Marzook's night of horror

A man who lost one hand and suffered other severe injuries in a brutal attack on him at a printing press in Colombo more than a month ago says the police have yet done little or nothing while he lies bed-ridden and his wife and five children suffer.

Shahul Hameed Marzook from Mawanella claimed that the police had taken a statement from him after his alleged assailant had used a big industrial knife to slash him at a New Moor Street printing press on March 9.

But after that the police had been lethargic and he feared influence was being used to suppress the case involving a big financial transaction.

The OIC of the Pettah police told The Sunday Times the other party had claimed he had acted in self defence after Mr. Marzook had tried to attack him with an iron rod. The other party had also claimed that the debt had been settled.

According to Mr. Marzook the incident had taken place on March 9 around 10 pm at New Moor Street where the alleged attacker owned a printing press.

He said they had been friends and he had lent Rs. 250,000 to his friend.

Mr. Marzook came to Colombo on March 8 and had spoken to his friend about the debt. He was told to come to the printing press later in the evening the following day.

"I went to the three storeyed printing press building around 5pm. After waiting for nearly four hours, he arrived and invited me for a cup of tea. When I tried to leave, I noted that the outer gate was locked and I also found a packet of chillie powder. I also saw long knife used to cut papers in printing presses.

"When I stood to go, he took the knife and attacked me. When I pleaded and said I did not want the debt he brought some blank papers and made me sign them.

"Then he threw the chille powder on my face and attacked me with the knife. My arm was chopped, I ran to the bathroom and tried to hide but he followed and kept on attacking me with the knife.

"My cries brought people to the area and as they broke in I fell unconscious," he said.

Mr. Marzook's five children are all below the age of 18. He said the assailant had robbed his watch and another Rs. 175,000 during the attack.

PA, UNP woo CWC

The Ceylon Workers' Congress which along with its affiliates won nine seats at the recent provincial elections is negotiating with both major parties but has still not decided on whom to support, a spokesman said.

Parliamentarian R. Yogarajan said they had held talks with PA General Secretary and Minister D. M. Jayaratne who came along with Minister S. B. Dissanayake. From the United National Party (UNP) side, they met A. C. S. Hameed and Jayalath Jayawardene.

The CWC and other plantations unions representing the people of Indian origin contested under the name and symbol of the National Union of Workers and won a decisive six seats in the Central Province, giving the party a power-broker role.

Some reports said the CWC alliance was seeking a portfolio and deputy chairmanship of the Central Provincial Council in return for its support for PA administration. But Mr. Yogarajan said he was not aware of such a deal.

The CWC alliance won one seat each in the Western, Sabaragamuwa and Uva provinces.

People looking for statesman

With no party getting an overall majority in any of the five provinces, a peace movement yesterday called on political parties to abandon the path of confrontational politics and co-operate for the common good of the country.

The National Alliance for Peace which comprises more than 100 religious and civic action groups said the verdict of the people of Sri Lanka had one clear message — they were looking not for politicians who thought only of the next elections but for statesmen like Nelson Mandela who could rise to the greatest heights of human insight in conflict resolution.

"Our leaders should follow the example of President Nelson Mandela who instead of seeking revenge sought the co-operation of the white minority rulers, despite the fact that they harassed his people and condemned him to a very long prison term, so as to ensure that the economy would develop and thereby benefit all the people of South Africa most of all the black people.

"The results of the recent provincial council elections, specially in Colombo, make it clear that it is this type of statesman-like leadership that the people and the country seek," the NAP said in the statement issued by its convenor Professor Tissa Vitharane.

The alliance said that if confrontational politics was continued stable governance would not be possible and the people of those provinces would not get their service of developmental needs. Thus it called on the PA, the UNP and all parties to scale down or end confrontational politics in the provinces and then carry that bipartisanship to the national level in solving the ethnic conflict and other problems.

The alliance which includes Buddhist Mah-anayakes, Christian Bishops and leaders of all religions said that while the percentage polled by the PA and the UNP had gone down there was a large increase in the percentage of deliberately spoilt votes.

This was evidence that thousands of well meaning civic conscious people were fed up with confrontational politics.

Hameed clarifies on LTTE contacts

Parliamentarian A.C.S. Hameed, a former Foreign Minister, yesterday disclosed he had tried to re-establish contact with the LTTE but denied a Paris meeting had been scheduled with its leaders.

His disclosure came in a statement issued to deny media reports that a meeting with the LTTE had been planned for in Paris and later cancelled. The report in a pro-LTTE Tamil newspaper later appeared in a Colombo daily.

Here is the full text of Mr. Hameed's statement: "One of the daily papers had given wide publicity to a story in the Eela Nadu published in Paris about a meeting between me and the LTTE to be held in Paris and subsequently being cancelled. This news item is an absolute surprise to me since there was no such meeting arranged. Joseph Pararajasingham M.P., some time back urged me to re-establish my contact with the LTTE and explore the possibilities of starting a dialogue. Last December I had a meeting with Prince Aga Khan in Paris and I contacted Mr. Pararajasingham to get the telephone number of Mr. Manoharan who had succeeded Mr. Thilakar in Paris. When I was in Paris I called Mr. Manoharan but he was not available.

"In February I was invited to meet John Hume who played a major role in the Northern Ireland negotiations and was awarded the Nobel Prize. On my return from Belfast while in London I gathered that a delegation of religious dignitaries had visited Wanni and some of the LTTE sympathisers whom I met expressed interest in this visit and I told them if I could be of any help in facilitating this development, I will be happy to do so. This news item about a meeting with the LTTE being arranged and cancelled has absolutely no base."

Meanwhile Mr. Pararajasingham told The Sunday Times yesterday that Mr. Hameed wanted an appointment fixed with an LTTE representative in Paris late last year.

He said that he made contact with the LTTE representatives, but they were not willing to meet Mr. Hameed.

He said accordingly he had informed Mr. Hameed that the appointment was not coming through.

"The matter ended as far back as December 11. It is a forgotten matter now," he added.

Rosy Sirima remembers all

By Roshan Peiris

In a resident filled not only with roses but also history and legend, Sirimavo Bandaranaike yesterday greeted well-wishers who kept coming in to wish her a happy birthday.

Like father Christmas and Mr. Pickckwik she does not seem to be growing older. At 83, she is the world's oldest prime minister. Dressed in an an off-white and beige soft saree with a slim beautifully carved gold chain around her neck she kept on smiling showing few signs of fatigue.

It was a moving sight to see some people unfolding white handkerchiefs as they do in temples, holding the 'kerchiefs and touching her feet and worshipping her with obvious devotion.

Asked how she feels at 83 — nearly four decades after being propelled into politics in the most dramatic fashion — she said: "I am happy that when I became the Prime Minister on that distant day on July 21, 1960, I made a silent pledge looking at my husband's Samadhi at Horagolla that I would try to fulfil the programs and policies which he had mapped out for the country. I am very glad that I have been able to fulfil those promises and two of my three children are doing well in politics.

"I still remember vividly how my husband was shot in this very house in the office room when he was just making progress to raise the poor man from the mat to the chair and taking pride in the traditions and culture of our very own country. It is true that he was educated at Oxford and came from the traditional walauwa but he never forgot his roots or the poor. He loved his country."

Ms. Bandaranaike has many a first in her record. She was the world's first woman prime minister and the first woman chairman of the Non-aligned movement. She has also the record of being Prime Minister thrice — in 1960, 1970 and in 1994.

Asked how she felt about it all, a measure of her robust and subtle humour was seen as she said "Yes, I remember everything very vividly."

Some say that I don't remember things today," she said with her infectious cheerfulness. '"They are quite wrong I remember everything vividly." Beneath that cheerfulness she has tremendous character and this writer remembers people close to her saying during the 1971 insurrection that she was the man in the Cabinet. Her ministers never having ever encountered anything of the like were always turning back and were fearful that someone might stab them — but not she.

Yesterday her son Anura came early but went away saying he was not keen to mingle with the PA crowd. He gave his mother a medium size bowl of red roses and daughter Sunethra too gave her a large bowl of roses of mixed hues. They were set in the middle of the table. We do not know what President Chandrika Kumaratunga gave her. She had not arrived in the morning.

There was a bowl of flowers with the card from the Board of the Tower Hall Theatre. Anuruddha and Ramani Ratwatte also sent a mixed hued bowl of roses. It was roses all the way for the Prime Minister.

With characteristic generosity a table was laid out with kiri bath and other food. Yasa de Lanerolle, her Publc Relations Officer and her cousin and genial companion Glenda Dunuwilla did the honours at the table.

Most of the Ministers had come on Friday and wished her a happy birthday since they are busy campaigning. Only Minister Mahinda Rajapakse and Deputy Minister Vishwa Warnapala came last morning while we were there. There was an air of quiet gaiety in this elegant home, so full of history and legend.

Lawyers' AGM and get-together

The Association of Lawyers' in Employment (the membership of which consists of lawyers employed in the private and public sectors) will be holding its annual general meeting and get-together on April 23 (Friday) at Mandarin Grill Palace, No. 117, Havelock Road, Colombo 5 from 4 pm to 6.30 pm.

The election of office bearers for the year 1998/99 will be held as also the consideration of any other matter, of which prior notice has been given to the Secretary. The AGM will be followed by a get-together.

Mulberry group wants fair elections to Southern PC

By Dilrukshi Handunnetti

The Mulberry Group consisting of PA backbenchers has called upon the PA leadership to take stringent measures to ensure the free and fair conduct of the Southern Provincial Council polls, thereby setting an example to the entire country.

Mulberry spokesman and Matara District Parliamentarian Dallas Alahapperuma, a member whose name is being also lobbied for the highest provincial stakes said that the recent voting patterns indicated a dangerous trend – the loss of public faith in the electoral system and the politicians themselves an issue which the entire community had to address itself to.

He said that any self respecting government had to own up that Wayamba was a political disaster but it was obvious that certain damage control measures have been adopted during the recently concluded polls, leading to reduced levels of violence and election law violations.

"I represent the deep South and as backbenchers we are willing to defend the government's good name and conduct exemplary polls, provided we are facilitated.

People have rejected the cult of violence and we can do this with the support of government and opposition backbenchers who are committed to democracy. I am personally willing to prove that political contests need not lead to bloodshed and damage to properties," he said.

The PA has currently come up with the names of Chamal Rajapakse, Dallas Alahapperuma and former chief minister Mahinda Yapa Abeywardene as possible chief ministerial candidates for the crucial Southern polls.

The volatile South which has been a stronghold of the PA will face elections in early June with the two main parties putting in their best effort, complete with fresh faces and popular candidates and orators.

The Southern PC's term lapsed on April 7 and nominations will be entertained between April 22 and for the election of 53 members. The UNP campaign will kick start on the 22nd while the PA's campaign will begin on the 26th.

New York, here they come

Four cabinet ministers will be in New York this month, mostly on official visits.

Cultural Affairs Minister Lakshman Jayakody breaks journey in the Big Apple on his way to Latin America where he is soliciting political support for Sri Lanka's candidate for the top job of Director-General of UNESCO.

Tourism Minister Dha-rmasiri Senanayake will be attending a meeting on "Sustainable Development and Tourism" at the United Nations.

Minister G.L.Peiris, will attend the Spring meeting of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in Washington.

He has also been invited to address a meeting of the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).

Meanwhile Minister C.V.Gooneratne will be in New York on a private visit.

Doc's mercy medicine

In this era when most patients feel that the healing art of medicine is not a vocation but largely a business, a senior journalist at Kalubowila found that there still are great physicians for whom humanitarian service is the driving force.

The case involved a poor old woman who suddenly found herself paralysed by the recurrence of a stroke. Since there was no way to go to hospital the journalist contacted the veteran physician.

These are times when even new GPs do not visit homes but this senior physician, a former Consultant at the Colombo South Hospital readily agreed to come to the house of the elderly domestic aide.

He examined her, prescribed what was necessary and left saying he did not want any payment.

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