum wages, hours of work, weekly and annual holidays; in respect of health and safety at work places and compensation in the event of disease, accident or death caused at work.”
The legal protection of workers’ rights is a hallmark of a just society. The work of the Department is important and the centenary of its founding should have been commemorated.
Dr. R. P. Fernando Epsom, UK
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