Year on the Web
Year on the Web
Hardly a week passes without some complaint or other regarding pensions. While Prof. Peiris paid 40% increase of salary to public servants, he paid the pensioners only 5% and worse still, with the earlier allowances axed off. Those who retired before December 31, 1984 were initially paid a pension of about 65% of their last salary on their old lower scales, whereas the recent pensioners get nearly 85% or more of their last salary on the new higher scales.
To be just and fair, the pre-1983 pensioners should be placed relatively on the appropriate new scales of salaries vis-a-vis the positions they held at retirement. How grossly distasteful and unfair that a former Director/AGA/Staff Officer/Honours Graduate/Principal, etc., get very much less pensions than the lower rungs who formerly served under them. What bad discrimination!
We the citizens of "Fool's Paradise" (where Elections are concerned) sing "Welcome To (my) This Messy World" All those victorious Lordships who mostly are "(From) A Jack To King" before and after any election. Well, now that all the "Congratulations and Celebrations" are done with, it's time to sit in the" Country Hall(s) of (Fame) Shame" rather, to serve the public who knew too well to select the "Men (man) We All Ought To Know".
Here's a tip to exercise your mind, body and conscience. Take "One Day At A Time" and when "The Morning Has Broken", "Stand At Your Window" "In Your (Little) Room" and do a "Shake Rattle and Roll" to say, "The Clouds Will Soon Roll By" for all you people whom we pledged to serve when we will bring back the shine and shape to "The Green Green Grass of Home"....
"Are you The One" who promised us the Moon, Sun and the Stars, so that we the public could be "Waltzing On Top Of The World" after the clean up of Garbage and Dirt, Mosquitoes and Stenches, Blockages of Drains and Culverts?
"Are You The One" who promised us "Roses Are Red and Violets Are Blue" all around "Our{my} Hometown"? Or would it be another "Multiplication" of the problems of the bygone era?
When you step into your BMW or Volvo think of all the " Gypsy Feet" that do the travelling to keep their home fires burning and please do feel "Guilty" if you Cannot think that that "You're{I'm} Getting Better in your undertaking to serve the public who opted to put you on that particular pedestal.
Oh! You "Blue Boy(s)" remember, since "Fools rush in where angels fear to tread" we citizens are not to be blamed for the inefficiencies caused by you.
In time to come you will be taken "Across The Bridge" to be judged at the next elections whether "You'll {He'll} have to stay" or "you'll {He'll} have to go". If it's the former well then "We(I) won't forget you". If it's the latter then it'll be "Adios Amigos".
Oh Your Lordships! "Please help us {me I'm} We Are Falling In Love With" the Promises which trapped us into this helpless situation after every election, with your honest approach to serve for the better. And one last request Please "Do What You Do, Do Well" and Never Ever let be only "Yakity Yak Blah, Blah!". "We Thank Thee" for practial solutions to all the problems of the city.
Daily we see death anniversary remembrances, often with a loving poem, or a line of appreciation, sometimes with the photographs of the deceased ones published on page 2 of most newspapers. The kith and kin place these with a fondness and love for the departed ones; and these cost quite a fair amount too.
However, it is worthwhile for us to stop for a moment and ponder what is being achieved by these. It is being done with all sincerity of showing one's love and concern for the dead, I'm sure. But does it serve any purpose other than advertising our love for the dead? Love advertised for the sake of advertising loses its sincerity.
Wouldn't it be much more meritorious to spend this money to feed the poor or to help the education of an orphan? Some relatives may be performing acts of charity in addition to these, on the anniversary day. But why not spend this money too on charity?
According to Islam, there are no death anniversaries - we are not supposed to think of the dead once a year only, but whenever we can, to pray for them, to do charity for them; not in the way the world expects us to, but in the way we can afford to. Not publicly, seeking others' appreciation, but preferably in secret. We believe that however small the charity is, great merit will reach the dead.
Isn't it a much better way of remembering our loved ones?
Most readers know that the last month, on March 12, the former Chief Election Commissioner of India, T.N. Seshan, delivered an outsanding lecture here on 'Democracy in India and its lessons for Emerging Countries'.
It was a packed audience - balanced politically, professionally, age -wise and gender-wise - and also included a Symposium immediately following the lecture, under a well chosen Sri Lankan panel.
What was far less known was that the whole event was developed and set up under the initiative of Prof. Suriyakumaran, as Chairman of the Centre for Regional Development Studies (CRDS) at Colombo - an Organisation devoted to studies and activities in the three major areas of governance, including Devolution, Development and Environment.
It would appear that, in wishing to give importance to the event as well as the panel, and the steering group that was helping in the preparations, Prof. Suriyakumaran played down his direct role as conceiver of the programme and, as it were, its 'producer/director'. The preparations, we learn, had included sit-in sessions by Prof. Suriyakumaran with Shri Seshan in Delhi prior to the event, as well as some writings by him on Democracy and Nationality taken to Delhi, and handsomely ackowledged by Shri Seshan.
Almost surely, those at that session would join us in thanking Prof. Suriyakumarn, and the CRDS, for this initiative, and for the planning that went into it.
We write however to emphasise the value now of our making use of the proceedings in our public affairs.
The event had an immediate impact to be sure, and has even begun to influence the odd thinking on the future, judging from one or two statements on public affairs that have since come out.
We are told the CRDS is planning follow up steps to make use of this for public benefit, including publication of the proceedings as a volume. Our political forces would themselves benefit by initiating their own use of the thinking and contributions that went into, and came out of, this Conference Session.
We are told that the next distinguished lectures event under the series later this year, will, be on 'Environment and its Development and Regional Dimensions', led by two personages of high standing in their own countries, to be followed later by a third in the series, on 'Development'.
There is no doubt that all interested in the country, will be looking to these, and for now, to the planned follow up on the lecture on governance just completed. Every support that could be given to them, from government or supporting organisations,would be a worthy one, and in the country's cause.
Recently I happened to watch a song about freedom of women on TV. It is based on a theme that the women take over the world! Women are depicted wearing men's suits, taking over business, and even becoming fast motorbike riders, and gun toting thugs, while the men cook and clean for the women and ultimately bear children too.
This song truly pictures today's women's misplaced aspiration for "freedom". What is pathetic about the whole idea is the fact that these women assume that "to be a man" is freedom. In other words, they subconsciously agree albeit mistakenly, that men are superior and ardently desire to be like them. Even girls wanting to cut their hair very short and parade in pants and T-shirts, pretending to be liberated, are in fact subscribing to the idea that being a man is what they want to be.
What a sad misconception! A bird caged does not aspire to the freedom of walking on two legs and unable to fly - A caged lion does not seek to wear pants and punish the man with a lash! Freedom is being what you are, being able to enjoy your rights and being able to fulfil your duties.
What a pity women do not realize their own world! To be pretty and tender, to be loving and caring in a way that man can never be, to beautify ourselves in so many ways (not for the sake of the pleasure of vulgar men, but for our own satisfaction) and to have our own whims and fancies that had mystified men from time immemorial - not forgetting the unique pleasure of being a mother, whilst at the same time we could also be brainy, witty, and intelligent to learn and earn just as men do. The wonder of being a woman can never be equalled by being a man, so much so that if I am given a million chances, I would still opt to be a woman - A woman in dress, speech and ways and thoughts!
It is equally pathetic to watch men - especially young ones trying to emulate women - with long hair, earrings and feminine dresses! It only provokes contempt for their self inadequacy that they have to find expression in being someone else than themselves! They call this freedom too!
Neither man nor the women are superior! They are created in different ways - to perform different functions. It is like arguing whether a doctor or lawyer is superior - neither of them are superior, but have equal functions to perform in the society. Let us cherish the "manliness" or "womanhood" bestowed on each of us and enjoy life blessed on us without losing what we have, trying to be what we are not!
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