LankaBuzz

Patriotism is not confined only to the Sinhalese or Sinhala Buddhists- every son and daughter who has been born and bred in this country whether they be Tamils, Muslims, Burghers, Sinhalese, Sinhala Buddhists, Sinhala, Tamil & Burgher Christians, Tamil Hindus must all have even an aorta of national pride about what the history & heritage of this country called “Ceylon” or “Sri Lanka” holds for them and their families. There is no point of forming Inter-religious or Inter-racial Committees if citizens who belong to the different religions and races all termed as “Sri Lankan “ in this country cannot and do not respect each other sincerely & genuinely. Harmony does not grow just by mere words or committees but by sincere gestures.

Sri Lanka is surely a cursed nation when Tamil terrorists are mauling down historical sites in the North in their fanatic search for justification for their demand of a “Tamil Homeland” or when Muslims maul down Buddhist Sacred Sites in the East to justify their existence in the East. Fanaticism, nationalism or extremism must not be used against the Sinhalese who upto date have not destroyed any sites which belong to others. However, the same cannot be said of the Tamil terrorists or the Muslims of this country anymore. The depth of Sinhala tolerance has been tested to the maximum levels already.

During the lifetime of the late Mr. Aboosally when he was MP for Balangoda destroyed the archeological site of Kuragala where clear archeological demarcations and a notice of the Dept. of Archeology was visibly clear to all- that Kuragala was a Sacred Buddhist Site. Over this Kuragala Buddhist Archeological Site today stands the “masterpiece of vandalism” done by the late Mr. Aboosally which is named “ Jailani Mosque” and is now a worshipping ground of Muslims!

The story of the Sacred City of Deegavapi is facing similar vandalism right now. Our former President Chandrika Kumaratunga in her typical style of wanting to insult the Sinhala Buddhists, went and opened a Memorial in memory of the late Mr. Ashroff within the precincts of the archeological site of Deegavapi during her tenure of Executive President together Mrs. Ferial Ashroff to win over the Muslim support! That is the lowest level to which Chandrika Kumaratunga could have stooped. That has given added vigour to the Muslims of the East where there are many Muslim MP of the likes of Mr. Athaulla, Mr. Hakeem and Mrs. Ferial Ashroff.

They have master-minded a plan to excavate the Sacred Archeological Site of Deegavapi and it is now underway for the last week or so. This area comes under the purview of the Addalachcheni Divisional Secretariat in Ampare District. During excavations many valuable artifacts are being unearthed which the Dept. of Archeology is “meekly “ coming and clearing away in whatever vehicles they can get hold of! What is being unearthed does not prove the existence of a Muslim heritage in the area but a Sinhala - Buddhist heritage. The purpose of this current excavation we hear is to build 100 houses to settle Muslims within the demarcated Archeological Site of Deegavapi. Those who will be settled there will undoubtedly be Muslims and not Sinhalese or Tamils for sure! Is there absolutely no land in the area other than the Deegavapi Sacred Site? From what we hear, it is Mrs. Ashroff who is spearheading this latest onslaught on Deegavapi. No one dares to voice their opinions in the region for fear of reprimands from Mrs Ashroff and her colleagues.

The next vandalism will be the plan they have to get Samanthurai demarcated as a Sacred Muslim Site where the land extent would cover an area adequate to house 35 Muslim Mosques- and that too will be done very soon and used as a exchange bargain for their support to the GOSL. All plans and the “distorted history” is all ready and waiting for the opportune moment when it can be negotiated.

In the meantime, we beg to question what the Dept. of Archeology is doing while politicians are destroying the history of this country? Why have a Dept of Archeology, if they cannot protect what is under their purview? Who has made politicians act in such high-handed manner that they feel they are above the law of the land and should not be any respecters of persons or properties which belong to Mother Lanka?

Finally, we beg to ask- what is the GOSL doing by turning a blind eye to all these atrocities committed by their parliamentarians? In an era when we hear loud calls from the International Communities and INGOs for Human Rights, Child Rights, Worker’s Rights, Fundamental Rights etc., do the citizens of this country have any rights to protect their country, their heritage and their history? Do we continue to permit politicians to act in this obnoxious manner and destroy our country completely? Is the ordinary citizen of this country ONLY A DOOR MAT to be trampled? Farewell decency- there is nothing left!

Darmitha - Kotte

Rajmi MANATUNGA

COLOMBO: The last memory of her granddaughter John Rasiah would prefer to recall is that of a jovial cherubic child swinging her tiny legs from a high chair, her eyes twinkling with childish excitement at receiving a new pair of shoes. But the gory recollection of the scorched remains of the tiny figure at the roadside keeps tormenting his mind ever since last Tuesday.

“She was very happy when she came to see me that day because I had bought her a new pair of shoes. She insisted on wearing them right there and walking to the bus stop. I never imagined I would see her dead when she kissed me ‘Good bye’ before leaving with her mother,” a grieving Rasiah recalls.

Rasiah, an employee in a restaurant in Wellawatte is the grandfather of two and half year old Jegatheswaran Asvini who was brutally killed in Tuesday’s LTTE bomb explosion in Milagiriya targeting ex-EPDP Parliamentarian S. Sivadasan.

Little Asvini was proudly waddling her way home in her new shoes with her mother when the bomb went off near St. Pauls College, Milagiriya killing her and two others.

Her tragic death has proved for the umpteenth time that terrorists have no regard for the age or race of their victims.

Asvini’s mother John Sasida who was critically injured in the explosion is fighting death at the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of the Colombo National Hospital ignorant of the most dreadful news any mother could hear.

“My daughter and son-in-law work as labourers in a house in Bambalapitiya. Since there was no one to take care of her, my daughter used to take the little one with her to work everyday. On finishing work they would always drop by the restaurant where my wife and I work and Asvini would play with me for a while,” Rasiah who was the best friend and playmate of little Asvini says.

He recalls how Asvini was filled with joy on that fatal day when she heard the good news that from Thursday her grandfather would be doing only night shifts. “Then I can stay at home and play with you the whole day”, were her final words.

Rasiah who has peacefully lived in Colombo among its Sinhala and Muslim communities for the past 18 years would never have imagined that her daughter and granddaughter would fall victim to the brutality perpetrated by a few people from his own brethren.

In fact, when we reached his poverty stricken house in Siddhartha Mawatha, Kirulapone, the Tamil and Sinhala residents of the area were unitedly putting up white flags to bid farewell to the little girl who used to run and play up and down the street.

A wailing S. Saroja, Asvini’s grandmother who was also unfortunate enough to witness the incident said she was working at the restaurant when she heard the explosion.

“Asvini came to the restaurant that day to play with her grandfather and he gifted her a new pair of shoes. When I went to her she pointed to the shoes which she had already worn. I kissed her feet and said they were beautiful. We heard the explosion barely 10 minutes after they left”.

“My husband and I ran to the junction only to see her lying dead at the roadside. I could not bear to look at her scorched lifeless body. I ran back to the restaurant screaming like a mad woman”.

“We are innocent people who have not done any wrong to anyone. We have never caused harm to others or earned money by wrongful means. I cannot comprehend what I did to deserve this fate. I have lost my little daughter, and my wife is in hospital unconscious,” Asvini’s father B. Jegatheswaran said overcome with emotion.

His eight year old son who is not old enough to realise the gravity of the situation is still waiting for the return of his mother and sister. Occasionally he cries when his father breaks down not knowing that the tiny casket in their house contains the remains of his little sister.

Two and half year old Asvini who was bubbling with life only a few days back said good bye to her loved ones yesterday. But her tragic death would always remind us of the thousands of children who have fallen victim to LTTE terrorism in the last two decades.
http://www.dailynews.lk/2006/08/11/sec02.asp

How genuine can an NGO be? I was held up in a traffic jam on Ward Place. I observed a lot of SLMM vehicles parked on the pavement violating the traffic law as well as preventing pedestrians using the side walk.

The location is very close to the residence of President J. R. Jayewardene. On second look I recalled this building as being the building the Narcotic Police raided and took into custody the owner, his wife and others as well as the supposed-to-be single largest haul of Narcotics.

Well, well the SLMM is housed in this building. May be paying as exorbitant rent or lease.

Is SLMM helping the biggest drug dealer, a man in jail to fight his case against the State and people of Sri Lanka by renting this building?

Why do the State and the people of the country turn a blind eye on issues like this? The people of this country call themselves tolerant.

How tolerant can you be when the SLMM is helping a criminal to fight his case by financing.

Tissa Jayaweera, via email
http://www.dailynews.lk/2006/08/10/main_Letters.asp

I’m still lost with what happened with these two channels ? I’m a user of CBN and they were really good, no problems. I have heard that LBN was also quite good.

Now Multivision is the only cable type company operating.

So what really happened, who brought this up ? There are many stories, the first one I heard was that one of the 2 LBN or CBN put the other in trouble for something they both do and in the end both got caught as it back fired. Another story is the some politicians son is thinking of starting a company like this and they are putting these companies in trouble to gain an edge. And the other was some actress or actor is looking to start a similar company and they have some big shots in their pockets.

Well all these could be made up stories and the base fact is the these companies were both in the wrong and simply have to just pay their license.

Why is the government also putting them in such trouble, such companies have been giving us such good service and new options on the TV. They were cost effective to most of us, Multivision is not in every persons budget range but these were.

When will all thee be sorted and why were these really stopped ?

Regards
Nimal

It appears that after the new Act on Smoking and Drinking came into operation, some nightclubs are reluctant to comply with it because most of their customers in the club do not like to go to one area to smoke and another area to drink and another to dance. That is their preference. Therefore, the club owners in conformity with the law should change their attitude to old norms and persuade them to adopt themselves to change and comply with the law.

Adaptability is man’s greatest asset. When we are at home we go to one area to cook, another to eat, another to sleep and yet another to use the toilet. Therefore, nobody should complain about the switching of the areas of their club life because they have to adapt themselves to changing times and situations which is reflected in every law of the land.

So, let them fall in line with the law which was passed in Parliament without a single dissenting vote.

Moreover, the country can immensely benefit if we can impose a total ban on both consumption of liquor and smoking.

The long term effect of the new law is expected to be a smoke and liquor free Sri Lanka. Nightclubs which knowingly or unknowingly pollute the mind, body and the environment, please comply with the law. It is good for all.

E. M. G. EDIRISINGHE,
Dehiwala
http://www.dailynews.lk/2006/08/08/main_Letters.asp

Now this guy is a bit too extreme ? How will our country change with a total ban on alocohol and smoking ? Ok, once alcohol is banned, people will get into smking weed and other drugs ? Or will they not ?

What will be the future of our youth who are used to the surrounding of alcohol being around ?

Will the new generation be pot smoking loons ? Let’s hope not !!!

A.A.M.NIZAM MATARA

Treacherous and chauvinist Rauf Hakeem had betrayed the Muslim
community by becoming a propaganda tool of the tiger terrorists.
Enjoying the posh comforts of Colombo life facilitated by vested
interests and probably relishing with a Sellakili provided by the
terrorist outfit to substitute the ill-fated and unfortunate Kumari
Cooray of the UNP, this shameless traitor of the Muslim community,
without visiting Muttur and knowing the real facts had voiced a
premeditated statement of the terrorist outfit accusing that the Sri
Lankan security forces were shelling Muttur civilians whereas these
shells had been fired by the terrorist outfit from their Thoppur and
Sampur bases in a frantic effort to chase away the Muslims and capture
Muttur for which they were making relentless efforts since a long
time, due to its strategic location against the Trincomalee Naval Base.

Through the terrorist website TamilNet this opportunist claimed that
the people in Muttur were killed in attacks carried out by security
forces. He said that the “government must take responsibility for the
killing of civilians”. He had deliberately or under duress carried out
the terrorist command by giving this statement even to the French
Press Agency, AFP, whose local correspondent is a known terrorist
accomplice.

Recently the terrorist outfit through one of its proxies, Tamil Eelam
Motherland Liberation Army, distributed notices in Muttur demanding
the Muslims to vacate the area within 72 hours that was by 1st June
2006. In December last year the LTTE terrorists killed several Muslims
in Muttur and their bodies were dumped into a well which resulted in
ehnic tension and rioting in the East for several days.

In 2003 during the Ranil Wickremasinghe regime the terrorists attacked
and killed Muslims in Muttur which resulted in communal clashes in
Muttur and Valachchenai areas in which 23 Muslims lost their lives.
Hakeem being a Minister in that dark regime did not take any action to
protect the Muslims from the atrocities of the terrorists.

Ven. Athuraliye Rathana Thero who was participating in protests in the
area for seven days against the Mawilaru anicut issue upon returning
to Colombo on the 3rd August, expressed shock and dismay on Rauf
Hakeem remaining blind to killing of innocent people in the area.

Latest reports indicate that the terrorists blocked Muslim civilians
fleeing Muttur at an area called “Pachchanoor” and massacred at least
100 of them, on Friday evenng, and they included women, children and
elderly persons. These people had been massacred because they provided
food to the security forces. Also many more innocent people have died
when the terrorists deliberately shelled the makeshift refugee camps
in the schools, and when they shelled the Muttur hospital.

The bloody terrorist outfit facing defeat in many fronts in the face
of determined onslaught of the gallant Sri Lankan security forces are
reported to be forcibly holding the fleeing displaced population as
human shields and hiding in the midst of the civilian population.

More than 30,000 people have been displaced forcing them to flee to
neighbouring villages. More than 16,000 people have gone to Kantale,
walking all the way of 40 km from Muttur. The government is reported
to have made arrangements to dispatch food and medical facilities and
a team of doctors to assist the displaced people until the situation
returns to normal.

Our gallant soldiers overcoming the initial setbacks are reported to
have inflicted heavy casualties to terrorist camps at Navaladi,
Kattaparichchann, Gandhinagan and Thoppur areas, killing several
hundred terrorist cadres. These attacks should be mercilessly and
relentlessly carried out until the last terrorist is wiped out from
the Trincomalee district
(Lankaweb : 06.08.2006)

I was just wondering. How many ministers and deputy ministers and what nots are there ? Let say 300 for example.

Out of this nearly all of them drive monteros or a vehicle that consumes the most amount of fuel and is expensive.

so we have 300 monteros. Lets say a liter of petrol costs 100 bucks.
a montero has a tank of 80 liters. On that 80 liters it runs about 400Km more or less.

lets assume the petrol is refilled every 3 days

for one montero, filled once costs 100x80=8000 rupees
so for the month, filled 10 times(30/3) costs 8000x10=80,000

am I right ?

so for the 300 vehicles for the month it comes to
80,000x300 = 24,000,000 per month on fuel

now as we know most of these ministers have more than one vehicle, one for the wife, one for the son, one for the daughter and one brother, one for the brother-in-law, one for the nephew and so on

so lets assume each of them have on average 4 vehicles, the kids need to show their friends they have a cool car, and it has loads of power, and the wife has to show her friends at hilton her husband has given her the best car, and so on.

so we’ll follow the same formula, let’s assume they all got monetros or a skylines, or a jags or bms

24,000,000x4=96,000,000 a month for all minister vehicles

let’s break it down for one
96,000,000 / 300 = 320,000 per minister per month for fuel for whole family

now we need to include the convoy vehicles

let’s put an average of 3 vehicles, these we’ll put a diesel something
let’s assume 5000 for fuel per tank and it’s filled twice a week
5,000 x 10 = 50,000 per vehicle per month

then for all three vehicles 50,000 x 3 = 150,000 per convoy per minister

so the total per minster for all vehicles per month comes to

320,000 + 150,000 = 470,000 rupees

is that ok ?

now lets take all of them together

470,000 x 300 ======
RUPEES 141,000,000 per month on fuel for ministers

or lets divide by 100 for US dollars

====
1,410,000 US DOLLARS per month on fuel for ministers

1.4 Million US Dollars on fuel per month for ministers

I’m no math whiz nor am I a policy whiz I could be wrong, so please correct me if I am. Are these correct or have I gone way off ?

I would like to know the actual amount. Our tax rupees cover these or don’t they ?

If my thinking is incorrect please correct me.

Thank you

Dinesh

Private sector employees are said to be better paid than State employees and are liable to pay Income Tax; but not apparently, the less paid, State employees.

Is this the actual situation? Is their salaries the only remuneration they are entitled to?

This is a myth when one takes into consideration the other benefits they are entitled to besides their salaries such as rent allowance, three railway warrants for them - their wives and children; fifty two days leave in all, and now an enhanced living allowance up to Rs. 2,100 and a pension to boot after retirement.

This is not all, they are entitled to overtime now, even exceeding their monthly salary, not to speak of being paid when they go on strike at the drop of a hat; the unethical sick note campaigns! Work to rule with full pay, which, any case is not followed while attending to private matters during office hours.

There is of course another source of hidden income except for a few, their palms having to be oiled for anything to be got done.

It must be remembered that there was a time when public officers paid Income Tax when Dr. N. M. Perera was the Finance Minister and T. B. Ilangaratne was a Cabinet Minister, both Trade Union leaders.

It was only after politics crept into the public service and politicians were more interested in gathering votes than service to public that payment of Income Tax was abolished; and what is more, Government regulations were openly flouted and the already corrupt practices became the rule.

Thus, this discrimination between them and all others began.

What is suggested is that there be a level playing field. Everybody who by law is expected to pay this tax should pay it. (I wonder whether this would precipitate a general strike)

Anyhow, it is hoped that public sector employees will take this in good spirit and would not mind that small percentage of their emoluments being taxed and feel proud and grateful.

Repaying in some small measure mostly the poor who provided them with a free education and that the Minister of Finance will boldly take up this challenge!

Tissa Amarasekera - Kandy.
http://www.dailynews.lk/2006/08/07/main_Letters.asp

Ok, I was just wondering, going through some sites, and getting mails about people saying to boycott Budda Bar and about them making products with the Buddha’s image on it. Well I was wondering what if we changed the image of that religious icon ?

Was just checking some of those sites, for those locations and similar ones …

http://www.buddha-bar.com/ … now when you get into this site, you see the shape of the Buddha in the back ground and in front women dancing around. What the hell. Over here, some of my friends parents won’t let their daughters go to temple in jeans or skirts as it’s not respectful and only allow to go in a long dress. Well of course we do have the modern fools who go in jeans but forget that. Now let’s say I replaced the Buddha with a Christian, Hindu or Muslim icon ? What would be the reaction ? The place will probably be burnt down and a lot of people will have a lot to say. Yes ???

Take a look at this site http://www.gobuddha.net/index.php?load=drinks … ok fine, the Buddha image with booze. Fine supports of this would probably say, at least the image is not on the bottles or the glasses they drink from.

Now .. this .. http://www.gobuddha.net/photoindex.php … ok let’s replace the Buddha in this place with Jesus. Now would you like this ? How would you feel ? All these slutty women walking around, making out in front, behind and under the statues, drinking, throwing up, it’s just a bunch of bad thoughts and happening. Now would you like that ? If I walked into a place like this with Buddha statues or Christ Statues, I would feel embarrassed and quite awkward. Why, as I would be insulting someone else’s faith or belief. Wouldn’t you agree ?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buddha_Bar

Well I comment much as I haven’t been to one of these places, but I would assume the name would be an insult. Now in Paris they have a few, even the UAE. Would anyone dare to open up a place with a name like this in one of those countries with their popular faiths ? Don’t think so.

http://tricycleblog.blogspot.com/2004/08/buddha-bar-offensive-or-innocuous.html

Anyways this issue has been there for some time and it’s old news but I just wanted to voice my thoughts. Someone opening or trying to open a bar with some other popular religion icon will for sure ban things of this nature in most countries. How about opening one in Sri Lanka, who is the icon we are going to use ? Will we survive to lay the first brick ? I think not !!!!

I apologize if I misused the names of other faiths, but this was to show how you would feel if your icon was used in similar instances. Didn’t feel too good did it ?

Rohitha

I just read this, and made me wonder if what we are drinking also contains such poisons. If this is happening in India, I would wonder about our operations .

Ok lets assume coke and pepsi are ok, what about all these new small companies opening up ? Are they keeping with the standards ?

Who will check on this for the consumer ?

——————-
Pesticides still found in Coke, Pepsi: Indian study
Wed Aug 2, 2006

NEW DELHI (Reuters) - An environmental group said on Wednesday bottles of Coca-Cola Co. and PepsiCo Inc. soft drinks in India still contained traces of pesticide, highlighting weak food safety laws in the country.

“If soft drinks are the choice of millions, the least that can be done is that these drinks are regulated,” said Sunita Narain, director of the Delhi-based Center for Science and Environment (CSE), at a news conference.

A 2003 study by CSE briefly dented the companies’ sales when it said it found levels of pesticide in the companies’ soft drinks in excess of international standards.

That study was endorsed by India’s parliament though the soft drink majors said at the time the drinks were safe to consume and they repeated their stand on Wednesday.

But despite government vows of introducing legal limits for toxins in soft drinks, not enough had been done since 2003, CSE said.

The group called upon consumers to avoid drinking Coke and Pepsi and other soft drink brands produced by the two U.S. firms until they cleaned up the product.

The Indian Soft Drink Manufacturers Association, of which PepsiCo and Coca-Cola are members, said the soft drinks were safe to consume.

“The soft drinks manufactured in India comply with stringent international norms and all applicable national regulations,” the industry body said in a statement.

The CSE said that pesticides are also present in other foods and drinks routinely consumed by Indians.

The new study found three to five different pesticides in 57 samples of Coca-Cola and PepsiCo drinks produced in 12 Indian states, CSE said.

The average amount of pesticide residues found in the samples was 11.85 parts per billion (ppb), 24 times higher than the permitted limit of 0.5 ppb recently drafted — but not yet implemented– by the Bureau of Indian Standards, a government agency that sets safety and hygiene standards for commercial products.

In some cases, the levels were up to 200 times the limit.

The study in 2003 found pesticide residues on average 34 times higher than the 0.5ppb limit.

Officials at the Ministry of Health were unavailable for comment on the CSE report

© Reuters 2006. All Rights Reserved.
http://go.reuters.co.uk/newsArticle.jhtml?type=scienceNews&storyID=13056383&src=UK_DskTopTkr/GetContent