Although much has been written about the gross violation of traffic rules by motorists plying the principal highways, very little appears to have been achieved towards curbing the offenders.
It cannot be said that such violations do not catch the eye of the white-helmeted police. One perilous offence, I hasten to mention, that has gone unnoticed is the mad chase by motorists speeding behind ambulances. This indeed is a totally reckless operation which could lead to fatal accidents.
Unlike the days of yore, today many ambulances daily use the highways rushing towards Colombo on urgent medical missions. Several motorists driving private vehicles, especially those of the Pajero and Double-cab cult, are seen racing behind ambulances seemingly to get a free and quick passage through traffic that gives way to ambulances.
Traffic police should be given specific instructions to arrest and charge these offenders.
The proposed coal power station at Kalpitiya has caused protests from people of the area even before preliminary investigations are complete.
One man has been killed and it has been compared to Chernobyl in Russia and the chemical plant in Bhopal in India. Nothing could be further from the truth. Chernobyl is a large nuclear power station and the Bhopal factory produced toxic chemicals.
A modern coal power station is remarkably clean. Coal is burnt to heat water and produce steam to drive the turbines. Even fresh water will not be taken from the area and instead salt water will be de-salinated.
There are coal power stations in India and Singapore. Seventy per cent of the world’s power is generated by coal power stations. The world market price of diesel went up by 50 per cent last year.
The CEB should launch a media campaign through radio, television and newspapers to educate people on the advantages of coal power stations. A video of a coal power station in Singapore could be shown on television.
Dr Jane Russell, an eminent academic, and longtime resident of Sri Lanka, was unceremoniously deported from Sri Lanka, on a Wednesday about one year ago when the country was celebrating Ms Bandaranaike’s birthday. She was summarily removed on a dubious immigration charge.
Dr. Russell’s efforts to seek redress for the terrible injustice caused to her, by the Controller of lmmigration were met with intimidation, harassment and thuggery at every step of the way. Dr. Russell was first arrested for a traffic offence and subsequently kept in three prisons.
At Bogambara, she was dumped in a maximum security cell which serves only criminals. Her passport was impounded by the Immigration Department. Thereby it was easy to deny her a visa and frame charges of overstay.
She had no means of regularising her visa. She had no visa extension, no clear visa status. The BOI (Board of Investment), on grounds that the “Asian Bronze Castings” - Small foreign investment project located in Kadugannwa, was out of operations, refused to grant a letter of recommendation endorsing her partnership and continuity of the project.
Dr Russell is a reputed academic who has immensely contributed to enriching the intellectual and cultural life in this country.
As a resident foreign national who has lived in Sri Lanka for more than 20 years and made it her second home, the treatment meted out to her leaves much to be desired.
The sheer nastiness and cussedness of the officialdom - experienced by Russell and witnessed by her close associates - bring our local Sri Lankan etiquette into question and scrutiny.
The matter may have been temporarily hushed up under the carpet. If the stigma on the PA style transparency is to be removed, Dr Russell’s name should be cleared and the misdeed undone.
The case should be reopened. While she desires freedom, freedom to return and continue her research work, she, no doubt joins thousands of others in this country who sincerely work in the interest of collective happiness of all. Let Jane come back! Let her return!
Sri Lanka’s failure to force a win in the Second Test and clinch the Test Series against a weakened and injury-hit Pakistan team again highlighted the fact that we have yet to master the art of Test cricket. It became apparent that the nature of the wickets prepared for the short series was not conducive for producing results. While it must be acknowledged that the SSC pitch offered more assistance to the bowlers than the frustratingly-slow and low bouncing pitch at the Premadasa Studium, it was nevertheless devoid of the necessary bounce and turn in the fourth innings to produce a result. While the Sri Lankan fielders dropped a few catches that may have provided for a more interesting finish, it was the wicket that effectively put paid to the chances of a result.
Whoever decided on a policy of tailor-made pitches, was solely interested in averting defeat at all cost by Pakistan on home soil. This defensive attitude - or what some would call a negative strategy - was adopted largely to thwart Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis, arguably the best pace attack in the world. Indeed their withdrawal from the series through injury was a disappointment to local fans. Tailor-made pitches may serve the interests of some in the short-term but they also have long-term implications for the development of our game.
Indeed, the type of wickets prepared not only for international matches, but also for our domestic tournaments could well be considered a sine qua non for attaining Sri Lanka’s declared goal of becoming the “Best Test-playing Nation by the year 2000.” It will be necessary for our team to develop a more professional approach which will enable it to adapt to varying conditions in which international cricket is played today. Not only would Sri Lanka be defending its World Champions title on the green and seaming wickets in England at the next World Cup, but it will also undertake tours of West Indies and South Africa in the near future where wickets will surely be faster and bouncier than those at home or even at Sharjah. And if and when the ICC decides to establish a World Championship of Test Cricket, Sri Lanka will have to play on a regular basis all the major Test powers on varying tracks.
Thus, the onus is on the Cricket Board to adopt a more positive and far-sighted approach not only on preparation of wickets for domestic and international matches, but also on practice pitches acclimatization with respect to tours, physical fitness adequate match practice prior to Tests etc.
In this regard it would be disingenious on the part of those in authority or their apologists to churn out excuses which cannot be substantiated by facts whenever Sri Lanka suffers a Test defeat overseas as happened after the recent tour of New Zealand.
One such excuse was that Sri Lanka’s loss in New Zealand was largely to the cold weather. In this regard it is noteworthy that Sri Lanka’s preceding tour of that country in 1995 was also undertaken roughly during the same period.
From the above it is apparent that the Sri Lanka team would have experienced similar weather conditions on both tours; but the tours produced contrasting results.
All the available match reports of the 1995 tour indicate that conditions were cold, blustery, misty, etc. The fact is that Sri Lanka adapted to those adverse conditions in 1995 well to beat New Zealand and register their first overseas Test series victory.
No less an authority than Sir Richard Hadlee who can be considered a well-wisher of Sri Lanka cricket has unequivocally dismissed the excuses churned out to explain our recent defeat in New Zealand:
“New Zealand won the Test series deservedly. Asked to go out and ‘win and win well’ they out-batted, bowled and fielded the Sri Lankans who appeared to lack the mental toughness needed at this level to be totally competitive.
The excuses of lack of preparation, cold weather, a poor pitch at Hamilton and lack of good practice conditions are almost unacceptable in today’s environment of professionalism. Players need to adapt and just get on with the game”. (Quote from Richard Hadlee’s article Sri Lanka in New Zealand.)
Nevertheless Hadlee firmly believes that Sri Lanka’s vision to be one of the top Test-playing nations in world cricket by the year 2000 although ambitious, is an achievable aim. The cricket loving public only hopes that the authorities would adopt the right policies.
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