28th December 1997

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Contents Flashback'97 Mmm, yummy, yummy mmm... It's a deadly silence! These kids become slaves in rich houses The story of Ms. K Why do they go? Hey and a ho and its hay fever again Defiantly English Secrets from the 5th gospel All that Jazz People and Events Reflection in sorrow and joy

Events and People of the year

1997- is drawing to an end. The tide of time and festivities of the season has clouded people's memory of bomb blasts, battles and scandals. Here The Sunday Times looks back on the stories that made the news during the past year.

The year began on a controversial note, with the News Director of a popular private TV station being hauled before the Colombo Magistrate Courts under the Prevention of Terrorism Act for publishing an inaccurate news item and the excommunication of the well known Catholic Priest, Fr. Tissa Balasuriya for views expressed in his book "Mary and Human Liberation."

There were those breath-stopping moments, when the whole country was held sway in one intense moment of emotion. Young MP Nalanda Ellawala's funeral, the rag death of the young undergraduate and Sanath Jayasuriya's heart breaking dismissed at 340 runs well on his way to breaking the world record for the highest score were only some of them.

The year was peppered with victories-the PA's overwhelming win in the Provincial Council Elections and Susanthika Jayasinghe's silver medal dash in the Athens World Games and setbacks - the bomb blast in Fort in October aimed at the World Trade Centre the tallest building in the country which also wrecked several five star hotels and business establishments.

The killing of a young MP Nalanda Ellawala in the heat of the pre-election campaigns characterised the excessive election violence that marked the polling last February and March.

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