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Show me your mouth
An Oral Cancer Screening programme is being
carried out in the Central Province following the donation of a Mobile
Oral Cancer Unit by Rotary International to the Faculty of Dental Sciences,
University of Peradeniya. The Unit, was obtained through a joint project
programme of Rotary International District 1200 of the UK and Rotary International
District 3220 of Sri Lanka.
The Oral Cancer Screening Programme is being conducted by the Faculty's
academic staff, government dental surgeons, the staff of the Department
of Oral Medicine and Rotary volunteers.
Already screening has begun on the plantations and in rural areas. Heading
the project is Dr. V. Vijayakumaran, Lecturer, Faculty of Dental Sciences,
himself a Rotarian, and past president of Rotary, Kandy.
Ashley Halpe retires
 Professor
Ashley Halpe had retired. While Peradeniya University will be the loser,
the cheering news is that he will still be in Kandy and much a part of
the scene.
Right now, he's putting the finishing touches on his house at Anniwatte,
to which he will be moving soon. He assures me that he will continue to
make himself available to the University that has always been a large part
of his life.
A different sort of stampede
Peculiar things happen in Kandy. Suddenly,
on Independence Day, one was treated to a sort of human stampede as all
manner of people, indignation written large on their faces, rushed to and
around the police station to protest against the release of 131 head of
cattle to their owners. The cattle were being transported to the Mahaweli
region in four lorries.
While Kandy's Chief Magistrate fined the men transporting the cattle
for being cruel to the dumb beasts, there was no reason not to order the
release of the animals to their owners.
But Kandy is full of people who have little else to do but stick their
hooves into other people's affairs. The police did their duty, the Courts
theirs, but evidently this was not enough.
Various full- blooded persons (incredibly so since they swear they consume
no flesh) considered themselves both the police and the judiciary. They
insisted that the cattle be released to them; that they would buy the beasts
and look after them and assure them an old-age retirement plan as well
as EPF and ETF.
They insisted that the animals not be handed to the owners. In short,
they made a very public showing of Contempt of Court and openly challenged
the findings of the Law.
Great fun was had by all. Problem here is that there are too many people
around who want to demonstrate that they can do whatever they please and
intimidate whoever they wish!
With elegance and class
After one year of preparation, Sarasavi Bookshop
opened its Kandy branch on Independence Day, and Managing Director, H.D.
Premasiri was a very pleased man indeed. The bookshop in Trincomalee Street
is quite the most elegant establishment: beautifully tiled floors, incredibly
clean rooms with everything from stationery and art material, to a complete
ground floor devoted to Sinhalese books and the upper floors to English.
Premasiri started his book business from a small shop at Padukka 51
years ago - on our first Independence Day and this accounts for the 4th
of February opening at Kandy.
Sarasavi are agents for Longman's of the UK and, as Manager Jagath Samarasinghe
said, the Kandy branch is designed to cater to everybody's needs and, what
is more, everybody's pockets.
The shop itself has been so radically, so lovingly transformed that
I could only think, on the one hand of Cinderella in the kitchen and, on
the other, Cinderella dressed for the Ball!
At the opening ceremony were Professor K.N.U. Dharmadasa, Dean Faculty
of Arts of Peradeniya, who was chief guest and Pandit W.D.A. Amaradeva
who really should have burst into song. I'm sure he would have liked to
do so. |
