President Mahinda Rajapaksa has acknowledged and appreciated the contribution made by Christianity in the sphere of education and moral upliftment in Sri Lankan society. Receiving the Prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship and Sacraments in the Vatican His Eminence Antonio Cardinal Canizares at Temple Trees on Friday the President said Christianity has made a major contribution to education and spiritual and moral enhancement of Sri Lankan Society during the last 500 years.

Few would contest this assertion by the President. Today Christian schools are the envy of most and stands tall in the country’s educational landscape. The reputation of some of these schools are such that most of our high ranking politicians have made these Christian schools the first option for their progeny despite professing a different faith.

There are definite reasons for this. One of them is the quality of education imparted in these schools. Missionary schools are known for their exact standards and strict regimentation that goes a long way towards moulding character and discipline. The long history of these schools, the legends associated with them and the many landmarks in the sphere of education and sports also make them the first preference for the majority of parents.

The contribution made by the early missionary schools towards developing the country’s education system, cannot be overemphasized. They were in the forefront of not only imparting a sound education but also instilling moral and ethical values in their charges which has left an indelible impression on society. Discipline and character formation is another virtue emphasized in missionary schools from their very inception. What is envisaged is a rounded development of the student so that he would be well equipped to be an asset to society once he leaves the portals of learning.

Such was the value attached to these institutions of learning in the past that some of our reputed Southern politicians of yore had their academic grounding in the well-known missionary schools in the North with commanded high standards. As already mentioned these schools not only provided a sound education but also moulded character and discipline preparing their charges to face society with confidence. It is significant here to note that it was the missionary schools that first introduced sports as an extra curricular activity - a feature that is synonymous with discipline and charter building.

Christian schools also had their unique characteristics that set them apart from other educational institutions, that were an integral part of their popularity. This quality was enhanced by the great educationists that presided over the destinies of these missionary schools. Names such as Rev Fr. Perter Pillai, Fr. Legoc, Fr. Mercelline Jayakody and Warden Stone readily come to mind. They not only played a major role in raising the standards of the missionary schools over which they presided but ventured out to contribute to the social and cultural life of the country too. One of them was the pioneer of the Wages Board and Shop and Office Act which provided much solace to the working class of this country while another was a household in the field of indigenous arts. The reputation built around them also made missionary schools a ready draw to parents of all religious denominations to secure a better future for their children.

These missionary schools did not always have it easy going and at times were buffeted by the winds of political and social changes. They had to face many challenges in the history of their existence including the Government take over of denominational schools, but came through these experiences unscathed, which speaks volumes for their resilience and character. Today the reputation of these Christian schools is such that parents clamour to get their children admitted to these institutions even at tremendous sacrifice. This is a tribute and acknowledgement of not only the quality of the education imparted at these institutions but also the unique grounding received by the student that would assure for him a bright future.

For today the reputation of these schools are such that they are in most instances the key to employment opportunities in the Mercantile sector which is another reason for the high demand for admission to these schools. Besides the old school tie is still a predominant factor in successful access to employment.

The admission of a large proportion of non-Christians to missionary schools have also contributed towards enhancing amity and concord among different religious groups and communities and fostered brotherhood that is vital for a country emerging from the trauma of division.

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The most stressful job in the world appears to be that of Sri Lanka's Opposition leader. Opposition and UNP leader Ranil Wickremesinghe is in the same predicament as a man who tries to keep frogs in a lidless container. His parliamentarians are jumping hither and thither much to his annoyance. He deserves an award for stomaching harassment, defeat and insult with equanimity and surviving all conspiracies, mutinies and coups which occur almost on a daily basis within his party. If dinosaurs had possessed one percent of his survival skills, they would still have been roaming this planet!

You may tolerate a crocodile's bite but not the pricks of kohila thorns, it is popularly said in this country. The UNP leader may be able to come to terms with what President Mahinda Rajapaksa is doing to him but he will be cursing the bankrupt Red Shirts who are lying spread-eagled but poking fun at him.

JVP General Secretary Tilvin Silva said on Friday if the UNP could ensure that all its MPs would vote against the government on Sept. 08, his party would ensure the defeat of the proposed 18th Amendment in Parliament! Silva reminds us of the legendary court jester, Andare, who undertook to physically carry a huge rock from the king's paddy land, enjoyed food and lodging at the royal palace for months in preparation for the task and finally asked the king to have the rock uprooted and placed on his shoulder for it to be taken elsewhere!

Have the Rathu Sahodarayas abandoned their revolutionary mission and taken to entertaining the public! If the UNP could make all UNF MPs vote against the government with the TNA and the JVP following suit, the 18-A would automatically fail. The problem is that the UNP cannot do so.

The Opposition has not clearly understood President Rajapaksa's strategy. What he really tries to achieve by doing away with Article 31 (2) and thereby removing the term-limit, in addition to strengthening his hand with the help of other amendments, is to prevent himself being looked upon as a president on his way out after his second swearing in next November. By keeping his rule open-ended, he wants to prevent the forces that propelled him to power and helped him achieve feats like defeating terrorism from gravitating towards another centre of power which would have emerged during his second term. This method has also helped him further unsettle, debilitate and divide the Opposition in a bid to ensure a trouble free second term.

We are in a situation where the wrong people are saying the right things about the 18th Amendment. The Opposition has put forth some valid arguments against the proposed constitutional reforms but unfortunately because it was rejected by the people at the last general election for the conduct of its leaders during the war, it lacks the numbers in Parliament to defeat the bill at issue on Wednesday. And for the same reason, what the UNP and the JVP say carries no weight and they cannot mobilise the people against the government at this juncture.

The only way the Opposition can turn the tables on President Rajapaksa is to sever its links with the forces considered anti-national and tap his support base which helps him with his electoral magic. However, that task cannot be accomplished in a hurry. The UNP and the JVP ought to stop bellowing empty rhetoric and work on their mistakes and regain lost ground. A strong Opposition is a sine qua non for a country's political wellbeing.

Andares are no match for a modern-day Machiavelli!

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Those who read our front page story headlined “Police look on as gang abducts arrestees and vehicles,” Saturday would no doubt have been aghast and astounded. Nay they would have entertained deep fears about their own safety and security upon the realization that our law enforcement officers are but a helpless and ineffective breed when it comes to a real showdown with gangsters and lawless elements roaming among the public.

According to our story, 17 suspects arrested by Police along with nine tractors for illegal sand mining in the Mahaweli river in Dunawilpitiya were rescued by another gang at the very spot of the arrest. The report says there were 20 policemen in the raiding team and they were all reduced to mere onlookers as the gang that was part of the sand mining mafia made their move to bail out their colleagues.

Surely, the police team would have been armed since they were on a raid. There is no mention if the gang were also armed. Even if it was, it is the bounden duty for the police to act. For, its main task for which it is paid by the public purse is to combat lawlessness. IGP Mahinda Balasuriya should hang his head in shame to be in charge of such a Police Department.

He should apologise to the public for this abject failure on the part of his men to overpower a gang of common criminals or was there a VIP among the gang who carried out the abductions that left the police team flatfooted?

This possibility cannot be ruled since most of the illegal sand mining operations are today carried with political protection. This has been highlighted in the national press time and again. The construction boom following the war has led to a massive demand for building materials including sand. As such, there is large scale illegal and mining being carried out with impunity. Many were the cases involving sand mining that came up before the Supreme Court recently. Still though it appears that the business is thriving, it causes serious environmental damage.

The Government should take firm action to put a halt to all illegal sand mining and bring to book all those involved irrespective of their position or political status. But if the police are going to act the way it did when it stood still while the illegal sand miners were rescued under their very nose by another gang, the situation is very bleak indeed. Mind you, this from a police department which displays uncanny efficiency in breaking up legitimate political and trade union protests and in whose custody suspects die mysteriously. Further it is same police which do not hesitate to shoot to death suspects who attempt to escape from their custody whether it be while fleeing or travelling in police vehicles.

How then can one explain last week’s scenario? Here was a 20 member police team, for all intents and purposes well armed and on the alert. How come they permitted not only the escape of the detainees but what is worse, meekly submit themselves to a gang of thugs who made off not only with their arrested colleagues but also the tractors that were taken into custody - without a shot being fired?

Did not these officers even make an attempt to stop them? This indeed will go down as one of the most humiliating episodes in the annals of the Police Department and a severe blotch to its copy book. A far cry from the gallant and daring deeds of the police officers of the past whose exploits are still spoken about notwithstanding the meagre arms and resources that were at their disposal.

IGP Mahinda Balasuriya should order an immediate probe into this shameful incident and bring to book those officers who failed in their duty to resist the gang. For such acts hardly inspire the public who expect the police to play the role as their protectors and guardian. Cowardice and inaction on the part of members of Police Force when it comes to dealing with unlawful elements should be roundly condemned. Such acts as that which occurred in Dunawilapitiya can only encourage and embolden other gangs to the cock a snook at the law with impunity. This needless to say would lead to anarchy for which the police will be held responsible.

One would have thought that the war experience would have hardened and motivated the Police Force more in their peace time duties. But judging from what took place, this is farther from the reality. Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa recently called the police force to revert to their previous role as a strictly law enforcement agency with the war now over. By this he meant to devote their time to protect the citizens not from terrorists any more but from gangs, marauders and unlawful elements in society.

Hopefully, the IGP will instill this edict into his men more vigorously after this shameful incident. If not, the public fear in the terrorists of the past would still manifest itself in a different from laying waste the efforts to achieve peace. The Police in its new peace time role has a huge role to play to allay fears of the public.What happened at Dunawilpitiya is not the right way to get about this task.

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The national milk production will receive a new boost while saving enormous sums spent on milk powder imports, National Livestock Development Board Deputy Chairman Lakshman Hulugalle said in an interview with the Daily News. Following are the excerpts of the interview.

Q: The National Livestock Development Board (NLDB) is the main Government Institution which stands for the livestock development sector in the country. What has NLDB planned to implement to increase the national milk production?

A: NLDB will double the daily fresh milk production within three months. The NLDB produces 9,000 litres of milk daily which equals to three percent of national daily milk consumption. The program has two phases as short term and long term initiatives. In line with short term milk production increasing program, daily milk production will increase to 15,000 litres within three months. Following discussions with Israel officials, Israel has expressed willingness to provide technology to Sri Lanka to double the daily milk production.

According to technology and methods available in Israel, a cow in Israel gives 40 litres of milk daily while a local cow gives eight to 10 litres per day. As there is a huge difference in production which has to be identified and solved. Israel will assist us to increase the eight to ten litre milk production to 18 to 20 litres per day using Israel methods and technology. According to them it is not an unachievable target.

Q: What are the long term objectives that have to be achieved by the NLDB to streamline the milk production in the country?.

A: Under the long term milk production increasing program, cows will be imported. Before importing cattle, climate, environment, available resources and other related factors will be duly considered. The NLDB theoretically and technically assists dairy farmers for issues related to dairy farming. The NLDB will encourage newcomers, especially youth who are interested in dairy farming.

They will be made aware that dairy farming can be developed as a profitable venture. As a result of discussions the NLDB had with several countries, some countries have consented to provide us free quality cattle. These cattle will be distributed free among people interested in entering dairy farming. After distributing the cattle, the NLDB will definitely monitor the cattle.

The NLDB will get the assistance of Security Forces to establish dairy farms in the North and the East. Hundreds of stray cattle in the North and the East will be entered into dairy farms which will be established in ideal places. It has been revealed that the owners of these stray cattle cannot be identified as most of them had left the area many years ago due to LTTE terrorism. These cattle are treated well in these farms managed by the NLDB.

As the final outcome, local milk production will increase and it will minimize the foreign exchange spent on importing milk powder.

Q: There is a scarcity of cattle in the the country that has become an obstacle to increase the milk production. Is that the main obstacle for increasing milk production?.

A: In a way it is correct and cattle scarcity affects the local milk production process. When importing, attention has to be drawn to identify the ideal varieties of cattle for Sri Lanka and from which country the cattle have to be imported. Attention has also to be drawn to breed local strains of cattle. Sri Lanka will have locally bred cattle which are suitable to the climate and other factors. Government owned farms can be utilized for dairy farming activities such as breeding.

Q: What are the new world trends in the dairy farming industry? In line with these trends what Sri Lanka’s position ?

A: The fresh milk production is increasing in the world context. Sri Lankan’s have to go with the tide as fresh milk is more nutritious. The National Livestock Development Board has introduced a one litre budget pack of fresh milk to induce more public to consume fresh milk. The budget pack with the brand name ‘Delite’ is available in 120 NLDB sales outlets now and it will be available in 200 Lak Sathosa outlets soon. Within a few days the budget pack will be available throughout the country.

The one litre pack is sold at Rs 99 while the other competitive brands are sold at around Rs 120. Even though no preservatives are added, the milk can be kept for six months without storing in a refrigerator.

However, once opened it has to be stored in a refrigerator. Milk in the pack is UHT (Ultra High Temperature processing) treated using state-of-art technology and packed in Tetra-pack package to preserve the wholesome goodness of milk with the highest quality and safety standards. Delite is a result of NLDB’s continuous effort to develop the local milk industry to serve the country and people better. The NLDB has initiated a program to issue a glass of fresh milk at Rs 20. The service will be available at NLDB sales outlets and authorized sales outlets soon. Considering the high demand for fresh milk, the NLDB will produce a small packet of fresh milk for individual use very soon.

Q: NLDB has considerable resources such as farms, sales outlets and distribution channels. Do you have planned to get the maximum out of these resources?

A: The NLDB has about 20 farms throughout the country. Bopaththalawa and Dayagama farms are being used mainly as dairy farms. NLDB will get the maximum contribution from these resources in near future through various projects. NLDB has several sales outlets in many parts of the country.

Many of these are profitable while a few are running at a loss. A survey is being carried out to identify the reason for the loss. Loss mitigatory measures will be taken soon. It will be followed by profit maximizing measures. Certain outlets will be relocated in suitable places as these outlets have not been established in proper places. Facilities in these sales outlets will be upgraded while establishing eye-catching outer appearance. As the final outcome NLDB has targeted to increase the national milk production to 40 percent. The people will have a glass of nutritious fresh milk at a fair price.

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Government enacted tobacco control law in December 2006 prohibiting advertising or promotion of tobacco products or grant of sponsorships by the industry, sales to minors and smoking at enclosed public places. At the beginning there were much improvement with a decline in tobacco sales and consumption as well

Interest of law implementation agents nowadays seems to be declining due to certain limitations in the law. Apart from that, the tobacco industry is apparently abusing the lapses and loopholes in the law. It has even begun advertising at retailers.

Having recognized these lapses, we understand that the National Authority on Tobacco and Alcohol (NATA) made several recommendations to the Attorney General’s Department to amend the law as well as to implement the regulation on pictorial health warnings, over one year ago.

The suggested major contents of the amendments are the authority entrusted on authorized officer to search any person committing or attempting to commit an offence and arrest and detain for committing an offence under this Act.
Tobacco products

Power of authority to make rules, that a manufacturer, importer, trader, dealer, retailer or distributor of any tobacco product shall not sell any such product along with any other goods as an incentive or offer as a complimentary gift, a sample of any such product or any other product, public places, means any place to which the public have access, whether as of right or otherwise, whether on payment or not, whether on invitation or not and includes public conveyance and workplace, that workplace includes any vehicle whereas mobile services are provided, label, includes a tag, brand, mark, pictorial or other description, either written, printed, stencilled, marked, embossed or impressed on or attached to a bottle, pack, carton or package of tobacco product etc.

Parties to the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) are required to implement effective measures to warn against harmful impact of tobacco use on all tobacco product packaging within three years of ratifying the FCTC. Sri Lanka which is a Party to FCTC (entered into force in 2005)is thus several years behind in implementing the pictorial health warnings on tobacco products. Governments in other parts of the world have already made extraordinary progress in improving tobacco warning labels by implementing measures as outlined by the FCTC.
Warning labels

Pictorial health warning labels communicate the risks of tobacco use and increase knowledge about risks associated with smoking and can decrease intentions to smoke among adolescents, persuade smokers to quit and keep ex-smokers from starting again. Graphic health warning labels have a greater impact than text only labels and can be recognized by low literacy audiences and vulnerable groups, including children, while tobacco companies depend on tobacco package design to build brand recognition and promote sales.

Many sectors in society who are keen on protection of public health, are inquiring as to what has happened to the status of implementation of tobacco control law which was inspiring at the beginning. We have been repeatedly inquiring from NATA the reason for the delay. The authority provides no clear answer to the question except to say that the matter has been referred to the Attorney General’s Department.

This is an era where more and more countries are adopting tobacco-control policies to save lives by implementing smoke-free public places, increasing tax on cigarettes and launching a wide-range of smoking-cessation programs and have shrunk the number of people smoking.
Smoke-free laws

There is a fast-growing campaign around the world demanding for 100 percent smoke-free laws that ban smoking in all work and public places. Public health authorities worldwide have concluded that there is no safe level of second hand smoke exposure. Scientific evidence is clear that the only effective way to protect workers and the public from secondhand smoke is to enact 100 percent smoke-free law that bans smoking in all public places.

Although the law has enforced, a research study indicated that its practical use is limited.

This research study, conducted in year 2009 indicated levels of particulate matter levels were extremely high in measured locations where indoor smoking is continued irrespective of existing law. Particulate matter in the atmosphere is a widely accepted indicator to evaluate secondhand smoke levels.

As a part of this multi country research project, particulate matter levels have compared with other participated Asian countries and results indicated that the levels are considerably higher compared to Asian countries having enforced law over indoor smoking (reference: International journal of Hygiene and Environmental Health, 2010 September; 213 (5): 348-51).

Sri Lanka too should adopt comprehensive tobacco control programs, for both health and economic reasons. The need for action is urgent as if no action is taken, tobacco may kill a billion or more people in the 21st century in the world. Research studies reveal that 40 percent of all cancers can be prevented if tobacco consumption is curtailed through awareness raising, legislation and taxation.

From enclosed public places, the Government should extend the smoking ban to all public places since half of the smoke generated through a cigarette smoke is secondhand smoke and the other half is generated through mainstream smoke. Public places are potential places where the non-smokers are exposed to tobacco smoke.

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Three weeks ago a Jaffna bound bus from Colombo was pelted with stones when it was passing through Anuradhapura.

On Monday a furniture seller and his team from Moratuwa were attacked in Jaffna allegedly by a Jaffna based furniture trader and his employees.

These are incidents that many a responsible citizen would like to play down, given their sensitivity. However that does not mean that one should sweep them under carpet without addressing the post-war insecurities that triggered the incidents.

Attacks on Jaffna bound buses were a common feature during the war and most of them were reported from Kebithigollewa, an area which bore the brunt of war. However such incidents became a rarity in the post-war era.

No arrests have been made following the recent incident as the driver did not want to lodge a complaint in Anuradhapura and instead had gone all the way to Vavuniya to lodge the complaint. Fortunately, none of the passengers had received injuries although several shutters of the vehicle had been damaged.

The attack on the Moratuwa- based small trader and his team who were into door-to-door sales, is a more serious one. About a dozen masked men had attacked the team with knives and other sharp weapons and a Jaffna businessman who is also into furniture trade had been arrested along with two of his employees as suspects of the crime.

The sudden influx of traders from the south no doubt poses a threat to a section of businessmen in Jaffna who only cater to the region’s demands. The attack shows that it has become a matter that needs urgent attention from the authorities.

Of course the new demand for food, accommodation and transportation created by the flourishing local tourism has seen business thriving in Jaffna.

However the market for items like furniture is still largely limited and it looks like any major competition from outside is a life and death matter for the Jaffna businessmen. Another two three incidents of this nature are enough to ignite communal riots. Of course, one cannot restrict the movement of traders in a free economy. However some innovative measures should be in place to avoid the closure of businesses for Jaffna traders due to the invasion of goods from the south. Sri Lanka certainly is in no mood for another insurgency.

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It was reported last week that the Government has taken a decision to stock the paddy harvest of the North, East and North Central provinces in the Gampaha district. This is a wise move. The harvest could be transported in bulk to Gampaha and milled with the assistance of small and medium size millers there. There is an ideal centre at Maradagahamula to locate these facilities.

It was also found that there are enough unutilized storage facilities in the Gampaha district. This would do away with the need for extra facilities at the three above mentioned rice producing districts. Once these facilities are established and functioning Gampaha would be able to supply almost the entire demand of the Western Province, i.e. Colombo, Gampaha and Kalutara districts. No doubt this would help lower the selling price of rice in Colombo and the adjoining districts.

With the Paddy Marketing Board buying sufficient stocks at guaranteed price the implementation of this scheme would benefit both the producer and the consumer.

It is also reported that the bumper harvests are being reaped in the North and East. This no doubt is a great boon to the farmers of these areas whose paddy lands were laid waste all these years due to the war. With the release of all paddy lands back to the farmers, we could now expect markets to be flooded with the extra harvests contributing to lowering of rice prices. With the concession of Government subsidies now reaching these farmers, the country can expect not only bumper paddy production but also high yields in other crops that these areas were famous for in the past.

It looks as if the country will be well served by its agriculture sector soon with the end of the war opening up large vistas in this regard. Time was when the East formed the rice bowl of Sri Lanka which produced the bulk of the rice supplies.

The industrious nature of the Northern farmer was also an important factor that resulted in the heavy output of agriculture produce. Not only that, paddy cultivation is also booming in the tracts that once formed the border villages with the end to terrorism.

Paddy lands that were abandoned are now converted into lush green fields with golden sheaves of paddy. The Paddy Marketing Board has already allocated Rs. 9,000 million to purchase the Yala harvest in Anuradhapura. The rehabilitation of the many irrigation schemes too is bound to bring more areas under paddy cultivation.

With the Government now offering a stable guaranteed price for paddy, the farmers appear to be a contended lot. Add to this, the involvement of the private sector too in the purchase of paddy there is no risk of the farmers having to destroy their crop as in the past. Our farmer still forms the backbone of the nation and as such is given pride of the place by President Mahinda Rajapaksa who has doled out a generous fertilizer subsidy and other concessions for the purchase of tractors and agricultural implements to the farmer.

It appears Sri Lanka is on the road to self sufficiency in rice now that all paddy lands in the country are being put under the plough. Therefore every incentive should be given to the farmer to increase production. Rice imports should not be done haphazardly as this would hurt the farmer. Steps should also be taken to stop the exploitation of the farmer by middlemen and tradesmen.

The farmer should also not be made a pawn in political games. We are here referring to the recent burning of some paddy crops in Amparai in a bid to show the frustration of farmers allegedly unable to dispose of their paddy harvests.

It was later revealed that a political hand was behind the whole episode to embarrass the Government.

Steps should also be taken to prevent exodus of the next generation of our farmers into other vocations. This is already taking place in other traditional sectors such as fisheries.

This would have a telling effect on the country’s agricultural production. Agriculture should be made a more rewarding and attractive proposition by the introduction of modern methods as is done in other countries. This would somewhat prevent the progeny of farmers seeking out greener pastures in this modern age. If not we will lose our agricultural base and all food crops will have to be imported at great cost.

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While watching the gala water ceremony at Magampura in Hambantota a day after President Mahinda Rajapaksa ratified the sentence given by the first court martial against General Sarath Fonseka one wonders how different things would have looked if the General did not fall out with the President.

If the camaraderie continued Fonseka in his capacity as Chief of Defence Staff would have been there at the Magampura event seated next to President, perhaps chatting with him.

On the other hand if Fonseka instead of President Rajapaksa emerged the winner at the January polls the fate of the latter one may say perhaps would have been even far worse than that of the General today. Something drastic could have happened hours after the election of the new President.

Still many were expecting President Rajapaksa to be magnanimous and avoid ratifying the sentence by the first court martial. It was believed that the stature of the President would have grown by leaps and bounds if he did not rush to authorize the dishourable discharge and stripping of ranks and medals of the war hero.

It was obvious that it was difficult for even those who voted for President Rajapaksa to avoid comparing the grand display of power and vanity at yesterday’s port event with the misery of the man who led the victorious army and unified the nation.

Addressing the editors days after the January polls, President Rajapaksa gave a list of crimes he said that the General had planned to commit against him and his brothers and gave details to substantiate his argument. Still the delay in arresting the General gave rise to speculation that the President was keen on forgetting the past notwithstanding the alleged plan by the General.

The manner of the latter’s arrest and what happened afterwards however proved that President Rajapaksa was not willing to take the moral high ground but instead was keen on punishing the General.

Finally the ratifying the first court martial ruling. With two more courts martial to deliver their judgments their ratification may need deep and very careful thought.

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The initiative to draw a national road map to popularize English throughout the country reached its Second Phase yesterday at Temple Trees under President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s patronage. Presidential Task Force on English and IT Coordinator Sunimal Fernando says the phase two targets a wider category. Here are the excerpts of the interview. Part I was published yesterday.

Q: As speakers, in your view who are the best exponents of Sri Lankan English?

A: Ministers Sarath Amunugama, G L Peiris, Prof Rajiva Wijesinha MP, Secretary to the President Lalith Weeratunge, the President himself, Opposition Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe, Central Bank Governor Ajith Nivaard Cabraal come to my mind. They speak Sri Lankan English at the highest level. They can be emulated as a sort of benchmark.

Q: Is there a written variety of Sri Lankan English as well?

A: Any language has a spoken or informal variety and a formal or written variety. The informal variety is the focal variety that is the variety to which your emotion, experience, all related to your environment and culture, can be expressed. So in the standard British English you cannot express the emotion that you derive from your local environment. For example the emotion when saying that is a jak tree is different when saying that is a kos tree.

So to innovate we have to borrow words from our own language. It is to be precise is to make a parabasa a swabasa. English is a parabasa and our intention is to indigenize it by making it a swabasa. For this purpose we have to allow grammar innovations. Sri Lankan English is essentially an informal or spoken variety. The written variety comes as international Standard English. International Standard English is an evolving one.

At the moment it is a fair mix of standard British English with US English as well as Indian English. Our policy is that a person should first be able to speak to have confidence to write. So our intention is to rid this fear of speaking English.

For long we adopted the stupid method of forcing our children to speak the standard British English, which is foreign to us. English is all within us. Our job is to rid the fear factor to let it surface.

In other words helping to pull out the English which is already within you.

Q: Is the approach to make English a life skill largely inspired by the Indian model?

A: The very idea of picking a model from some other country and transplanting it in our country is totally unacceptable to the President’s thinking. He has always told us that Sri Lanka should create its own model based on our inherent abilities. We went to India not to choose a model but for several reasons. First is that India today has emerged a global centre of excellence for teaching English.

Second, India has never used English as an instrument of social oppression.

The third is we wanted to link the English speaking enterprise of our country with the future rather than the past.

Two batches, 40 in 2008 and 39 in 2009 have been trained in Hyderabad. They have modified and changed what they have learnt to suit our conditions and requirements.

I would proudly claim that our 79 master trainers perhaps use the most advanced methods of teaching in a non English speaking country.

They have published the first ever manual to come out of the rural English teaching fraternity in this country called Speak English our way.

Q: Can you elaborate on the changes and achievements to date?

A: During the 13 months, 60 percent of the 22,500 English teachers of the country were trained by the Education Ministry and the nine Provincial Ministries to teach Communicative English to our students.

The remaining 40 percent is listed to be trained before the end of the year.

Testing of listening and speaking skills in English will commence from the O Level examination in 2012.

A strong national cadre of 80 Master Trainers trained at the English and Foreign Languages University (EFLU) in Hyderabad was established, with 320 assistant trainers to help them.

The country’s first comprehensive Teacher Guide for Spoken English was produced.

An apex level Sri Lanka India Centre for English Language Training (SLICELT) with modern technology and local and Indian resource persons was established at Peradeniya with Indian assistance.

Similarly nine Provincial Sri Lanka India Centres for English Language Training (PSLICELTs) with state-of-the-art teaching technology, residential facilities for 80 trainees and local and Indian resource persons in each Centre in the course of 2010-2011 will be set up.

The preparation of a teacher guide on “Sri Lankan English Standards” Phonology, Vocabulary and Syntax (including Grammar, word order and idiom) began.

Special credit should be given to the Education Minister and the team of officials in charge of the project at the Ministry.

Q: What about Phase Two?

A: While the Phase One of the Presidential initiative was focused on reaching the student population of the country through the public school system, the Phase Two will also reach out to the public which includes school drop-outs, public servants, teachers, employed persons, job seekers and others desiring to speak English.

Q : What are the future challenges?

A: There is a dearth of English teachers. While there is a shortage of teachers in rural schools there is a surplus in urban schools.

We have to rectify this.

We are planning to provide training to all teachers to speak English confidently.

This is an evolving process, we would take appropriate action when issues arise.

Q : Is there any resistance to the program and if so where it is coming from?

A: I thought the main resistance might emerge from the English speaking elite upper class. But I was proved very much wrong in my assumption.

They are well aboard and fully supportive of the initiative and have become one of the major stakeholders.

However resistance has emerged from certain sections of the first and second generation of English speakers. We would overcome the problem.

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A normal person in his or her proper senses would not have committed a mass murder the way that young criminal had done in Eppawala. To end the life of four close relatives in the gruesome manner that he has done one certainly has to be at one’s worst. Everyone hopes that his brutality would not inspire another frustrated person to commit a similar crime.

The 21 year old drunkard had been constantly reprimanded by his uncle, the head of his household for his unbecoming ways. The uncle who had given him lodging at his place would have thought constant chastising would help make the son of his wife’s sister a better person.

However as in the case of most youngsters of today the advice did not help and the pent up anger saw no bounds. The young man went on a rampage.

While the extent to which the criminal went to vent out his anger is a rarity it is no secret that today’s younger generations have serious difficulties in controlling anger. More often than not advice from elders is treated as an insult on their ego.

It is often said the score in anger management is the barometer that showcases the emotional maturity of a person.

The slow pace of life, love from the members of the extended families, wholesome socialization process and especially free flow of life sans regular stressful situations helped the previous generations in Sri Lanka to take advice from elders in a much better spirit. From childhood the youngster were taught to respect elders. Hence any counsel from them was given a fervent ear. Even when reprimanded for wrong reasons they would absorb the humiliation, anger and disappointment and would often avoid open confrontations. After all the children and the young adults those days were blessed with a more wholesome lifestyle – a game of cricket with cousins, pampering by grandparents, visits to favourite aunts and uncles all ensured a happy fulfilling life. There was no stress over the eternal rush for tuition classes, killer competition, depressing DVDs or that general feeling of alienation and isolation that ‘there’s nobody to love me’.

The alienation that comes as a result of today’s stressful lifestyle makes the youth eternally grumpy – almost inflammable. For them advice is badger. Elders are trouble makers. And life is often lived on the edge.

Give them some breathing space, time away from stress. They will manage their emotions better.

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