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| Friday, 24 September 2004 |
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Letters | |
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Please forward your letters to editor@dailynews.lk in plain text format within the e-mail message, since as a policy we do not open any attachments.
Kandy aesthetic lake or irrigation tank? When King Sri Wickrema Rajasinghe constructed the Kandy Lake in the heart of the Royal City, it was for the enhancement of the grandeur and aesthetic beauty of the Royal City. For those who live in the vicinity of the Lake and aware of its maintenance by the Municipal Council before it was vested in the Irrigation Department, the present maintenance is a disgrace to all those who cherish the refinements of the aesthetic beauty of the lake. The Municipal Council governed the Kandy lake by its by laws and the provisions of the Municipal Councils Ordinance. It is a tribute to the councillors, most of whom resided by the Lake that they administered it well. All the Government Agents of Kandy had as their past time, walked round the Lake to enjoy their stay in Kandy. Municipal Council managed the Kandy Lake with no burden to the Council; one overseer and three or four labourers attended to the upkeep of the Lake. Lake Bund, water areas, trees and the embankments were well attended to and it was the pride of Kandy. A former Minister resident in Kandy with good intentions took it over to the Irrigation Department and after some time, neglect and indifference set in and led to the deterioration of the Lake. the long negligence has caused the "invasion" of sand, the bushes and grass on almost to the centre area towards the Ampitiya end. It is time before further deterioration takes place, to re-vest in the Council providing assistance in machinery and finance by the Central Government or the Provincial Council rather than treating it as an irrigation tank. The need of the aesthetic beauty is landscaping, and mature advice from Engineers who are ready to offer their advice and make this Lake worthy of its grandeur that was in the days gone by. A.R. - I agree with what has been stated in the above captioned letter (DN Sep. 16). I have followed the events re the closure of the above bank and all the depositors I have met have expressed the same ideas that appeared in the letter. My best friend who retired from service deposited all his benefits in Pramuka as and when he wanted to withdraw the money he could do so although another bank paid the same rate of interest on four years debentures. Further CBSL had listed Pramuka as a viable bank just few months before they decided its dealings are questionable. Anyone will agree that the Supervising Unit of the CBSL has not done a proper job before they publish the advertisement in the daily papers listing Pramuka as a viable bank. Let them give excuses but for the lapse of the CBSL they must see that the poor depositors are paid their dues, without further delay, please. K. WIJESINGHA - As a Sri Lankan Burgher domiciled in Australia, I wish to state some facts to the Sri Lankan people. As a former government servant in the South of Sri Lanka during the 70s I cannot forget the late T.D. Franciscu from the Mulkirigala electorate contesting many general and by-elections for and behalf of the United National Party (UNP) against the strong contenders of Rajapakses losing one after another spending all his personal money and wealth, when no one ever came forward to contest against the Rajapakses and finally succeeded in 1977. In 1983, after the referendum I remember how the late T.D. Franciscu after losing the Mulkirigala electorate left the Government Agents Office at Hambantota in a public transport CTB bus. A gentleman who had 2 private vehicles before being in politics contesting elections had nothing left after his first term in Parliament. When he was not given nominations to contest the by-elections in 1983, the dictators of the UNP remanded the late T.D. Franciscu for no reason other than to stop his support to the SLFP candidate in the 1983 by-elections. Those were the type of honest politicians Sri Lanka had in the past discarded by the UNP (Un-grateful National Party). I happen to visit Sri Lanka in 2004 and made a trip to the Mulkirigala electorate where the late T.D. Franciscu's successor from the UNP had been in Parliament for over 20 years. It is truly disappointing and sad the town of Katuwana is far backward than Bintenne where the Veddhas live, and I was made to understand he still is the chief organiser for the Hambantota district. The conclusion I came to was if a political party like the UNP who went to the extent of remanding the late T.D. Franciscu in 1983 for no reason to simply stop him canvass for the SLFP what gratitude and gratefulness can the ordinary poor people/masses of Sri Lanka expect from such an Ungrateful National Party (UNP). GERRY HERFT - Namalika de Soysa's death at Musaeus College Namalika, a student of Musaeus College, Colombo 7 died under tragic circumstances on the morning hours of 11th August, 2004 at her school. It was a cruel way to take away her blossoming life from her parents, sister, relatives and friends. She was a brilliant student and was the dream child of her parents. She had many dreams for her at this tender age. On the evening of previous day 10th August, 2004 she had got prepared to go to school and had presented her report card to her parents. Her father had placed signature on it. Meanwhile she had packed her school bag with some books she borrowed from a friend at school to be returned back on the fateful day of 11th August, 2004. She was anxiously looking forward to be at school on the next day, as any other child of her age. Her room is full of posters of actresses. By the side of her bed is her study table, with many books and other things like stickers, fancy pens, pencils and photographs of her sister. Before her death I had visited their home several times and met Namalika on such visits. To me she was like any other little girl. About three months back I spoke to her when I was given a lift by her father. When asked about her future career Namalika told me that she like to do languages for her A/Ls. She said that she like to do law like her father and be an Ambassador for the country. I did not have the slightest indication of any of psychological problems. Due to my law studies I had been a visitor to Namalika's home during past several years. When she was a kid she used to smile with me whenever she saw me. Whenever I visited their home Namalika used to offer me a cup of tea. It was with shock and disbelief that I come into terms with her death. On 7th August, 2004 I decided to travel to Town Hall in Colombo 07 for a personal matter. I got in the bus halt near Davatagaha Mosque and crossed the road to reach the Barnes Place. I saw little Namalika and her mother few yards away walking towards me. She greeted me with a smile. That was the last occasion. Her mother told me later that little Namalika had spotted me first before her and told her that "Ammi, Rohan uncle is coming". That day she did not say anything in particular but looked back at me when she walked away. I was told that she was academically brilliant as her sister and father. Her father was a brilliant student at Open University of Sri Lanka having completed the LLB Degree with very good results last year. He did brilliantly to obtain a class at attorney-at-laws of Sri Lanka Law College. Grieving with disbelief at her unexpected and untimely death her father told me that every moment when he remembers her he is dying internally. In that case not only him all the family members suffer the same way. Still it is difficult to believe that she died, or the way she faced death. As a friend I am not in a position to accept that Namalika simply jumped from that open, unprotected balcony of the Musaeus College. Her mother at the inquest held by the City Coroner made a statement indicating that she sent her daughter to school since she believe that school is a safe place for her like home. However, when one look at the openings to space in the 5th floor of the school building it is doubtful whether school had been a safe place for children. In fact some school buildings at Musaeus College in Rosmead Place which is in Colombo 7 area are not properly approved. These are built by contractors to whom tenders were awarded by school authorities and often the case is that they are not approved as required by the Municipality Council Ordinance, which is the law in this regard. I observed the location where Namalika had met with death and here it's possible for students to enter the unprotected balcony area by walking across the floor of the 5th level. The trustees of children at school should act with responsibility that all measures are taken to ensure due protection. A building which is not fully occupied was made accessible to little girls. These girls due to their curiosity of age may decided to have a look inside to see what is going on. The 5th floor of school building which brought death to Namalika is a death trap if one has a close look at it. It has an opening (without any protective grill) which leads to open space. The balcony wall that separates floor of the 5th level from open space is only of 2 feet in height. There is a layer of soil of about six inches on the floor. That makes the protected wall's height about one and half feet when one walk about there. Now that is even below little Namalika's knees. Can we believe that school authorities allowed a death trap balcony of this height in the 5th floor of the school building which is freely accessible to little girls. Namalika's little friends told that they are used to this place, lot of children who come to school in early morning go there to watch the scenic view of Colombo city from this place. This is a usual thing for them. When one looks down from the place Namalika had fallen, it is nerve wrecking and shivering. Definitely all this must have resulted in her ultimate fall. If somebody says she had gone there due to depression or whatever, it is no excuse. You need not be depressed to go there, because already little girls driven by curiosity had gone there to have a look at the scenic view of Colombo. Thus school may be liable under criminal law and civil law. If one looks below from place where Namalika had fallen one can see a large pond on the ground. Next to the pond there is an open ground area of about three feet wide, it is like a three feet narrow road. Namalika had fallen exactly into it. On the other side a premises of a neighbour is situated and it is separated from school by a wall. A person cannot jump into such three feet narrow path from a high rise building 5th floor. It is absolutely impossible to aim and jump like this for a school girl. Even if somebody aim at three feet wide path on ground and try to jump into it due to wind and other physical forces one may end up falling few yards away from the targeted location. Namalika's body had been found inside the three feet wide area. The City Coroner's cause of death says that death was due to "craniocerebal injuries, due to blunt impact on the head". No other injuries had been found on the body. I think that blunt impact on the head and non-existence of injuries of other nature on the body is due to sudden and unexpected fall from the 5th floor. If somebody had jumped this cannot have happened. Normally in such cases where people jump from high rise buildings they receive injuries on legs and arms and some have been in paralyses state after the jump. The question is what kind of educational responsibility was exercised by school authorities in this regard. School may have been negligent. The school is yet to send Namalika's parents a formal apology in this regard. It is yet to establish in what circumstances Namalika's death took place. ROHAN WICKREMASINGHE - |
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