Dayan Jayatilleke has articulated a manifesto for what he calls democratic resistance.While Mr Jayatilleka's learning and erudition are beyond doubt, he seems naive when he hopes that "almost nothing done can be reversed when elections come around".
The error lies in assuming that the holding of elections could result in a change in regime. This has happened only once in the last 32 years - in 1994 when Chandrika Kumaratunga succeeded in toppling the UNP regime, which, as we were ceaselessly reminded, ruled for 17 years. We were only spared the propaganda once the present regime clocked up its 17th year. They are about to embark on their 19th year and show no sign of slowing down.
Under previous constitutions, incumbent regimes changed in 1956, 1960, 1965, 1970 and 1977. In the thirty years since 1948 five changes in incumbency took place.
Since the constitution of 1978 there has only been a lone instance of an incumbent losing: in 1994. Given that the 'born loser' Ranil Wickremasinghe lead the opposition at the time, perhaps the loss is not so surprising.
It is also worth noting that each and every incumbent, bar one, succeeded in serving the full term permitted under the constitution, until handing over to his chosen successor within the party. The only one who failed to serve the full two terms permitted by the constitution was Premadasa, who was assassinated.
The reason for the lack of change is in the constitution: the incumbent is all-powerful, has control of all the resources of the state that can be wielded against his opponents. The recent amendments to the constitution have increased the power of the Executive enormously; most notably by abolishing term limits and independent commissions. Further amendments to curb the little independence enjoyed by the judiciary should seal the power of the Executive permanently.
The essence of a functioning democracy are the institutional curbs placed, by constitution or tradition, on the power of the Executive. Traditionally the institutional curbs comprise:
a) an independent civil service (which runs day to day administration, serving citizens equally irrespective of political affiliation);
b) an independent judiciary;
c) the separation of powers between the legislature and executive and the accountability of the executive to parliament;
d) a free press which exposes the faults of Government.
In the current set up where members cross over for cash reward, parliament is little better than a rubber stamp. The civil service was disbanded in 1965 and its last vestiges of independence probably disappeared in the 1980's. Of the press, enough has been said, most that are left standing have learned that it is best to tow the line and the judiciary, already greatly compromised, have now been brought to heel.
As there are no institutional checks left, the rulers enjoy unprecedented power to distribute largesse to voters at elections, intimidate or cripple opponents, disenfranchise minorities, stuff ballots and otherwise 'manage' the electoral process to deliver expected results.We have witnessed many instances of this in the past, only the degree of the tactics need to be increased to compensate for the inevitable decline in popularity.
Eventually the tactics will need to be so blatant that only the blind will refuse to see, but elections will continue to be held, regularly. Even Robert Mugabe managed to to be returned to office, with come conviction, over a good thirty years.
Of the four points Mr Jayatilleke highlights only the fourth: that the most significant political enterprises in the politics of this
island have taken the form of ruptures with pre-existing organisations; has any validity. In this case, as other actors and organisations have no power and do not matter, the rupture will take the form of a family squabble.
This is the other important point of note: previously the baton of power was handed down within the party; as in the case of communist China; now it will be handed down within the family, in the traditional feudal fashion.
His other points have some meaning only in the context of a reasonably free election. For the reasons pointed out above, elections are heavily weighted in favour of the incumbent and are thus hardly fair, even if they may be reasonably free, which may not necessarily be the case.
Thursday, January 31, 2013
Wednesday, January 30, 2013
A never ending nightmare: will 2015 witness a recurrence of 1915?
"If history repeats itself, and the unexpected always happens, how incapable must Man be of learning from experience." George Bernard Shaw
While a report from a commission to learn lessons lies mouldering in the grave, the promise of the appointment of yet another parliamentary select committee to investigate the problem gives little hope. They will produce yet another report that will be buried, assuming that they even get as far as producing a report, while the storm clouds continue to gather.
"The Buddhist-Muslim riots of 1915 are often depicted as an eruption of religious animosity and friction between Sinhalese Buddhists and a section of the Muslim population. According to this viewpoint, the riots were sparked by religious fanaticism as the Buddhists saw in the ‘intolerance and aggressiveness of the Muslims, a permanent danger to their religious practices and celebration of their national festivals.’ This interpretation of the riots, however, disregards several signficant economic and political developments which influenced the events of 1915 and leaves unanswered the important question of why, if the riots were merely a reflection of religious tensions, the British colonial officials took such drastic measures during the riots and exacted severe reprisals long after the rioting was over.
The quote from Kumari Jayewardena is eerily reminiscent of sentiments being expressed today. DBS Jeyaraj's article on an incident in Kuliyapitiya one of a series that have taken place of late; sets a pattern that should alert the authorities to trouble brewing.In the years before the riots, an awakening had taken place among the Sinhalese Buddhists which was not only a reaction to British political domination, but also an act of self-assetion against the economic power of minority groups in Ceylon. The rioteers of 1915 have often been portrayed as criminals and hooligans out for plunder; but there is evidence that in Colombo it was not the criminal and rootless elements who led the riots, but the skilled, better-paid, more militant segments of the working class. The government was aware of this potentially explosive facet of the Colombo rioting, which turned into an expression of revolt against economic exploitation. Furthermore, many British officials in Ceylon, alarmed by the spread of nationalism and industrial unrest in both India and Ceylon and perhaps apprehensive about the prospects of German intrigue in Asia during the First World War, were convinced that the rioting was directed against British rule…" Kumari Jayewardena (1970). Extracted from here.
While a report from a commission to learn lessons lies mouldering in the grave, the promise of the appointment of yet another parliamentary select committee to investigate the problem gives little hope. They will produce yet another report that will be buried, assuming that they even get as far as producing a report, while the storm clouds continue to gather.
Sunday, January 27, 2013
Kotagala - Nuwara Eliya Road (A7) in a bad state
Just a travel update, the Kotagala - Nuwara Eliya road (the main A7 road, see map) is under repair and in a very poor state. The heavy rain and recent landslides seem to have washed away most of the surface of the road leaving it a mass of pot holes.
The road is not impassable for cars but it is very bumpy and can take a severe toll on the suspension. Would advise anyone contemplating travel on this road to do so in a high clearance vehicle (van or 4WD). There is an alternate route, through the Fordyce Estate (see map) , a longer route on estate roads (which are not great either) and difficult to navigate (as I am told it is not well sign posted) so get clear directions from someone familiar with the area or have the route premarked on Google maps. On the plus side, this route is supposed to be the prettier of the two.
The repairs seem to be part of a huge exercise in road widening so are likely to take some time to complete.
One of the mysteries on the road were short stretches (of 2-3km) that had been repaired which were sandwiched between long tracts of rutty road. The worrying thing was that on several of the rutty stretches there were no building materials or people in sight, although there was some visible activity on others.
The road is not impassable for cars but it is very bumpy and can take a severe toll on the suspension. Would advise anyone contemplating travel on this road to do so in a high clearance vehicle (van or 4WD). There is an alternate route, through the Fordyce Estate (see map) , a longer route on estate roads (which are not great either) and difficult to navigate (as I am told it is not well sign posted) so get clear directions from someone familiar with the area or have the route premarked on Google maps. On the plus side, this route is supposed to be the prettier of the two.
The repairs seem to be part of a huge exercise in road widening so are likely to take some time to complete.
One of the mysteries on the road were short stretches (of 2-3km) that had been repaired which were sandwiched between long tracts of rutty road. The worrying thing was that on several of the rutty stretches there were no building materials or people in sight, although there was some visible activity on others.
Wednesday, January 23, 2013
Democracy works
DD has posted something that concludes with the above line. I tend to think it does as well, but why?
Most probably because in Britain (and in the 'West') it has evolved and been refined over time. The freedoms of the citizenry of England were hard fought and won over the course of many centuries. The freedom that they enjoy is freedom from the King, once all powerful, now reduced to a mere figurehead, sometimes an object of ridicule. The concept is now in their bones and the king dare not reassert his authority.
When Britain abandoned its empire in haste, democracy, the only form of governance they knew, was transplanted. In the wilting heat of the tropics the flower only took root in a handful of places. It flowered wherever the gardeners left the plant in its pot and did not prune it too harshly, until it became a part of the natural way of life, its processes beyond question.
In places where, post-independence it was tinkered with, it withered.
The various kings who evolved over eons to lead the many tribes of mankind did so because they offered their tribesmen protection from external enemies and as an arbiter of internal disputes. Later minimal public services were offered. The king was the most powerful, he came to run the militia, so he made the rules. Naturally there were costs associated with this, so the king extracted money from the tribe to pay for these costs-this was taxation.
The problem was that eventually the King tended to start misusing the proceeds of taxes for his own benefit and otherwise abusing power. As the King had the army with him, doing anything about an exploitative ruler was a difficult struggle.
The fruit of that struggle was democracy. In Sri Lanka with two new constitutions and almost a score of amendments to the last one; the tree has been dug up at the very roots. A feudal kingdom is in the ascendent. "We shall reclaim our glorious history", cry the courtiers. The population, blinded by their hatred of the decadent West, applaud.
Our rulers claim to offer protection; from enemies without and terrorists within, just as the kings of old did. Sure, they will save us from our enemies but who will save us from them?
LBO has an excellent article on a related aspect.
Most probably because in Britain (and in the 'West') it has evolved and been refined over time. The freedoms of the citizenry of England were hard fought and won over the course of many centuries. The freedom that they enjoy is freedom from the King, once all powerful, now reduced to a mere figurehead, sometimes an object of ridicule. The concept is now in their bones and the king dare not reassert his authority.
When Britain abandoned its empire in haste, democracy, the only form of governance they knew, was transplanted. In the wilting heat of the tropics the flower only took root in a handful of places. It flowered wherever the gardeners left the plant in its pot and did not prune it too harshly, until it became a part of the natural way of life, its processes beyond question.
In places where, post-independence it was tinkered with, it withered.
The various kings who evolved over eons to lead the many tribes of mankind did so because they offered their tribesmen protection from external enemies and as an arbiter of internal disputes. Later minimal public services were offered. The king was the most powerful, he came to run the militia, so he made the rules. Naturally there were costs associated with this, so the king extracted money from the tribe to pay for these costs-this was taxation.
The problem was that eventually the King tended to start misusing the proceeds of taxes for his own benefit and otherwise abusing power. As the King had the army with him, doing anything about an exploitative ruler was a difficult struggle.
The fruit of that struggle was democracy. In Sri Lanka with two new constitutions and almost a score of amendments to the last one; the tree has been dug up at the very roots. A feudal kingdom is in the ascendent. "We shall reclaim our glorious history", cry the courtiers. The population, blinded by their hatred of the decadent West, applaud.
Our rulers claim to offer protection; from enemies without and terrorists within, just as the kings of old did. Sure, they will save us from our enemies but who will save us from them?
LBO has an excellent article on a related aspect.
Saturday, January 12, 2013
Anniversaries, 2003, 1933 and 2013
Anniversaries are strange things, the only ones worth remembering as children are birthdays and Christmas. As adults, they matter less and are mostly a preoccupation of the old.
The old have little to look forward to and as the sands of time pass, school reunions and obituary notices take on an importance that is little understood by the young.
Looking back is not only an exercise in nostalgia, it also an opportunity to reflect on events past. Distance brings detachment and perspective.
I just realised that it was ten years ago this year that the UNF government was sacked (that took place on the 4th of November), but in January 2003 we were not to know how fast we were approaching the cliff face. Those were heady days of boundless optimism and seen from the perspective of today, from an altogether different era, closer to 1953 than 2013.
This month, another anniversary has crept up, nearly unnoticed. It was in the January of 1933 that Hitler became chancellor of Germany, and by August 1934, he had declared himself Führer - the leader of Germany. In a few short months he dismembered Germany's democracy.
A mysterious fire in the Reichstag in January 1933, provided the excuse to crack down on the communists who were said to be behind the attack. Hitler urged President Paul von Hindenburg to pass an emergency decree to counter the "ruthless confrontation of the Communist Party of Germany". (Wikipedia)
The Reichstag Fire Decree was used as the legal basis of imprisonment of anyone considered to be opponents of the Nazis, and to suppress publications not considered “friendly” to the Nazi cause. The government instituted mass arrests of Communists, including all of the Communist parliamentary delegates. With them gone and their seats empty, the Nazis went from being a plurality party to the majority (Wikipedia).
In March 1933, the Nazi's passed the Enabling act. The formal name of the Enabling Act was Gesetz zur Behebung der Not von Volk und Reich (English: "Law to Remedy the Distress of People and Reich"). (Wikipedia)
An innocuous act for the uplifting of lives. Now why does that ring a bell?
It was passed with the assistance of the SA (Sturm Abteilung also known as stormtroopers or brownshirts) who intimidated the opposition.
Before the vote, Hitler made a speech in which he pledged to use restraint.
"The government will make use of these powers only insofar as they are essential for carrying out vitally necessary measures...The number of cases in which an internal necessity exists for having recourse to such a law is in itself a limited one," Hitler told the Reichstag. (Link to source)
Under the Act, the government had acquired the authority to pass laws without either parliamentary consent or control. Unprecedentedly, these laws could (with certain exceptions) even deviate from the Constitution. The Act effectively eliminated the Reichstag as active players in German politics, though the existence of the body, alongside that of the Reichsrat and of the office of President were protected under the Act (nonetheless, the two latter were abolished in April and August 1934, respectively). (Wikipedia)
In April 1933, the system of local government was reorganised with the country being administered by 42 local Gaus which are run by a Gauleiter. These Gaus are separated into areas, localities and blocks of flats run by a Blockleiter.
With effective control of local government the Nazi's replaced anti-Nazi teachers and university professors and encouraged German's to report on opponents and "grumblers".
On the 2nd of May Trade Unions were banned, on 14 July political parties were banned. In April 1934 People's Courts were set up.
The "People's Court" was set up outside the operations of the constitutional frame of law. The court had jurisdiction over a rather broad array of "political offenses," which included crimes like black marketeering, work slowdowns, defeatism and treason against the Third Reich. These crimes were viewed by the court as Wehrkraftzersetzung ("disintegration of defensive capability") and were accordingly punished severely. The death penalty was meted out in numerous cases in this court. (Wikipedia)
In a few short months, while the world looked on in wonder and bemusement, Germany was set on the path that would lead to the destruction of Europe.
When the fighting stopped lessons were thought to have been learned. In great hope the United Nations was formed to prevent the outbreak of wars. A global policeman to step in when things looked like they were getting out of hand.
As Sri Lanka looks set to clash once again with the UN in March 2013, is it time to stop and reflect?
Ps.
A good summary of Hitler's rise to power is here. The key structure through which the Nazi's exercised power is here. Some further reading here.
Update: Berlin commemorates Hitler's rise to power.
The old have little to look forward to and as the sands of time pass, school reunions and obituary notices take on an importance that is little understood by the young.
Looking back is not only an exercise in nostalgia, it also an opportunity to reflect on events past. Distance brings detachment and perspective.
I just realised that it was ten years ago this year that the UNF government was sacked (that took place on the 4th of November), but in January 2003 we were not to know how fast we were approaching the cliff face. Those were heady days of boundless optimism and seen from the perspective of today, from an altogether different era, closer to 1953 than 2013.
This month, another anniversary has crept up, nearly unnoticed. It was in the January of 1933 that Hitler became chancellor of Germany, and by August 1934, he had declared himself Führer - the leader of Germany. In a few short months he dismembered Germany's democracy.
A mysterious fire in the Reichstag in January 1933, provided the excuse to crack down on the communists who were said to be behind the attack. Hitler urged President Paul von Hindenburg to pass an emergency decree to counter the "ruthless confrontation of the Communist Party of Germany". (Wikipedia)
The Reichstag Fire Decree was used as the legal basis of imprisonment of anyone considered to be opponents of the Nazis, and to suppress publications not considered “friendly” to the Nazi cause. The government instituted mass arrests of Communists, including all of the Communist parliamentary delegates. With them gone and their seats empty, the Nazis went from being a plurality party to the majority (Wikipedia).
In March 1933, the Nazi's passed the Enabling act. The formal name of the Enabling Act was Gesetz zur Behebung der Not von Volk und Reich (English: "Law to Remedy the Distress of People and Reich"). (Wikipedia)
An innocuous act for the uplifting of lives. Now why does that ring a bell?
It was passed with the assistance of the SA (Sturm Abteilung also known as stormtroopers or brownshirts) who intimidated the opposition.
Before the vote, Hitler made a speech in which he pledged to use restraint.
"The government will make use of these powers only insofar as they are essential for carrying out vitally necessary measures...The number of cases in which an internal necessity exists for having recourse to such a law is in itself a limited one," Hitler told the Reichstag. (Link to source)
Under the Act, the government had acquired the authority to pass laws without either parliamentary consent or control. Unprecedentedly, these laws could (with certain exceptions) even deviate from the Constitution. The Act effectively eliminated the Reichstag as active players in German politics, though the existence of the body, alongside that of the Reichsrat and of the office of President were protected under the Act (nonetheless, the two latter were abolished in April and August 1934, respectively). (Wikipedia)
In April 1933, the system of local government was reorganised with the country being administered by 42 local Gaus which are run by a Gauleiter. These Gaus are separated into areas, localities and blocks of flats run by a Blockleiter.
With effective control of local government the Nazi's replaced anti-Nazi teachers and university professors and encouraged German's to report on opponents and "grumblers".
On the 2nd of May Trade Unions were banned, on 14 July political parties were banned. In April 1934 People's Courts were set up.
The "People's Court" was set up outside the operations of the constitutional frame of law. The court had jurisdiction over a rather broad array of "political offenses," which included crimes like black marketeering, work slowdowns, defeatism and treason against the Third Reich. These crimes were viewed by the court as Wehrkraftzersetzung ("disintegration of defensive capability") and were accordingly punished severely. The death penalty was meted out in numerous cases in this court. (Wikipedia)
In a few short months, while the world looked on in wonder and bemusement, Germany was set on the path that would lead to the destruction of Europe.
When the fighting stopped lessons were thought to have been learned. In great hope the United Nations was formed to prevent the outbreak of wars. A global policeman to step in when things looked like they were getting out of hand.
As Sri Lanka looks set to clash once again with the UN in March 2013, is it time to stop and reflect?
Ps.
A good summary of Hitler's rise to power is here. The key structure through which the Nazi's exercised power is here. Some further reading here.
Update: Berlin commemorates Hitler's rise to power.
Christmas dilemma
Why do we always have so much brandy butter left after the pudding is finished?
Happens every year and have often resorted to eating the left over brandy butter with plantains.
Happens every year and have often resorted to eating the left over brandy butter with plantains.
Tuesday, January 08, 2013
Animal Farm - Colombo style
The United States, the Great Satan to our good friends from Iran (we think of them in the same terms, although we are not quite so impolite as to openly say so) have had a wee problem with their embassy in Colombo.
A monkey (not Comrade Wimal W who has been seen scaling the walls of many an embassy and may be easily mistaken for one on account of his on his activities if not just his appearance ) had invaded the premises.
Spot the similarities
Toque macaque (Macaca sinica) is a reddish-brown-coloured Old World monkey endemic to Sri Lanka, where it is locally known as the rilewa or rilawa.
Comrade Wimal W (apparatchik extraordinaire "I will stop using my gmail account. Let us boycott Pepsi, Coca Cola, Google and McDonalds", commonly known as a buffoon).
(Images borrowed from here and here, hope nobody minds)
Sources within the embassy have also revealed that it is infested with...Rats. Gigantic rats that eat anything, from paper, to clothing, to electric wiring.
The unsolved mystery is where this wildlife is coming from, given that the the embassy lies between the sea and the main road and is surrounded on all sides by a concrete jungle that is about as hospitable to animal life as the face of Mars. There is only one patch of greenery on the entire stretch, the sprawling gardens of Temple Trees, official residence of the Prime Minister.
The prevailing theory is that the monkeys and rats have crossed over the Galle Road to take up residence at the American embassy. (Note : Crossovers, crisscrossing, double crossing and backstabbing are all part and parcel of the great parliamentary tradition of Siri Lanka so it is quite possible that the animals have learned a lesson or two).
More cynical members of the public (and assorted INGO's, and other international busybodies) may wonder if this is a case of the rats fleeing a sinking ship. True patriots however believe that these intelligent animals are in fact a fifth column, sent to sow confusion, fear and embarrassment amongst the enemy. So far, it appears, they have done a good job. New diplomats posted to Colombo are now advised to leave their families behind and bring a cat along instead......
A monkey (not Comrade Wimal W who has been seen scaling the walls of many an embassy and may be easily mistaken for one on account of his on his activities if not just his appearance ) had invaded the premises.
Spot the similarities
Toque macaque (Macaca sinica) is a reddish-brown-coloured Old World monkey endemic to Sri Lanka, where it is locally known as the rilewa or rilawa.
Comrade Wimal W (apparatchik extraordinaire "I will stop using my gmail account. Let us boycott Pepsi, Coca Cola, Google and McDonalds", commonly known as a buffoon).
(Images borrowed from here and here, hope nobody minds)
Sources within the embassy have also revealed that it is infested with...Rats. Gigantic rats that eat anything, from paper, to clothing, to electric wiring.
The unsolved mystery is where this wildlife is coming from, given that the the embassy lies between the sea and the main road and is surrounded on all sides by a concrete jungle that is about as hospitable to animal life as the face of Mars. There is only one patch of greenery on the entire stretch, the sprawling gardens of Temple Trees, official residence of the Prime Minister.
The prevailing theory is that the monkeys and rats have crossed over the Galle Road to take up residence at the American embassy. (Note : Crossovers, crisscrossing, double crossing and backstabbing are all part and parcel of the great parliamentary tradition of Siri Lanka so it is quite possible that the animals have learned a lesson or two).
More cynical members of the public (and assorted INGO's, and other international busybodies) may wonder if this is a case of the rats fleeing a sinking ship. True patriots however believe that these intelligent animals are in fact a fifth column, sent to sow confusion, fear and embarrassment amongst the enemy. So far, it appears, they have done a good job. New diplomats posted to Colombo are now advised to leave their families behind and bring a cat along instead......
Sunday, December 30, 2012
Ozymandias
The arrival of the statue of Ramesses II, in England in 1818 is believed to have inspired Shelley's poem Ozymandias, reproduced below:
I met a traveller from an antique land
Who said: "Two vast and trunkless legs of stone
Stand in the desert. Near them on the sand,
Half sunk, a shattered visage lies, whose frown
And wrinkled lip and sneer of cold command
Tell that its sculptor well those passions read
Which yet survive, stamped on these lifeless things,
The hand that mocked them and the heart that fed.
And on the pedestal these words appear:
`My name is Ozymandias, King of Kings:
Look on my works, ye mighty, and despair!'
Nothing beside remains. Round the decay
Of that colossal wreck, boundless and bare,
The lone and level sands stretch far away".
Shelley's ghost, seems to have reached across the seas, to touch the anonymous writer of the plaque below, although something seems to have been lost in translation.
Perhaps it is not just Shelley, but Macaulay as well? I am but a dilettante, the more serious students of literature may be better able to divine the sources, although the lines below seem to leave the faintest of echoes.
Post Script: The statue of Ramses II stands near the entrance to the Egyptian section of the British Museum, the link above has further details and I would urge anyone visiting London to have a look, it is indeed impressive.
Macaulay was better known as a politician who played a role in the abolishing of the slave trade and for influence on education in India.
I met a traveller from an antique land
Who said: "Two vast and trunkless legs of stone
Stand in the desert. Near them on the sand,
Half sunk, a shattered visage lies, whose frown
And wrinkled lip and sneer of cold command
Tell that its sculptor well those passions read
Which yet survive, stamped on these lifeless things,
The hand that mocked them and the heart that fed.
And on the pedestal these words appear:
`My name is Ozymandias, King of Kings:
Look on my works, ye mighty, and despair!'
Nothing beside remains. Round the decay
Of that colossal wreck, boundless and bare,
The lone and level sands stretch far away".
Shelley's ghost, seems to have reached across the seas, to touch the anonymous writer of the plaque below, although something seems to have been lost in translation.
Perhaps it is not just Shelley, but Macaulay as well? I am but a dilettante, the more serious students of literature may be better able to divine the sources, although the lines below seem to leave the faintest of echoes.
But the Consul’s brow was sad,Taken from Macaulay's Horatius.
And the Consul’s speech was low,
And darkly looked he at the wall,
And darkly at the foe.
‘Their van will be upon us
Before the bridge goes down;
And if they once may win the bridge,
What hope to save the town?’
Then out spake brave Horatius,
The Captain of the gate:
‘To every man upon this earth
Death cometh soon or late.
And how can man die better
Than facing fearful odds,
For the ashes of his fathers,
And the temples of his Gods,
Post Script: The statue of Ramses II stands near the entrance to the Egyptian section of the British Museum, the link above has further details and I would urge anyone visiting London to have a look, it is indeed impressive.
Macaulay was better known as a politician who played a role in the abolishing of the slave trade and for influence on education in India.
Friday, December 07, 2012
Diff'rent Strokes?
I picked up some weekday newspapers today. Due to pressures of work and the fact that there is only a limited number newspapers that the office subscribes to; most of which end up with the big bosses, small fry like myself rarely get hold of them.
A small box on the front page of the Daily Mirror caught my attention. On searching the web, I discovered that the Island carried much the same story.
The Colombo Telegraph, an online compilation and news site carried a story that had some similarities but entirely different connotations.
Different folk, it seems, have perceived the same thing in entirely different terms.
The BBC report is here.
A small box on the front page of the Daily Mirror caught my attention. On searching the web, I discovered that the Island carried much the same story.
The Colombo Telegraph, an online compilation and news site carried a story that had some similarities but entirely different connotations.
Different folk, it seems, have perceived the same thing in entirely different terms.
The BBC report is here.
Monday, November 26, 2012
The TFC deal and the Chief Justice
My post on the TFC deal seems to be picking up a lot of hits, it is now, by a large margin, my most popular post.
The impeachment of the Chief Justice, now underway is probably the cause. The connection between the TFC deal and the CJ is that the CJ's husband was the Chairman of the state-owned NSB which bought the shares at the inflated price.
That deal was undoubtedly flawed but how should that affect the impeachment? My previous post would not be helpful to anyone seeking an answer to that question, but Mr Nihal Jayawickrama, does address that here.
Mr Jayawickrama is a founder member of the Judicial Integrity Group which is devoted to the task of improving judicial integrity and accountability.
As far as the TFC deal is concerned Mr Jayawickrama is of the view that:
It is also worth remembering that this was not the only flawed deal on the CSE, the EPF has lost billions on several deals, and so has the state-owned Sri Lanka Insurance Corporation. The TFC was merely the last in a long list, which despite calls from the COPE and unions, no one seems interested in investigating. Even the investigation to the TFC deal needs to be more broad based, there were surely others, besides the chairman, who were involved?
For those interested the Chief Justice's response to the charges is here.
Updated with a few new links to relevant commentary.
The impeachment of the Chief Justice, now underway is probably the cause. The connection between the TFC deal and the CJ is that the CJ's husband was the Chairman of the state-owned NSB which bought the shares at the inflated price.
That deal was undoubtedly flawed but how should that affect the impeachment? My previous post would not be helpful to anyone seeking an answer to that question, but Mr Nihal Jayawickrama, does address that here.
Mr Jayawickrama is a founder member of the Judicial Integrity Group which is devoted to the task of improving judicial integrity and accountability.
As far as the TFC deal is concerned Mr Jayawickrama is of the view that:
"A judge’s spouse is not prevented from engaging in any activity, so long as the judge does not get involved in such activity. A lack of circumspect or good sense on the part of the spouse in choosing which activity to engage in, is not a matter for which the judge can be held responsible unless the judge was, in fact, or appeared to have been, thereby improperly influenced in his or her conduct as a judge."Mr Jayawickrama also has some interesting observations on the due process to be followed for the disciplining of judges here.
It is also worth remembering that this was not the only flawed deal on the CSE, the EPF has lost billions on several deals, and so has the state-owned Sri Lanka Insurance Corporation. The TFC was merely the last in a long list, which despite calls from the COPE and unions, no one seems interested in investigating. Even the investigation to the TFC deal needs to be more broad based, there were surely others, besides the chairman, who were involved?
For those interested the Chief Justice's response to the charges is here.
Updated with a few new links to relevant commentary.
Friday, November 23, 2012
Imagine - fund raiser concert to help children of prisoners
The Association of Friends of Prisoners Children is charity that aims to try to keep the children of prisoners in
school.
Although this may seem a rather simple goal, it is in fact a lot harder than it appears. Apart from difficulties with money, the biggest problem faced is social stigma.
A common question that comes up is when the school mistress asks a child-what does your father do? Most children will be happily jumping up and answering but the child
of a prisoner has no answer to give. Once identified as such they are
stigmatised and bullied, will probably drop out of school and, more often than not, end up as
criminals themselves
Box Plan and Tickets: Bishops College auditorium. Box office open from.8.30am-4.30pm, Telephone 0114712326
I can vouch that the charity is well run and funds properly accounted for please contact them for further information.
Thursday, November 22, 2012
Former Sri Lankan MP and diplomat convicted of sexual assault, to be investigated for fraud.
We already know what rotters we have in parliament, but the sheer cheek of this man leaves me speechless.
The story is fairly straightforward, man goes for massage, gropes therapist and is hauled into court. What any sensible man should have done would be to plead guilty, pay the fine and learn from the experience. This course of action is not apparent to a former member of parliament and ex-diplomat.
What ? Plead guilty? He does no such thing, he's a man of standing who is used to relying on his network power to get what he wants. He righteously decides to rely on his good character, so he goes to court, lies and then to top it off, has the sheer, brazen cheek to actually claim legal aid for his defence! The judge makes some very pertinent observations.
I share the judge's anger. I hope they lock him up for a good long time, he deserves it. Perhaps one step towards reforming the system of justice here would be to restore the right of appeal to the Privy Council in the UK?
Read the full story here.
The story is fairly straightforward, man goes for massage, gropes therapist and is hauled into court. What any sensible man should have done would be to plead guilty, pay the fine and learn from the experience. This course of action is not apparent to a former member of parliament and ex-diplomat.
What ? Plead guilty? He does no such thing, he's a man of standing who is used to relying on his network power to get what he wants. He righteously decides to rely on his good character, so he goes to court, lies and then to top it off, has the sheer, brazen cheek to actually claim legal aid for his defence! The judge makes some very pertinent observations.
Judge Wide QC added: “It was a really nasty offence.
“When good character is relied upon in your case, it does help me to understand what sort of man you are.
“What you did was really bad. To get yourself off the hook, and for no other reason, you accused this completely blameless sensible and conscientious woman of having stolen from her employer by keeping the money and getting more out of you by then offering you extra special services.”
He said the woman masseur who worked as a beautician was “entirely respectable” as was the spa but Gunasekara made inappropriate remarks about her private life, asked her back to his hotel room, and then offered to read her palm as a means to get intimate with her.
When that failed he offered her money but when his advances were rejected, he lunged at her. Judge Wide said: “It was obviously very, very upsetting for her. She fled from the room in high distress, pushing the panic button as she went.”
The court heard despite claiming he only had a £100 a month to live off, he had £1,850 and $631 in cash, and £50 worth of traveller’s cheques when he was arrested for groping a masseur’s breast.
Yet despite the sums readily at hand he pleaded poverty and got legal aid to fight his case.
Gunasekara had travelled to the UK to visit his grandchildren when he groped the masseur’s breasts. In Sri Lankan he lives on a 25 acre estate complete with servants.
Judge Wide QC exploded with rage when he learnt of the legal aid funding adding: “The British public would be appalled to know they are paying for this man’s costs – one of Sri Lanka’s leading successful businessmen and government minister and ambassador to Poland and he say’s he’s got no money. ”I think it is a lie, I think it is one of a number of lies he told in this court. ”Frankly I don’t think the British public should pay a penny to this.” the Telegraph reported.
I share the judge's anger. I hope they lock him up for a good long time, he deserves it. Perhaps one step towards reforming the system of justice here would be to restore the right of appeal to the Privy Council in the UK?
Read the full story here.
Friday, November 16, 2012
Re-imagining Development
T has posted something on the topic of development, a question I have been grappling with for a while. She has posted a parable of a simple fisherman, lying on the beach, waiting for the fish to bite and content with his lot.
The ultimate goal that everyone probably has is to end up like the fisherman on the beach. Unfortunately life is not quite so simple. Look around our own country, there are many poor and disaffected people, whether they are the displaced in the North/East or subsistence farmers in the South.
Development should be about creating opportunities or choices for people. They key word is opportunities-not handouts, not state jobs (handouts in another form) but real opportunities. A state job is only redistribution, some people are taxed and the money used to pay someone else.
Failure to create opportunities can lead to a tinderbox, witness the Arab spring and its fallout.
Sri Lanka's own tortured history of violence has its roots in the closing of opportunities - first to minorities and then, when no tangible benefits flowed, to rural youth. Witness the uprisings of 1971 and 1987.
At the moment, the innovative people of Sri Lanka are creating their own opportunities-by leaving in droves, to the Middle East and elsewhere, legally and illegally.
As long as we allow people to leave we will face no problems. If they are forced to stay back, either by diminishing opportunities aboard or ham-handed interception of human smuggling, then it is only a question of time before an explosion occurs, unless of course someone wakes up and realises the need to create opportunities.
What does the state need to do to create opportunities ? Certain social investment in education and health will help but the most important thing is to get out of the way; stop interfering in business or the economy, cut regulations and ensure justice prevails. In other words, reduce the size of the state and improve transparency and governance.
Why are poor countries poor? Time Harford has an explanation, which I have discussed here. Why did the Near East explode? Some thoughts here.
We have fifty or sixty years of development experience to draw on, since the first new states began to emerge from end of the second world war. The questions as to what can work and what does not have been largely answered, there is no need to look very far, one can draw as many useful lessons from the many failed experiments as from the few successes. The real tragedy is if we fail to learn anything from history, either ours or anyone else's.
The ultimate goal that everyone probably has is to end up like the fisherman on the beach. Unfortunately life is not quite so simple. Look around our own country, there are many poor and disaffected people, whether they are the displaced in the North/East or subsistence farmers in the South.
Development should be about creating opportunities or choices for people. They key word is opportunities-not handouts, not state jobs (handouts in another form) but real opportunities. A state job is only redistribution, some people are taxed and the money used to pay someone else.
Failure to create opportunities can lead to a tinderbox, witness the Arab spring and its fallout.
Sri Lanka's own tortured history of violence has its roots in the closing of opportunities - first to minorities and then, when no tangible benefits flowed, to rural youth. Witness the uprisings of 1971 and 1987.
At the moment, the innovative people of Sri Lanka are creating their own opportunities-by leaving in droves, to the Middle East and elsewhere, legally and illegally.
As long as we allow people to leave we will face no problems. If they are forced to stay back, either by diminishing opportunities aboard or ham-handed interception of human smuggling, then it is only a question of time before an explosion occurs, unless of course someone wakes up and realises the need to create opportunities.
What does the state need to do to create opportunities ? Certain social investment in education and health will help but the most important thing is to get out of the way; stop interfering in business or the economy, cut regulations and ensure justice prevails. In other words, reduce the size of the state and improve transparency and governance.
Why are poor countries poor? Time Harford has an explanation, which I have discussed here. Why did the Near East explode? Some thoughts here.
We have fifty or sixty years of development experience to draw on, since the first new states began to emerge from end of the second world war. The questions as to what can work and what does not have been largely answered, there is no need to look very far, one can draw as many useful lessons from the many failed experiments as from the few successes. The real tragedy is if we fail to learn anything from history, either ours or anyone else's.
Tuesday, November 13, 2012
Regional development
A friend who resides in Galle had an interesting observation. Apart from personal services (mainly doctors and lawyers, who would need to be near their clients) there is very very limited scope for employment outside the capital and its suburbs. The only other opportunities are for a few bank staff, supermarkets and hotels.
He added that, even by the standards of the UK, which has a high concentration of businesses in or around the capital, Sri Lanka was excessively centralised.
Part of this is natural; due to the port and airport and relatively poor transport infrastructure elsewhere, any import or export business will locate close to the capital. When the density of population is high, it becomes viable to offer other services (restaurants, gyms, schools etc) and thie in turn attracts more people.
At one time I think the plantation companies used to run regional offices and so did the engineering firms (Browns, Walker & Grieg etc) that catered to the industry but these seem to have withered away. Better telecommunications probably means that it is possible to control a remote branch from head office.
Apart from overcrowding and excess pressure on resources and infrastructure, the lack of suitable employment opportunities in the regions is troubling.
My friend's suggestion was that Government offices be moved to the regions (something that can be done by fiat) with a set of regular pick up points in each city for documents to be moved. For example one could deposit a passport application at a supermarket or a bank in Colombo and it would be picked up and couriered to the passport office in Matara. Even better if most of the documentation could be done on-line, the couriering being limited to the most critical items only.
Making the popular schools open branches to cater to people in the regions will ease a huge burden on the transport and educational infrastructure. One only needs to look at the destination boards on school vans (some are from as far away as Hikkaduwa) to realise the magnitude of the problem.
President Premadasa tried to address this with his '500 garment factories' programme of getting companies to open factories in the regions, this was partially successful but the majority of them are still Colombo centric, being located within an hour or two of the capital.
Any thoughts on how this lop sidedness came about or possible solutions?
He added that, even by the standards of the UK, which has a high concentration of businesses in or around the capital, Sri Lanka was excessively centralised.
Part of this is natural; due to the port and airport and relatively poor transport infrastructure elsewhere, any import or export business will locate close to the capital. When the density of population is high, it becomes viable to offer other services (restaurants, gyms, schools etc) and thie in turn attracts more people.
At one time I think the plantation companies used to run regional offices and so did the engineering firms (Browns, Walker & Grieg etc) that catered to the industry but these seem to have withered away. Better telecommunications probably means that it is possible to control a remote branch from head office.
Apart from overcrowding and excess pressure on resources and infrastructure, the lack of suitable employment opportunities in the regions is troubling.
My friend's suggestion was that Government offices be moved to the regions (something that can be done by fiat) with a set of regular pick up points in each city for documents to be moved. For example one could deposit a passport application at a supermarket or a bank in Colombo and it would be picked up and couriered to the passport office in Matara. Even better if most of the documentation could be done on-line, the couriering being limited to the most critical items only.
Making the popular schools open branches to cater to people in the regions will ease a huge burden on the transport and educational infrastructure. One only needs to look at the destination boards on school vans (some are from as far away as Hikkaduwa) to realise the magnitude of the problem.
President Premadasa tried to address this with his '500 garment factories' programme of getting companies to open factories in the regions, this was partially successful but the majority of them are still Colombo centric, being located within an hour or two of the capital.
Any thoughts on how this lop sidedness came about or possible solutions?
Saturday, November 10, 2012
A few thoughts on the budget for 2013
A few quick thoughts on the budget, no time for a detailed analysis. Dr. P B Jayasundera claimed that the treasury wanted to improve the budget in terms of transparency and on that score they have delivered a significant improvement on the practices of the last few years: a significant proportion of the revenue measures were included in the budget.
True, there were a few tax increases that were pushed through between October and November, but there was a lot that came through in the budget, which means that (a) it is worth paying attention to; (b) that its presents a reasonable picture for analysis; (c) we can sleep easier on long weekends and holidays in the knowledge that the chance of taxes going up overnight has diminished.
There were several positive measures in terms of increasing clarity, such as the requirement for the Inland Revenue to give rulings on tax interpretation within six months (previously they could dawdle for ever) and a shorter time bar (18 months instead of 24 months).
The shorter time bar means that taxpayers can close their tax affairs sooner (the time bar prevents the Inland Revenue from digging up the past, which means once the return is accepted any questions from the Inland Revenue must be raised within 18 months, if they don't, the return is taken as final).
Inconsistencies between the Inland Revenue act and BOI regulations were also ironed out (Inland Revenue to prevail if those terms were more favourable)
Several positive measures for the capital markets (tax holidays for new listings, Withholding tax on listed debentures removed, foreign investment allowed into unit trusts) were also proposed.
The extension of VAT to large scale retailers is unobjectionable (no reason why they should have been excluded in the first place) - this will lead to some increases in prices but that is a different question.
I am not opposed to taxation; I am opposed to "bad" taxation; taxes that are hidden, or inconsistent. Taxes need to be simple, uniform and visible, people must know exactly what they are paying as taxes. If they feel that the taxes are too high then they need to hold the Government to account: what are you doing with our tax money? Could it be better spent elsewhere?
Piecemeal taxes on specific industries (why add a special tax of 1% to bank profits for example) are not recommended but odd exceptions (maximum income tax on pilots and staff of IT companies limited to 16%) are probably worse. (apart from creating greater complexity in the tax code thereby increasing administrative cost they are also discriminatory, the one on pilots (why pilots and not the other staff in an airline?) being worse in this respect than the on the IT industry-at least it applies to the whole industry and one that is good source of high quality jobs).
Last years budget was replete with carefully tailored benefits for specific entities, this years budget was mercifully less discriminatory, apart from a few exceptions like the racing car concession, so again a move in the right direction.
One of the stings in the tail (which some may have missed) were the revisions to import cess (details here) and export cess (details here). As an analyst I welcome their inclusion in the budget, although as citizen I may question as to why imported meat and dairy products should be taxed at 30% or Rs.200 per kg, imported vegetables at 30% or Rs.50 a kg or fruit at 30% or Rs.80/120. Looks like it is going to be a very expensive Christmas.
PB, addressing the Ernst & Young budget breakfast made an amusing speech, I don't necessarily agree with all his views but at least he was worth hearing.
Perhaps the most telling sign of the cost of living was the menu for the breakfast at the Cinnamon Grand: no cornflakes or whole wheat bread (too expensive to offer at current tax levels). What was on offer was mostly a collection of short eats, sandwiches, some fruit and yoghurt.
Patrons of 'Sri Lankan' themed buffets in general may have noted the absence of "pol sambol" from the menu-undoubtedly due to the high cost of coconuts. Time to start holding the Government expenditure to account, methinks.
True, there were a few tax increases that were pushed through between October and November, but there was a lot that came through in the budget, which means that (a) it is worth paying attention to; (b) that its presents a reasonable picture for analysis; (c) we can sleep easier on long weekends and holidays in the knowledge that the chance of taxes going up overnight has diminished.
There were several positive measures in terms of increasing clarity, such as the requirement for the Inland Revenue to give rulings on tax interpretation within six months (previously they could dawdle for ever) and a shorter time bar (18 months instead of 24 months).
The shorter time bar means that taxpayers can close their tax affairs sooner (the time bar prevents the Inland Revenue from digging up the past, which means once the return is accepted any questions from the Inland Revenue must be raised within 18 months, if they don't, the return is taken as final).
Inconsistencies between the Inland Revenue act and BOI regulations were also ironed out (Inland Revenue to prevail if those terms were more favourable)
Several positive measures for the capital markets (tax holidays for new listings, Withholding tax on listed debentures removed, foreign investment allowed into unit trusts) were also proposed.
The extension of VAT to large scale retailers is unobjectionable (no reason why they should have been excluded in the first place) - this will lead to some increases in prices but that is a different question.
I am not opposed to taxation; I am opposed to "bad" taxation; taxes that are hidden, or inconsistent. Taxes need to be simple, uniform and visible, people must know exactly what they are paying as taxes. If they feel that the taxes are too high then they need to hold the Government to account: what are you doing with our tax money? Could it be better spent elsewhere?
Piecemeal taxes on specific industries (why add a special tax of 1% to bank profits for example) are not recommended but odd exceptions (maximum income tax on pilots and staff of IT companies limited to 16%) are probably worse. (apart from creating greater complexity in the tax code thereby increasing administrative cost they are also discriminatory, the one on pilots (why pilots and not the other staff in an airline?) being worse in this respect than the on the IT industry-at least it applies to the whole industry and one that is good source of high quality jobs).
Last years budget was replete with carefully tailored benefits for specific entities, this years budget was mercifully less discriminatory, apart from a few exceptions like the racing car concession, so again a move in the right direction.
One of the stings in the tail (which some may have missed) were the revisions to import cess (details here) and export cess (details here). As an analyst I welcome their inclusion in the budget, although as citizen I may question as to why imported meat and dairy products should be taxed at 30% or Rs.200 per kg, imported vegetables at 30% or Rs.50 a kg or fruit at 30% or Rs.80/120. Looks like it is going to be a very expensive Christmas.
PB, addressing the Ernst & Young budget breakfast made an amusing speech, I don't necessarily agree with all his views but at least he was worth hearing.
Perhaps the most telling sign of the cost of living was the menu for the breakfast at the Cinnamon Grand: no cornflakes or whole wheat bread (too expensive to offer at current tax levels). What was on offer was mostly a collection of short eats, sandwiches, some fruit and yoghurt.
Patrons of 'Sri Lankan' themed buffets in general may have noted the absence of "pol sambol" from the menu-undoubtedly due to the high cost of coconuts. Time to start holding the Government expenditure to account, methinks.
Tuesday, November 06, 2012
A boss, a boss, my kingdom for a boss...
who is either;
a) sane, or
b) human.
Is that too much to wish for? Both would be nice, but I would not complain if they had either of the above. Anyway, I can empathise with the Dilbert cartoon below:
On a more random note, now that the radio frequencies have changed I am having a hard time tracking down the stations I usually listen to. While scanning through the the stations I came upon a broadcast of the BBC news so I listened. The next programme turned out to be - Children's Birthday Greetings. There were two greetings that were read out, but the concept of sending a postcard to a radio station a few weeks ahead to get announced on the programme is quaint and somehow, rather charming. Does anyone else listen to this station?
They had an advertising blurb after the children's programme that carried clips from the past, including the BBC announcement of D.S Senanyake's death (preceded by phrase "this is London"; famous to listeners of shortwave radio) an announcement by Mrs B (sounding a lot like CBK) declaring a state of emergency. (ps for some of the classic BBC identification themes, listen to this)There seems to be a wealth of material on the SLBC archives, there must be some way of monetising this, it is fascinating.
a) sane, or
b) human.
Is that too much to wish for? Both would be nice, but I would not complain if they had either of the above. Anyway, I can empathise with the Dilbert cartoon below:
On a more random note, now that the radio frequencies have changed I am having a hard time tracking down the stations I usually listen to. While scanning through the the stations I came upon a broadcast of the BBC news so I listened. The next programme turned out to be - Children's Birthday Greetings. There were two greetings that were read out, but the concept of sending a postcard to a radio station a few weeks ahead to get announced on the programme is quaint and somehow, rather charming. Does anyone else listen to this station?
They had an advertising blurb after the children's programme that carried clips from the past, including the BBC announcement of D.S Senanyake's death (preceded by phrase "this is London"; famous to listeners of shortwave radio) an announcement by Mrs B (sounding a lot like CBK) declaring a state of emergency. (ps for some of the classic BBC identification themes, listen to this)There seems to be a wealth of material on the SLBC archives, there must be some way of monetising this, it is fascinating.
Sunday, November 04, 2012
The month of November is a "bad" period
Sri Lankans are a superstitious people; astrologers, soothsayers and fortune tellers earn a tidy sum catering to the various neuroses of the people. The rulers are, by common consent, more superstitious than most, events of state such as the impeachment motion on the Chief Justice are carefully aligned to the movements of the stars, planets or deities that watch over the country.
Critics of such beliefs, such as myself are a small and diminishing minority. As any member of Colombo's Hi!! magazine set instinctively realise, its no fun trying to have a party one ones own. Therefore the time is right for the sundry remaining jokers to join the bandwagon of superstition.
I shall therefore start my own tradition: November shall be declared a "bad" month, during which no important activities should take place. Ceasar was asked to beware of the ides of March, he ignored the warning in the mistaken belief that he was being forewarned of tax day. After all, Caesar does not pay tax on that day, he collects.
In Sri Lanka budget day falls in November, a good enough reason to declare the month bad, but much else seems to happen. Chandrika Bandaranaike launched coup d’état nine years ago in November and this year, the month has claimed more victims.
In another time, in another place called Ceylon there existed a certain nutcase by the name of Abraham Kovoor. Relentless in his campaign against superstition, he lived by a rather silly creed:
He, and his ideals are all now thankfully dead. The Miracle of Asia is self evident, no questions need be asked and anyway, who needs a party pooper? And beware of the month of November.
Critics of such beliefs, such as myself are a small and diminishing minority. As any member of Colombo's Hi!! magazine set instinctively realise, its no fun trying to have a party one ones own. Therefore the time is right for the sundry remaining jokers to join the bandwagon of superstition.
I shall therefore start my own tradition: November shall be declared a "bad" month, during which no important activities should take place. Ceasar was asked to beware of the ides of March, he ignored the warning in the mistaken belief that he was being forewarned of tax day. After all, Caesar does not pay tax on that day, he collects.
In Sri Lanka budget day falls in November, a good enough reason to declare the month bad, but much else seems to happen. Chandrika Bandaranaike launched coup d’état nine years ago in November and this year, the month has claimed more victims.
In another time, in another place called Ceylon there existed a certain nutcase by the name of Abraham Kovoor. Relentless in his campaign against superstition, he lived by a rather silly creed:
He who does not allow his miracles to be investigated is a crook; he who does not have the courage to investigate a miracle is a gullible; and he who is prepared to believe without verification is a fool!
He, and his ideals are all now thankfully dead. The Miracle of Asia is self evident, no questions need be asked and anyway, who needs a party pooper? And beware of the month of November.
Monday, October 29, 2012
Discrimination against the handicapped
A friend of mine asked me if I had noticed the degree of discrimination that the handicapped faced? I was a bit surprised, I had not encountered this before. He went on to relate a story about a family friend.
The family friend had been asked to remove her child from school. A group of parents of other students had objected to the presence of this child and brought pressure to bear on the teachers who had, in turn asked that the child be removed.
The reason? The child was suffering from Downes syndrome, which, presumably, something that they thought either dangerous or repulsive, probably both.
In searching for a school for the child the parents met many teachers, one of whom had faced a similar experience previously. Ceylinco Sussex College had wanted to accommodate pupils with learning difficulties in the school and hire specially trained teachers to work with them. The school had been forced to abandon the project after parents objected.
My friend remarked that not only is there discrimination based on race and religion, even the handicapped are a "problem". He wondered why people simply did not complete the cycle and apply for their Nazi party cards, because these were the very characteristics that the Nazi's wished to stamp out.
I could not but agree with him.
The family friend had been asked to remove her child from school. A group of parents of other students had objected to the presence of this child and brought pressure to bear on the teachers who had, in turn asked that the child be removed.
The reason? The child was suffering from Downes syndrome, which, presumably, something that they thought either dangerous or repulsive, probably both.
In searching for a school for the child the parents met many teachers, one of whom had faced a similar experience previously. Ceylinco Sussex College had wanted to accommodate pupils with learning difficulties in the school and hire specially trained teachers to work with them. The school had been forced to abandon the project after parents objected.
My friend remarked that not only is there discrimination based on race and religion, even the handicapped are a "problem". He wondered why people simply did not complete the cycle and apply for their Nazi party cards, because these were the very characteristics that the Nazi's wished to stamp out.
I could not but agree with him.
To Galle, by train
I am a regular visitor to Galle during the Literary Festival but never visit otherwise. I have been meaning to explore the town further so accepted an invitation from a friend living in Galle to spend a few days with him.
I was too lazy to drive and thought it would be a change to take the train instead. It is a fairly short journey and the ride could be fun.
The greatest difficulty with the train is obtaining proper information. Seat61 is one of the best sources of information. If you want to cross check anything try the Government information service number 0112-191919. They are helpful but their information is sometimes a bit dodgy (when I went to Haputale they told me that advance bookings for the observation carriage were possible 10 days ahead, but it turned out that they were open 14 days ahead and tickets were sold out when I went to book). You could also try calling the CGR directly ( I got the numbers from the Government Information Service and did that, just to make sure). Anyway by a process of triangulation, it is possible to get a fair idea.
I wanted to take the morning train (at 6.50am) but my brother warned me that I should get to the station by around 6am, because the queues may be long. It was a good thing that I did because the queues were long and I stood in the wrong one.
There are two sets of ticket counters, one right at the centre of the station which only issues warrants. Warrants are free passes available to Government Servants. They do not sell tickets to the public. As these are the most prominent counters and no others are visible from that place (there should be an arrow pointing to the other counters at least), it is possible to waste time standing in the wrong queue.
Lesson No.1: avoid the set of counters that says "warrants only". After reaching the head of the queue I was informed that I should move to another set of counters that were on the other side.
The queue there was even longer and one needs to be quite firm to maintain ones place. The concept of personal space does not exist so don't stand too far back from the person in front, people will just step in front of you; naturally this also means plenty of poking and shoving from behind.
Once I had got my tickets I went over to the platform. The train pulled up on time and there seemed to be a lot of people in it. I though people would get off, but no one did.
Lesson No.2 - get on the train at the starting point (in this case, Maradana) if you want a seat.
I scrambled into carriage that looked less crowded, but there were no seats. I looked across at the other carriages, they seemed worse so I decided to stay put. I was comforted by the fact that there seemed to be little heavy baggage; I guessed most people were on short journeys and once someone got off at Panadura or Kalutara I would get a seat.
Imagine therefore my growing horror as more people boarded at Dehiwala, still more at Mount Lavinia and even more at Moratuwa. After we past Kalutara with no one getting off I had given up any hope of getting a seat. In a compartment with 28 seats I counted 20 people standing in the aisle or perched on the arm rests of seats. There were several families with small children and babes in arms. There seemed to be an unspoken arrangement whereby children who were in the aisles were slowly herded with families who had seats, the children sharing seats, sitting on armrests or standing in between the rows of seats.
Into this overcrowded carriage followed a procession on vendors setting vadai, soft drinks and snacks, not to mention numerous beggars.
Mercifully, the morning was cool, there were fresh sea breezes blowing through the windows but as the windows are set fairly low, for standing passengers, no view. After a while I stopped worrying about the nuisances. People started getting off in stages from Ambalangoda onwards and my mood lightened considerably. The train was quick and ran on time, arriving at Galle at around 9.40am. Overall it was a tolerable journey but not fun. Had I got a seat I would have quite enjoyed it, but deprived of a view there was nothing positive to focus on.
The cost of the ticket was cheap Rs.180 for 2nd class, it would be acceptable value for a single person or a gang of youngsters but not recommended for families.
On the return journey I took the Expressway bus (a bus every 15 minutes) , it cost Rs.470 to Maharagama but I got a seat. The bus was comfortable and fast. I took an ordinary bus from Maharagama to get to Colombo, which was not crowded and cost only Rs.27. The total journey took me 2 hours including the ride on the 138 to Colombo. The bus was by far the better option of the two modes of transport.
Apart from the hassle of getting there and the somewhat damp weather I had a good holiday in Galle, one of the highlights of which was the discovery of a very nice restaurant called "Refresh" in Hikkaduwa-excellent ambiance, a great place for a drink on the beach, watching the sunset.
I was too lazy to drive and thought it would be a change to take the train instead. It is a fairly short journey and the ride could be fun.
The greatest difficulty with the train is obtaining proper information. Seat61 is one of the best sources of information. If you want to cross check anything try the Government information service number 0112-191919. They are helpful but their information is sometimes a bit dodgy (when I went to Haputale they told me that advance bookings for the observation carriage were possible 10 days ahead, but it turned out that they were open 14 days ahead and tickets were sold out when I went to book). You could also try calling the CGR directly ( I got the numbers from the Government Information Service and did that, just to make sure). Anyway by a process of triangulation, it is possible to get a fair idea.
I wanted to take the morning train (at 6.50am) but my brother warned me that I should get to the station by around 6am, because the queues may be long. It was a good thing that I did because the queues were long and I stood in the wrong one.
There are two sets of ticket counters, one right at the centre of the station which only issues warrants. Warrants are free passes available to Government Servants. They do not sell tickets to the public. As these are the most prominent counters and no others are visible from that place (there should be an arrow pointing to the other counters at least), it is possible to waste time standing in the wrong queue.
Lesson No.1: avoid the set of counters that says "warrants only". After reaching the head of the queue I was informed that I should move to another set of counters that were on the other side.
The queue there was even longer and one needs to be quite firm to maintain ones place. The concept of personal space does not exist so don't stand too far back from the person in front, people will just step in front of you; naturally this also means plenty of poking and shoving from behind.
Once I had got my tickets I went over to the platform. The train pulled up on time and there seemed to be a lot of people in it. I though people would get off, but no one did.
Lesson No.2 - get on the train at the starting point (in this case, Maradana) if you want a seat.
I scrambled into carriage that looked less crowded, but there were no seats. I looked across at the other carriages, they seemed worse so I decided to stay put. I was comforted by the fact that there seemed to be little heavy baggage; I guessed most people were on short journeys and once someone got off at Panadura or Kalutara I would get a seat.
Imagine therefore my growing horror as more people boarded at Dehiwala, still more at Mount Lavinia and even more at Moratuwa. After we past Kalutara with no one getting off I had given up any hope of getting a seat. In a compartment with 28 seats I counted 20 people standing in the aisle or perched on the arm rests of seats. There were several families with small children and babes in arms. There seemed to be an unspoken arrangement whereby children who were in the aisles were slowly herded with families who had seats, the children sharing seats, sitting on armrests or standing in between the rows of seats.
Into this overcrowded carriage followed a procession on vendors setting vadai, soft drinks and snacks, not to mention numerous beggars.
Mercifully, the morning was cool, there were fresh sea breezes blowing through the windows but as the windows are set fairly low, for standing passengers, no view. After a while I stopped worrying about the nuisances. People started getting off in stages from Ambalangoda onwards and my mood lightened considerably. The train was quick and ran on time, arriving at Galle at around 9.40am. Overall it was a tolerable journey but not fun. Had I got a seat I would have quite enjoyed it, but deprived of a view there was nothing positive to focus on.
The cost of the ticket was cheap Rs.180 for 2nd class, it would be acceptable value for a single person or a gang of youngsters but not recommended for families.
On the return journey I took the Expressway bus (a bus every 15 minutes) , it cost Rs.470 to Maharagama but I got a seat. The bus was comfortable and fast. I took an ordinary bus from Maharagama to get to Colombo, which was not crowded and cost only Rs.27. The total journey took me 2 hours including the ride on the 138 to Colombo. The bus was by far the better option of the two modes of transport.
Apart from the hassle of getting there and the somewhat damp weather I had a good holiday in Galle, one of the highlights of which was the discovery of a very nice restaurant called "Refresh" in Hikkaduwa-excellent ambiance, a great place for a drink on the beach, watching the sunset.
Monday, October 22, 2012
Apples, Apricots and other fruity computers
Apple is now the most valuable company in history. It is a bit hard to imagine, Apple was in deep decline by 1997 when Steve Jobs returned to the company he founded with Steve Wozniak. Wozniak, now long forgotten by the public, was the engineer in the team, Jobs' contribution was mostly to marketing and design.
In 1997, it was Microsoft, the company spawned by IBM, the old giant in the field was in the ascendent, Apple seemed destined for permanent decline, following the path of Apricot, Acorn and others from that era.
The funny thing is that it is not computers that made Apple's name. Not many users of the Ipod or the Iphone would have even known what an Apple II looked like. Apple's success was to find a 21st century successor to the Sony Walkman.
Like the Ipod, the Walkman was the vision of its founder, Akio Morita and in its day, brought Sony as much fortune as the Ipod to Apple. Incidentally, Sony seems to have lost its way since the loss of its founder, people are beginning to wonder if Apple has now reached its zenith.
For those interested, there seem to be fans of retrocomputing who maintain museums of old computers. Those quirky machines were the toys of our time. The infinitely more powerful PC's we use today are little more than tools.
In 1997, it was Microsoft, the company spawned by IBM, the old giant in the field was in the ascendent, Apple seemed destined for permanent decline, following the path of Apricot, Acorn and others from that era.
The funny thing is that it is not computers that made Apple's name. Not many users of the Ipod or the Iphone would have even known what an Apple II looked like. Apple's success was to find a 21st century successor to the Sony Walkman.
Like the Ipod, the Walkman was the vision of its founder, Akio Morita and in its day, brought Sony as much fortune as the Ipod to Apple. Incidentally, Sony seems to have lost its way since the loss of its founder, people are beginning to wonder if Apple has now reached its zenith.
For those interested, there seem to be fans of retrocomputing who maintain museums of old computers. Those quirky machines were the toys of our time. The infinitely more powerful PC's we use today are little more than tools.
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