Columns

Long queues at BIA spark complaints largely from Lankans

The Presidential Secretariat’s  attention has been drawn to photographs and statements about long queues at immigration counters at Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) this week. Not that there are no long queues at other airports abroad, but some Sri Lankans, especially those who have emigrated, are the first to complain when they come ‘home’ on vacation, usually to run away from the ice-box weather in their new homes.

The complainants are quick to put the whole thing on tourists, who they say are also waiting in these queues to enter Sri Lanka, and that such a first impression would impact negatively on the country as it desperately tries to promote tourism.

In response to queries from the Presidential Secretariat, senior immigration officials looked into the matter and identified the cause. A particular incident had taken place during the time a new group of immigration officers arrived to take over the counters, according to their roster. This, they had noted, “briefly” created a shortage of officers at the counters until the new batch took over.

Given the negative publicity, however, a new circular is set to be issued shortly instructing immigration officers that they must not leave their respective counters at the end of their shift until their replacements are ready and waiting by their side to take over immediately.

Operation against narcotic criminals: Minister warned that his days are ‘mooned’

Public Security Minister Tiran Alles received a call just five minutes after wrapping up a media briefing at the Presidential Media Centre on Thursday. The attention of those nearby was drawn to the conversation, given how the minister was raising his voice when speaking to the person at the other end.

It soon became clear that the caller was threatening the minister. Those around the minister urged him to be careful, given that the call indicated that the underworld had become angered by the countrywide operations launched to curb narcotics trafficking and other underworld activities.

The person who called Minister Alles had inquired why he had stated at a media briefing that underworld leaders would be killed. The minister replied that he had only stated that the police would respond with maximum force if the underworld resisted them during their operations. The minister had told the caller not to call him based on what other people claimed he had said but to watch the clips of the briefing properly.

The caller, however, had then threatened the minister, saying they would “take care of him” after seven more full moons. Minister Alles replied that he needed only two full Moons to finish what he started and had dared the caller to do what he threatened.

Tamil Diaspora groups oppose GTF’s meeting with Govt.

The recent engagements undertaken by the Global Tamil Forum (GTF) and a group of Buddhist monks in the South with the government have caused some controversy on both sides.

Several Tamil diaspora outfits denounced their support for any such engagements with the government taken by GTF and condemned such initiatives using their name as an umbrella organisation.

The tipping point for many Tamil diaspora outfits was the meeting they had with former President Mahinda Rajapaksa to explain their initiatives and hand over a declaration they reached in Nepal.

Canadian Tamil Congress members, who took part in the initiatives, said they regretted the meeting that “hurt the feelings of the Tamil people” and clarified they met the ex-President on goodwill and betterment for the whole of Sri Lanka.

Finance Ministry and Treasury ‘ghosts’ to be transferred over allegations of corruption and sabotage

Several senior Finance Ministry and Treasury officials are to be transferred after a group of Ministry officials wrote to President Ranil Wickremesinghe, complaining about “ghosts” (bhoothayo) who have been haunting the premises for years.

The complaint claimed that the officials had been involved in corruption and sabotaging the government’s economic recovery plans. One official had been holding various positions at the Finance Ministry for 35 years, while another had been there for 18 years, the letter claimed. This is despite the maximum period that a state official can serve at a particular institution being around five years.

The officials were being aided by others who have also been serving for lengthy periods at the Finance Ministry and the Treasury, and those who complained have
requested that the President and the government intervene to halt the corrupt activities of such officials.

About 80 Lankans go to war-torn Israel; thousands more to follow

It is no secret that the Government is considering all available options to ensure foreign remittances into the country to boost its coffers, even utilising offers to send workers to Israel amidst an ongoing war.

Earlier this week, in terms of a bilateral agreement between the two countries, at least 80 Sri Lankans went to Israel as the first batch of 10,000 workers.

Though the recruitment process to work in construction sites and agricultural farms is fast-tracked in Sri Lanka, discussions are still underway in New Delhi whether India should be sending its citizens to a war zone despite its pro-Israel foreign policy.

An Israeli embassy official was quoted as saying by The Tribune newspaper in India that recruitment is being concentrated in some Indian states that have a low Muslim population.

Maradana community centre for the poor: Politician denies land-grab claim

The community centre and the temple at the centre of the dispute

The Colombo Municipality is on the verge of losing one of its community reception halls due to an alleged land grab by United National Party politician Kithsiri Rajapaksha, who is spearheading a pre-election
campaign for President Ranil Wickremesinghe in Colombo Central.

The community centre serves low-income people in Maradana’s Suduwella area. People use this centre, named after veteran trade unionist, former Western Province Governor and Sri Lanka Freedom Party’s
yesteryear stalwart Syed Alavi Moulana, to hold wedding receptions and
other functions for a nominal fee.

However, residents allege that
Mr. Rajapaksha’s
supporters had
broken the boundary wall of the centre
and annexed it to a makeshift temple
Mr. Rajapaksha
maintains on the main road.

Residents say complaints to Municipal Commissioner Badrani Jayawardena and the Western Province Governor’s office yielded no results, leaving
them unheard and frustrated.

To save the Alavi Moulana community centre, the residents are now contemplating court action.

When contacted, Mr. Rajapaksha put the entire matter down to a misunderstanding. He said the boundary wall had been knocked down accidentally during some construction work at the temple, and he was personally rebuilding it now at his own expense.

He said he had little time to respond to elements that were intent on creating disharmony in the area and said he would continue working for the betterment of all communities.

Presidential poll: Namal explains why he did not throw his hat in

The Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) is celebrating what it believes is a successful conclusion to its annual convention.

The party’s executive committee met the day following the convention. It has now been revealed that the SLPP will soon set up a politburo that will have wide-ranging powers to take decisions on behalf of the party.

Meanwhile, a group of SLPP state ministers and backbencher MPs this week met at SLPP Parliamentarian Namal Rajapaksa’s Malalasekera Mawatha, Colombo 7 residence, where talks centred on media reports that SLPP National List MP and business tycoon Dhammika Perera’s name was being tipped as the party’s next presidential candidate.

One MP asked Mr. Rajapaksa point-blank as to why Dhammika Perera’s name was being mentioned when he (Namal Rajapaksa) could contest the next presidential poll.

The younger Rajapaksa replied that his first objective was to reorganise the party. He noted that the SLPP already had four prospective presidential candidates. “If I and Basil Rajapaksa also put our hats into the ring, that would make it six candidates from the party,” he quipped.

Those present were of the view that such a healthy competition would be good for the party but agreed that the priority should be to conduct a publicity drive in January among the people to win back their lost support following the economic debacle last year that led to the country’s bankruptcy.

Cardinal initiates plan for ‘feeding the poor’ on Christmas day

With seasonal celebrations continuing, it is true that many Sri Lankans barely make ends meet these days as they have lost their spending power due to higher taxes and limited incomes.

This was reflected in this year’s Christmas message by Colombo’s Archbishop Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith when he addressed a media briefing on Tuesday at the Archbishop’s House. The Cardinal urged Catholics and Christians to open their homes to the poor and share a meal with them in the spirit of Jesus Christ, who was born, led a modest life as a poor person, and made others happy.

Considering the current situation in the country, the Church also decided to organise feeding programmes for the poor, and the Cardinal said he had advised priests in the Diocese of Colombo to organise feeding programmes for the poor on Christmas.

He said he, too, would attend one and share the meal with those who suffer hunger. At the end of the briefing, the Cardinal wished those gathered a “very happy Christmas” as a customary note, but only to clarify what he meant by happiness.

The Cardinal clarified that “happiness” was not in the sense of drinking, eating, and merry-making alone but especially “interior happiness you can draw by giving up something to make another person happy.”