Ceylon Today Editorial

ARISE, TAMILS! TOTALLY UNNECESSARY!!
27 September 2016

 

There's something always that sways for rebellion in the hearts of all of us when a crowd gathers under a common cause. That is why there's power in numbers and strength in unity. We are, inherently, creatures of passion that need to be motivated and driven toward a common goal and we have known our share of rebellions and revolutions.

Last Saturday's Ezhuga Tamizh rally organized by the Tamil People's Council in Jaffna was no doubt a revolution. It was a movement that called for immediate solutions to the war grieved north of the country, the immediate demilitarization of the provinces as well as the move against the Sinhala colonization.

Northern Province Chief Minister C. V. Wigneswaran who spearheaded the rally/revolution had clearly not thought it through before actually giving approval to the said rally/revolution because it clearly received a severe backlash from others.

Tamil National Alliance and Chief Opposition Leader R. Sampanthan straight away denied any involvement in the rally that took the town by storm. He had acknowledged to the media that it is anyone's right to protest in any part of the country but denied that his coalition had anything to do with the protest.

What stirred most people's pots were the controversial slogans that had been chanted in the protest. The protest theme that made a clarion call to Tamils of the country to "wake up" gained notoriety in the media in a matter of days and continues to kick the proverbial hornet's nest.

Such slogans are unnecessary; that is undeniable. "Arise, Tamils!" not only reeks of segregation, but also borders on alienating an entire ethnicity apart from the country which is struggling to achieve reconciliation after a 33-year long terrorist/separatist war. This is when the rally becomes a revolution and will eventually break into a rebellion asking for a separate State.

Little would have Chief Minister Wigneswaran or any one of his lackeys, known when they came up with this slogan. Either they do not realize they are contributing to the same vicious cycle that made this country a living hell up to seven years ago or they simply have a really low understanding of English.

Regardless, this protest was something completely unnecessary that can have severe implications in the long run. In a situation of this magnitude, one would expect the government to take intelligent and well thought out decisions to address this matter. But, the reality is far from it.

State Minister of Defence Ruwan Wijewardene had been adamant that the government will not be enkindled by extremist groups that make obnoxious requests. He had also assured that regardless of the demands, the government will not take any steps to remove the military from the North.

The government promises the continuation of the reconciliation process at the face of the international bodies. Yet, the government or clueless ministers who are part of it are making obnoxious claims which can only be compared with the ridiculous demands made by Chief Minister Wigneswaran and his lackeys.

It is high time these so-called public representatives realized that military camps do not hinder a reconciliation process nor does it affect issues of the war grieved. Perhaps the military occupation has an adverse effect on the populace's psyche and instils a fear of the military. But then again, 'don't these protests that demand the removal of the 'big bad army' reinforce such fears? Wouldn't preaching of Sinhala colonization make things worse for the reconciliation process?

The South has its own extremists who the government rarely addresses and implicates. But the government is quick to make rather stupid decisions when it comes to addressing extremism in the North. In the process of reconciliation, we cannot help but wonder, whether the government has forgotten one extremist group over the other.

Daily Mirror Editorial

Senaka Bibile dies again

27 September 2016

 

Health Minister Rajitha Senaratne, speaking at the Senaka Bibile Commemoration meeting last Friday,proclaimed that after some 40 years the spirit of Bibile had come alive with the decision to slash the prices of 47 drugs. 

The National Medicines Regulatory Authority’s (NMRA) new Chairman Asita de Silva whose appointment has been challenged by some Bibile policy movements, also spoke at Friday’s event to explain the price reduction formula. Over the weekend the media gave wide publicity to the announcement and most people were happy about the minister’s claim that they would be able to reduce their medical expenses by about 50 per cent a month. 

The Daily Mirror spoke to pharmacologists, medical specialists and veteran working-pharmacists who have worked hard to revive the Bibile policy. They say that though the Minister announced that prices of 47 drugs will be slashed by about 50 per cent, it would not be a real price reduction but a determination of maximum retail prices (MRPs) for these drugs. 

They say that according to Prof. Asita, the brands of a particular drug with a market share of more than 2% were selected and the median price of these were taken as the MRP of that particular drug. He mentioned few examples. Losartan 50 mg has 23 brands in the market and when these prices are listed in ascending order, the 12th one has the median price, which is Rs.10.30. This will be the MRP for Losartan 50 mg. Similarly, Atorvastatin 20 mg. has 18 brands and the median price of those is Rs.17.63. Therefore, this will be its MRP. 

That means 11 Losartan brands with prices below the MRP of Rs.10.30 will not have any price reduction. Similarly, nine atorvastatin brands below the MRP will not have any price reduction. 

What is important is to see what impact this price determination will have on the people and how scientific this method is. Is it going to actually benefit patients or is it only a political gimmick? 

Prof. Asita showed an example, a prescription with six drugs and put maximum prices for those. The cost for a month was around Rs.4,785. Then he put the MRP for those drugs and the cost came down close to Rs.2,371.50. A 50% reduction indeed but is this going to be true for any prescription. No. Prof. Asita forgot or deliberately did not tell the people that this is true only if all the drugs are bought at higher prices in the market. If patients are now buying these at a price less than the MRP there will not be any reduction. 

Prof. Priyadarshini Galappaththi, Professor of Pharmacology at the Faculty of Medicine in Colombo delivered the Senaka Bibile oration at this function. That was before the talks by Prof. Asita and the minister. She presented the findings of a countrywide study on pharmaceuticals. According to these findings, the median price of losartan is Rs.9.54 and not Rs.10.30 as mentioned by Prof. Asita. But other findings of this study are more important. Prof. Priyadarshini showed the example of Losartan. The most commonly prescribed brand of Losartan was Losarcar which was Rs.3.75. The most widely available brand of Losartan is Zaart and the price was Rs.9.54. With the MRP proposed by Prof. Asita, neither the price of the most widely prescribed brand of Losartan nor the price of the most widely available brand of Losartan will come down. In other words, a majority of patients on Losartan will not have any benefit from the price reduction. 

We urge President Maithripala Sirisena, who as Minister of Health from 2010 to 2015 worked hard to implement the Bibile policy to look into what appears to be another attempt to kill Prof. Bibile in terms of his policy. For the reductions, the prices considered were the present market prices which were decided by importers without a scientific basis. The prices are highly inflated. Unlike other importers, drug importers are getting huge profits due to this. If the price determination was based on the rational prices of available brands, the method would have been more scientific.

Daily News Editorial

Vigneswaran Vs Sampanthan

27 September 2016

 

TNA and Opposition Leader R. Sampanthan should be commended for distancing himself from the protest agitation launched in Jaffna under the leadership of Chief Minister C.V. Vigneswaran to drawn the attention of the government towards the alleged grievances of the Tamil community in the North. The hartal under the theme Elunga Tamil, or “rise ye Tamils” brought to a virtual shutdown the Jaffna town. Among the grievances highlighted were the Sinhala colonization of the Tamil homeland, the need for an international investigation into atrocities committed against the Tamil people, the continued detention of Tamils under the PTA and the need for a political solution based on the federal model which recognizes the right to self determination. The CM also objected to the construction of Buddhist temples in areas in the North predominated by Tamils.

Sampanthan who disassociated himself and his party with the protest, expressed the view that they were hopeful of reaching agreement with the government on critical issues. The octogenarian politician, with the wealth of experience as a parliamentarian, who earlier was accused of being the mouthpiece of Prabhakaran it appears has come to terms with reality and is today conducting himself as a true Leader of the Opposition, acting with circumspection and good judgement taking cognizance of the sentiments of all Sri Lankans without confining himself to be the spokesman of only the Tamils of the North like his one-time predecessor A. Amirthalingam did.

Sampanthan is well aware that he is now dealing with moderate leaders at the helm of affairs and the best way to win over at least some of the demands of his people is to act likewise, with moderation, dispensing with the extremist option some of his colleagues in the TNA is wont to adopt. The Opposition Leader is also aware that in President Sirisena and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, they have leaders who are not Sinhala nationalist hardliners pandering to the whims of the lunatic fringe, but those who are accommodating and amenable to reason. Hence he knows the Sirisena-Wickremesinghe duo are the best bet to at least coming half away in granting the reasonable demands of the Tamils. Sampathan is only too well aware of the shabby treatment he and fellow his TNA MPs were subjected to under the former President whose primary objective was pandering to the chauvinist elements in the South. He is aware of the dilatory tactics adopted by Rajapaksa in getting a Parliament Select Committee to decide on the unit of devolution which anyway was a non starter.

Vigneswaran, for his part, should act with circumspection and good judgement. He is after all a former Supreme Court judge. He should refrain from playing into the hands of extremist elements in the South who are waiting for just such an opportunity to set the ball rolling. As UPFA General Secretary Minister Mahinda Amaraweera noted Vigneswaran is giving plenty of ammunition to the racists in the South to stir up anti Tamil feelings, which in turn would be turned into political capital by Mahinda Rajapaksa, who will not miss this opportunity to go to temples and selected Buddhist monks to apprise them of the dangers awaiting the country. Already a pro Rajapaksa television channel is in overdrive highlighting the incidents in the North, its host, in the morning programme devoted to daily newspaper accounts, giving his own twist and interpretation to events bordering on the inflammatory.

The CM should take cognizance of the fact he wouldn’t have had a chance of a snowball in hell to act so freely as he is doing now had Mahinda Rajapaksa still being the President. His demonstration would have been brutally suppressed, with the deployment of the military, even before they got started. Whatever leeway he enjoys today is due to the moderation practised by the Yahapalanaya government which is already taking heavy stick from its critics due to what they see as giving into Tamil demands. Certain provocative acts such as vandalizing of a Buddha shrine and the attack on the Sathosa lodging in Kilinochchi had not helped matters. The recent clashes at the Jaffna University where some Sinhala students were attacked during a freshers ‘induction ceremony also sent feelings high.

Of course, there may those holding moderate views and look at things dispassionately, who may ask what is wrong in people of Jaffna holding demonstrations when there are agitations of various kinds in the South, some violent, that are treated as commonplace. But those in the Southern parts tend to view all protests and agitations in the North to have the backing of separatist elements or the Tamil diaspora, rightly or wrongly. Even the violent protests in the North that followed the rape and murder of an 18-year-old schoolgirl was viewed by elements of the Joint Opposition as a sign of the resurgence of the LTTE. Hence any incident in the North is being viewed with blinkers here in the South and the Chief Minister cannot be unaware of this fact. That is all the more reason for him to act with foresight, following in the footsteps of his leader.

The Island Editorial

O tempora! O mores!

27 September 2016

 

In most action flicks, heroes and villains in flight topple trash bins without breaking stride so as to distract and obstruct their enemies in close pursuit. This modus operandi is, however, not confined to the celluloid world. Sri Lankan politicians who mismanage vital issues and get into hot water act in a similar manner in a bid to distract the public.

Education Minister Akila Viraj Kariyawasam, who is being troubled by many issues and pursued by the government doctors who want their children admitted to state-run schools, has done likewise. He is reported to have banned schools from imposing dress codes on parents. He has thus stirred up a real hornets’ nest with his backers and critics locking horns. The focus of public debate is likely to be on this issue for some time instead of the many ills the education sector is afflicted with.

The Education Minister has obviously got his priorities mixed up. There are many burning issues he ought to address as a national priority before taking up the cudgels for parents’ right to wear anything when they visit their children’s schools. The education system is rotten to the core, to say the least.

A few moons ago, no less a person than President Maithripala Sirisena lamented that there were many schools without toilets. A National Water Supply and Drainage Board survey revealed a few years ago that about 1,300 primary and secondary schools lacked proper sanitary facilities. Two NGOs have disclosed that there are schools where students are discouraged from drinking water for want of toilets and this has rendered those hapless children prone to renal diseases. Absenteeism is common among girls in such schools during menstruation, they have pointed out. This is a damning indictment on the two main parties which have closed ranks to (mis)rule the country jointly, having done so severally, ably assisted by their allies since Independence.

Rural schools are being closed down at a rate and underprivileged children are thus denied easy access to education. Many schools are faced with shortages of teachers for vital subjects such as mathematics, science and English. The state-run school system is not equipped to cater to the ever increasing demand for Grade One admissions, and private schools are mushrooming to accommodate children who are left out. Most government schools have outsourced teaching to private institutions for all practical purposes. Although education is said to be free, private tuition, donations to schools etc., cost parents an arm and a leg.

True, all these problems are not of recent origin. But, the incumbent government which came to power offering to bring about a change and to allocate as much as 6% percent of the GDP for education is duty bound to set off at a cracking pace to make good on its pledges and revitalise the education sector, the be-all and end-all of the country’s progress. The question is whether it is keen to make an effort to achieve this goal. If it had been really serious about developing vital sectors such as education it would have got very senior Cabinet members to helm the relevant ministries without turning them into playpens for politicians still wet behind the ears.

Meanwhile, what is this world coming to when dress codes have to be imposed on parents? Schools are places where the proprieties are inculcated in children and not their parents. However, they cannot be blamed for treating parents like children and telling them what to wear. Some mothers and fathers visiting schools look awful combinations of sartorial disasters and tonsorial misadventures; it looks as if they mistook all school events for fancy dress parades. O tempora! O mores!

Let such parents as well as politicians with a streak of infantilism be urged to grow up!