Ask the children

Pics by Rukshan Abeywansha

Child protection organizations are coming out of the woodworks these days. But do they really know what problems children really face? For that matter do parents or teachers know? Children are the best people to answer this question. ‘Children building bridges’ – a convergence of child representatives which shares aspirations and represent their plans for reconciliation, held an event at the BMICH recently. The event was a joint venture featuring Department of Probation and Child Care Services, Save the Children organization, European union and the Child Right Advocacy Network (CRAN).

There were at least two children from each district and more than 50 children between 16 to 18 years of age at the event. All of them were wearing the same costume and no one could identify the district they represented without reading the card they wore.The events in their agenda were programs in the children’s television channel ‘Lama lokaya’ (Children’s world). The first program lined up for its audience was a drama – ‘Our dream’. The message of the drama was simple, but strong. The script was highly sensitive that quite a few among the audience were brushing off tears. “They came up with the script themselves just the other day,” Save the Children International Senior Adviser Nilakshi Gunatillake said commenting on the drama.

The drama revolved around two children neglected by their mothers. They enacted how it hurts them to be neglected by their parents and how it affects their psychology when parents fight. Their objective, which was quite successfully achieved, was to show the importance of family values, harmony and bond between parents and children.

The next program was a talk show. They spoke about the issues children face and what they see as solutions for these issues. They pointed out the difficulties they face because of the language differences. “I can’t speak Tamil,” one of the speakers confessed. “I want to learn it. Now I understand that learning Tamil is the best tool to get closer to Tamil friends and communicate with them. If I cannot communicate with them, how will I ever understand them,” Gunatillake queried.  He suggested a Tri-lingual program to be introduced to school children as a solution for the issue he raised.

Another speaker mentioned the weaknesses in the current education and examination systems. “I think that competitive exams are not healthy for us. What society needs is an intellectual, not a scholar, I think this education system is not helping to provide what the country requires,” he pointed out. “O/L and A/L is just tiring the child. It doesn’t tell you how you should face life,” Gunatillake added. He also spoke about the deviation of the educational facilities in the country. “I come from a village. We do not have facilities equal to children in Colombo,” he reflected.

They are also conscious about tuition fees, which burden parents. “We have to spend a lot of money, to get proper knowledge on subjects. What is taught in school is not enough to face all these competitive examinations. So we have to get tuition,” another speaker added. “Some families have a very low income. It is really hard when they have to spend a bigger share for their child’s education. They do have other needs,” this person further said.  According to them, if the school can provide what they want, they could use that money on other important needs.

They also pointed out that it is important to introduce new programs and enhance the existing programs to build up leadership qualities in children. “Along with that they should be taught how to love the world and its people. That is how we can overcome violence,” one female representative stressed. “The child is the best creation of the universe. They are the future of the country,” she reiterated.

A dance item which was also created by the children added color to the event. It was a mixture of all dance traditions in Sri Lanka. The program helped them exhibit their talent. The program indicated that Sri Lanka
can hope for clever politicians, empathetic actors, versatile program presenters and talented dancers who will serve her one day.
Surprisingly these children were strangers to each other four days before the final program. “They were selected from district children’s societies. They become a family very soon,” said Gunatillake. “This is the first time ever we held a program like this. It was a great success and it is a motivation for the next level,” she added.

Department of Probation and Child Care Services Commissioner Yamuna Perera was also present at the event. Speaking to The Nation she admired the success of the program. “We are glad that we are a part of this. This will be the first step of a very long journey,” she said. “Their plan of action will be presented as a written document to the Child Development and Women’s Empowerment minister in the evening,” she revealed. The conclusion of the program was a bit of a shock. All the fifty children started hugging each other. All their eyes welled with tears. It was hard for them to leave their friends from the other end of the country. However holding back their tears, they delivered the final message of the program.‘Eka ratak, eka ammek, eka jaathiyak!!! Oreh naadu, oreh thaai, oreh dhesam!!! One country, One mother, One nation!!! We are Sri Lanka.’

Pics by Rukshan Abeywansha

 

Published on August 25, 2013 in The Nation 

http://www.nation.lk/edition/fine/item/20356-building-bridges-with-children%E2%80%99s-visions.html

‘I will be a lyricist to the end’ ~ Saman Chandranath Weerasinghe

Pics by Chandana Wijesinghe

Many critics and scholars are of the view that songs of the new generation are contemptible and meaningless. Melody has been replaced by loud and spiritless music, they say.  Some even predict the complete downfall of the music industry. But there is this one man who sees things differently. “We cannot say that there are no good songs or good song writers. There are some who are better than those of the older generation. Some are worse. Everyone begins as amateurs, after all. It is the media’s responsibility to choose what should be broadcasted. If you say you hear bad quality songs, it is the weakness of that channel.  That’s what Saman Chandranath Weerasinghe has to say about the issue.

Saman Chandranath Weerasinghe is a man of many talents. He is not only a lyricist, but also an experienced senior journalist.  He started his career as a journalist while still in school, due to the influence of his father Wimal Weerasinghe who was also a renowned journalist and a newspaper editor. “Once I wrote a short story about a depressed young boy who was sad because someone stole bittergourd from his garden. It ended in a suicide. My father told me not to write negatively. It is true that my father pushed me into journalism but he always pointed out faults, even when I when I was working for him” he added.

His lyrics have stood the test of time. Even as people remember and appreciate the older lyrics he comes up with new ones for younger artists. H R Jothipala, Punsiri Soyza, Latha Walpola, Gunadasa Kapuge, T M Jayarathna, Vijaya Kumarathunge, Victor Ratnayake, and Sunil Edirisinghe to Madumadawa Aravinda, Samitha Mudunkotuwa, Chamika Sirimanna, Nilupuli Dilhara and Nalinda Ranasinghe make a wide spectrum of singers, after all. He was recently honored with the State Literary Award for the Best Lyrics Collection for his second lyrics book ‘Sanduni’.

According to him, a good song is a combination of a good lyricist, a talented composer and a suitable voice: ‘A proper combination creates a proper output. There are voices which are suitable for specific types of songs.  Not all voices are made to sing love songs, and not all devotional songs. Anyone can love, anyone can have romantic thoughts but if a love song isn’t sung by a romantic voice it will be like monitor lizard’s skin, very rough.’He denied that song writers become framed when they have to write to a given tune. “A song writer should be capable of writing a song for a tune and a composer must be capable of creating a tune to a written song. If you say a lyricist is constrained when they write to a composed tune, then you must say a composer is constrained when he creates a tune for a lyric,” he explained.

For him a song is not just a piece of literature but something which goes far beyond than that: ‘A song has a literary aspect. But it is an art that goes beyond. If you read the lyrics it is literature. When you listen it is not. You cannot get the complete feeling when you read out loud the lyrics of a song. There has to be the music and the singer’s voice to get the complete feeling. Lyrics should have flow. You can also “sing” a news story in a rhythmic manner, but that won’t be a song.’

Like many lyricists, he didn’t have positive things to say about royalties. ‘Sirasa makes the royalty payments in an organized way. All the others make symbolic payments. This was one of the main reasons of establishing the Outstanding Song Creator’s Association (OSCA) Sri Lanka. Measures to charge a royalty fee on the commercial use of local artists’ creations was implemented under the Intellectual Property Act of Sri Lanka. But there are loopholes in the law,’ he lamented.

He is also very critical about certain programs: ‘There are some children’s reality shows where kids perform songs that are not suitable for their age. It destroys their childhood.’He said that the journalist within him is ready to retire. “I did new things to the field, introduced guidelines, got fired, left newspapers, rejoined and left again. Once I got fired from a newspaper where the cause of termination was ‘terminated’. Now that enthusiasm is gone. I don’t find the same freedom in the media now,” he lamented.

“Earlier newspapers were editor based, now its owner based.  Politics rules. I have to maintain my individuality, so I will say good bye to journalism.’ “It is measured according to his work. A person cannot be taught to write songs. He could be taught to read, write or to sing, but not to write songs. Do what you do. At some point you will understand that you are an expert” he advised the new generation of lyric writers in conclusion.

http://www.nation.lk/edition/fine/item/11613-%E2%80%98i-will-be-a-lyricist-to-the-end%E2%80%99.html?iframe=true&width=90%&height=90%

Tamil monk walks for peace

Pic by Rukshan Abeywansha

 

Buddhist philosophy was a gift from India to us. Patronized by the Indian emperor, King Asoka, philosophy of the Buddha was brought to Sri Lanka and successfully spread throughout the country. After two millenniums another agent from India has come to Sri Lanka aiming to spread Buddhism in the war affected areas. “Many Tamils in Sri Lanka follow Hinduism, Christianity, and Islam. But Tamil Buddhists are rare. That is because there are no Tamil monks who can share the philosophy with them,” Nanda Charia Thera pointed out. “Only a Tamil monk can teach the Tamils to walk along the Buddha’s path. But where are Tamil monks in Sri Lanka to show them the road?” he questioned.

Nanda Charia Thera was born in 1952 in Tamil Nadu in a village called Paramakudi. His grandfather was a businessman in Burma, so his family had lands and property in Burma and also in Tamil Nadu. “My Father was an atheist. He had met E.V. Periyar Ramasamy in 1950 and his influence was the beginning of all the changes,” Nanda Charia Thera said. Erode Venkata Ramasamy, called as as Periyar, Thanthai Periyar or E. V. R. by his followers is the founder of the Dravidian Movement and proposed the creation of an independent state called Dravida Nadu. Nanda Charia Thera’s father was influenced by the teachings of Periyar and Dr. Ambethkar and became a follower of Buddhism. Dr Ambethkar propagated that Buddhist Philosophy will give inner peace for mankind. This touched the heart of Nanda Charia Thera’s father and he encouraged young Nanda Charia to become a Samanera Buddhist monk. Following his advice he became a Samanera monk in 1962. He currently resides at a temple in Los Angeles, USA.

Nanda Charia Thera had opportunity to visit Sri Lanka with his teacher when he was very young as his teacher had a good connection with the Burmese temple Makutaramaya in Maligakanda. “I followed the Nayaka Hamuduruwo everywhere. Once I met former United Nations General Secretary U Thant who appreciated the environment of Sri Lanka. “He said: “Sri Lanka is like Nirvana and that it was very beautiful and peaceful.” Nanda Charia Thera recalled, “I agreed with him, but when I returned to Lanka in 1981 everything had changed. War had started and the country was not as peaceful as it was,” he added.

When he was very young, Nanda Charia Thera had the opportunity to study in Varanasi, India with many Sri Lankan monks. At the time he met Ven. Hettimulle Vajirabuddhi Thera, who later became a board member of Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation.  Hettimulle Vajirabuddhi Thera even invited him to meet then President, J.R. Jayewardene. “He was surprised to see a Tamil Buddhist monk and asked me what he can do to satisfy the Tamil community,” he said. By that time Nanda Charia Thera had visited Jaffna, Mullaitivu and Vadamarachchi and had an idea of the Tamil people in the war areas. “I asked him to withdraw the Army from the places where people live. They were scared of the military. I also told him that they are scared of the Indian Army coming to Sri Lanka,” he said. “The response was not clear, so I returned,” he continued.

He had revisited Sri Lanka during President R. Premadasa’s time. Wanting to visit the orphaned children he asked permission from the then government to visit the war zone. His request was rejected at once due to security issues. “I knew Madivadani, Prabhakaran’s wife from the time I was studying in India. I was finally able to get a permission letter from Defence Minister Ranjan Wijeratne after convincing them that I would be safe,” he said. During that visit Nanda Charia Thera visited many orphaned children and people in war affected areas. “I was also able to meet the LTTE leaders including Prabhakaran during the ceasefire. What they asked for was equality,” he mentioned.  Nanda Charia Thera returned to America as the government’s answers were unclear this time also and did not visit Sri Lanka again until his recent visit. “With a gun you can win anything. But why couldn’t we go along Gandhi’s path?” he expressed.
Nanda Charia Thera said that unity among Buddhists, Hindus, Muslims and Christians is the only way to bring a lasting solution to the ethnic problem. “I believe the current President, Mahinda Rajapaksa is able to do this. He can treat both Sinhala and Tamil equally,” he said while thanking the President for ending the war and bringing peace to the country. “People are free to walk anywhere now and it is nice,” he continued.

Therefore, with the blessings of government and the opposition parties Nanda Charia Thera wants to lead a seven-day peace walk from Colombo to Jaffna.  The aim of his recent visit to Sri Lanka was to discuss the proposed peace walk to the North with the authorities. “I want to walk from village to village and talk to poor people and identify what they need. I want to take Buddhism to the North and build Buddhist Cultural centers in the Northern areas,” he said hopefully. “All the religions teach people to do good and behave well. I would not encourage any religious conversions,” he assured. He also said that he is always ready to volunteer helping the Buddhists in Sri Lanka. “I am always ready to help. I don’t want anything in return,” he stressed.

He further said that all the ethnic problems would be solved when good facilities are provided equally for everyone. “They all should be given free education, food and entertainment. Their hearts and brains must be well fed. A lasting peace will only be there when they all are connected heart to heart,” he noted.

Published on Sunday, 06 January 2013 in The Nation

Link : http://www.nation.lk/edition/fine/item/14228-tamil-monk-walks-for-peace.html

Tender call from canteen workers

 

Pics by  Chandana Wijesinghe and Ravindra Dharmathilake

Patrons choke as the cafeteria business suffers sans standard regulations

Two men were putting up a large mesh covering the back entrance and the hall, equipped with firewood cookers. “This is for the troublesome crows. They try to snatch food while we cook,” one of the men explained. The hall, quite dark and foul smelling, had a cement floor, and was dusty and cracked. Some withered vegetables, apparently days old, lay on a concrete slab in a corner. Kneaded Rotti dough sat in a fly-infested corner waiting to be used.

Such was the condition of one of Colombo University canteens, where thousands of students buy food daily. It didn’t look as bad or unclean from the hall where students dined. In fact it was different from the scene behind the cashier. A representative from the All Island Association of Canteens, Asela Sampath explained to The Nation about their woes.

According to him most canteens in government institutions are in a dilapidated state due to the lack of regulations in the system as a whole. “Ministries are recruiting canteen staff on Tender Basis. Parties are not considered for experience, quality of work or number of employees. It is where the problem begins,” said Sampath. He informed that the All Island Association of Canteens was formed with the intention of coordinating with authorities to solve these problems.
When applying for a school or university canteen, a canteen owner must place a bid where the minimum amount per customer is 15 cents. The canteen has to make a monthly payment to the relevant institute, proportionate to the number of students. Sampath informed that some canteens pay over Rs 600,000 to schools, monthly. Some times they place their bid below the minimum limit so they can get the contract, not knowing it would get them into trouble,” Sampath explained.

One of the employees of the Colombo University canteen, apparently one with a certain amount of authority, was preparing lunch packets while also busying himself shouting commands at others. He was serving rice onto a lunch sheet on a plastic plate. Once he finished serving rice onto all the plates he left the plates uncovered. He returned after few minutes and added some curries onto the plates and went missing again. He returned with a pot full of eggs and started cutting them in half. He used his bare palm as the cutting board and ungracefully dumped the halves in different plates.

“That is the way he prepares lunch packets everyday. He takes his own sweet time, without any worrying about the dust or flies,” Sampath complained. “There are some places much worse than this, dirty and rodent infested. You wouldn’t even think of going near a canteen in a government institution if you saw one of those kitchens,” he lamented. “Cleanliness of the kitchen and food hygiene should always be maintained. All this could be solved if there was a designated responsible authority,” he added as  an afterthought.

Colombo National Hospital, Out Patient Department Canteen seemed to be in much better condition. There was enough lighting and cleanliness was maintained, except that pieces of food were strewn about on the floor. A boy shuffled from table to table cleaning them as customers left. It was extremely crowded and the heat was unbearable. “It should be better ventilated and the ceiling should ideally be higher. According to canteen standards, there must be a gap of at least 10 feet between floor and ceiling,” Sampath pointed out.

One of the visitors who came to see a patient, a middle-aged woman, was having lunch at a table near the entrance. She had to wipe off the sweat from time to time while she was having lunch. When asked about the condition of the canteen, she confessed that food hygiene and taste never crossed her mind as she was worried about the patient. “I think everyone here is like that. I have actually never thought of how the food was being made,” she said.
Heading to a well-known Boy’s school in Colombo, Asela Sampath drew our attention to the consumption of bakery products in local schools. “Most children settle for a Chinese roll or a fish bun as breakfast. What nutrition can you get from a fish bun?” he questioned.

The canteen of this particular school purchases all the food items from a bakery in the area. One of the employees of this school canteen, 70-year-old Ariyawimala, said that he has been running school canteens for over two decades. According to him students are not eager to buy anything other than bakery products and flavored sweets. “We have tried to sell boiled Chick peas, Cowpea and green gram. But children aren’t interested in buying them and they find it easy to buy a bun or a small snack since they can have it on the go,” he confessed. “They cannot sneak into the lunch box, when the teacher is in the classroom, if they have Kadala or Mungata.” he laughed.

“Getting students used to local food is the best thing we can do for them. We cannot do that alone, we need help. A glass of fresh milk or Kola Kanda would make a huge difference,” said Sampath. “Why would anyone want to make students consume artificial flavors and colors, when we have the best food in the region?” he lamented. He reiterated that highly nutritious local food varieties are being neglected. “Why can’t we promote local fruits, sweets and rice based snacks such as Aggala or Lavaria in schools? It will also help the local farmers instead of American traders,” he pointed out.

He also pointed out that it is not easy for canteen owners and employees to maintain canteens since they are not given any concessions. “We don’t have a pension, so we won’t be able to make a living when we grow old. Our jobs are not stable. We only get to run a canteen on a tender basis, so it is temporary. We cannot even apply for a bank loan,” he sighed. “Yet the relevant government institution which we run the canteen for earns considerable profit from the canteens,” he added.“All these issues can be solved if there is a regulatory body. Authorities should not disregard this matter as a minor problem,” he reiterated.


Published on September 16, 2012 in The Nation newspaper
Link: http://www.nation.lk/edition/fine/item/10382-tender-call-from-canteen-workers.html

Traffic wardens, an endangered species

 

  Pics by Chandana Wijesinghe

 

Are private parking lots threatening their existence?
Lalitha asked us to wait for a moment and hurried back to the parking lot. Issuing a parking ticket to a three-wheeler, she pointed at us and said something to the driver, smiling. The  driver put his head out of the three-wheeler and spoke laughing out loud. “She never issues us tickets, she just pockets the money,” he was teasing her. “This is the first time Lalitha Akka ever issued a ticket to us.” She issued his parking ticket, collected money from him and returned to talk with the journos from The Nation.

“See, I told you. I have been here on this road for over a decade now. Regular customers of these shops know me very well now,” said Lalitha Perera, one of the traffic wardens issuing parking tickets at Prince Street, Pettah. This dark tall woman in her late fifties, dressed in dark green uniform with a pleasant look sounded very friendly despite the fact that we were distracting her from her job. She managed to find time to speak to us while running here and there to issue tickets.

“I have this job thanks to Premadasa Mahaththaya. I was 28 when I got the job and my husbands earnings weren’t enough to run my family of four. I have three children, all married now,” she said. Lalitha had joined the Colombo Municipal Council in 1981.

CMC Traffic Director Nihal Wickramarathna revealed that CMC started recruiting Traffic Wardens in 1978. “They were recruited at a commission-based salary structure. CMC paid them 1/3 of each warden’s daily income at that time,” he said. Traffic wardens were incorporated into the permanent cadre in 1988 with a monthly salary scheme and a pension when they retire. “Now a traffic warden receives around Rs.20,000 per month with a basic salary of Rs.14,000,” Wickramarathna said.

K P Padmawathie, who works in Vauxhall Street in front of the Aitken Spence towers, said that she finds her salary reasonable. “I have been working as a traffic warden since 1988. I can manage with my salary and I know I will receive a pension when I retire. That is something,” she said. “It would be better if we get more,” she smiled.

Traffic Wardens’ office officer-in-charge N M Wijeratne was more concerned about the issues wardens face. He showed his displeasure about private parking lots mushrooming in Colombo City. “We charge only Rs.10 from a vehicle an hour. Heavy vehicles are charged Rs.20 an hour. Some private parks charge Rs.30 for an hour, while others charge Rs.40 for the first hour and Rs.50 for each additional hour,” he said. “Some people complain that some charge over Rs.400 from vehicle owners for parking vehicles for just eight hours,” he added.

At the beginning there had been nearly 300 traffic wardens, recruited by the CMC. “There are only 93 wardens currently on duty. This new trend of hading over parking lots for private management has restricted recruiting new wardens, Wickramarathna pointed out.

In fact, all of the Traffic Wardens shunned the concept of private parking lots unanimously. “I only have five more months to retire. I’ll be safe. But my worries are about my co-workers. Their jobs will be in jeopardy if the private sector gets all of this,” she said pointing at the parking lot. They pay very less and there won’t be a pension for them either,” said Lalitha, thoughtfully.

Traffic Wardens’ office Administrative Officer Y K Withana drew our attention to the problems Wardens face when they perform their duties. “Some motorists refuse to pay for the ticket. If a warden forces him to pay, they would get angry and even pick up fights. There are plenty of times where we have to seek police assistance.”

A shop owner in Prince Street, Mustafa appreciated the job traffic wardens are doing helping them. “Most of them are very friendly and helpful. Or else our customers would have had to face a lot of problems. Being in this place for so long they always have a hunch about motorists,” he said.
Our chatty tour guide, Geetha, also a traffic warden at CMC had taken up the job at the age of 18. She joined us from the Traffic wardens’ office in T B Jayah Mawatha and helped us in introducing fellow traffic wardens.

On our way to Pettah Geetha also revealed some of the troubles she had faced. “Most of the government vehicles refuse to pay for parking. They try to escape from it by flashing the state sign on their vehicles,” she lamented. “Sometimes the shop owners also seek relief. We can’t force them because we need to seek their help also sometimes,” she admitted.

She also mentioned the accidents they face during their work hours. Chandrani, a traffic warden in Maradana, had met with an accident while an old woman was reversing her car out of a parking lot. Chandrani had died from that at the age of 48 after suffering for three months at the hospital.
Finally, we met Rita in a parking lot in Pettah. She had been a Traffic Warden for over 25 years. “Most of the shop owners are very kind to us. They let us use their washroom and provide us accommodation during lunch.” She was busy issuing tickets in spite of heavy showers.

Speaking about their troubles she pointed out a common issue which others hesitated to speak out about. “Some people tend to look down on us since we are on the road each day, being women. But this is a job they should respect just as any other government job,” she said. “I can’t say that all of us are pure as gold. But we must know how to keep out of trouble. It all depends on us,” she added.
 

Gays ready to remove their ‘masks’

Homosexuals are comfortable with their sexuality, but still seek immunity against social stigma
Gone are the days when sexuality was taboo. In fact even homosexuality is no longer unaccepted and seen as offensive. It has now transformed from taboo to established organizations where homosexuals speak of their rights claiming equality for their community.
“We are just as human as everybody else, therefore our rights should not be any different from others”, Gay Rights Activist, Rossana Flamer-Caldera claimed. Rossana is also the Executive Director of the Equal Ground, nonprofit organization seeking human and political rights for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Intersex and Questioning (LGBTIQ) community of Sri Lanka.

Since the nature of social attitude rejects homosexual orientation and considers it as an abnormal situation most of the homosexuals refrain from revealing their real sexual orientation. “They have been made to feel ashamed of themselves, which is not good for their mental health,” Flamer-Caldera said. “I’d rather die than hide in a closet,” she added.She further claimed that it is not fair to marginalize homosexuals from heterosexuals. “Homosexuals aren’t any different from other. We crave for same things others crave for. All mundane things,” she said.  

She said that homosexuals should also be treated equally as others when speaking about marriages too. “Homosexuals also should have a right to get married as all human beings should be treated in an equal way. If a Tamil person gets married  a Sinhalese should also have a right to get married. Likewise there shouldn’t be any difference to the homosexual community” she said.

Koluu, a name which comes along when speaking of homosexuals in Sri Lanka, who is also a renown chef who admits he is gay openly in public. He claims all should live harmoniously despite each others sexual preferences. “We live a very short life. Why live your life how others prefer?” he said. “One’s sexual preferences should not affect his other activities,” he added.
Koluu further said that there is a social pressure against homosexuals in Sri Lanka and that he is aware that some of the gays have to face discrimination, blackmail and abuse.

Speaking on the same issue Flamer-Caldera pointed out that discrimination, blackmail and abuse on homosexuals happens mostly because there are aren’t any laws protecting the homosexual community. “Existing panel code is lack of protective measures. There should be more powerful laws protecting LGBT, and also women and children,” she added.

Flamer-Caldera also pointed out that the homosexual community in Sri Lanka faces all forms of discrimination, marginalization and experience violence; inevitably since there are no laws protecting the community against these acts. “Lots of people get away just because the victim has no where to complain. Most of them are afraid to seek help of a law enforcement officers fearing further abuse,” she lamented.
According to Flamer-Caldera Gay and Lesbian community in Sri Lanka are criminalized under penal code 365a. “Laws should be amended where homosexuality will be decriminalized, where women and children are protected,” she said.

Researchers now focus on biological explanations regarding homosexual orientation. According to them it is caused by genetic factors and hormonal influences. “Big turning point was when the American Psychiatric Association (AMA) removed homosexuality from the mental disorders list. It has been proven now that homosexuality depends on genetics and hormones”, Psychologist Dr. Marcus de Roos said speaking to The Nation. Dr. de Roos who migrated to Sri Lanka from Netherlands has practiced psychology in Sri Lanka for more than 3 years now. AMA removed homosexuality from the list of Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders in 1973.

Dr. de Roos said that he has been asked many times by clients whether there are any cures for the homosexuality. “It is not an illness or a disease which could be treated with a pill” he explained. “They are born with it, it cannot be changed”, he added.
He also said that his clients speaking to him regarding homosexuality wanted to stay anonymous and the information to be confidential as they think that it is shameful or immoral to be a gay or a lesbian. “In Sri Lanka there is a serious issue on the homosexuality since there is a big taboo against it. This might lead them to depression,” de Roos stressed. “People have to accept them as they are. It is normal”, he stressed.

All religions in Sri Lanka have generally perceived that homosexual behavior is a sinful act. Ven. Mawarale Baddhiya said that there are no explicit rules for lay persons prohibiting homosexual behavior in Buddhism, but since homosexuality is against the social standards it is considered as a sexual misconduct. “Buddhism is generally determined by considerations of social standards. Homosexuality cannot be categorized in that. As Buddhists vow not to engage in sexual misconduct, this is not accepted in the Buddhist culture,” Ven. Baddiya said. “Buddhist monks should live lives of celibacy, meaning abstinence from any type of sex, no difference from homosexual orientation. Ven. Baddiya added.

Ven. Baddiya stressed that Buddhism doesn’t encourage homosexual orientation. “Buddhism looks at them with sympathy that they are born with it. Buddhism helps them to leave ‘Kama raaga’ ”.
Meanwhile Father Benedict Joseph said that homosexuality is not accepted in Christianity. “Sexual relationship between husband and wife is considered holy.  When god created man, a help mate was also created that therefore all his necessities and emotions would be met. It was the foundation of family life.  Man and woman come together; it is also the normal animal life. When they union with each other, it is the supreme bliss. Today what we see is aversions in the society,” Fr. Joseph said.

Father Joseph further said that this is also a break down of ethics and religion. “We do what we can do to influence people in the right way”.
International Hindu Federation, Secretary, Brahma Sri Ramachandran Kurukkal Babu Sharma said that homosexuality is not accepted by the Hindus that it is completely against the Hindu Traditions. “Man gets energy to carry to perform his tasks from his woman. We worship Siva and Parvathi who are husband and wife.  A man should get married to a woman and lead a family life or else he should remain a bachelor. Otherwise it is not allowed,” he said.

 According to the Islamic views, they see homosexuals or acts committed of this nature as challenging God’s creation and hence considered a revolt against God. “The Quran affirms: do you approach the males of humanity, leaving the wives Allah has created for you? But you are a people who transgress”, a member of the All Ceylon Jamiyyathul Ulama said.

“The Quran makes it clear about homosexuality insisting that there is no tolerance towards it or to debate the context. It considers the same-sex acts to be sinful, and unnatural. The wrong doers will be punished. Whoever you find committing the sin of the people of Lut, kill them, both the one who does it and the one to whom it is done, a Hadith says,” he added.

 

Published in The Nation on Sunday, 23 September 2012 
http://www.nation.lk/edition/fine/item/10654-gays-ready-to-remove-their-%E2%80%98masks%E2%80%99.html 

Fishing in troubled waters

Pics by Rukshan Abeywansha

Sri Lanka Divers Society’s plea to save coastal environment
There is nothing quite like watching fish wiggle in water. Although keeping ornamental fish may seem pitiful, ornamental fishing is one of the major sources of income for divers. The extent of the Sri Lankan Territorial Sea is reported to be 21,500 sq. km. A multitude of tropical fish, magnificently colorful coral reefs and fascinating ship wrecks, hidden in the waters of the great blue ocean can be explored at several locations off the coasts. This has been one of the major reasons that make Sri Lanka a major tourist attraction. But unlike the tourists who visit Sri Lanka in search of great diving spots these ‘ornamental fish divers’ dive, day in and day out, to make a living.
According to these divers ornamental fishing is the fifth largest income earner for the country. Yet they claim that the government has not paid heed to their woes. “We are doing a very risky job,” Nihal, a professional diver who was getting ready to go out to sea for skin-diving (snorkeling) said. Nihal is one of the members of the Sri Lanka Divers Society in Dehiwala. Members of the society gather in their small hut facing the sea almost every day, early in the morning.
When the divers are confident that the weather is safe to dive they prepare their equipment. Fishing nets, gun (a tool which they use to catch large fish beneath the sea), plastic bags (to collect fish), oxygen tanks and few buckets (to bring back the fish) comprise their equipment. When the equipment is ready and when the diver is in his suit they set off. Rumantha, Nihal’s brother-in-law, was also ready to go scuba diving. His helper, Jayantha and a few others helped them push their boat off the shore.
Almost all the divers, except the helpers and guides who have retired, had toned bodies with abs (Abdominal muscles) straight out of a fitness magazine. Once the boat was pushed a few feet, Rumantha and Jayantha jumped into the boat. Jayantha waited for a big wave to start the engine which was previously checked for malfunctions. The boat eased off the shore. They prepared to anchor at the nearest reef. “Wind is a bit high today, so we are not planning to go any further,” Rumantha said while helping Jayantha to anchor. “There are days where we cannot sail at all because of bad (troublesome) weather. We can’t earn anything those days,” he managed to explain while throwing the anchor. It was noticeable that Rumantha and Jayantha were always at the opposite sides of the boat. “The balance of the boat is the most important thing if you don’t want the boat to capsize,” Jayantha explained.
Then the time came for Rumantha to dive. As he was already in his suit, the tight black swim suit, fins, gloves, oxygen mask, the regulator (that indicated the oxygen level of the tank) and the oxygen tank. He had the plastic bags strapped to his belt with fishing nets in one hand. Pressing the oxygen mask in the other hand against his face he dived into the deep sea. “I can trail him with the oxygen bubbles. Sometimes he dives down to 45 feet,” Jayantha said pointing at the air bubbles. The boat bobbed up and down with the waves.
“We dive only six months of the year. Diving season in this area is from October to March or April. It differs with the weather. When we can’t dive here we go to the East coast. There are some divers who go to the Maldives, Australia or Middle East countries during off season,” Jayantha said lighting a cigarette in the middle of the sea. There were four more oxygen tanks in the boat. Jayantha explained that the time it took to exhaust an oxygen tank differed from 20 to 60 minutes according to the depth of the diver. “He can see the oxygen level from the regulator in his hand. He knows when he should come up,” Jayantha said.
About 40 minutes later, Rumantha was ready to come up with the fish he collected. Jayantha started the engine again and followed the air bubbles to track him. Rumantha, still in the water, handed over the bags filled with fish to Jayantha. He then boarded the boat and removed the masks and the oxygen tank. Once the oxygen tank was replaced, he was ready for the second round.
After repeating the process four or five times, they were ready to return home. Once the boat reached the shore, the boys there came to help them pull the boat ashore. They carried the buckets filled with beautiful multicolored fish to the collectors. “There are several places collecting fish nearby. We sell our fish and they will sell them to the big companies that export them. We know that the big companies pay them a lot. But we don’t get much for the fish. Maximum for a fish is about Rs 400. Intermediates are the ones who earn the most from this,” lamented another diver who was resting at the hut after a dive.
All the divers gather at this hut after they return from sea. They share their experiences of the day, play a game of Carom and have cup of tea before they return home. Unity among the society provides the strength their challenging and often dangerous job requires. Sri Lanka Divers Society is a society registered under the Corporative Act with over 200 members.
President of the society, S.A Mahinda Silva spoke to The Nation about the challenges they face. “We have minimum job security. Only we know the dangers and risks of diving.”
According to them, the sudden loss of oxygen is probably the biggest threat. A diver’s oxygen tank can suddenly lose pressure, get damaged or even get lost. If that happens the diver must immediately resurface, or he is in danger of drowning. “Some times the helpers loose track of the diver.” Quite recently they had lost track of a diver. “Six boats went in search of him immediately after his boat informed us. Fortunately he was found near the Mount Lavonia Hotel. He had swum more than 11 nautical miles to get there. There were hundreds of people gathered at the shore to welcome him,” Mahinda recalled.
Another danger that divers face on a daily basis is the bends disease (Decompression Disease). Submerging or surfacing too rapidly can create bubbles in the tissues. This can wreak havoc in the circulatory system. The bends can be deadly if they are not properly tended to immediately. “There isn’t any medicine for bends in our hospitals. Some hospitals haven’t even heard of this disease,” Nihal drew our attention to Somasiri. Somasiri’s left leg has been paralyzed due to bends. R M S Somasiri, who started diving when he was 18 has been suffering from bends disease since 2000. “There is treatment for this in the Trincomalee Navy camp. But it is very hard for us to get,” he lamented.
They also complained about the coastal and sea pollution which has become a major threat to fish breeding areas. “There are few places where drainage water is released to the sea without proper standards. Plastic and polythene are destroying the coral reefs, also the water coming from the rivers,” another member of the society said. “The big foreign ships are another problem. The coral reefs get destroyed when they anchor.” Coral reefs in Buddigala, Guruwangala, Pitigala and Athangulpita are under the greatest threat according to them. They have informed National Aquatic Resources Research and Development Agency (NARA), asking them to clean the coastal areas. Yet they haven’t responded to any of their letters.
“We don’t have a proper insurance system. Even the pension scheme for the divers is not satisfactory.” They explained that they had to face trying times after the tsunami. “It destroyed everything. We were promised compensation and equipment at the time. But we never received them. I still have the coupon they issued saying that I will be receiving some equipment,” another member complained. “And we are not entitled to any of the government compensation as we are not from the rural society; they are forcing us to become part of the rural society. But we will have better unity and strength if we are an all island society,” he added.
According to them there is no responsible authority over them. “We don’t need any compensation. We don’t need a special designated day for the divers. We just need them to help us to secure our jobs and our families,” they claimed. If the government takes proper action, we can save this beautiful environment. If it is properly done we will be able to earn a lot from exporting ornamental fish and also from tourism. Please take immediate action to safeguard the coastal environment and also our jobs,” it was their final plea.

December 2, 2012
Link : http://www.nation.lk/edition/fine/item/13007-fishing-in-troubled-waters.html?tmpl=component&print=1