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| Friday, 3 August 2001 |
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Letters | |
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Referendum - a simple question My wife and I are from Germany and we were holidaying in Mumbai, India, recently where we met several politicians and members of the public who are genuinely concerned about the sad state of affairs in Sri Lanka at the moment. They showed us an article which appeared in the "Lighthouse News," a daily paper, which states that Velupillai Prabhakaran, leader of the LTTE, has entered into an agreement with Ranil Wickremesinghe, Opposition Leader, to stop all atrocities against the Sinhala people when Ranil is elected President of Sri Lanka provided Prabhakaran is given control of the Northern & Eastern Provinces. This fact is well-known in the Indian States and particularly in Tamil Nadu. In view of all these secret pacts to destabilise and destroy the present Government of Ms. Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga, it is the bounden duty of the Ministers, Members of Parliament and Party supporters to organise an intensive house-to-house campaign country-wide, in addition to public rallies, and ask the people this simple question: "Will you let the country be governed jointly by Ranil Wickremesinghe and Prabhakaran?" This is the only strategy open to Ranil to topple President Chandrika and come into power. Within a short time, however, Prabhakaran will seize power over the whole country with the help of the mercenaries from Tamil Nadu and destroy Ranil as he usually does to those who help him, like President Gandhi and President Premadasa. Why waste time in telling the people about the new Constitution and its benefits when it has no meaning for the common man? He is already terrified at the prospect of Prabhakaran ruling the country with his mercenaries and pushing the Sinhala people into the sea. Just don't say "This Cannot Happen To Us." It is no longer a laughing matter! So, it is high time that the Government asks this simple question from her people - Do you want Ranil and Prabhakaran to take control and destroy the Sinhala Nation? JOHAN & EVA KELLAR, The 1978 constitution is the UNP constitution. This is the constitution that still prevails. The referendum law is also the law introduced by the UNP. What is the problem then? This is a clear case that the opposition never accepts the fact that they are in Opposition, wanting to govern at any cost. Inconveniencing all segments of society, disrupting normal life and bringing back the terrible memories of thuggery and intimidation. Can any decent human being condone this line of action. The mere thoughts of gangs marching through streets destroying everything in its way, stoning officers of the law, spewing out filth oblivious to the fact that television cameras focus and carry back to decent people this whipping up of sentiments of human being against human being. Why? We may ask? Is this what the voter, father, mother, student, farmer, shopkeeper, nurse, soldier want? Is this what a few power crazy, thugs want? The law of the land must be respected and obeyed. People who live in decent society do not want either their own houses or anyone else's house and property destroyed. Least of all would they want state property destroyed. The law must deal with lawbreakers. Everyone in the land must uphold the law. No religion teaches people to commit savage barbaric acts against a fellow human being. All right thinking people of our beautiful nation should salvage it from a group of narrow-minded people who want to put "self before country". Let us not go back to the days of July 1983, innocent youth killed and bodies afloat in rivers, tyre pyres, torture camps, black cats and yellow cats roaming at night in unmarked vehicles. We all have a duty as a peace loving people who respect fellow human beings and love our nation to unite in the name of peace. Yes we have our problems but let us act with dignity and sincerity, with love and respect to our fellow citizens and most of us all let us uphold and respect the law of the land. Let us not be swayed by cheap uncouth words and deeds but let us decide for ourselves where we want to take our nation. Let us unite for peace and so those future generations of Sri Lankans could be proud of us when the history of our times is read. R. DE SILVA Cost and quality of pharmaceuticals Letter of Dr. B. G. D. Bujawansa D/N of 26.07.2001 under above caption refers. Even after so many letters appearing in this column of Daily News on this subject, I am sorry to state here that no Medical Authority came forward to enlighten the ignorant poor patients on this matter except Dr. Bujawansa, who presented a fine lucid definition of what is 'Generic Prescribing' and what is Brand/Trade Prescribing and their implications on the poor patients of this country. I offer my humble thanks to the doctor whom I know only as a regular contributor to this esteemed page. His sole motive was to help the poor people of this country who cannot afford to buy expensive drugs, since most of the consultant doctors write out the prescriptions under Brand/Trade names with the exception of a few consultant doctors to help their benefactors for various monetary gains. What I have mentioned in my earlier letters under this very column have now been substantiated not only by Dr. Bujawansa but also it has been substantiated by Dr. Sarath Gamini de Silva by his lengthy letter of 27th July 2001 appeared in D/N under the topic "The Doctors and the pharmaceuticals industry - a conflict of interests?" He has very clearly mentioned for the information of the general public concerned, why most of the doctors prefer to issue prescriptions under brand names instead of Generic names and in addition the doctor has mentioned some other invaluable implications involved when the prescription is always under generic name for our information and guidance. Anyway it is my humble opinion that all doctors have a duty by the people of this country. It is on their taxes that they have been elevated to those positions and not by the Drug-importing Multi-national companies who are operating in this country with the sole motive of making large profits annually. As Dr. Bujawansa has mentioned in his letter (D/N 22.06.2001) "For the well-trained ethics In the light of above saying how many of our doctors apply this relationship (specially consultant doctors) to their poor patients when they come for consultations? I am sorry to mention here that most of them spend just a couple of minutes on a patient since they are more bent on earning as much as possible. Some have no limits to their earnings capacity. Their fees range from Rs. 250/- to Rs. 300/- (doctor fee only). At the same time there are a few shining examples of Consultant doctors who charge only Rs. 100/- as their fees from a patient. It is a pathetic sight that we all, not only the doctors have forgotten our human aspect of service to the suffering humanity at least in the name of our religions and we all are running in a mad race for money, power and high positions in the society. What do our religions teach us? Are we all not hypocrites? Please speak to your conscience and ask whether you have a religion. D. E. ABEYWEERA, P. Wasalabandara in his letter, "Look to the Stars" (DN July 31) says "We silently laugh at "Saastharakarayas" but inwardly we are all agreed, that stars do play a role in our lives. Mr. Wasalabandara has no right to say we are all agreed. He and some others of his calibre may, but not all. My opinion about 'Saastharakarayas' stars & planets and astrology is that, they have no positive role to play in our lives, but a negative one where by they become a hindrance to our progress. Can a star or a planet which is millions and millions of miles away from us do a better service or a worse damage to us, than our own parents, teachers, friends, children, relatives, enemies, neighbours etc., who are with us? So why not we leave stars, planets etc. to themselves, and apply our brains, knowledge, and other available resources, in the activities. I wish to quote from some leading encyclopedias, what they have got to say about astrology, for the benefit of Mr. Wasalabandara and others of his calibre. "Astrology is the study of the supposed influence of the stars and other heavenly bodies on human affairs." "Astrology is not based on scientific principles." "Modern times Astrology lost much of its popularity because its principles are not in agreement with scientific principles." "Astrology has been defined as a pseudoscience considered to be diametrically opposed to the theories and findings of modern science." I am sure it will be interesting for Mr. W. and others to read through what the Gauthama Buddha had to say about this aspect of human beliefs. The fool may look for lucky days D. A. N. SENARATNE, Any person who is with or who supports ruthless murderer Prabhakaran, himself similarly is also an enemy of the people of the country who condemn he and his party as enemies of the people. In election campaign the UNP leader said he would hand over Chandrika to Prabhakaran. He and his regime now in Prabhakaran's domain can fulfil their bounden duty of handing over of promised bounty by giving away anything or anyone of theirs to their saviour Prabhakaran. But not the vote of the common man. All have to be on the alert apart from strengthening security in the city and suburbs as incidents occur aided by messenger service operating between Colombo and deep forests in Vavuniya. A. MANAWADU, Discrimination in Tourist Hotels? I am a Sri Lankan who is living abroad and recently I visited a number of Hotels in Dambulla, Habarana and Bentota areas and I found the following discriminations. In most of rooms I found a copy of the Bible. I have no objections to it. But it is not only Christians who are visiting these hotels. Sri Lanka is a premiere Buddhist country and the greatest gift that it can give to the world is Buddhism. Then why don't the hotel management keep a copy of the Dhammapada and also copies of religious books belonging to other religions. E. L. S. PERERA, Egg hoppers are a common feature in our menus today. I have watched this procedure of making egg hoppers. So often which prompts me to write this letter. About 96% of these baking egg hoppers use unclean and unhygienic eggs as they are not washed clean and dried before using. The bigger hotels and better restaurants are the 4% which use clean eggs. In nature the hens' excreta dried and in many hues, clings on to the shell. In the process of cracking the egg over the hopper pan the dried excreta falls on to the hopper along with the yellow of the egg, etc. The common man does not know what diseases are caused by this. As there are thousands of places baking egg hoppers daily like this, the health authorities would do well to look into this soon. ARTHUR MORAWAKA, |
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