Citizens’ mail
We in the subcontinent, have a consuming passion for the game of
cricket. In India, it is virtually a religion and certain cricketers are
treated as divine beings. Of course, there is nothing wrong in being
passionate about a sport, or even sporting personalities, but the
political reality behind this craze is that it eventually transforms
lesser-known individuals into prominent public figures who perhaps end
up as politicians, multimillionaire investors, and socialites.
In this context it is hardly surprising to hear that a current Sri
Lankan cricketer who rose to fame for an unconventional batting stroke
is planning to enter ‘Bollywood’ (North Indian Film Industry) as a film
producer. No. I am not complaining that our cricketers are overpaid, but
I think that the ‘mega bucks’ involved with today’s cricket has a
negative impact on the overall spirit of the game.
In fact, it was disappointing to see the cricketers being auctioned
by business tycoons and movie stars. It is true that cricket, like any
other sport or enterprise, cannot be immune to the modern-day
socio-economic developments. Perhaps, in a purely economic perspective,
cricket is benefited from the recently introduced shorter form the game,
T20 cricket and the star-studded Indian version of it, Indian Premiere
League (IPL), which has turned out to be a money-spinner for both
cricketers and its investors.
However, the question that ought to be raised, but has been forgotten
by many of us is that: Is ‘T20’ really cricket...? Is cricket all about
hitting sixes and boundaries? Is it justifiable to change the rules of
the game in order to please few business magnates, or to entertain a
viewer who believes that a cricket match is synonymous with a carnival?
Apart from the strategic efforts by the authorities themselves to
sell the game of cricket, it is an open secret that ‘cricket’ is being
sold on a large scale by bookmakers around the world. In fact, the bold
but fruitless (as nothing followed thereafter) remarks made by the
cricketer-turned-politician Hashan Tilakaratne reaffirmed that ‘match
fixing’ has always been within the knowledge of the players as well as
the administrators. Perhaps a bookmaker in India or South Africa decides
the fate of a game of cricket and the players could be beneficiaries of
the same fate. Or else, the exciting and thrilling match that unfolds
before our eyes could be a meticulously scripted drama.
However, it is obvious that the spectator or the viewer is the life
line of the game as if people chose not to watch matches, cricket could
not just be played for cricketers themselves. But the question that
bothers me is that should we compromise the basic tenets of this
invaluable game just for the sake of entertaining a spectator who enjoys
everything that happens on the ground besides the very game of cricket.
No matter how different the length, or the form, or the rules of the
match in question, cricket should be played as it is and in its true
spirit. Let cricket be a gentlemen’s sport and not the businessmen’s.
Sanjeewa Ranaweera
In addition to price control and quality control of essential
commodities, consumers are cheated when buying cooked food, eggs, and
coconuts.
Will our authorities take positive steps to save the consumers? Also
Narahenpita does not have a proper market though it’s located within the
city limits. This makes residents to go to Kirullapone, Wellawatta,
Borella or Nugegoda to buy their necessities.
There is no land reserved for a market near the bus stand. In my
opinion providing shopping facilities is also a duty of the Consumer
Affairs Authority.
S Sripadmanaban, Narahenpita.
Cancer is a deadliest disease from which even the developed nations
suffer due to non-discovery of an effective medicine.
It is a pleasure that a Sri Lankan doctor (ENT), Cynthia Jayasooriya
has discovered a medicinal food for this disease according to an article
published in the Sunday Lakbima on August 07. A British doctor, as she
explained, who was engaged in the spread of religion in Afghanistan has
observed that no Afghan suffers from this disease. His observation to
this effect was that Afghans have got used to eating apricot which is
grown in abundance in that country and it was found that apricot was a
medicinal food in which vitamin 17 (scientific name Amygladin) is
included.
According to a research done by the Sri Lankan doctor who had
suffered from kidney cancer has discovered that vitamin 17 is included
in ‘manioc’. She who suffered from cancer is said to have been operated
at the age of 66 and unfortunately symptom had emerged at the age of 73
again. She conforms that two to three pieces of manioc (about 100 gms)
are consumed by her as a treatment to her disease, ignoring the western
medicine, chemotherapy. To her amazement, she had been able to get rid
of the disease.
In response to this discovery, Dr Wasantha Dissanayake of the Cancer
Hospital accepts the fact that people get cancer due to the adoption of
their lifestyles against nature and those who live in keeping with laws
of nature (by consuming natural food, leafy vegetable and fruits) become
immune from it.
It is said that very rich people have got used to consume manioc in
order to gain immunity today having understood its medicinal value but
many people avoid eating it under the impression that eating manioc is a
sign of poverty. But its medicinal value is said to be immeasurable and
priceless.
R. Somasiri
Going ‘green’ or green concepts are more than a ‘buzz word’ in our
life. It’s our utmost obligation to conserve the environment for future
generations to live.
We drive hybrid cars, use degradable polthyne to conserve nature. We
are capable to conserve more by choosing to be vegetarian. You will save
more energy and scarce resources of earth.
Be vegetarian, allows me to put some facts to the table to prove
myself, The global livestock industry is responsible for 18 percent of
greenhouse gas emissions, the transport sector including aviation,
produce only 13.5 percent. The interpretation is that we produce more
greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide, nitrogen dioxide and methane by
eating meats than commuting in vehicles. Earlier transportation sector
was perceived as the main culprit.
According to a study by University of Chicago meat diets produce 1.5
tons more carbon dioxide per year per person versus the vegetarian
diets.
Eating 0.5 kg of beef is the same as driving a SUV 62 km.
In the USA as per study by Cornell University the corn eaten by
livestock can be eaten by more than 800 million people per year. The
above facts present one conclusion; we can save energy, resources and
emit a reduced amount of greenhouse gases by being vegetarian.
Being a marketer I have visited some of the meat producing factories
and witnessed the damage they do to the environment. Take control of
your life and be a vegetarian. Save the earth for your children.
Hasika Jayasooriya
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