Archaeological sites in the East: Let use unite to preserve our heritage

We often see on TV and read newspaper reports of how the Police and Customs officers arrest drug peddlers and confiscate stocks of drugs. However there is no public awareness of what transpires thereafter. I personally believe the stocks are destroyed in front of their higher officers but the public may have different views.

Some time back we saw on TV how elephant tusks confiscated by the Customs Dept. were set on fire in front of a big audience.

Transparency is a key word

Latheef Farook writing to the Sunday Times of May 21 states that as part of Sinhalisation of Tamil Muslim lands, 86 places in the Eastern Province were declared as archaeological sites by a gazette notification issued in October 2014.

Historically, a larger part of the present- day Eastern Province falls within the Rohana division of the Tri Sinhale.There is evidence to say that even before the Christian era this region had been inhabited. Professor Paranavitana in his monumental work “Inscriptions of Ceylon Vol. 1,-Early Brahmi Inscriptions” identifies nearly 50 sites where over 150 early inscriptions have been found in the Eastern Province. These are only inscriptions. In addition there are the other historical monuments. With a cultural history going back to over 2000 years it is bound to have many more archaeological sites in the region. It is the bounden duty of the State to preserve them for the sake of the posterity which will include Sinhalese,Tamil as well as Muslim...

The Minister in charge of the subject has the right to declare archaeological monuments by a notice published in the Government Gazette in terms of sections 16,17,18 and 19 of the Antiquities Ordinance for the purposes of the said Ordinance.

We have seen how vandals in the past systematically destroyed our priceless antiquities. They are irreparable losses. So let us unite to preserve our heritage. It is not Sinhalisation. Via email used by these two departments, hence I strongly believe that the public has the right to know what transpires after these drugs are confiscated by the respective departments. Daya Perera Via email Have our ministers dropped from heaven to enjoy everything

the country has to offer? This month’s and last month’s allocation for MPs luxury vehi

cles was Rs. 1.2 billion Meethotamulla garbage dump killed 35 victims and damaged

29 houses Flood victims in Kolonnawa lost everything inclusive of

houses Muddy waters for villagers to drink and no roads to reach

their houses Ministers are supplied with air conditioners and hot and cold

water in their houses All this while thousands of unemployed graduates strike in

the blazing sun Their only demand to consider giving them a place in the sun

too Every five years duty free vehicles permits are sold for mil

lions Some even sport gold chains, Rolex watches worth millions Palatial bungalows, Ministry vehicles, subsidized meals in

Parliament, Free phone facilities, staff at their beck and call at home and

in Parliament. A vehicle at the bungalow for the Nona and even kussiamma

but only a few go to Parliament Are we living in an era like the pre - French Revolution where

the poor were asked to eat cake instead of bread? And Nero fiddled while Rome burnt? Ministers hold thamashas while the cost of living soars It’s time these ministers came down to earth and saw the true

picture of the situation. A.C.A. Ghafoor Dehiwala

According to a news report, the Road Development Authority is going to repaint pedestrian crossings to suit international norms. But before that they should look into the need for these crossings.

People tend to take the shortest way in crossing a road, unless pavements are barricaded to prevent jaywalking. Policemen and school prefects control traffic near schools during school days.

Once I saw traffic police on Christmas day waiting near a school outside the city to nab a motorist for overtaking at the crossing whereas they would have been doing a better service controlling traffic in the city.

Also on lonely stretches of road there are crossings which are never used.

The Road Development Authority (RDA) also should think of single lines in the centre of a road where in some places, the vision is clear and road is straight but the driver is prevented from overtaking even though the road is clear. D.R.A. Abeywickrema

Via email

Apropos Dr.Thenuwara’s query published in the Sunday Times of May 14, asking for advice on whom he should help with the Rs. 15,000 he had, I suggest that he donates the money to the Little Hearts Project of the Lady Ridgeway Hospital.

He will be following the Buddha’s saying, “Those who look after the sick look after me” which he quotes in his letter. Via email