Letters to the Editor
View(s):Of D.A. Rajapaksa and D.M. Rajapaksa
I refer to the piece, in the Sunday Times, entitled ‘Talk at the Café Spectator’, and sub-titled, ‘Major set-back for Rajapaksa’s in their home-base’.
It says, “It all started with D.A. Rajapaksa who contested the first General Election in 1947”. This is not correct, it all started in 1936 when D.M. Rajapaksa was elected to the Hambantota seat in the State Council. D.M. Rajapaksa continued to be a member of the State Council until the mid-1940s when he died prematurely. His successor was his brother, D.A. Rajapaksa. It was D.M. Rajapaksa who made famous the “kurakkan” shawl, as the family emblem.
When D.M. Rajapaksa died, D.A. took his place in the State Council. D.M.’s two sons, George and Lakshman were at that time too young to succeed him. Then from 1947, first Lakshman, and then from 1960 George, were MPs in the Hambantota District until George died, again prematurely in 1975.
I remember George Rajapaksa who was Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Finance resigning from that post in 1972 or 1973 and wearing the “kurakkan” shawl at the time. In 1970 with the passing away of D.A. Rajapaksa, Mahinda Rajapaksa came to Parliament. Until about 1977 the more prominent family line was not that of D.A. Rajapaksa, but of D.M. Rajapaksa.
Leelananda De Silva Via email
To Chamari and her team; we are with you in good times and bad
Chamari and the team, you all brought honour and glory to Sri Lanka by winning the Asia Cup. How much we enjoyed your unparalleled performance.
Now it has turned the other way and you have suffered a reversal of fortunes, yet we are with you Chamari, at this most traumatic period.
When the team was riding a wave of popularity at the Asia Cup, other opponents came well-armed with their homework done to attack Sri Lanka.
This is not the time to attack the team through social media. We must support them with more encouragement and love during this difficult period, and they will come through with shining colours in the future.
Mangalika Wijetunge Mattegoda
Mini hydro dams an environmental disaster
The letter published on October 13 titled ‘The neglected potential of small hydropower and CEB’s disparities in payments’ should draw the attention of the general public in Sri Lanka, who are environmentally concerned.
The environmental impact of mini hydropower projects are immense as the fresh water fish fail to reach their spawning pools, as the dams become a barrier. The Aswan dam completely wiped out the salmon industry in Egypt as the salmon couldn’t reach their spawning grounds, although this was a massive dam and not a mini hydro one. Engineers just quantify the technological achievements rather than considering the impact on the environment amounting to an ecological disaster.
The small rivulets and streams help to keep our freshwater fauna and flora alive in those environmentally sensitive regions.
In fact all mini hydro dams should be decommissioned with immediate effect by the new government.
Sunil Vijaya Mount Lavinia
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