Is this the freedom they boast of ?
The newspapers of Friday 11, 1998 contained as
usual, the reports on many events that shocked the nation. One such came
from the mouths of two ministers of this government imposing an embargo
with immediate effect on giving publicity to the discourses of Ven. Gangodawila
Soma Thero, in all print and electronic media of the government.
Anyone would think the Ven. Thero had committed a grave national crime
such as treason, inciting people to rebel against the government or to
overthrow the government hierarchy. However if you read the announcement
in the newspapers you might have split yourself in laughter on the jocular
reasons given. One reason given was that the Ven. Thero was giving vent
to communal views. Another was that he was trying to bring down the government
by criticising it. The third reason given was that Hindu religious leaders
were opposing his discourses as they were anti-Hindu.
Pause a minute and ponder over these reasons leading to the mighty embargo
of the two ministers of the government on the Ven. Thero's sermons. Is
it wrong to expound the true essence of Buddhism by a Ven. monk erudite
in Buddhist teachings? Ven. monks have to expound the teachings of Buddhism.
Buddhism teaches that all beings are responsible for their own actions
and for their deliverance from the samsaric miseries. No God or deity can
save the living beings from miseries. This is one of the main teachings
of the Buddha followed during many centuries. His teachings have not evoked
any communal disharmony. We have not heard of any believers of Hinduism
protesting against the teachings of the Buddha as jotted out by these so-called
heroes of communal love.
Can a follower of any religion with conviction condemn a person for
his struggle to create a nation free of drugs?
M. Samaraweera,
Mt. Lavinia.
Think again Mr. Thonda
We can understand Mr. Thondaman's anger that one
of his votes was defeated at the Committee stage of the Budget. He is going
round the country blaming the UNP for this debacle.
Would it not be more prudent for him to sit back and think why his own
people, the members of the Government Parliamentary Group and the Chief
Whip let him down by not being present in sufficient numbers when his votes
were being discussed.
K. Sivaratnam,
Colombo 6.
Let them declare their assets
Every follower of cricket must be thankful to "The
Sunday Times" for giving the salaries of the Sri Lanka Cricketers.
Now that there is plenty of evidence to suggest large scale bribery to
fix cricket matches on the international scene, I am sure we do not want
our own cricketers to fall prey into the hands of unscrupulous "bookies".
If at least for their own protection I suggest that our Cricket Board publishes
all earnings by cricketers on a regular basis and get every cricketer and
even cricket officials to declare their assets according to the law.
Merril Joe Alvis
Moratuwa
Tell me where's the Babe?
War clouds smear the celestial blue
With blood and smoke from battle fire.
Lives unfulfilled, yet to flower
Are wrenched out to spear this blue.
Sons strike sons; mothers weep, sons-less.
Tell me if this is not madness?
This mournful scene notwithstanding,
A festive mood is in the air.
Children dance to Santa's coming;
Five-star ads scream their tempting fare.
In homes, liquor's drunk with pudding
To stir up the merry-making.
Tell me, where's the Babe? Indeed where?
Ugly act of an officer
Just opposite William Grinding Mills an Army vehicle
was trying to overtake a black Nissan Sunny which was blocking its path
due to the heavy traffic.
Opposite Tri-Smart Building the Army vehicle overtook the Nissan and
an Army officer got down.
The unsuspecting driver lowered his side window and the army officer
dealt him a blow in the face, got back in the Jeep and drove off.
Another Army officer who was following stopped and pacified the driver
and promised to report the officer to the authorities.
The Police officers at the Dehiwela bridge checkpoint were very angry
at this wanton act by the unidentified Army officer and just failed to
stop his vehicle. They were very concerned and advised the driver of the
Nissan, to get himself checked up at the Kalubowila Hospital and report
the matter to the Police post there.
The parting words from the lady officer at the checkpoint who was very
considerate was, ''We the forces are there for your protection and not
to harass you''.
I am reporting this incident so that those concerned will educate the
errant members of the forces so that this type of stupid behaviour is not
repeated.
Desmond de Silva,
Moratuwa.
Biggest nuisance on our roads
Three wheeler drivers are the worst offenders of
traffic rules. They are a law unto themselves and pose a great danger to
the other motorists and pedestrians. Many an accident occurs due to their
reckless driving and negligence. They have a scant regard for the others.
The stacking up and transport of aluminium pipes and extrusions atop
the three-wheeler is another hazard that should be avoided.
The Police should be more vigilant in nabbing three wheeler drivers
who cause much inconvenience and unpleasantness to the general public.
They should be impartial in their attitude.
The CMC's garbage collecting trucks are also guilty of such high-handed
action. They park their vehicles on the middle of busy roads with little
or no regard for others. They usually engage in their duties in the mornings
when most office workers have to hurry to their workplaces. They should
be more civic-minded in the discharge of their duties.
Rowan Aniff,
Colombo 13
No apologies, no inquiries, CEB lives happily
ever after
Just laugh it off! This is precisely how Ceylon
Electricity Board (CEB) want their customers to respond to the total collapse
of the Power Transmission Network in the afternoon of December 11.
Newspapers on December 12 said the collapse originated with a lightning
strike on the high voltage lines between Polpitiya and Colombo. CEB took
nearly two hours to restore the supply, newspapers further stated.
In any other country, including the developing countries, the total
or even a partial collapse of the transmission network is considered an
extremely serious matter. It certainly is a rare event. After such an event,
the electric utility organisation would immediately issue a detailed statement,
the Government would immediately establish an inquiry, and Universities
would swiftly set-up research studies to investigate the event. But in
Sri Lanka, nothing happens. No statements. No apologies. No inquiries.
No studies. Nobody is accountable. CEB lives happily everafter, until the
next blackout and beyond.
A direct or an indirect lightning strike on any power transmission line
is no reason to lead to a total collapse of the transmission system. Initially,
the affected line would be automatically removed from service, and the
remaining lines will share the current carried by the affected line. All
electricity networks at the transmission level are designed to withstand
the outage of at least one line. Then, if there is a second calamity, such
as another lightning strike, then the network would attempt to operate
without two lines. Unless the network is designed to withstand such a situation,
loss of power to some customers is unavoidable. I emphasise, that it should
only be to some customers, not for the entire country. In Sri Lanka's context,
Colombo is the area of highest priority. If the highest priority area was
saved, then the lower priority customers disconnected can be reconnected
within a few minutes. It would certainly not take two hours. On December
11, as on many other occasions before, the CEB was unable to save even
Colombo. This was obviously because Colombo did not have adequate generating
capacity or because most of the available generation was concentrated on
one or two large power plants. There is a rule of thumb, which can be verified
and fine-tuned with mathematical studies CEB is well capable of, that no
single power plant should carry more than 10% of the demand in a power
system, but obviously, CEB does have power plants which at times carry
up to 25% of the customer load.
Why hasn't CEB taken action to relieve the vulnerability of its transmission
system to lightning strikes on the Polpitiya-Colombo lines, which obviously
has been known for years and years? Why didn't CEB's lower priority medium-voltage
lines trip-out automatically with a clearly-defined ranking, thus preventing
a total collapse of the transmission system? Why did CEB in the very recent
past build and operate large single-unit generating plants, thus exposing
the transmission system to a higher risk of total collapse. CEB has had
all the state-of-the-art mathematical tools, and the best engineering talent
in the country, for several decades, but why aren't transmission problems
being solved? Electricity in Sri Lanka is not subsidised, and therefore,
there cannot be any shortage of funds to implement transmission projects.
The problem then boils down to one of management and one of decision-making.
Tilak Siyambalapitiya
Negombo.
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