Letters to the Editor

12th December 1999

• Whom to trust? voters' dilemma
• First the monks then the lay people
• This is what you stand for
• Pittance for pensioners
• The never-ending mess
• This is the man who says there's no God!
• What a contrast to draw a parallel!

Whom to trust? voters' dilemma

Politicians have a proven track record of being unreliable, to say the least. It is no point therefore looking backwards and hurling accusations at each other including at the controversial Mr. Prabhakaran. Let us look forward and seek a solution to what is an urgent problem.

Our youth, the most precious asset we have, are being killed or maimed in their thousands. Many voted the incumbent President into power on her promise to do away with the powers of the Executive Presidency and to settle the ethnic problem.

The recent influx of the most virulent opposers of devolution and power sharing into her ranks, warrants a clear cut policy statement both from the President and those 'gentlemen' who have crossed over. Are we to believe they have suffered a change of heart and had a vision of a united Sri Lanka with devolved powers to the North and East, or has the President changed her stance to "no talks only a military solution" - come what may?

It is incorrect to say that this war is being fought to preserve the unity and sovereignty of this country. This war is all about power sharing and equal opportunities to all, as against the continued hegemony of a particular racial group.

The unity of this country was fractured when discriminatory legislation was passed by an insensitive government. Our sovereignty if threatened, at all, was when foreign troops were invited in a peacekeeping role. If foreign powers could be invited as peacekeepers, why not as mediators or facilitators?

As for Ranil Wickremesinghe, I wonder what he intends to talk about to Mr. Prabhakaran? He has indeed been inflexible regarding the maintenance of the country's unitary status and this is one thing which all Tamil parties are united in wanting to change. Has he given his support to changing the constitution? If he had done this so much bloodshed and illwill could have been avoided.

Whom do we trust? This is the voters' dilemma.

Sarojini Kadirgamar
Colombo 3

First the monks then the lay people

Much publicity has been given to Gangodawila Soma Thera who has just become aware, many years after ordination, that some unBuddhistic practices are being carried out in temples. In spite of the fact that Buddhism consists of quite a few unBuddhistic practices, he lists only the worshipping of gods in temple devales, which are dedicated to Hindu gods within temple premises, but deliberately or otherwise fails to mention the host of other practices resorted to by Buddhist laymen and monks.

Could the venerable monk give his comments on the following:-

Worship of Bo trees, worship of the Tooth Relic, worship of parents, worship of monks, shrine rooms and devales within temple premises, existence of temples, praying, chanting pirith, tying pirith thread, monks blessing people, monks in employment, monks handling cash, monks having bank accounts, monks preaching their own bana instead of reading out the bana preached by the Buddha on Poya days, monks adopting customs, habits and lifestyles of laymen, monks making themselves look attractive, monks forming unions/associations, taking part in rallies etc and monks living in boarding houses, other than temples.

The Thera would do well to instill correct value system and build up a moral force among the monks. He should first convert the monks to Buddhism before attempting to reform politicians and the administration.

R. Buddhadasa
Kandy

This is what you stand for

I read with appreciation Punyakante Wijenaike's poignant and beautifully written article in The Sunday Times Plus of Dec. 5, titled "Oh inspiration where are you?" I, too, have read the articles to which she refers. I, too, no doubt like many others, find it hard to relate to Christmas, Millenniums and the rest.

When I study the photographs that accompany the articles, I look at the faces of people photographed at the scene of an accident.

Not the faces of the horror-glazed, wide-eyed dead, but of the living. Curiously unmoved they seem to be. Their faces are unemotional, expressionless; another spectacle. What is death?

Recently I saw a newspaper photograph titled, "a few people listen to a politician". There was no politician visible, but the cameraman, had brilliantly focused on the handful of "listeners".

Thin people, poorly dressed, with upraised faces that seemed paralysed with perplexity. What are we to do? What do these words, these promises shouted at us, mean? "Vote any colour, may be get the same deal?"

Yet, years ago, travelling through small towns, villages, past solitary hamlets; or in the great agricultural lands which once formed the backbone of this island, I met many people of many different levels.

Taught by a wise man to look deeply at their faces, I saw poverty, often enough, but poverty with dignity; not fear, or uncertainty. Who are the people who will make our destiny? Who really cares?

The latest Shorter Oxford English Dictionary definition of a politician is interesting.

"One versed in the theory of government and the art of governing.

One who engages in party politics, especially as a profession.

One who lives by politics as a trade.

A crafty intriguer."

The definitions are not mine.

Christine Wilson
Colombo 7

Pittance for pensioners

The four hundred rupee increase for government pensioners drawing less than Rs. 4,500/- a month after many years of agitation will not satisfy the pensioners.

This increase is a mere pittance when compared to the recent salary increase to parliamentarians. When public servants were granted a 50 % increase in their salaries, pensioners were granted only a meagre 10% increase in spite of the B.C. Perera Salaries Review Committee recommendations for a 30 % pension hike. What the pensioners wanted was the implementation of the B.C. Perera Committee recommendations with retrospective effect.

Further, an increase for a section of the pensioners creates further anomalies in the pension scheme.

It is most regretful that pensioners who have served the government for long years are treated in this off-hand manner.

D. Wickremaratne
Maharagama

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