Aamna-Amana

Mehar Mohammad Khalil: A hero across borders

2009-03-08T23:42:00.000-07:00

By Aamna Mahboob
LAHORE: Mehar Mohammad Khalil’s job was to drive buses. Today he is being hailed as a lifesaver after he drove the bus carrying the Sri Lankan cricketers to safety, through a hail of gunfire on Tuesday.Khalil, the bus driver who saved the lives of the Sri Lankan cricket team during the terror attack is now considered a big hero in Pakistan and Sri Lanka. Khalil kept a cool head and drove the bus to safety when it came under gunfire, grenade and rocket attack from terrorists.
His routine while the visiting team was in Pakistan was to get up at 6 in the morning, and take the team daily from the hotel to the stadium. He was usually busy with the guest team members, till late at night. The night before the attack he had decided to stay at the hotel instead of going home as he usually did. “The previous morning I decided I would stay in the hotel that night, as I get home late and felt I didn’t get enough sleep as I had to report for duty early in the morning,” Khalil told The Sunday Times in an interview in Lahore on Friday.
The man of the hour. AFP
Khalil had 22 years of driving experience and had worked as a bus diver for many VIP’s and foreign visiting teams. He said he even had the honour of driving Prince Charles on his visit to Pakistan during President Musharraf’s era. “I have driven many foreign delegations especially sports delegations,” he said.
Re-living Tuesday’s incident he said, he was turning the bus towards the Gaddafi stadium near the main roundabout (Liberty roundabout in Lahore) when he heard what he first thought were some firecrackers going off. But when he saw the elite force cars in front of him getting hit he realized it was gunfire and not firecrackers. The next thing he knew was a rocket being fired at them but it missed the bus and hit an electric pole, after which all hell broke loose. He said, “Suddenly I lost my voice.”
“However, I gained courage when I realized that the other elite car was giving the bus cover. I started thinking and decided to drive off from there,” he said.
He said he kept his foot pressed on the pedal as bullets ripped into the vehicle and explosions filled the air. “My only thought at that time was that the Sri Lankans were guests of my country and its image would be ruined if any of the players got seriously injured. This gave me the courage to drive into the stadium.”
“If we had stopped, a rocket would have hit us. The situation was very dangerous and I thought we might survive so let me try and save my guests,” he said adding that the road ahead of him was clear and it was easy for him to drive straight into the stadium.
Giving his views on the attackers who created horror and put a black mark on Pakistan’s image he said, “they were skilled and knew what they wanted. God was with us. They threw a grenade under the bus which exploded after the bus had passed over it.”
Khalil 42 said he had developed a good rapport with the players. “The players were very friendly. When terror struck, they showed quick sense of reaction and saved themselves by falling flat on the floor of the bus as heavy firing erupted from both sides of the bus.
Although hailing from a cricket-crazy city, he personally wasn’t a cricket enthusiast. “I like football and hockey because they finish within one or one and half hours. I don’t have much time to watch games,” Khalil said.
Khalil, a father of four, the eldest of whom is studying in class 5 said his family means a lot to him but at the time of the attack all he thought of was protecting the innocent Sri Lankan players and the image of his country.
“Almighty Allah gave me courage and strength to protect the players and I did it for Pakistan,” he said. Much has been said and written about the security lapses but Khalil says that the security was sufficient. “When you suddenly get attacked you need time to react. No place on earth is safe however tight the security maybe,” he said.
Khalil believes the cowardly act was not carried out by Pakistanis but feels that a foreign hand was behind it. He praised the discipline of the Lankan team when under attack. He said he felt particularly honoured when his favourite Sri Lankan player Muttiah Muralitharan gave him his T-shirt and cap at the airport when they were leaving. The other players too spoke to him and thanked him for his act of bravery.
“When I heard later that Sri Lankans are calling me their hero I was amazed” he said, adding that he would love to visit Sri Lanka one day.
(The writer was formerly a journalist attached to The Sunday Times. She is now in Pakistan)

Volunteers seek direct return for helping others - UN

2008-02-19T00:27:00.000-08:00

By Aamna Mahboob
With the rapid changes occurring in Sri Lanka the concept of volunteering is undergoing a rapid change and there is increasing pressure on people and communities to seek a direct return for helping others, the UN office in Colombo said at a media briefing on a roundtable discussion on volunteerism ‘Volunteering Everyone’s Business’ which will be held today.
The UN further said that now there are new opportunities arising with many businesses recognizing the value of social co-operate responsibility and the government and civil society exploring new ways to involve people and mobilize them to reach out and participate in voluntary work.
The UN resident and Humanitarian Coordinator and UNDP regional representative, Neil Buhne recalled the voluntary help by Sri Lankans during Tsunami and said that it was beyond region, religion and community. Sri Lankan people help voluntary in emergency times like recent floods and tsunami, he added.
The aim of this roundtable is to bring together the academics, development workers, government, institutions, policy planners, private sector, civil society and voluntary agencies. The roundtable is organized by UN Voluntaries (UNC) and voluntary Service Overseas (VSO).
In the roundtable conference they will discuss how any one can be a volunteer and what are the requirements to be a volunteer. Okama Ekpe Brook Coordinator of UNV Sri Lanka said people don’t know how they can be a volunteer to UN we will discuss how the private sector, not for profit. Community and the state can work together to strengthen involvement in volunteering for sustainable development and peace building in Sri Lanka: how can new networks be created; and how we recognize and reward volunteers who contribute to a positive impact in Sri Lanka.
Hugh Macleman Country Director of VSO Sri Lanka said that voluntary can save government money and that money can be used for other purposes of the country. “Economically voluntary benefits a lot”, he said.
Douglas Keh, Country Director of UNDP Sri Lanka and Kamal Adrechci was also present at the media briefing.

City tour: Valentine’s Day is still on?

2008-02-14T02:46:00.000-08:00

By Aamna Mahboob and
Farveeza Ansar
Business is as usual on the Valentine’s Day though there were lots of commercial advertisements done for Valentines Day via the print and electronic media with special offers to attract couples by hoteliers, accessories and florists. However, most people did not seem all that inclined to celebrate their love on a special day but had various thoughts of how they would go about. The Daily Financial times interviewed some hoteliers, florists and buyers.
Food and Beverage Manager of Ceylon Continental Hotel Nalaka Colombage said that they are having special offers for couples to enjoy the Valentines Day. He said that they have organized some competitions for couples and goodies, heart shape strawberry cheese cake; Love cake red roses are available at the continental. Dinner with Cocktail is specially arranged for valentines. “We have good response from people for this occasion,” he said.
Stone N String is attracting couples with the varieties of accessories. Advertising and Marketing Manager Farhan Kawlins said “if couples come together we offer them free photograph of them from Cannon”.
He further said that if the buyers buy more than 5000 rupees we gave them Oriflame perfume and there is special dinner at Delifrance on February 14 for 10 lucky couples by way of a draw.
Galadari Hotel is offering free heart shape cakes to ladies and free cocktail at dinner for couples. They are also offering ‘Shades of purple’ at California Grill and free roses for ladies.
“Compared to last year we have a big demand of roses for Valentine’s Day but unfortunately they do not have much supply and production of roses to fulfill the demand of customers,” Jayantha, manager of Shirohana Florist said.
According to him though the demand of roses starts from December but the red roses seasons commences from March, which is also one reason in that they cannot reach to the demand. “I think Valentines don’t know about the rose season, it comes on wrong time,” he said.
He further said that they do something special for Valentines Day like heart shape bouquet, heart shape box, special box and special valentine glass packing.
However this time there are not much many couples are celebrating or spending much as they normally do on Valentines Day. Financial Times interviews around 12 couples and only two of them are going to celebrate it.
Sachini Perera a student from Colombo University who does not believe in the concept of valentine and thinks it is pointless to spend so much money when it could be put to better use. She said that she won't be celebrating it even future.
There are some people who want their partner to spend money on this day like Vatsala. She said that “she would like to go and have nice dinner at some place and nice spending little less than 3000 rupees most of the time it would be him who will spend”.
However she questioned that if she has to spend around 1000 rupees but she has no idea what she will get in this amount? She said that though things have gone up in price but there are people who will go that distance to make the one they love happy.Gayan Ratnayaka willing to spend around Rs.4000 but not more than it on valentines day including a present and dinner and everything on that day. He said that he will celebrate at one of Colombo's restaurants as there are not much places to go in the capital or away from it.
Telling about the rose price he said that the prices are up. “I remember it was around 100 bucks last year or year before. It’s now around 200 or more at Shirohana Florist so it has gone up in price,” he said.
He refers the cheapest place which is near eye hospital. Where one can get a rose around 50 bucks a rose (last year or year before), they might have also increased in price now around 100 rupees.

Batti polls: Monitors urge Govt. to dispel fears

2008-02-07T02:45:00.000-08:00

By Aamna Mahboob
The preliminary report of the People’s Action for Free and Fair Elections (PAFFREL) on the forth coming local council elections in Batticaloa urged the Government to make a credible demonstration of its capacity to control violence and dispel the fears of the people regarding the possible use of arms by some of the contesting parties.
PAFFREL also demanded that civil society be active in the period leading to the elections and organize fact-finding visits and encourage voters to affirm their democratic rights. It also wants the international community to monitor the elections and help create an environment for a free and fair election.
PAFFREL chairman Kingsley Rodrigo said in a media statement there was a possibility of violence and election malpractice as the election campaign gathers momentum, as the armed groups have not been disarmed
He said the Government’s decision to conduct local council elections in nine out of twelve divisions in the Batticaloa district has been opposed by key opposition parties which have not put forward candidates but have, however, resorted to legal action.
The inability or unwillingness of two prominent opposition parties, the TNA and UNP, to contest these elections have been due to their fear of their members getting killed or otherwise harmed by the armed groups.
They said the conditions of violence that prevailed in Batticaloa over the past several months preclude the possibility of free and fair elections.
Various groups including political parties have made calls to postpone the elections as the presence of armed TMVP cadres has been a serious threat free and fair elections.
However Election Commissioner Dayananda Dissanayake has authorized the DIRIYA Foundation to carry out observation activity in polling booths.
DIRIYA Foundation secretary Lionel Gulawita said his organisation monitors will monitor activity during the pre-election campaign.

Why Pakistanis believe that US may also be a suspect in Bhutto killing

2008-01-06T02:44:00.000-08:00

Sunday January 6, 2008
By Aamna Mahboob
Zulfikar Ali Bhutto's pinkie, daughter of the East, BB of the Pakistani people and Darling of the West is no more with us. She was allegedly shot and killed by unknown assailants. The al-Qaeda hand was suspected in the murder but the group denied its involvement. If not al-Qaeda who is behind it then? Past records of al-Qaeda reveal that the group had not hesitated to claim responsibility for acts done by it.
A glance at al-Qaeda and its mentors would reveal that al-Qaeda/Taleban and the United States are two sides of the same coin. Since 9/11, the US has been evoking the fear of al-Qaeda to buy over the silence of its own people as it unleashes its military power in other parts of the world. In the name of fighting a war on terror, it first invaded Afghanistan and then Iraq. And now it wants to target Pakistan, the first Islamic nuclear power which could not be swallowed by some so-called superpowers. The Pakistan crisis aggravated only after the US efforts in attacking Iran on the pretext of that the oil rich country was developing nuclear weapons failed.
Women supporters of slain opposition leader Benazir Bhutto pray during a ceremony at the spot where she was assassinated in Rawalpindi. AP
Interestingly, before BB's murder, one American organization had said that according to their sources they were expecting Osama bin Laden's audio or video message where he would talk about Afghanistan and Iraq. As predicted, bin Laden issued a message. Does this mean that there exists a nexus between the US and al-Qaeda elements?
In the past whenever President George W Bush faced a crisis, either an Aiman-ul-Zawahiri tape or bin Laden tape would surface to bail him out. If US Intelligence could predict upcoming tapes of al Qaeda, one wonders why they cannot arrest bin Laden.
According to some political and strategic analysts, the United States is deliberately creating chaos in Pakistan in order to get hold of its nuclear arsenal. As part of this scheme, the United States and its NATO allies accuse Pakistan of not doing enough to contain cross border terrorism which they say destabilises Afghanistan.
Hamid Gul, a retired general who served as head of the Inter-Service Intelligence, said that he believed that al-Qaeda was a smokescreen orchestrated by the United States. He said he believed that the assassination of BB could have been masterminded by outside powers interested in destabilising Pakistan with the aim of finding an excuse to seize the country's nuclear weapons. That may seem far-fetched to foreigners, but not to many Pakistanis who strongly believe that the West does not want to see a nuclear-armed Muslim country.
The United States, claiming to be a friend of Pakistan, has ditched Pakistan on every occasion when it was in need of America's help. Its duplicity was exposed when it influenced France to cancel the agreement with Pakistan for the supply of a nuclear plant. Despite Pakistan being a member of CENTO and SEATO, two Cold War era security arrangments, the United States betrayed Pakistan during the two main wars against India.
When Pakistan’s very survival was at stake during the 1971 war with India backing the insurgents in East Pakistan, now Bangladesh, Washington assured Pakistani government that its Seventh Fleet would be reaching East Pakistan to help government forces. The fact remains that the Seventh Fleet never reached there and at last the Indian forces were able to dismember the world’s largest Islamic state. The rest is part of history now.
In the light of these American assurances, which were mere words, one cannot dismiss theories that speak of US designs for destabilsing Pakistan. The Western media as expected have also played a key role in this scheme. They project Pakistan as a nursery for terrorists. Every now and then the US media blame Pakistan for doing nothing to curb terrorism, even though Pakistan is bleeding from the wounds inflicted by terrorists who were trained and supported by the United States during the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan.
A recent report aired by BBC projected the Punjabis in Pakistan as villains. The programme was deplored by many a Pakistani as a move to fuel inter-provincial hatred instead of peace and harmony. The American presidential hopefuls also joined the fray in flaying Pakistan.
Graham Allison in the 'Newsweek' magazine wrote the condition in Pakistan in these words: political instability, a demoralized army, a burgeoning Islamic insurgency and an intensely anti-US population have put the country's nuclear weapons at risk. (It speaks of American designs in Pakistan.)
He went on to say that the design of Pakistan's nuclear control systems creates a risk of inside theft. This system addresses Pakistan's first and foremost fear that if its arch-enemy, India, knew the location of the country’s weapons it could launch a pre-emptive attack to eliminate them.
Despite the fact that Pakistan had categorically stated that the nuclear programme was in safe hands with the command and control authority vested in the president, the west kept on expressing its concerns about the vulnerability of Pakistan’s nuclear arsenal.
The unearthing of the nuclear proliferation network, the subsequent arrest of the father of Pakistan's nuclear programme, A. Q. Khan, and the alleged rise in militancy linked to al-Qaeda give strength to the theory that one of the aims of the war on terror was to roll back Pakistan’s nuclear programme.
Th fear that Pakistan’s nuclear weapons could fall into the hands of al-Qaeda is being raised to either neutralize the nuclear assets or capture them. There is general perception among the people that the murder of B.B was the part of the same game.
General Mohammad Zia-ul-Haq who helped the United States run a covert war against the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan, perished in an air crash in 1988. Many Pakistanis also believe that after the accomplishment of its task in Afghanistan, the US got rid of Gen. Zia along with a number Pakistani army officers and the US ambassador.
The Pakistanis ask if the US intelligence could sacrifice the US ambassador, why could not they be the prime suspect in the BB killing. The following piece of Urdu poetry depicts the intentions of outside miscreants. Jab se bulbul thu nay do tinkey liyea hain Gerti hain bijlian inhi ka liyea
(O nightingale since you picked the two straws the lightning falls for them)
(The writer is a Pakistani student who graduated from the Sri Lanka College of Journalism)

Lights out this Deepavali; a sign of things to come?

2007-11-09T02:48:00.000-08:00

FINANCIAL TIMES

By Aamna Mahmoob
Although the main street markets were usually crowded places during festival time, the recent price hikes in essential goods have had an adverse effect on the purchasing power of festival shoppers. It is also having a big impact on the textile industry which is highly dependable on festive sales.
S. Sasidharn a businessman along Kamaleshwary Main Street for more than 15 years who had been through many ‘ups and downs’ says that this year has been the worst for the business.
He said “compared to last year this year Deepavali business is low and we have to reduce the prices of every thing to the margin and we expect small amount of profit.” N. Savetree, a house wife whose husband is the sole bred winner in the family in the meantime says that she cannot spend as she used to for Deepavali. She said that she was forced to buy groceries with a tight purse. “Compared to last year it is very hard. We have to check the price and purchase goods. The cost of living is very high, it is very hard for us to buy things”, she said.
Another customer P. Krishnan said that although he celebrated Deepavali last year in a lavish way, this year due to the price hikes in all essential goods he was unable to enjoy the festival in the same way. Krishnan noted that what the people earn was not enough to survive.
While Sri Lanka is a known as hub for textile and clothing in many parts of the world, the country still imports clothes and fabric from other Asian countries. Most businessmen at the main street market depend on these imports for their income. S. Sasidhran points out that; traders who import goods from other countries have been badly affected by the rise of the US dollar. He said that the weakening of the Rupee has hit them hard as they need to spend more each day to keep their shops stocked.
Another shop owner (who spoke on the condition of anonymity) also feels that the increasing cost of living is the main problem in their business. “Earlier a casual office sari cost around Rs.500 but now it has increased by nearly 300 rupees and the total cost is close to 800 rupees. So people who bought nearly three saris now buy only one sari but this doesn’t mean that they are poor, the reason is the cost of living which is increasing rapidly.”

The women in green ...

2007-10-25T22:05:00.000-07:00

W@WWomen at Work
Text and pix by Aamna Mahboob

It is a common sight in Colombo to see women in green giving out parking tickets. Regular pavement parkers have even formed friendships with these women, who have been working beside the road for more than 20 years.
These ladies (Traffic Wardens) are the last batch appointed by the Municipal Council.

These women enter the Colombo Municipal Council (CMC) office at Darley Road wearing long green frocks and leave for different destinations with ticket books in their hands. Later they can be seen at parking lots in areas such as Hospital Square, Borella and Kollupitiya.
They were appointed during the rule of the late President R. Premadasa. “We were all very young when we joined the job as Traffic Wardens”, said 52 years old Mallika Dabare who has served in this field for about 25 years as a Traffic Warden.
She said that she is quite satisfied with her job, adding that “something is better than nothing”.
The total number of Traffic Wardens are 173. Working as a Traffic Warden in Colombo under the CMC, most of the wardens have studied up to O/Ls and almost all of them have family and become grandmothers.
“I started doing this job before I married and am still working”, said G. Namali (48), working at Fort. She has been working as a warden for more than 28 years; her husband is doing his own business at Pettah. She said that sometimes, vehicle owners or drivers do not pay despite having got the parking ticket.
The Traffic Wardens are allowed 45 holidays a year. Their working hours are from 7AM to 5PM. They have to sign the attendance register.
49 year old Chandraleka Balasundaram from Kandy has four children. She works at Narahenpita and has served as a Warden for more than 22 years. She said that she liked her job very much.
The parking charges for one hour are rupees 10 and rupees 80 are charged for a vehicle parked for the whole day.
“I am not scared to do the job as a Traffic Warden, if someone scolds me, I scold them back”, said M. T. Tissera (57) when asked about the behavior of people using the parking area.
She said that it was hard to live with the pay which she is getting. About her career she said that on the advice of her friend, she joined the present job in 1985. She is working at Borella. She is supporting a large family of eleven and living with a polio affected husband. Prior to joining the present job, she was serving in Good Shepherd Convent up to the age of 21.She said that she had to give up her education after primary school.
Their pay is 13000 a month and during the festival they get a bonus. They can take loans from the CMC which will be cut from their monthly salary.
“I do not think the government will continue this service,” said Kumar Karunaratne Administrative Officer at CMC Darley road. He explained that the Traffic Warden service was started in 1980 and in those days, there was not much traffic. There was ample space to park but now Colombo is too crowded and there is no place to cope with the ever increasing number of vehicles.
In case the CMC continued the Traffic Warden system, then it will have to devise some traffic plan and reserve places for parking , he opined. However he said that the cost of Traffic Wardens is a burden on the CMC. He further explained that the continuation of Wardens job was not feasible economically. Presently the expenditure on pays and perks for these 173 Traffic Wardens surpasses the income, he concluded.
Under the new parking scheme, parking of vehicles in different areas has been restricted due to security reasons and the Traffic Wardens of such areas have been taken off and remain at Dalery Road office at present and get a pay without doing any service, he added.
The problem presently being faced by these wardens is that “NO PARKING” signs have been put almost at every place by the Traffic Police due to security reasons. At some places where there are No Parking signs, when they get the vehicle parked and ticket issued, the police appear and order them to remove the vehicle. This creates an embarrassing situation for them and the vehicle owners also scold them

International Trade Law conference website launched

2007-10-04T02:23:00.000-07:00

FINANCIAL TIMES
By Aamna Mahboob--2007/04/10/
Chief Justice Sarath N. Silva launched the website of the International Trade Law Conference on Tuesday at the Sri Lanka Law College in connection with an international trade Law conference “The Doha Development Agenda and the Future of the Multilateral Trading System”.
Speaking at the launch the Chief justice said that “the website launching and the Trade Law conference are very timely” adding that the country should know how to gain benefits out of international trade rules.
He said that trade system has to be studied in Sri Lanka, adding that the country has a pool of intelligent people which will lead it in the future.
The conference is being organized by the Sri Lanka Law College from July 30 to August 1 at the Cinnamon Grand in Colombo this year.
Eminent experts from the United States, the European Union, India and Sri Lanka will present papers at the conference.
Janak De Silva, Senior State Counsel at the Attorney General’s Department said that the conference would be of immense interest and benefit to a diverse group including those in the business community, policymakers, government officials, economist, legal practitioners, academics, non governmental organizations, diplomats, students, consumer groups and the media.
He explained that expertise from different countries will present papers on areas such as trade in agricultural products, trade in non-agricultural products, trade in services with focus on telecommunication, banking and financial services, trade and development, the World Trade Organization and regionalism, dispute settlement, trade, environment and sustainable development and future MTN rounds.
The conference will look at building awareness amongst stakeholders on the issues arising within the framework of the World Trade Organization and providing a forum for critical discussion of the issue from different perspectives.
Sponsors of the conference are Sri Lanka Telecom, Sri Lanka Insurance, national lottery board, ETV, LBO, LBR, Daily Mirror and the Sunday times and their representative handed over sponsor’s packages to the principal of the law college.
The principal of the Sri Lanka law college W.D. Rodrigo said that the Sri Lanka Law College is one of the premier institutions for the teaching of law in Sri Lanka and has taken a pioneering role in the advancement of knowledge in the sphere of International Trade Law, of which the World Trade Organization and it's regulatory regime forms an integral part.

Wheat flour price increase: Talks again on Monday

2007-09-25T04:11:00.000-07:00

NEWS--2007/02/17
By Aamna Mahboob--
The meeting between Minister of Consumer Affairs Bandula Gunawardena and officials from Prima Ltd on the increase in the price of wheat flour failed and they are expected to meet again on Monday.
Speaking to the Daily Mirror after the meeting, Minister Gunawardena said: “They (Prima) had signed some agreements with the Treasury, and I have to first go through those agreements before the next meeting on Monday.”
The minister also claimed that already the Ministry’s officials were having discussions with the Treasury. Earlier the minister said he would take legal action against the Company and if necessary would import wheat flour on a competitive price.
The Prima Company last week increased the price of a kilo of wheat flour by three rupees, resulting in a one rupee increase in the price of a loaf of bread.
After the increase, a kilo of wheat flour was increased from Rs. 37 to Rs. 40 with effect from Friday (9). Bakery owners also increased their price of a loaf of bread by one rupee.
The Company has not yet got permission from the Consumer Affairs Authority to increase the price.

Tis the season, where is the business?

2007-09-25T04:10:00.001-07:00

W@WWomen at Work
By Aamna Mahboob
Shops are usually busy this time of the year. Yet, this year it seems that business is not as good as it has been in the past years. Some shops have done fine, but some are complaining. The cost of living seem to have kept many away from too much shopping this year . Due to lack of customers many shops it seems have also shut down. A visit to ‘Premiere Pacific’ at Duplication Road, only confirmed this. Most of their shops have shut down completely.
“Compared to lat year, this year has not been good” said, the manager of a shoe shop at Liberty Plaza. He explained that the last year 2005 the sales were good and this year the cost of living may have kept people away.
Some shopkeepers say that the high security and the inability to park have led to a lot of loss of business. As the cost of living has also increased, people cannot buy much.
“Children’s toys are the most expensive” said Nandini Perera, a working mother.
A shop assistant of a toy shop pointed out that toys were expensive because they were imported and they had to pay duty.
Some shopkeepers however, expressed satisfaction over their business. These were mostly gift shops where one can buy small items for a reasonable price.
“We don’t know what will happen in the future in our country - the prices of goods are so high and the conflict situation is always bothering us ”, a school teacher Dirshani Soza said. She added that the things are cheaper on the pavement and other shops on the road side rather than big shopping centers, but she thought that people were coming to big super markets for relaxation and also because the convenience of parking.
“Prices have gone up - vegetable, rice and other prices of food items are increasing rapidly” said I. Fernando, a house wife. She hoped that the coming year will be better and bring better hope for the country .
Ayami Wickramasuriya said middle class and poor people can buy things from small shopping centers and pavements but now in some areas the state had removed people from pavements and poor people are have difficulty getting what they want..
“Our business is running at a loss as our shop is on the road side and the police does not allow vehicles to park due to security,” said Ananda Dahampath, the manager of a clothes shop at Bambalapitya. He said that the designated parking area is 2 kl away from the shop. Some areas are one way now and that is also a problem, said a shop owner

tourism in Kandy

2007-09-25T02:35:00.000-07:00

Police seek public help to nab aid worker’s killers

2007-09-25T02:15:00.000-07:00

NEWS-2007/08/25
By Aamna Mahboob
Police are seeking assistance from the public in nabbing the killers of the Danish Demining Group (DDG) local staff member in Jaffna earlier this week, with the assurance of security for those who furnish any information, police spokesman Jayantha Wickramaratne told The Daily Mirror
Amid the growing number of killings of humanitarian workers in Sri Lanka over the last two years, the most serious being that of 17 aid workers in Mutur last year, the DDG staffer was killed and another injured while traveling on a motorbike in Jaffna.
Senior DIG Wickramaratne said the investigation into the killing had stalled as very few people were keen to provide information owing to fears of LTTE reprisals.
He stressed that public cooperation would greatly assist the police probe and noted that if they feared LTTE threats, then the information could be forwarded by mail or by telephone.
“If people are scared of being identified they can send their information by letter. The police are facing similar problems in obtaining information from the public in places like Vavuniya and Batticalao because of LTTE
threats,” the police spokesman said.
DDG country programme manager Steen Wetlesen said the group, with a staff of 300 in Jaffna, had suspended its work on the peninsula till a plan on staff security was put in place.
"During the last two years four of our staff members have disappeared and two have been killed," he told Reuters.
The killings come just weeks after UN Humanitarian Chief Sir John Holmes said in an interview to Reuters that Sri Lanka was among the most dangerous places for aid workers.

Mega hair and beauty fair showcased diamonds, top designer collection

2007-09-25T02:10:00.000-07:00

By Aamna Mahboob
The Mega Hair and Beauty Fair and the Hair Asia Pacific 2007 which commenced last week concluding on Sunday showcased the Aura Diamond Collection along with New York based Indian designer’s Indo Western Collection.
The Hair and Beauty fair which went on for three days had various events such as the L’Oreal Colour Vision that held the international hair show which was sponsored by L’Oreal, then the Nature’s Secret Beauty Extravaganza that held a seminar about the beauty through the eyes of a doctor sponsored by Nature’s Secrets and lastly a fashion show of the designs of the Sri Lanka’s leading fashion designers and fashion schools.
Hair Asia Pacific which started yesterday had over 200 foreign participants from Singapore, Indonesia, Pakistan and many other countries. On the first day they had the L’Oreal Colour Vision event which was about forecasting the latest trend in hairstyles.
The one hour show also featured the Sri Lanka’s top hairstylists with the participations from foreign hairstylist as well. Competitions for the national awards ceremony, comprising of ladies and gents haircuts as well as bridal and evening hairstyles was also held at the first day.
The mini competition for the public are also in the three day event, with prizes being given out to the Derana Model of the day, L’Oreal Most Stylish hair Colour, L’Oreal Healthiest Hair, Nature’s Secrets Most Beautiful Skin competitions will held daily.
The event also offer free Facials by Nature’s Secrets, Special Hair Colour treatment, Raffle tickets draw for two air tickets to Chennai to be won, as well as consultation opportunities with DR Farah Faruqui.
The Hair and Beauty Fair and Hair Asia Pacific event is recognized by the Ministry of Tourism as a national event. Aiming at creating benchmarks in the local hair, beauty and fashion industry, it is also an exposure to talented individuals in their various fields.
The second day of event which was sponsored by Nature’s Secret featured Pakistani Cosmetologist and Dermatologist Dr Farah Faryuqui’s two hour seminar on ‘Beauty through the eyes of the doctor”. The second day also had fashion show by Anom, a leading Indonesian fashion designer, featuring for Indonesian models is brought down to Sri Lanka for the event as well as the Nature’s secret Bridal Collection and Pakistani Bridals collections.
The last day also includes an award ceremony with the winners from Each Category. They will receive the prize money of USD500 and USD2000 for the grand Championship Category.
The third day dedicated to Fashion and comprise of competition relating to bridals from the west and orient to the traditional and contemporary as well as the full fashion look for men and women. The fashion show was held throughout the day by showing the creations of Sri Lanka’s leading fashion designers and designing schools. Each show will be for 3o minutes with a pool of 15 female models and sis mail models.
The Hair Asia Pacific will commence today with the entry of foreign participants that includes Jacklynthe Tan, Director of Pivot Point, Singapore, Rudi Hadisuwarno, President of Indonesians Hairdressers Association and president of the OMC and ICD, Indonesia, Suchard Konreuk, President of All Hairdresser Association and Ruhana Iqbal Khan, President of PHABA and Pakistan.

Lankan crew expected in Kenya for repatriation

2007-09-25T02:08:00.000-07:00

By Aamna Mahboob --2007/04/11/
The Sri Lankan crew members of the WFP vessel which was hijacked by Somali pirates in February and released last week are expected to reach Mombasa port in Kenya either today or tomorrow and will later be sent directly to Sri Lanka, a foreign ministry oficial told the Daily Mirror.
According to the officials, WFP has already contacted the next of kin of the six Sri Lankan crew members and informed them that the crew was safe and in good health while the foreign ministry had also informed the relatives about the release.
“The vessel is on its way to Mombasa and on reaching port, the Sri Lankan High Commission will try to send the crew members back to Sri Lanka as soon as possible,” the foreign ministry official said.
The MV Rozen in which the Sri Lankans worked had unloaded more than 1,800 tons of food aid in the semi-autonomous region of Puntland in northeastern Somalia when it was hijacked on February 25. Six of its crew members were from Kenya.
The ship was contracted by the WFP to deliver food aid to millions of people affected by the drought which hit Somalia last year. Trained and well armed fighters, often dressed in military uniform, using speedboats equipped with satellite phones and Global Positioning System equipment, often hijack food supplies being delivered to the country along its 1880-mile coast. Somalia has had no effective government since warlords ousted a dictatorship in 1991

INGO under Government scrutiny

2007-09-25T02:07:00.000-07:00

By Aamna Mahboob-2007/01/10/
The activities of an international NGO is under government scrutiny following revelations a hospital in rebel controlled Ampara, which came under the control of the STF on Monday, was being funded by the charity group.
According to sources the defence ministry was to hand over a report to the foreign ministry pertaining to their findings regarding possible links between the Netherlands based Zoa Refugee Care (ZOA), and the LTTE which will be scrutinised before the next course of action is taken.
The Daily Mirror learns logos of the NGO were found on several items of equipment in the rebel hospital at the ‘Stanley Camp’ in Kanchkidichcharu Ampara, a key rebel camp in the area which was overrun by the STF in an operation on Monday.
“This maybe a plant and we are still not sure if there are any links. All we know is that the logo was found on several items in the camp,” a Defence Ministry source said.
However ZOA officials in Colombo said they were surprised at the allegations and were attempting to obtain more information over the alleged findings.
“This is not true. We have nothing to do with the LTTE. We are awaiting further details on this issue,” ZOA country director Bernard Jafperf Faijer told the Daily Mirror.
ZOA is active in Ampara in the east with its local head office based in Colombo and according to Mr. Faijer the aid group operates an office 7 km away from Kanchikudichcharu, the location where the alleged ZOA branded items were found.
‘Stanley camp’ in Kanchikudichcharu was the main centre used by the LTTE to continuously carry out attacks on the security forces positioned in the area. In addition this was also the main centre to train the forcibly recruited children by the LTTE and had also housed a large number of child soldiers.

Livelihood recovery in tsunami affected areas satisfactory: report

2007-09-25T02:06:00.000-07:00

The Chief Technical Advisor of Income Recovery technical Assistance program, Doekle Wielinga yesterday said that the livelihood of Tsunami affected areas has been recovered to quite a satisfactory level.He made these observations in launching the “Needs Assessment Survey for Income Recovery” (NASIR) yesterday.According to him the recovery of lost livelihood is satisfactory in general; an overall 90% recovery rate is shown in the surveyed districts. Among these districts, the highest number of families having the same primary income source as before is reported in the affected families of Colombo district (97%) with the lowest being reported from the Jaffna district (38%). He elaborated that in Kalutara 100% of people have recovered but in Jaffna in due to current situation the recovery rate stood at 55%.He also said that the strongest recovery has been reported from the fisheries and small business/service sectors which were also seriously affected by the tsunami.The main objective of this launch is to share knowledge on the economic recovery status of affected communities among the livelihood development agencies.This is the fourth in the series of the “Needs Assessment Survey for Income recovery conducted in 10 Tsunami affected districts of Sri Lanka during November 2006 covering Ampara, Batticaloa, Colombo, Galle, Hambantota, Jaffna, Kalutara, Matara, Mullaitivu and Trincomalee.The survey is organized by International Labour Organization (ILO) and the Reconstruction and Development Agency (RADA).The first assessment (NASIR-1) of the series was conducted in January 2005 as soon after the tsunami to asses the livelihood needs.And the second assessment (NASIR-2) was carried out in eight affected districts April 2005. In this connection in October 2005 the third survey (NASIR-3) was conducted in nine affected districts and tracked similar indicators of livelihood recovery needs as in previous survey.Head of Supportive Evaluative Developing livelihood for tsunami affected districts Cynthia Carlon said that the recovery rate of women has significantly increased during 2006 from 65% to 96%. In comparison to men recovery rate it is lower than the women and it is slightly decreasing from 88% to 85%, she concluded.Director of RADA livelihood Indra Kaushal Rajapaksa said that the survey also reveals that there are still more persons relying on manual labour and on non work sources (government assistance and remittances) than before the tsunami.He said that families who are out of transitional shelters and are back in houses on their own land are succeeding well economically.This is reflected through their monthly income (58% of families earning) and the recovery rate for men (lost an income and now working) which is 86%. These families also show the highest employment rate (71%).“Less people are interested in temporary income and in terms of loans microfinance the demand of loans is very high on of the funds of RADA tries to lobby for special loan scheme, he said.

10/04/2007"
By Aamna Mahboob and Farveeza Ansar

Understanding poverty through “Fresh Perspectives”

2007-09-25T02:04:00.000-07:00

The outgoing Chairman of the Center for Poverty Analysis (CEPA), Dr Nimal Sanderathne said that the CEPA is not a rigid organization and it provides independent analysis of poverty-related developments issues in Sri Lanka He was speaking to a gathering of people on the launching ceremony of a book ‘Fresh Perspectives: Exploring alternative dimensions
of poverty in Sri Lanka”.The CEPA coordinator of the Poverty Assessment and Knowledge management Programmer, Azra Abdul Cader explained that the book introduces commonly used definitions and indicators of poverty, as well as more alternative methodologies and CEPA’s own definition and approach to understanding poverty.She further explained that this publication is reflective exercise of the CEPA and an opportunity to pull together lessons and information from work which the organization had undertaken over the 5 years since the inception of CEPA”S concept.“It has also provided an opportunity to showcase the methods we have been developing, particularly combining quantitative and qualitative approach in poverty analysis” she said.She hopes that the message through the book, which they continue to stress at CEPA, is the need to take a comprehensive and balanced approach to issue of poverty, using a combination of approaches rather than relying on one or two methods.Assistance Governor of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka and Director of CEPA, Anila Dias Bandaranaike, said that quantitative information on consumption poverty, from national household income and expenditure surveys, has been available in Sri Lanka for over 50 years, while successive governments, since independence, have placed emphasis on welfare benefits to needy.“During the recent past, policy discussion and debate on poverty related issues in Sri Lanka have become more focused on the available quantitative and qualitative evidence, rather than on perception” Bandaranaike said.She also highlighted the book as valuable source of information on poverty both in Sri Lanka and globally. She noted that some information was the starting point of serious research on WHO (who are they), WHERE (where they live), What (what are they deprived of) WHY (why they are poor) WHEN and HOW (when and how they become poor).She further explained that the book also provides interesting and useful insights into different dimensions of poverty among diverse poor communities those geographically or isolated (estates, ethnic minorities), those isolated from economic and employment opportunities by crises (civil conflict and tsunami) or inappropriate human development (youth).She said that most recently, the government has selected the 119 DS divisions with the highest incidence of poverty identified by DCS for development, as a part of its “gama naguma” program. There is new recognition that poverty could be a result of economic, social, political and spatial exclusion, therefore we need to take look at poverty from a fresh perspective of its many dimensions, if we are truly understand why it exists and how to reduce it, she concluded.

15/06/2007" By Aamna Mahboob

Nawaloka Heart Center beats well

2007-09-05T02:16:00.000-07:00

FINANCIAL TIMES
By Aamna Mahboob

Nawaloka Hospitals last week recapped the host of achievements of its Heart Centre and said it has grown in success.
General Manager of Nawaloka Hospital Professor Chandaresena said that the Heart Center has achieved highs in heart surgeries since its inception on August 12, 1994. He said that since the starting of the first private sector Cardiac center in Sri Lanka, the Heart Center is proud about their expert Cardiologists to perform the first Coronary Angiogram to the first PTCA of Left Main coronary artery in Sri Lanka.
“The Heart Center is having good machinery and personnel to deal with all situations and many cases rejected by other places, as they are perceived to be high risk, are performed here”, he said.
The Heart center is also first in Sri Lanka to do Beating Heart Surgery using "Octopus", to use Radial Artery (Artery of the Hand) and Right Gastro-epiploeic artery (Artery of Stomach) for Bypass operations.
The hospital has done over 12,000 Angiograms and nearly 7000 Open Heart Surgeries up to now, with the latest equipments. The Nawloka Heart Center, the latest Philips Allura Flat Detector Cardiac catheterization Laboratory with Stent Boost, Physiomonitoring is installed. The latest Terumo Advanced Perfusion System 1 and the latest Data scope one-button start-up IABP machine are also the new arrivals to this advanced Heart Center in Sri Lanka.
Professor Chandaresena said that currently more than 98% of bypass surgeries are performed without stopping the heart and without using the heart lung machine, using a device called the Octopus Tissue Stabilizer and we have the latest of the kind- OCTOPUS Evolution.
The Regional Manager-sales southern Region Medical Systems of Philips Electronics India, B. Umasankar said that, Philips creates 3d views from 2d images helps to assess optimal working/viewing angles and accurate lesion length thereby overcoming the inherent limitation in 2d imaging.
He said that the unique system design improves efficiency, enhances safety and optimizes workflow of the patient and staff. Superb image quality improves the clinical outcome, while advanced dose reduction measures ensure least patient dose, he added.Advanced imaging, processing and qualification tools helps the cardiologist see more details from multiple views to have a deeper understanding which in turn improves patient care through better treatment planning and intervention, he further explained. Meanwhile the Galladari Manager Sampatah Sriwardane said that they are associated with Navaloka hospital from the beginning and will be with them in future as well.
The other sponsors Group members like Group Finance Director of E-Wis (IBM) Company, R. M. Chirstosom and Manager Director of Janashakthi Insurance, Prakash Schaffter were also present at the pres conference.

Better techniques will improve agri production

2007-05-19T03:00:00.000-07:00

FINANCIAL TIMES

By Aamna Mahboob Sri Lankan farmers should adopt modern agricultural cultivation techniques to obtain maximum output, stressed Moratuwa University Chancellor Vidya Jyothi Dr. Ray Wijewardene.He made these observations at a discussion conducted by Colombo MBA Alumni Association (CMBAAA) held last week.
The centuries-old agricultural techniques used by Sri Lankan farmers need to be replaced with modernized Western techniques, he said. They use the old methods and are following the path of their forefathers, which, in the present age is of no use, he added.
Sri Lankans are talented and intelligent and can produce everything in their own country by turning to the modern scientific methods, he said.
“We in Sri Lanka are truly blessed with resources. I must admit that our scientists in Sri Lanka have failed to take a lead helping exploit the vast resources with which this country is blessed, and not only to the extent of ' writing a paper' for some foreign journal or publishing pious recommendations; but ensuring that their research is both socially and financially sound in the context of this country,” he added.
Dr. Wijewardene further said that both agricultural scientists as well as nutritionists have affirmed the technologies by which such a country’s basic needs can be achieved, provided a political and national commitment is made.
“A firm political commitment towards non-dependence for food and nutrition would very quickly galvanise the re-direction of development endeavour towards this end, as it has in Israel, in Cuba, and in a host of other countries when their backs came against the wall,” he said

FINANCIAL TIMES Better techniques will improve agri production

2007-05-19T02:15:00.000-07:00

Will Sri Lanka be just what Pakistan want?

2007-05-16T01:55:00.000-07:00

By Aamna Mahboob SPORTS
After their early and embarrassing exit from the 2007 World Cup to rookies Ireland the Pakistani cricket team has a chance to win back some dignity in the upcoming one-day-international tournament against World Cup finalist Sri Lanka at a three-match series in Abu Dhabi from May 18.
Pakistan is injecting new blood in the likes of Najaf Shah and Fawad Alam to its side at the expense of the more experienced players such as spin magician Danish Keneria, all-rounder Azar Mahmood and Younis Khan. Young Shoaib Malik has been appointed captain over a number of senior players. Sri Lanka too will not include its star bowlers, Muttiah Muralitharan and Chaminda Vaas and wicket keeper batsman Kumar Sangakkara. All three have county commitments in England.
While the Sri Lankan cricketers are in high spirits after becoming runners-up, the Pakistan side is, understandably, feeling a little dejected and demoralized due to their controversy-ridden exit from the World Cup. Following coach Bob Woolmer’s tragic death and former captain Inzamam Ul-Haq’s resignation in less than 24 hours after their Ireland debacle the team members must be feeling slightly dispirited. Add to that, they’ll be facing the World Cup finalist and thus, psychologically they’ll be playing under pressure.
Spokesperson for the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), Salahuddin Ahmed said on selecting some new players that focus was on the future and therefore some youngsters had been inducted to provide them with the chance to show their mettle at international level.
The PCB officials have confidence in their new captain.
“Malik is a fine, thinking and confident young man and one hopes he will develop into a good leader. Age is on his side and he can be expected to remain at the helm for at least a decade,” the PCB was quoted as saying.
A fan had this to say on the choice of Mohammad Asif as vice captain: “We need a new start. With Shoib as the captain none of the other senior players could be considered for the vice captain’s job. This excludes Abdul Razzaq, Shahid Afridi, Mohammad Yousuf and some others. Among the young players Kamran Akmal or Salman Butt could have been considered for the position of vice captain. But Salman Butt has been in and out of the side for several years and Kamran Akmal's wicket keeping skills are erratic. I think among the remaining players Mohammad Asif is the only one whose place in the side is a certain for now.”
The PCB seems to believe that the team they have selected will deliver. However, a fan I contacted via e-mail does not seem to agree.
“I think Razzak should not have been included in the squad, and also the selection of five openers is beyond comprehension; Shahid Yousaf should have been selected. We need to groom somebody in place of Inzi and Younis. Shahid has been consistently performing in domestic cricket. He also performed well in the practice match. The PCB has selected four allrounders and six fast bowlers and I think they should have selected more batsmen and should have tried them alternatively in three matches. With the exception of Fawad Alam and Najaf Shah there are no new faces in the team,” he said.
Looking back at the World Cup, the two major Asian giants, Pakistan and India were ousted by relatively weaker teams and the only hope for the Asians was Sri Lanka which fought well but lost to the super Kangaroos at the final. But Sri Lanka remained the only team that was able to salvage Asian pride.
The entire cricket-crazy south Asian region will be focused on the contest between Sri Lanka and Pakistan in Abu Dhabi and the upcoming test series between India and Bangladesh. The Indians are looking to avenge their defeat at the hands of Bangladesh in the World Cup. They have a point to prove to a billion Indian cricket fans. They went into yesterday’s third and final one-dayer against Bangladesh with a 2-0 lead. In Abu Dhabi it will be up to Sri Lanka to provide ample entertainment to the cricket fans there and keep their already soaring spirits high. They will be looking to keep their World Cup form alive and Pakistan will want to show that they are far from becoming a cricketing non entity.
Barely two weeks after the World Cup the region will come alive yet again in the spirit of cricket, a sport which knows no racial or religious boundaries. Millions wait with baited breath.

SAARC conference and Joint decleration on Terrorism

2007-05-12T03:32:00.000-07:00

Aerial Attack on Colombo

Since 26th March 2007 the first LTTE’s show off air power much water has flown down the stream. The LTTE attack at Sri Lankan Air Force Kattunike base sent cold down the spine of every Sri Lankan. It also sent message aloud to other terrorist organizations to fallow the suit. Ironically this attack was carried out before holding of the 14th SAARC Summit in New Delhi, which concluded on 4th April with a joint declaration against terrorism.
Latterly SAARC means Cooperation for Development among the countries of South Asian region. And of course the recent declaration to fight against terrorism sound sweet, but the people yearn and wait for their dream for peace and tranquility in the region.
If one looks around the realism of SAARC achievement and efforts for peace and dismal picture of subversion interference in others affairs appears on the seen. Some big members of the body who are really big try to influence the policies of their smaller partners. At times such big brothers would sabotage even the holding of SAARC Summit by refusing to participate on flimsy excuses.

If we look at the outcome of the Delhi Summit, it appears to be just a gathering, which dispersed after deciding nothing. So far the question of combating terrorism is concerned, some participating countries, which are facing foreign sponsored insurgency and terrorism, find non other than them selves to face the brunt of terrorism.
For instance take Sri Lanka. This country is toiling hard to confront the LTTE, which has become a monster with the patronage of their masters since 1983. A neighboring country India to stop the rapid economic growth of this country created it. Since than this organization (LTTE) at times slipped out of the hands of their mentors in order to hoodwink the Sri Lankans India has proscribed LTTE in her territory at the same time the Tamil Nadu political leadership has time and again raised eyebrows over the happenings in Sri Lanka where ever the Government pushed against the LTTE’s terrorism.
According to defense annalists, the Indian nurtured LTTE is becoming threat to the regional peace after acquisition of the air power. The news of LTTE acquiring manufactures know-how of micro-light aircraft, first leaked in the early nineties. According to reports, the Tamil Tigers were in possession of only two micro-light aircrafts and a Robinson R-44 helicopter, which later crashed during one of its flights. Then there was another disturbing development that is that the outfit had succeeded in acquiring at least two Czech built single-engine Zlin-143 aircrafts, and of constructing an airfield. Meanwhile, news items, about the purchase of two light aircrafts from Indonesia in early 2005, through intermediaries, did causes serious concerns, but uncertainty of the news put the issue on the backburners at that time, this was being perceived as something unusual, which everybody know would have tremendous and far-reaching security implications, not only for South Asia but for the international security, too. But the news that one of the aircrafts flew almost 600 Kms from Wanni to Colombo, without being detected by the first-generation air defense radars, installed and manned by the Indians, bespeaks of the serious gaps in the huge monitoring and surveillance system. It also amounts to a serious blow to the conscience of the international community, and has revived the memory of Taliban (dropouts of religious seminaries) flying aircrafts to hit the enemy targets.
In this disturbing episode sadly the first-generation radars, installed by India and also being maintained by a group of Indian air force personnel failed to detect the incoming aircraft. These radars were installed after prevailing upon Sri Lanka, who intended to deploy and advanced Chinese Early Warning System. It was not liked by India that Sri Lanka acquires such sophisticated radar system (3D from China) perceiving it as a threat to the airfields in India’s south. Instead, it offered a first-generation radar system free of charge, and Sri Lankan had no alternative but to accept that offer, though what it really needed was the Chinese system recommended by military experts. Thus Sri Lanka became a casualty of the tussle between ‘the Chinese dragon and Indian elephant’ it had to compromise its national security interest to appease its big neighbor, but that ‘good neighbor’ would not give two hoots about Sri Lanka’s security concern.
Interestingly the Indians are now trying to prove their seniority and commitment towords the Sri Lankan Defense concerns. In this connection the Sunday Times of 6th April carries a story about arrival of an Indian Air force experts team to assist the authorities in matters relating to the effective working of the 2D radar system. Some defense experts have expressed their reservation about the utility of 2D radar system, where as reported by Sunday Times, the Indians are providing another 2Dradar to Sri Lankan air force.

Nawaloka Heart Center beats well

2007-05-09T03:11:00.000-07:00

By Aamna Mahboob
Nawaloka Hospitals last week recapped the host of achievements of its Heart Centre and said it has grown in success.
General Manager of Nawaloka Hospital Professor Chandaresena said that the Heart Center has achieved highs in heart surgeries since its inception on August 12, 1994. He said that since the starting of the first private sector Cardiac center in Sri Lanka, the Heart Center is proud about their expert Cardiologists to perform the first Coronary Angiogram to the first PTCA of Left Main coronary artery in Sri Lanka.
“The Heart Center is having good machinery and personnel to deal with all situations and many cases rejected by other places, as they are perceived to be high risk, are performed here”, he said.
The Heart center is also first in Sri Lanka to do Beating Heart Surgery using "Octopus", to use Radial Artery (Artery of the Hand) and Right Gastro-epiploeic artery (Artery of Stomach) for Bypass operations.
The hospital has done over 12,000 Angiograms and nearly 7000 Open Heart Surgeries up to now, with the latest equipments. The Nawloka Heart Center, the latest Philips Allura Flat Detector Cardiac catheterization Laboratory with Stent Boost, Physiomonitoring is installed. The latest Terumo Advanced Perfusion System 1 and the latest Data scope one-button start-up IABP machine are also the new arrivals to this advanced Heart Center in Sri Lanka.
Professor Chandaresena said that currently more than 98% of bypass surgeries are performed without stopping the heart and without using the heart lung machine, using a device called the Octopus Tissue Stabilizer and we have the latest of the kind- OCTOPUS Evolution.
The Regional Manager-sales southern Region Medical Systems of Philips Electronics India, B. Umasankar said that, Philips creates 3d views from 2d images helps to assess optimal working/viewing angles and accurate lesion length thereby overcoming the inherent limitation in 2d imaging.
He said that the unique system design improves efficiency, enhances safety and optimizes workflow of the patient and staff. Superb image quality improves the clinical outcome, while advanced dose reduction measures ensure least patient dose, he added.Advanced imaging, processing and qualification tools helps the cardiologist see more details from multiple views to have a deeper understanding which in turn improves patient care through better treatment planning and intervention, he further explained. Meanwhile the Galladari Manager Sampatah Sriwardane said that they are associated with Navaloka hospital from the beginning and will be with them in future as well.
The other sponsors Group members like Group Finance Director of E-Wis (IBM) Company, R. M. Chirstosom and Manager Director of Janashakthi Insurance, Prakash Schaffter were also present at the pres conference.

Rights violations: 30 security personnel arrested-FRONT PAGE

2007-05-01T02:06:00.000-07:00

By Aamna Mahboob
Some 30 police and military personnel are among the 450 people arrested in connection with human rights abuses including abductions, disappearances and murder a civic action leader said yesterday.
Kingsley Rodrigo the Chairman of the Peoples Action Front for Free and Fair Election (PAFFREL) said he had records of the police arresting 452 people in connection with human rights violations.
PAFFREL, with the assistance of the Human Right Commission of Sri Lanka and Police is currently working on a human right report which will be released on May 15.
“So far we have received one thousand complains from the public,” Mr. Rodrigo said adding that 24 PAFFREL officers were active in 24 districts collecting information for the report.
He said the purpose of the project was to control the current spate of abductions, killing and assassinations in the country.
Mr. Rodrigo said his organisation had also appointed lawyers in some districts to intervie and provide advice to the victims.
Police spokesman DIG Jayantha Wickramaratne could not be reached to get a comment on the allegations of the involvement of some police officers in human rights abuses.

Mosquitoes get New Year break in city

2007-04-10T07:30:00.000-07:00

NEWS
By Aamna Mahboob
The Anti-Chikungunya and Dengue Campaign organized by the Colombo Municipal Council (CMC) will continued till April 12 and recommence on April 23 after the National New Year.
According to CMC Chief Medical Officer Dr. Pradeep Kariyawasam one thousand volunteers went on a house to house check of the gardens covering some 11,085 houses during the past few days.
He said that contrary to speculation this campaign would not be called off.
He added that the CMC had warned over 366 households found with mosquito breeding places in their gardens.
Dr. Kariyawsam said one of the major activities under the Green Star home project was resorting to legal action on households found with mosquito breeding places. He explained that such householders would be initially warned and if such warnings were not heeded they would be penalized under the newly enacted Mosquito Prevention Act.
“We will also go to Central and North Colombo and will check the residences and also conduct awareness programmes,” he said.
He added that the other activities under the project were shramadana campaigns, creating buffer zones around schools, competitions in schools and the ‘No to Dengue and Chikungunya’ Walk on May 11.

NEWS--Mosquitoes get New Year break in city

2007-04-10T02:08:00.000-07:00

By Aamna Mahboob
The Anti-Chikungunya and Dengue Campaign organized by the Colombo Municipal Council (CMC) will continued till April 12 and recommence on April 23 after the National New Year.
According to CMC Chief Medical Officer Dr. Pradeep Kariyawasam one thousand volunteers went on a house to house check of the gardens covering some 11,085 houses during the past few days.
He said that contrary to speculation this campaign would not be called off.
He added that the CMC had warned over 366 households found with mosquito breeding places in their gardens.
Dr. Kariyawsam said one of the major activities under the Green Star home project was resorting to legal action on households found with mosquito breeding places. He explained that such householders would be initially warned and if such warnings were not heeded they would be penalized under the newly enacted Mosquito Prevention Act.
“We will also go to Central and North Colombo and will check the residences and also conduct awareness programmes,” he said.
He added that the other activities under the project were shramadana campaigns, creating buffer zones around schools, competitions in schools and the ‘No to Dengue and Chikungunya’ Walk on May 11.

Galvanization of Indian Muslims for their emancipation struggle

2007-03-28T07:43:00.000-07:00

FEATURES
By Aamna Mahboob
Some days and dates carry importance in the history of Nations just like the fourth of February is a milestone in the history of Sri Lanka, the 23rd March 1940 is the date and day considered as the foundation stone laid for the creation of Pakistan.
The 23rd of March is one of the most important days in Pakistan’s history, the day in 1940 when the founding fathers signed the momentous Pakistan Resolution, which gave birth to the idea of a nation. After the creation of Pakistan, Quaid-e-Azam Mohammed Ali Jinnah had said:
“We are a nation, with our distinctive culture and civilisation, names and nomenclature, sense of values and proportion, legal laws and moral code, customs and calendar, history and tradition, aptitude and ambition; in short we have our own distinctive outlook on life and of life. By all canons of international law, we are a nation”.
By all perceptions, this day March 23 is a red-letter day in the history of the subcontinent as it marked the galvanization of the Indian Muslims to launch a struggle for emancipation from the centuries-old British colonialism.
As is indexed in the history of the Pakistan Movement on this historic day 67 years ago the pragmatic vision of Pakistan was formalized in a resolution, adopted by the Pakistan Muslim League at its meeting held at Manto Park (now Iqbal Park) in Lahore with Quaid-i-Azam Mohammed Ali Jinnah in the chair.
The resolution, piloted by ‘Sher-e-Bengal’ (Lion of Bengal) Moulavi A. K. Fazlul Haq, articulated the contours of the State of Pakistan and set the ideals that it was to pursue after its creation. This session passed the famous Pakistan Resolution demanding a separate homeland for the Muslims, to be comprised of the northwestern and eastern zones of India.
“The Resolution stated that no constitutional plan would be acceptable to the Muslims unless it was designed in such a way that areas in which the Muslims formed a majority would be separated to form parts of Pakistan. This Resolution called for the creation of independent Muslim States consisting of Punjab, NWFP, Sindh, and Baluchistan in the northwest, and Bengal and Assam in the northeast”.
The day is of course of great significance as it’s an occasion to pause and ponder over the achievements of Pakistan, failings in keeping with the vision and ideals as identified in Pakistan’s resolution.
The Quaid, the visionary par excellence, had interpreted the image and ideals in his historic address to the Constituent Assembly on August 12, 1947 while focusing the moral, ethical, constitutional and ideological facets of the new and magnificent State.
It’s certainly not all dark because Pakistan that had to make the start from scratch has come a long way in the economic and security perspectives.
Not only that, it has attained a remarkable place in the comity of nations but is simultaneously playing its pivotal role to promote peace, security and stability at regional as well as at international levels.
It’s true that liberation of Indian Muslims from poverty, squalor, want, hunger and disease was an important factor for the demand of a separate homeland for them, yet it’s imperative that the Quaid’s declaration of the Holy Quran being the readymade Constitution of Pakistan should not be lost sight of as Islam is the basis of its establishment.
At the same time, Pakistanis feel optimistic that the superpowers of the present epoch explicitly in the West shall give up deceitful maneouvers and instead would confer with overt acknowledgement due credence and value to Pakistan’s marvellous accomplishments and contributions vis-à-vis the end of terrorism in its all forms and manifestations solely with a zest for founding a lasting peace around the globe.
For this, such powers like the United States and the United Kingdom owe an exclusive responsibility for the solution of volatile global issues with Kashmir as the foremost as such lingering problems are posing colossal perils to world peace.
Pakistan has come a long distance in achieving the present position in the world comity after going through different road blocks in its prosperity, development and stability. Despite the conspiracy by different geo-political powers slashing away its eastern part was the result of international conspiracies to cut the world’s largest Muslim state into size. Things did not stop there and international players are trying to further harm and disintegrate it through their hirelings. The ongoing insurgency in Baluchistan and other parts of Pakistan is a result of the foreign patronage but they forget that today’s Pakistan is different from that of 1971 and possess a nuclear umbrella.

Chief Innovation Officers recognised for leadership, innovation

2007-03-26T07:52:00.000-07:00

FINANCIAL TIMES

By Aamna MahboobForty-eight Chief Innovation Officers (CIOs) successfully passed a specially designed IT training programme under the Information and Communication Technology Agency of Sri Lanka’s (ICTA) Re-engineering Government programme. This is the first batch of CIOs who successfully completed the International Driving License course. This programme also included a module on Information Technology & Strategic Management for Managers.
CIO concept is a widely accepted and practiced idea across the globe for successfully implementing eGovernment projects. Public officials have been handpicked by ICTA for their leadership skills and innovativeness rather than IT skills but, undergo rigorous training in IT. This is to ensure that they provide IT leadership within the government and are being trained to be change agents within their individual organizations. Much time and effort is spent on them as CIOs are the key to the end delivery of e-Services.
Mr. Wasantha Deshapriya, Programme Director – Re-engineering Government, ICTA congratulated the CIOs and stated, “Re-engineering the government is a Herculean task. We need to set up a strong platform, and the CIO programme is just one aspect of it. CIOs are key players in our projects. You have to go that extra mile to achieve what is necessary, devote the necessary time and make things work.”
The CIO concept has been developed on the basic assumption that an ICT champion from an organization should drive the ICT projects forward to make those successful. This ensures the proper buying-in, ownership, use of organizational knowledge and sustainability of the project. The CIO has been designated as the official to manage government organizations' IT projects. The CIO must embrace the principles and demonstrate skills in the disciplines related to IT management. With the proper qualifications, the CIO can manage IT efficiently, effectively, professionally, and predictably. The contribution the CIO provides to the organization earns him/her a place of stature and authority in the organization.
“The ICT sector has overcome many challenges. It is the most appropriate time to adopt the information and communication technologies into the government processes. This will ensure optimum benefits to the government, the private sector and the citizens who are the recipients of ICT based services. Accordingly, we need you, our CIOs to learn to use these technologies and be an example to others,” said Professor V.K. Samaranayake – Chairman, ICTA.

Lanka holds bright future in exports - GL

2007-03-16T08:04:00.000-07:00

FINANCIAL TIMES

By Aamna Mahboob
Minister of export development and international Trade Prof G. L. Peiris said that Sri Lanka has a very bright future in export; we must export our talent to the world.
“There is a great demand for craftsmen and skill labuor in the Middle East countries, especially Dubai, Doha and Qatar where the construction industry is growing fast. Hence we should tap this market”, he said.
He made these observations at the unveiling of the holding of Excon 2007(Exposition for the Domestic Construction Industry), Chamber of Construction Industry Sri Lanka (CCI) President said they planned to hold construction industry exhibition at BMICH and Sirimavo Bandaranaike Memorials Exhibition Hall from 11th to 13th May 2007.
He also said that the proposed exhibition would be able to attract around 200 participants belonging to the construction industry.
The Minister of Construction and Engineering DR. Rajitha Senratne assured the participants and CCI president to solve their problems, as and when they face and discuss the same with his ministry.
The CCI president hoped that the CCI being an Apex body representing every stake holders of the construction industry is confident that Excon 2007 will accrue substantial benefits to the domestic construction industry. Excon 2007 has been designed to promote linkages among the stakeholders to facilitate enhancement of capacities and competitiveness of the domestic construction industry.
Chamber’s initiatives in the recent past have been targeted to eliminate industry growth impediments.
CCI has taken a lead role in the training of craftsmen and the development of small and medium enterprises in the construction industry in addition to facilitating public private partnerships in infrastructure development and construction related projects.
The prominent presence at this trade fair will undoubtedly enhance participant’s visibility to all sectors of the construction industry while promoting their products and services to the target market.
During the trade fair a number of concurrent events such as seminars, workshops and cocktail receptions are being planned providing opportunities for interaction among participants/ stakeholders.

Unilever launches “Hadaridma” to promote healthy living

2007-03-13T08:17:00.000-07:00

FINANCIAL TIMES

By Aamna Mahboob
Unilever Sri Lanka has launched ‘Hadaridma’ a CSR (Cooperate social responsibility) programme aimed at promoting heart healthy living in Sri Lanka recently.
‘Hadaridma’ was launched through its health brand Flora by hosting Unilever’s top contributing retailers to an evening of interactive learning on the importance of leading a heart healthy lifestyle, at Water’s Edge.
“What better way to commence such an island wide campaign than with our retail community. This is the first step In Unilever’s mission, through its heart health spread brand Flora, to educate the community on leading a heart healthy lifestyle,” said Surith Perera Unilever’s Marketing Director of Food.
Unilever’s heart health initiative comes in the wake of pressing statistics that illustrated as heart diseases are the No1 killer in Sri Lanka.
The brand manager of Flora Saumya Perera said that, “When we found out that 10 people die daily of heart related disease, and of which, 7 of them due to unhealthy lifestyle practices. We felt that it was our duty to promote heart healthy living”. Unilever’s mission is to add vitality to life, and through Flora its heart health brand it also aims at reducing the incidence of heart disease by conducting programmes throughout the country to educate the community with the knowledge to live a heartier life, she concluded.
To launch the event, the retail community was invited to an evening which consisted of medical checks and educational sessions by renowned doctors. Dr. Nimali Uduwela educated the community on healthy eating practices and methods by which correct food choices can be made.
Chandana Gunawardena acclaimed inspirational speaker educated the community on the need to adopt a positive attitude to live a heartier life.
Furthermore tips on adopting a daily exercise routine were given and the event concluded with all retailers being hosted to a sumptuous heart healthy meal connoting yet again that heart healthy living can be a part of a an attractive life style, a Unilever Spokesperson added.

Parking restrictions and effects on small businesses

2007-03-13T08:05:00.000-07:00

FEATURES

By Aamna Mahboob
The no parking signs as well as diversion of two way traffic into one-way on Duplication road, Galle road and certain other areas has added to the woes of the general public and the small business man in these areas. It has also added cost affective problem to the transporters who have to take long routes due to traffic diversions.
A manager of accessories and clothes shop at Duplication road said that their business is going down due to no parking being allowed along the road side. He added that the customer have to park their vehicle far away from their shop. At time finding no parking places, the customer are forced to walk down for about a distance of two km after parking their vehicles inside lanes. According to him as Vajira road has also been turned into one-way, the customers are facing parking problems there. He also said that if by chance their customer parked their vehicle along the road side then the police will charge them.
“We are trying to shift our shop to another good place where parking is not a problem”, said the manager of a fast food restaurant at Duplication road. He too added that they are loosing their customers due to parking problem.
In this connection when contacted an economic researcher Muttukrishna Sarvananthan said that “The latest no parking regulations and the one-way system are causing havoc to small businesses along the main roads of the city”.
While the big business malls like Majestic City have ample parking place, a plaza known for computer and other electronic items in close proximity is gradually losing attraction of the customer due to no parking being allowed in the area.
He added that the small businesses also provide customers convenient place and ease to shop. In effect, the “no parking” restrictions drive small businesses out of business and indirectly help supermarkets and shopping malls where you can find ample parking space they claim.
“Parking restrictions for security reasons is against the poor and weaker sections of the metropolitan community”, Sarvananthan said.
Referring to the recently published report by World Bank about ‘ease of doing businesses’ he said that unfortunately the index that captures “ease of doing business” does not cover these small scale businesses. It only covers big businesses, which are hampered by overarching government rules and regulations restricting business.
The report ‘Doing Business in South Asia 2007’ Sri Lanka has been ranked at the 89th on the ‘ease of doing business index,’ which is the fourth place in the South Asian region followed by Pakistan at 74th, Nepal at 100th, India at 134th, Bhutan at 138th and Afghanistan at 162nd place out of 175 countries.
Although small businesses may not account for a lot in monetary terms they do generate lot of employment and provide self-employment opportunities to unemployed educated & uneducated youth and families. In metropolitan areas like the city of Colombo small businesses provide an opportunity for the marginalized urban poor to seek a livelihood. Besides, considerable numbers of these small businesses are part of the large informal economy in the city of Colombo. Self-employed small businesses (particularly the informal businesses) are major means of eradicating urban poverty in many developing countries including Sri Lanka.
Although pavement hawkers and road side vendors could be a nuisance to pedestrians they provide cheaper and quicker access to goods and services in urban areas like the city of Colombo. Further, small shops along the main roads provide considerable revenue to the Colombo Municipal Council (CMC) in terms of taxes. This revenue may be lost or reduced if those businesses move out of the city, he concluded

Mega hair and beauty fair showcased diamonds, top designer collection

2007-03-06T08:19:00.000-08:00

FINANCIAL TIMES

By Aamna Mahboob
The Mega Hair and Beauty Fair and the Hair Asia Pacific 2007 which commenced last week concluding on Sunday showcased the Aura Diamond Collection along with New York based Indian designer’s Indo Western Collection.
The Hair and Beauty fair which went on for three days had various events such as the L’Oreal Colour Vision that held the international hair show which was sponsored by L’Oreal, then the Nature’s Secret Beauty Extravaganza that held a seminar about the beauty through the eyes of a doctor sponsored by Nature’s Secrets and lastly a fashion show of the designs of the Sri Lanka’s leading fashion designers and fashion schools.
Hair Asia Pacific which started yesterday had over 200 foreign participants from Singapore, Indonesia, Pakistan and many other countries. On the first day they had the L’Oreal Colour Vision event which was about forecasting the latest trend in hairstyles.
The one hour show also featured the Sri Lanka’s top hairstylists with the participations from foreign hairstylist as well. Competitions for the national awards ceremony, comprising of ladies and gents haircuts as well as bridal and evening hairstyles was also held at the first day.
The mini competition for the public are also in the three day event, with prizes being given out to the Derana Model of the day, L’Oreal Most Stylish hair Colour, L’Oreal Healthiest Hair, Nature’s Secrets Most Beautiful Skin competitions will held daily.
The event also offer free Facials by Nature’s Secrets, Special Hair Colour treatment, Raffle tickets draw for two air tickets to Chennai to be won, as well as consultation opportunities with DR Farah Faruqui.
The Hair and Beauty Fair and Hair Asia Pacific event is recognized by the Ministry of Tourism as a national event. Aiming at creating benchmarks in the local hair, beauty and fashion industry, it is also an exposure to talented individuals in their various fields.
The second day of event which was sponsored by Nature’s Secret featured Pakistani Cosmetologist and Dermatologist Dr Farah Faryuqui’s two hour seminar on ‘Beauty through the eyes of the doctor”. The second day also had fashion show by Anom, a leading Indonesian fashion designer, featuring for Indonesian models is brought down to Sri Lanka for the event as well as the Nature’s secret Bridal Collection and Pakistani Bridals collections.
The last day also includes an award ceremony with the winners from Each Category. They will receive the prize money of USD500 and USD2000 for the grand Championship Category.
The third day dedicated to Fashion and comprise of competition relating to bridals from the west and orient to the traditional and contemporary as well as the full fashion look for men and women. The fashion show was held throughout the day by showing the creations of Sri Lanka’s leading fashion designers and designing schools. Each show will be for 3o minutes with a pool of 15 female models and sis mail models.
The Hair Asia Pacific will commence today with the entry of foreign participants that includes Jacklynthe Tan, Director of Pivot Point, Singapore, Rudi Hadisuwarno, President of Indonesians Hairdressers Association and president of the OMC and ICD, Indonesia, Suchard Konreuk, President of All Hairdresser Association and Ruhana Iqbal Khan, President of PHABA and Pakistan.

Breakfast in Amritsar, lunch in Lahore and dinner in Kabul

2007-02-05T02:19:00.000-08:00

Every year on February 5, the Pakistani people express solidarity with theKashmiris’ in support of their struggle under India

By Aamna Mahboob 2-5-007
Jammu and Kashmir a Himalayan state with an overwhelming Muslim majority was one of the 565 princely states in August 1947 when the Indian Subcontinent was divided into two independent - states - Pakistan and India. It was ruled by a Hindu Maharaja and situated between the two new counties.
According to Victoria Schofield, author of ‘Kashmir in Conflict’, the Maharaja signed a “standstill” agreement with Pakistan in order that services such as trade, travel and communication would be uninterrupted. India did not sign a similar agreement but pressed the Maharaja to announce accession to India. Yielding to the pressure in October 1947 the Maharaja Hari Singh singed the controversial Instrument of Accession giving India the jurisdiction of extant to external affairs, Defence and Communication. Taking advantage of this the then Indian Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru sent the Indian Army to Srinagar.

I land at Srinagar after waiting for six hours for the flight to take off. The air is heavy and not free. I am so enthralled by the trees, the streams, the hills in the far distance, the cold air, the snow, everything. But there is something else. Every 50 meters there’s a man standing with a weapon in uniform; a soldier. The shadow of the gun looms large and suddenly I feel suffocated. The army is omnipresent. It’s like darkness filling up a vacuum. I don’t think these people think of me as one of their own. They look at me with distrust.

Then the governor General Lord Mountbatten suggested that in view of India and Pakistan’s competing claims for the state, the accession should be confirmed by a “referendum, plebiscite, election”.
Pakistan contested the accession, suggesting that it was fraudulent, the Maharaja acted under duress and he had no right to sign an agreement with India when the standstill agreement with Pakistan was still in force.
Pakistan also argued that because Hari Singh fled from the valley of Kashmir, he was not in control of his state and therefore not in a position to take a decision on behalf of his people. This led to the local revolt against the Indians purportedly supported by the tribal people of Pakistan. Then accusing Pakistan of engineering the revolt, the Indian forces attacked Pakistan. The tiny Pakistan army supported by the tribal groups confronted the army and got a part of Kashmir now called Azad Kashmir librated.
Since 1947 much water has flowed down the stream and the Kashmiri people are languishing under Indian occupation and struggling to get liberation. Interestingly it was the Indian government which took the Kashmir dispute to UN and agreed to give the right of self determination to the people of Kashmir; a dream which is yet to come true for them.
They have sacrificed not only their honour but shed blood for liberation. As a result since 1989 they are engaged in an armed struggle for liberation from Indian subjugation.
According to the ‘Hindustan Times’ about forty thousand people in Kashmir have been killed up to December 2006 but the non governmental organizations put the figure exceeding seventy thousand. The number of missing Kashmiri youth in Indian held Kashmir since the start of the armed struggle, stands at eight thousand according to Khuram Perwez, an activist of Kashmir Coalition of Civil Society.
The National Conference, a pro India party of Kashmiri law makers demanded a debate on the fake gun battles in which innocent Kashmiri youth are being killed by blaming them as terrorists.
In the given situation Pakistan has consistently called for the issue to be resolved by means of plebiscite and has blamed India for reneging on its pledge.
On the other hand the hatred against Indian forces and the urge for liberation is increasing day by day. The BBC in a broadcast “Impressions from Kashmir war zone” depicted the hatred and distrust faced due to the Indian troops in their own words.
“I land at Srinagar after waiting for six hours for the flight to take off. The air is heavy and not free. I am so enthralled by the trees, the streams, the hills in the far distance, the cold air, the snow, everything. But there is something else. Every 50 meters there’s a man standing in uniform with a weapon; a soldier. The shadow of the gun looms large and suddenly I feel suffocated. The army is omnipresent. It’s like darkness filling up a vacuum. I don’t think these people think of me as one their own. They look at me with distrust”.
Since the armed struggle by Kashmiri youth or militancy in Indian held Kashmir or what so ever it may be called, the Pakistani nation has fully supported the Kashmiri cause. They hold rallies, symposiums, seminars and conferences, and make human chains to express solidarity with the Kashmiris on February 5 every year.
Side by side the government of Pakistan has been exploring different avenues, floating fresh ideas to solve the 60-year-old dispute. It may be back channel diplomacy or parleys at different levels; it has gone far ahead to solve the issue.
However, the Indian response has always been lukewarm. At some stages advances made in this connection came to standstill due to hawkish policy of India.
Recently the president of Pakistan, Perwez Mushrraf went far ahead; by passing all the previous polices for solution of the dispute he floated the four point formula. The four-point proposal says that Kashmir will have the same borders, but people on both sides will be allowed to move freely; it will have "self-governance or autonomy" but not independence; there will be a phased pullout of troops, and a tripartite mechanism for "a joint supervision" of the disputed state.
At first the Indian response was very cautious and apparently negative but the statement by Indian Premier Dr Manmohan Singh that they want very cordial relations with neighboring countries appear to be a welcome sign. His statement; “breakfast in Amritsar, lunch in Lahore and dinner at Kabul”, was viewed a silver lining in an otherwise bleak scenario. However, soon after his statement these words were over shadowed by the Indian allegation of firing by Pakistani troops on line of control to cover up the alleged infiltration of the militants into Indian held Kashmir.
Recently, Jammu and Kashmir’s Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chief Mehbooba Mufti had demanded that both Indian and Pakistan currency be permitted for use in financial transactions in the state.
Thus indirectly she supported joint control of India and Pakistan in Kashmir. But Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has bitterly condemned Mehboba’s stand.
“If there is a will there is a solution” says Pakistani president Mushrraf speaking of a solution to the issue. In the given situation the proposals moved by Mushrraf are the most appropriate. As India stresses for maximum devolution of power and a solution of the ethnic issue through negotiations in Sri Lanka, it should also adopt the same course and accept Mushrraf’s proposals for joint control of Kashmir so that the hostilities may come to an end and peace is brought to the region. If it is not done now, the yearning for peace would remain a dream and hostilities continue to haunt the people.

Child recruitment by LTTE, Karuna continues unabated- Weiss

2007-01-23T08:30:00.000-08:00

NEWS

By Aamna Mahboob and Easwaran Rutnam
More than 1800 children were recruited by both the LTTE and the Karuna faction by the end of last year, the UN Child's rights group UNICEF told the Daily Mirror adding that the actual figure is estimated to be much higher but goes unreported. Despite commitments by both sides to release the child recruits little progress seems to have been made and the UN will take up the matter when a report on Sri Lanka is studied at a security council working group session early next month.
UNICEF is however of the view the LTTE, which promised to release all under aged youth by the end of this month, is making progress on the issue, although according to the police the LTTE abducted at least 42 youth last week. They are being held in Kokadicholai, Batticaloa.
"The LTTE are making progress on the issue of releasing child recruits and importantly they continue to remain engaged on the issue", Gordon Weiss the communication Chief of UNICEF in Sri Lanka told the Daily Mirror. According to UNICEF data there were reports of at least 1685 cases of child recruitment by the LTTE till the end of December 31, 2006 out of which 683 are still under the age of 18 while the rest have passed that age although underage at the time of recruitment. The Karuna faction, UNICEF claims, has recruited more than 165 children by the end of last month but the New York-based Human Rights Watch (HRW) said in a report the breakaway LTTE group had abducted and recruited well over 200 children in the east. "UNICEF is having discussions with the TMVP regarding child abduction" Weiss told the Daily Mirror. Most underage recruitments go unreported owing to threats to the families by the two rebel groups. There are fears the escalating three way conflict between the LTTE, Karuna and the Amy will result in many of the child soldiers being put on the front line to fight against their enemies and suffer the ultimate price.

NEWS---Child recruitment by LTTE, Karuna continues unabated- Weiss

2007-01-23T02:10:00.000-08:00

By Aamna Mahboob and Easwaran Rutnam
More than 1800 children were recruited by both the LTTE and the Karuna faction by the end of last year, the UN Child's rights group UNICEF told the Daily Mirror adding that the actual figure is estimated to be much higher but goes unreported. Despite commitments by both sides to release the child recruits little progress seems to have been made and the UN will take up the matter when a report on Sri Lanka is studied at a security council working group session early next month.
UNICEF is however of the view the LTTE, which promised to release all under aged youth by the end of this month, is making progress on the issue, although according to the police the LTTE abducted at least 42 youth last week. They are being held in Kokadicholai, Batticaloa.
"The LTTE are making progress on the issue of releasing child recruits and importantly they continue to remain engaged on the issue", Gordon Weiss the communication Chief of UNICEF in Sri Lanka told the Daily Mirror. According to UNICEF data there were reports of at least 1685 cases of child recruitment by the LTTE till the end of December 31, 2006 out of which 683 are still under the age of 18 while the rest have passed that age although underage at the time of recruitment. The Karuna faction, UNICEF claims, has recruited more than 165 children by the end of last month but the New York-based Human Rights Watch (HRW) said in a report the breakaway LTTE group had abducted and recruited well over 200 children in the east. "UNICEF is having discussions with the TMVP regarding child abduction" Weiss told the Daily Mirror. Most underage recruitments go unreported owing to threats to the families by the two rebel groups. There are fears the escalating three way conflict between the LTTE, Karuna and the Amy will result in many of the child soldiers being put on the front line to fight against their enemies and suffer the ultimate price.

Dec 1st, Aids day in Sri Lanka

2006-12-01T01:37:00.000-08:00

Colombo- Sri Lanka
Today is world aids day and I went to cover a rally. the rally was organize to make awareness in people about aids, because the number of AIDS/ HIV positives increased up to 785 by the end of the second quarter in 2006. When I was in the park where the rally supposes to come, suddenly I heard a huge bomb explosion and I ran towards that area and did my job there and came back to the park and attend that rally as well… it was organized by Sri lanka Aids cantrol program and ICRC (international Red Cross).

A bomb explosion at Kolpitty in Colombo

2006-12-01T01:29:00.000-08:00

Colombo-Sri Lanka- Kolpitty

A bomb explosion at Kolpitty in Colombo, it was a suicide attack from LTTE on Gotabaya Rajapakse, brother of President of Sri Lanka (Mahinda Rajapakse). So far 17 people have been killed including his security guard.

Several vehicles have been damaged and a few of them were burning at the time this was pasted.

A three wheeler has been completely damaged and it is suspected that the bomb had been brought in the three wheeler. A VIP vehicle, a BMW, is seen damaged and a body severed off its head is seen near the vehicle.

I am student in Sri Lanka College of journalism, and free alliance at Daily Mirror Newspaper. As I am student I went to cover an Aids rally at Veharma Devi Park, suddenly I heard a huge explosion then I ran to know what happened there with my College friends. There I took this picture, but I went back to my work and I took pix of Aids walk as well….!!!!!!!!

but at that area Sri Lankan CID officers Investigate us and they ask us lots of question and they asked me to show them my Id but I have no id and even my Passport photo copy was not with me. But I gave them my work place number and then they give us way to go back to college …….

South Asian Rail Commuter Corporation (SARCC)

2006-11-27T23:05:00.000-08:00

I performed in Street of SARCC. I enjoyed it a lot and guess what our performance was the best. I represent Nepal though im Pakistani. We showed the reality and everyone like it im not telling lie J . Other countries performed Dance and we performed on dance and as well as showed the street which was filled with people.

We showed that in Nepal a festival is coming named Disain and people are preparing their self for the festival and street venders are trying to get much money as they can to celebrate the festival.

The event included dance and musical items by members from this region as well as a display of Handicrafts. There was showcase an array of mouth-watering food of the different SAARC countries.
While there was a representation of what one would encounter on the streets of any of these countries. A betel seller, a vegetable seller, a flower seller and a young girl selling bangles, a raban player were also there!!!!!!

perfarmance by Bothan!!!!!
i think so it is Sri Lnaka think so Sri lanka again!!!!!!! not sure caz i was in cahnging room at that time my sis took it 1

Find me here im here !!!!!!:-)

Chat with Mahela

2006-11-02T15:26:00.000-08:00

Mahela Jayawarena celebrates his first wedding anniversary with his wife Christina on third of November of 2006 and the Three 60(my college news paper name) were thrilled to get an interview with him. The much loved cricket captain revealed his personal life from cricket player to a loving husband.
The past student of Nalanda College in Colombo said that he was seven years old when he joined the school cricket team and due to his talent in the game he was picked for the U-19 national cricket team.
Speaking of cricket in Sri Lanka he said that the country has the best structure for junior cricket. “I know for a fact that the Australians and English like the brand of cricket that we play,” Jayawardena said adding that there are around 340 schools which train their students to play cricket so there are more opportunities for youngsters to join this game
“If you look at everybody you become a much better person and learn more" andding that his role model of the calm player is his father. He is the one who guided me through my career,” he said. He added that his wife is also a major part in his life. “I found the right partner who understands my responsibly and so far so good and I hope it will stay the same,” he said.
It has been one year since he got married and starting a family has been one of the things in their minds but he said that it is still too early since they got married to start a family.
“I manage my personal life quite well. My wife works for a web based company and when I am on tour we try to make arrangements so she can also come with me,” he said.
The charming cricketer loves his Sri Lankan food “rice and curry” because that is what he misses the most when he is on tour.
He has been working for 10 years in Seylan Bank and has not made a decision to continue this job while tackling his busy schedule. In addition to his family life, cricket and job at Seylan bank he also busy with his sponsor.
Speaking of his fans the well liked cricketer said they are the best and give them more freedom and privacy in public. “When I go out with my family the kids would just come and ask my autograph,” he said.
He said while smiling he would love to live in Pakistan if the supplies are given free to sports stars “but unfortunately here we pay for our goods,” he said. He further said that he cannot take gifts from shopkeepers all the time because they too are doing a business. “I do not want to hurt their feelings by not accepting something,” he said.

Presently Jayawardena is driving a black jeep but his dream is to own a jaguar.

He not only loves his cricket but likes to play golf, water sports, basketball and football in his spare time. “I am a big football fan. I us to get scolded at home for watching sports on TV,” he said. when we are touring we are usually stuck in a hotel room so we play different kinds of sports to keep us occupied. “I like to see how people act in different situations under pressure,” he said.

His favourite kind of music is slow sinhala songs. He is a big fan of the 1980s songs “I can be a little old fashioned but that is the music I like,” He likes Milton Malavarachchi, Clarence Wijeratne and Gunadasa Kapuge.

In his free time he loves to watch a lot of English movie. He said he does not have much time to watch dramas so on holidays he would rent a DVD to watch with his wife.

Maheshika Palipane, isuri and I went to interview him. After that we gave this story to daily Mirror and our college newspaper. Isuri only went to see him but ma and mahsehika wrote the story. We enjoyed a lot!!!!!

Maheshika, Mahella, Isuri and Me..

The valley of wolves Iraqi

2006-10-05T09:01:00.000-07:00

With a budget of $10m (£5.7m), Valley of the Wolves Iraq is the most expensive film ever made in Turkey - and it is pulling record crowds.
someone made something different then what we always use to see from Hollywood, The Americans use to be always the one who save the world and always the goods the winners, before was movies about Vietnam, they use to be the bad ones and then the Russians, one American man fighting against all the Russian army (Rambo). If they have the right to show to the whole world that Viet army is bad and Russians too so whats wrong with this Kurtlar Vadisi.( Valley of the Wolves: Iraq). First time someone made something different then Hollywood use to show us always and now they become a shame ? I don't see any shame in this movie, it was a good movie there is some truth and some fiction in it but at least its not Rambo; Open your eyes people!
The movie opens with a real-life incident: the arrest on July 4, 2003 of 11 Turkish special forces soldiers and 13 civilians by U.S. troops in the northern Iraqi town of Sulaymaniyah.
one of the special forces troops, Suleyman Aslan is so humiliated by the event that he takes his own life after writing a letter to his friend, Polat Alemdar Alemdar is a Turkish intelligence agent . Determined to avenge his friend's humiliation, Alemdar travels to Iraq along with several of his colleagues to seek vengeance on the American commander whose actions led to Aslan's suicide.They attach explosives to the foundation of a hotel. They demand commander Sam William Marshall. The group threatens to blow up the hotel unless Marshall. Marshall refuses and brings in a group of Iraqi children as human shields. Alemdar gives in and leaves. In a later scene, an execution of a Western journalist by some Iraqi who had suffered from US army is about to take place, but sheikh prevents it and offers the journalist the opportunity to kill the person who tries to kill the journalist. but the journalist declines the offer. Marshall raids an Arab wedding on the pretext of hunting insurgents. While rounding people up, a small child accidentally causes an American soldier to misfire his rifle, killing the child they als killed the groom. The survivors are forced into a truck and sent to Abu Ghraib prison. Enroute, an American soldier complains that the prisoners might be suffocating in the truck.
one amy men then fires on the truck, spraying the side with bullets. then the soldier threatens to report the incident, he is promptly shot. The bride Leila wants revenge by becoming a suicide bomber, but is talked out of it by the sheikh who says it is against Sharia . Leila hurries to a market to stop her friend from blowing himself up where Marshall is having a meeting but is too late.
Alemdar and his team then attempt to kill Marshall again by rigging a bomb in a piano (which once belonged to Saddam Hussein that's being delivered to Marshall as a gift. The bomb explodes prematurely, and Marshall is left for dead. Alemdar and Leila then take refuge in a mosque.
whats next in the end Leila was killed but Marshall was also killed. but u should watch it. u will know the relatiy

Necati Sasmaz -:Polat Alemdar
Billy Zane -:Sam William Marshall
Tito Ortiz -:American Major Commander
Ghassan Massoud Sheikh -:Abdurrahman Halis Kerkuki
Bergüzar Korel -:Leila
Gürkan Uygun -:Memati Bas
Diego Serrano-: Dante
Kenan Çoban -:Abdulhey Coban
Erhan Ufak -:Erhan Ufak
Gary Busey -:Doctor
Spencer Garrett -:Journalist George Balti

Lessons to learn

2006-09-22T01:28:00.000-07:00

All good things must come to an end and it was indeed a spectacular closing ceremony with India becoming the overall champions. Paving the way was the Indian girls squash team that won the crown in squash events, which was held at the Gymkhana Club squash complex from19-26 August 2006.

In the women’s final, two Indian teenagers, Joshna Chinappa was the gold medallist and Dipika Pallikal won the silver medal. The two top-seeded Indians had overcome their anticipated opponents, Tehani Guruge and Nirasha Guruge, the expertise from Sri Lanka in the previous round in individual events.

Despite the two cousins being tipped for gold by local authorities the competition proved to be too much for them. Squash as a whole has not garnered much attention at SAG due to the lack of gold medals and this turn of events will probably see the sport remaining in the shadows for the foreseeable future.
Joshna Chinappa was the most experienced player from India thanks to her wins at the previous SA Games, which were held in Pakistan. Holding on to a position among the top fifty in world rankings she was a threat that no one had an answer for, cementing her dominance with expected skill. Joshna’s talent expands to other racquet sports like badminton and apparently still tries her hand at it sometimes. Squash was introduced to her by her father, a former squash player himself it was the winning that finally made her hang up her badminton racquet and concentrate on squash on a professional level.
“I only took up squash because it seemed like a fun sport. But after I started winning I decided to take is seriously,” Joshna Chinappa admitted. Apparently those genes are too strong to ignore and success is the greatest motivator. Winning the gold medal at SAG will undoubtedly give her a launch pad to go higher at international meets in the next few years.

The victorious Pakistani squash team. (L-R) Majid Khan , Amir Khan, Yasir Ali Butt,
Coach Fahim Gull, Manager Iyaz Khan, Mansoor Zaman, Carla Khan. (Front row)
Misbah Rani, Muqadda Ashraf, and Maria Wazir. Pic by Aamna Mahboob.

However, the Sri Lankan lass Nirasha Guruge (16) who won the bronze medal looked at the scenario in a positive light as an impetus to improve her game for the Asian Games which are to kick off in Doha, Qatar in December 2006. She was the winner of the plate event in the Commonwealth Games, in Melbourne 2006. She is also the current national champion and the winner of Penang junior open in Malaysia 2006.
Meanwhile in the men’s event, left-hander Mansoor Zaman, a talented player from Pakistan, had to face 16-year-old compatriot Aamir Atlas Khan in the final after both players beat India’s Harinder Pal Sandhu and Gaurav Nandrajog, respectively in the semi-finals.
Second seed Khan shocked his more experienced top-seeded opponent by taking a 2/1 lead in the final but Zaman regained his composure to win 9-5, 7-9, 4-9, 9-2, 9-0 and retain the title he won two years ago in Islamabad. Repeating the feat would have been the only goal that he would have set himself given that Zaman was the danger man for everyone else.
Amir who played for the first time in the SA Games fought tooth and nail to clamber into the final. Given that he is the Asian Junior Champion 2005 and the World Junior Championship runner-up this was not an eyebrow raising event. Given the amount of talent in the team an all Pakistani final was on cards right from the beginning. “Squash is my family game. My brothers and cousins also play squash. My younger brother won the British Junior Championship in his age group,” Amir noted. For several members of this team the family influence runs as strong as blood.
Amir is another protégé from Peshwar, which is famed for its excellent squash players and indeed the best training in Pakistan can be found there. For Amir, the path to success was formed by the coaching expertise that he got from his home province.
Both Joshana Chinappa and Dipika Pallika monopolized the court to beat Sri Lanka in the final and win the gold medal. Sri Lanka got the predicted silver medal, but being within such close reach of the gold was disappointing. While in the men’s team Pakistan made their motherland proud by beating India in the final adding another gold medal to their heap.
In the team event, the Sri Lankan girls got the chance to get the silver medal for their country.
Coach Jemshid Gull seemed satisfied, since as he said, “we were hoping to win silver in the girl’s team event.” Literally the only silver lining for the Lankan squash team.
“Our boys played very well and I am satisfied with their result because they have not had much experience as the Pakistanis and Indians,” noted Jemshid Gull a Pakistani himself who had come to coach the Sri Lankan team for the SA Games.
In the first women’s team match between India and Pakistan, India beat Pakistan 3-0. Top seed players from both countries Joshna Chinappa and Carla Khan who ranks 28 in the world. Due to a back injury Chinappa was substituted for Khan with positive results.
Pallikal, who is also a first timer at SAG like Amir, played against Nirasha three times during the face off. Pallikal lost to Nirasha once but managed to claimed victory over her twice.
When they met for a third time it was guaranteed to be an exciting match because if Nirasha won then they had a chance of getting the gold medal but Pallikal saved the day to obtain a straight victory for India.
“I was excited about the match. I was scared of the nerves but played well because I want to do my country proud,” said Pallikal.
Another Sri Lankan player Tehani Guruge, was matched with Chinappa in a team event and during the match an accident caused Tehani to receive a head injury.
“I felt very sorry for Tehani and fortunately I played the ball slowly, otherwise it may have been very serious,” Chinappa said. Since building ties between South Asian countries is the point of the Games her concern for Tehani is touching to all

the long story behind decoratinh hands

2006-09-21T22:52:00.000-07:00

By: Aamna Mahboob.
"Aye mehndi ke ye raat aye" (today comes the henna night) "gori karat singhar" (the girl
prepares herself for her wedding)……
This is one of the most popular "mehndi songs" sung on henna day, on the first day of a wedding in Pakistan. Friends, family members of the bride, relatives and neighbours gather on henna/mehndi raat (night) at the home of the bride's parents. Friends of the bride or expert beauticians apply henna on the bride's hands and feet.

The word Henna has its origin in the Arabic word Al-Hinna and is used as an art form that is applied to the body. This is known as Mehendi, which is a beautiful form of temporary body decoration. Mehndi is a traditional form of decoration for both men and women in countries such as India, Morocco, and Pakistan.
Henna grows in hot climates and is found in India, Pakistan, Malaysia, Iran, Syria, Egypt, Morocco, Sudan and other North African, Asian and Middle Eastern countries.
Henna is a herb that is used for many purposes. The leaves, flowers and twigs are ground into a fine powder and then mixed with hot water. Various shades are obtainable by mixing with the leaves of other plants, such as indigo, tea, coffee, cloves, tamarind; lemon, sugar, and various oils are also used to enhance the colour and longevity of design.
There is much speculation as to the first origin of the use of henna. What is known for sure is that henna has been used as a cosmetic, as well as for its supposed healing properties for at least 5000 years. Centuries of migration and cultural interaction has made it difficult to determine with absolute certainty where the tradition began.
The use of henna was taken to India by the Moguls in the 12th Century, centuries after it was used in the Middle East and Africa. Still others insist that the tradition of mehndi originated in North Africa and the Middle Eastern countries during ancient times.
The style of the art varies from country to country, spanning different cultures and religious traditions, and making it possible to recognize cultural distinctions. There are three main traditions that can be recognized, aside from the modern use of henna as temporary tattoo.
Generally, Arabic (Middle-eastern) mehndi features large, flower patterns on hands and feet, while Indian and Pakistani(Asian) mehndi uses fine lines, lacy and paisley patterns covering entire hands, forearms, feet and shins; and African mehndi art is large, and bold with geometrically patterned angles. African mehndi patterns often use black henna (potentially very toxic) while Asian and Middle Eastern mehndi is often reddish brown.
It is also a common custom in Pakistan and India to step into the mehndi, or simply apply the paste without creating a pattern in order to cool, protect or treat the skin.
In Pakistan on Muslims Eid festivals (Eid -ul-Fitter and Eid-ul-Azha) young boys decorate their pets with mehndi. Old women or gray haired people apply it on their heads on Eid or any type of functions. Young Pakistani girls apply henna the night before Eid day which is also called as Chand Raat (moon night). College girls apply it during college farewells, at funfairs, college meets and on marriage day.
While much of the tradition and symbolism around the use of mehndi has been lost over the generations, some traditions are still followed by some.. It is used to help heal skin diseases, condition and colour the hair, as well as prevent thinning hair, and cools the skin to reduce swelling in hot climates.
Henna is used as a protection against the "evil eye". Newly purchased homes in Morocco often have their doors painted with henna to wish for prosperity and chase away evil. It is made into a beverage to heal headaches and stomach pain. The foreheads of bulls, milk cows, and horses are sometimes decorated with henna for their protection.
Henna is used in celebrations of weddings, births, religious holidays (similarly for Hindus, Muslims, Jews, Christians and other religions) and national festivals. A bride whose family has little money wears her mehndi in place of ornate gold jewellery.
In Pakistan and India, it is common saying that when a bride has mehndi done for her wedding, the darker the design the more her mother-in-law loves her. A good deeply-coloured design is a sign of good luck for the marital couple. A bride is not expected to perform any housework until her wedding mehndi has faded (and it is jokingly reputed that some lazy brides may secretly re-do their henna designs to prolong their leisure).
In popular culture of recent times, mehndi has enjoyed a renewal. Western musicians and Hollywood personalities adopted and altered the tradition so that mehndi, as a temporary, pain-free body decoration alternative to tattooing grew to be seen as a hot new fashion accessory among women and men.

British Council, Global linking programme

2006-09-13T07:26:00.000-07:00

Mirror Life
By Aamna Mahboob
Now the world has become a global village, every one is interested in what is happening around the world. It is not only fascinating for adults but for youngsters as well -they want to know about their neighbouring countries and their cultures.
The British council in Sri Lanka initiated a global school programme to help Sri Lankan schools and teachers establish a sustainable partnership with UK schools through which they could conduct mutually beneficial curriculum based projects.
"From Sri Lanka around 44 secondary schools and eight primary schools have already established links with UK schools," said Head of the project, Deepthi Wijesinghe. She added that it is eye opening for students because they will know how global issues impact their lives and drives culture around the world.
The workshop on Global Linking took place in Sri Lanka for the second time this year. Sixteen students from twelve schools from different areas of Sri Lanka participated in a three day work shop organized by the British Council recently in Alawwa, Thulhiriya.
"We covered four topics Global Citizenship, Conflict resolution, human rights and Sustainable development in the workshop. It provided an opportunity for the students to cultivate and express various perspectives, ideas as well as regarding the global dimension concepts" Deepthi added.
She said that this workshop was not only meant for Colombo based students but for other areas like Kandy, Negombo and Matara as well. She explained that it provided an opportunity for the twenty most outstanding students at the previous conference to actively take part in organizing the up coming conference as it offers them a chance to practice the knowledge gained at the previous event.
"Where ever they are my students and I would prefer to give them more knowledge rather than keeping it with me," said Hanoon Umar, a teacher from Kalmunai Mahmud Ladies College. She is giving lectures to the students; she feels that these types of workshops should involve students from remote areas as well.
"As I am helping teachers and sharing my experiences with students, I feel that I have improved a lot in my leadership qualities," said Rusta Umar (14), student helper from Kalmunai Mahmud Ladies College.
"We have come from different cultures, religions and as well as from different parts of the country. Besides the problems that we are faced with are common irrespective of all differences. Therefore meetings like this helps us to identify the common problems faced by us and find a solution together," said a student Poorni Kamaladiwela (15) from Sirimavo Bandaranayke Vidyalaya Colombo.

Australia’s David Palmer pockets world squash title in Egypt

2006-09-08T07:28:00.000-07:00

SPORTS

By: Aamna Mahboob.
Suspense comes to end after Australia's David Palmer (pic on left) beat Gregory Gaultier in the final of the Al-Ahram World Open Squash Championship, played out on an all-glass court on the Giza Plateaux in Egypt, with the country's world-famous pyramids providing a stunning backdrop.
Palmer, celebrating his 40th appearance in a PSA Tour event final, dug deep and hauled himself back into the match, winning the third game by the same 11-9 margin. In the Semi-final Palmer defeated former champion Thierry Lincou and Gaultier made a upset after defending champion Amr Shabana in dramatic semi-finals on the all-glass court set alongside Egypt's famous pyramids of Giza Thursday.
Palmer, the 2002 champion, it was his third appearance in the final but for Gaultier, the fast-rising 23-year-old who has never before progressed beyond the event's third round and who today celebrated a career-high world No7 ranking, it will be his maiden appearance in any PSA Super Series event final.
It was a fine display by the young Frenchman who had only once before beaten the Shabana, the 27-year-old from Giza who has topped the world rankings for the past six months and boast three PSA Tour titles this year to his credit and only three losses in 26 matches. After taking the first two games, Gaultier lost his way in the third game as Shabana turned on his racket magic and reduced the deficit. But Gaultier could still sense victory and duly regained his focus in the fourth game to charge to a majestic 11-5, 11-7, 2-11, 11-9 win. While Palmer, the world No2 from Lithgow in New South Wales, took a two lead against Lincou, the world No3.

UNHCR in SriLanka doing yeoman service towards refugees and IDP’s

2006-08-16T06:49:00.000-07:00

FEATURES---
By Aamna Mahboob
As Sri Lanka, scarred by a vicious separatist war by militants among minority ethnic Tamils joined the world in observing the United Nations Committee for Refugees (UNHCR's) World Refugee Day (June 28 2006), more refugees head to neighboring India or to protected shelters in the northeast. The North East is the potential war theater in case the war returns to this island.
A spokesman for the U.N. refugee agency said that presently they were looking after those refugees who left their homes and took shelter in schools and camps in the Mannar area.
This is the area that was worst hit by recent violence unleashed by the rebels who are trying to claim a separate homeland for the Tamils in the northeast.
According to the UNHCR their activities are centered on providing protection for an estimated 314,400 internally displaced people, some of whom have been out of their homes for more than 20 years.
Since April this year, some 50,000 people have fled their homes in Sri Lanka because of renewed violence and are now living mainly in the neighboring towns of Trincomalee, Batticaloa, Puttalam and in the north of the country.
UNHCR is monitoring the displacement and providing protection and humanitarian assistance to the newly displaced refugees.
UNHCR High Commissioner António Guterres recently ended a three-day mission to Sri Lanka. In the first visit by a UNHCR High Commissioner to the country, he met the President and visited affected areas in the North and the East.
The situation in North -East of Sri Lanka is tense and war clouds are heavy over it. Fearing the intensification of war, people in Mannar, Jaffna and adjoining areas too are leaving their homes for safer places.
Some of them even risking death in the rough seas are fleeing the violence that has been unleashed back home.
UNHCR claims that more than 2,800 people have fled from Sri Lanka to India so far this year, mostly from the North-Western district of Mannar.
Many are now housed in camps in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Many more Tamils, particularly those from the eastern area around Trincomalee, have tried to flee after clashes between Sri Lanka armed forces and Tamil Tigers and the ever increasing incidents of mine blasts in these areas.Of the nearly 1000 people killed so far this year, half are civilians.
People are coming from Trincomalee and other remote areas in a bid to flee to India. The total number of displaced persons in Trincomalee district was 26,971 persons or 7,577 familis in May, according to reports.
The "UNHCR continues to work closely with the newly establish Government Task force, UN agencies and NGOs to ensure the effective delivery of humanitarian aid to the recently displaced" the UNHCR spokesman said.
The needs of these refugees include shelter, water, sanitation and food, which could only be met through the effectively coordinated mechanism which UNHCR is currently providing.
He said that their office in Mannar monitors those considering transit to India daily, advising them on the danger of making the journey, and supplying non-food items if required. Their suffering does not end but merely starts again.
In a nearby church, some of those longing to head to India last month were caught in crossfire. One woman was killed and dozens more were injured when a grenade was tossed into the church building. Residents believe the military was responsible the military blames the LTTE.
"Around 150 families are living in two welfare centers in Mannar and we are looking after them," government agent in Mannar, Visvalingam said. While Divisional secretary Stanley De Mel said that 40 families (150 members) are leaving St Mary’s and Thallaimannar."Around 150 families who were staying in temporary shelters in schools have been shifted to Fisheries Corporation, as schools are reopening," said Fr. David Vincent Patrick working with an NGO.
The Sri Lankan Government has adopted strict security measures to check the increasing number of people who try to go to India illegally as refugees. These measures have been effective in stopping these people from adopting dangerous means like trying to travel to India.
The government accused the Tigers of using scare-tactics to force people to flee. The Tigers say people are undergoing abuse at the hands of the military and that they actively discourage people-smuggling.
However the smugglers are charging around Rs. 10,000 per passenger in advance. "One night last week around 37 families including women and children fled to India.
"We do not want them to leave their houses or flee to India. People are risking their lives. Eight refugees drowned in the sea in the way to India," Fr. Patrick said. “Families are coming to Mannar from different places in the north and east.
The police should check their Identity cards and tighten security in the sea area so that we can solve the problem of asylum seekers” said Senaka Dissanayake Program Manager of the National Protection and Durable Solutions for IDP’s project. He said that if the government makes camps for internally displaced people far away from the sea they can control people leaving the country.
“If the government and NGO’s start organizing awareness programs for people leaving the country by sea illegally then we might be able to control it,” he added.
Spokesperson for the Indian high commission in Colombo Naghma Malik said they were providing shelter in camps to those who were fleeing to India on humanitarian grounds. However she said the Indian government would like to discourage the influx of refugees from Sri Lanka. She said she did not know the accurate number of refugees in Tamil Nadu now.
The Asia Tribune recently quoted P.M. Amza, Deputy High Commissioner for Sri Lanka in Chennai, who thanked the Tamil Nadu Government for its generous assistance to Sri Lankan refugees. “We welcome efforts by the Tamil Nadu State Government to improve the quality of the life of the refugees,” he emphasized.

59th Independence Day of Pakistan today --FEATURES

2006-08-14T02:05:00.000-07:00

By Aamna MahboobPakistan’s freedom history started when the last Mughal Emperor lost his kingdom to Britain.
The story dates back to the period when Hindus and Muslims united to get freedom from Britain in 1857. The Mughal Emperor who did not get enough support lost and was exiled to Rangoon. He wrote poetry during his days in exile.
The British became masters of the Indian Sub-continent where for nearly 800 years Muslims had ruled. However, their attitude towards the Muslims was that of antipathy.
"The Muslims of India are and have been, for many years, a source of chronic danger to the British power in India," was the British opinion.
The British attributed the war of 1857 to the Muslims alone. As a result, property belonging to Muslims was confiscated and they were denied employment opportunities everywhere. This included the army, revenue department, and the judiciary.
After about a century-long struggle for independence, the Muslims of Indian subcontinents were able to get a separate piece of land, to live their lives and mould their culture according to their religious teaching. The country Pakistan, was born on August 14, 1947 under the dynamic leadership of Quaid-i-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah.
The word ‘Pakistan’ was coined by Chaudhary Rahmat Ali, deriving the first letter of the names of those regions that make up this nation - P - Punjab, A- Afghan Border States, K- Kashmir, S- Sind and TAN for Baluchistan.
Even after 1947, Pakistan remained a dominion for nine years. It was only on March 23, 1956 that the country was declared an Islamic Republic. East Pakistan broke away and declared a separate land of the Republic of Bangladesh in 1971. Today, the nation comprises the major provinces of Sind, Baluchistan, Punjab and the North West Frontier Province along with the Federal Capital and other tribal areas.
The High Commissioner of Pakistan, Bashir Wali Mohmand commenting on the diplomatic ties between Pakistan and Sri Lanka said, “Friendship of Pakistan and Sri Lanka is time tested”.
He reminded that Pakistan has always supported independence and the territorial integrity of Sri Lanka.
“The Government and the people of Pakistan hope that permanent peace would return to this beautiful paradise bringing an era of economic development for its entire people”, he said.
“Sri Lanka can always count on Pakistan’s friendship and cooperation as it moves forward on the path of peace and progress,” he added.
The High Commissioner also made it a point to once again thank Sri Lanka for the generous assistance given to earthquake victims of Pakistan.
There are only two countries which based on Ideology of Religion – and they are, Israel and Pakistan.
Many Buddhist religious sites which are still not known to Sri Lankan people are in Pakistan. These include Taxila, Takht Bhai, and Dir Swat. An interesting point is that Pakistani archeologists claim that as in Sri Lanka, there is also another tooth relic with them.
The Independence Day, is one of the most memorable days in the calendar of Pakistan.
Children decorate their schools with colourful decorations and flags fly on top of each house. Students make speeches about the old history and draw pictures of old historical places.
At home, relatives prepare sweets for children and their friends. Concerts are held with the participation of many pop and classical singers.
“Away from motherland, I miss the Independence Day and the way we celebrate it in Pakistan. Special TV programmes, get-together of friends, dramas in our schools which every child likes to take part in and mothers making delicious food at home,” a young Pakistani girl living in Sri Lanka, Parveen Iqbal said.
She said she feels Sri Lanka is her second homeland, after Pakistan.
“I am so proud that my motherland is celebrating its 59th year since Independence. I pray for my country – that it will have a long life and a fast developing economy”, she added.
Pakistan has an estimated population of over 166 million inhabitants in 2006. Besides, an approximated four million Pakistanis live abroad, with close to half-a-million expatriates living in the United States and around a million living in Saudi Arabia.
Pakistan is a multi-cultural country and has four widely spoken languages: Punjabi, Sindhi, Balochi, and Pashto. However, Urdu is the Nationl Language of Pakistan and English is the offical language.
Shalwar Kameez, Sherwani, Achkan, and Kaakul (hat) are the garbs worn by Pakistanis in general. They come in many different styles, fabrics, colours and patterns that make them look really stylish. Pakistani women also wear the Shalwar Qameez, with designs of different Dupatta.
The Sherwani or Achkan, with a Karakuli hat is the national dress of Pakistan for men, as it is not specifically associated with any of the provinces.
The President of the Pakistan - Sri Lanka Friendship Association, Dr. A.A Haroon who received his education in Medicine in Pakistan said that a good number of students from Sri Lanka are studying science and medicine in different institutes in Pakistan. “Under the Jinnah scholarship scheme, a considerable number of students have been getting stipends to continue their higher studies in Sri Lanka,” Dr. Haroon said.
Congratulating Pakistani people on their 59th anniversary of independence, Dr. Haroon said the proverb, ‘a friend in need is friend indeed’ suitably fits Pakistan, given the assistance that Pakistan has made available to Sri Lanka for decades.

Stir your taste buds with Pakistani fare

2006-07-16T01:49:00.000-07:00

By Nadia Fazlulhaq and Aamna Mahboob
The aroma from a variety of spices wafts through the air, the aroma of mouth-watering Pakistani food. Although Colombo does not boast of many Pakistani restaurants, the demand for this cuisine has never decreased.
Serving Biriyani to customers at Big-Bite
“Tandoori Naan and Murgh Buriyani have been the Sri Lankan favourites since the day this restaurant was started,” says Mustaq, the chief chef of Imperial Hotel and Restaurant on Duplication Road, Bambalapitiya. Mustaq who is a Pakistani has been working here, since the restaurant was opened 12 years ago.
The founder of this hotel and restaurant is Rafeek Bai, a Sri Lankan of Pakistani origin. His main aim was to cater to the Bai community. “In recent times, however, we have seen even other people being interested in sampling Pakistani food,” says Mohamed Farzan, the Manager.
Marinated Chicken at Imperial Hotel
The biriyani here has special flavours. Dishes of Murgh (chicken), Bakray (mutton), Machli (fish), Jinga (prawn) or Subzi (vegetable) biriyani are ready any time to tickle your taste-buds along with curries like Murgh Tikka (chicken marinated in spicy curd and grilled on charcoal).
“Our biriyani is special, because we import the original masala (a collection of mixed spices) from Pakistan. Even the Basmati rice is freshly imported from Pakistan,” says Farzan.
Most of the Pakistani desserts too can be tasted here, from Gaajer Ka Halva (Grated Carrot Pudding) to Rusmalai (Milk Pudding), with fresh pistachios, almonds and cashew from Pakistan, thrown in.
Big-Bite, a Pakistani restaurant on Dematagoda Road, Maradana serving a variety of Pakistani Biriyani, also uses herbs and spices from Pakistan.
“The food we prepare here, especially the Biriyani, is similar to the food available at the Big-Bite in Karachi,” says Mubarak, the owner. “Most of the cooks are from Pakistan, so the fare served here is authentic,” he adds

Winning the world

2006-04-25T02:25:00.000-07:00

By Vidushi Seneviratne and Aamna Mahboob
Achievers come in all forms. But the most impressive perhaps are the all-rounders. Those smart people, who don’t fall into the ‘geek’ category…
Last week, we met three young people who have achieved probably one of the highest targets in their chosen field of study. Winning World Prizes for certain subjects at their Charted Institute of Marketing (CIM) examinations, they have proven their capabilities as individuals ready to take on the modern business world.
With their graduation scheduled for the end of July, their performance is exceptional, considering the enormous numbers of candidates, who sit the examinations from around the world. While students can sign up for the examinations via online stations, many countries also offer it through various accredited institutes, with the total number of candidates sitting for each examination, reaching the thousands.

For Ishani Rajapakshe (26), her area of studies is as varied as it gets. Having completed a BSc at the Faculty of Agriculture, from the University of Peradeniya, she started on CIM in September 2001. Originally from Galle, having to attend university in Peradeniya, and travel to Colombo to follow CIM lectures, she had quite a task juggling all of it. Working at an international research organisation for a while, she currently works at the Sri Lanka Insurance Corporation as a Product Executive.
“I completed Stage two and took four subjects together. The World Prize that I won is for a subject in Stage Three, and it was for a case study that we were assigned,” she said. The subject being Strategic Marketing in Practice, the case study assigned to them was the branding of Mauritius. “The topic was given to us two weeks prior to the examination, and we had to attach the case study that we prepared to our examination paper,” she explained.

Sharing the World Prize for Strategic Marketing in Practice with her was Shemani Jayasinghe (25). The fact that two Sri Lankan candidates shared the prize is an exception itself. “Basically we had to build up a plan, and market Mauritius to the rest of the world. The case study we did was then added to our answer script, and made up quite a percentage of the final grade.”
Shemani too finds herself balancing out quite a load. “I’m a person who can’t stay at home idling, so I thought I’d try this,” she said, explaining how she got started on CIM. “I’m very interested in advertising, so I started working at Minds, and was there for about four-and-a-half years. But I have now joined ETV, and work in event management and I’m totally enjoying myself. It’s an area called Experiential Marketing, and it’s all about creating experiences for the customer.” She too, like Ishani, did not have the time to do that bit of extra reading and so on, and it was basically what they learned at class that helped them get through.

Dilhara Seimon (23) is the third CIM candidate, who did Sri Lanka proud. Winning the World Prize for Strategic Marketing Decision Making, a Stage Three subject, her varying interests are mainly academic. “I’m specialising in Finance at the University of Sri Jayawardenapura, and also am a Chartered Financial Analyst level two candidate.” She has also completed her CIMA examination in 2004. When asked which area she would like to settle in professionally, we get a spontaneous response. “I like to deal with money!” she says, adding that she’s aiming at a dynamic job, dealing with investment, perhaps at a strategic level.
So how will CIM help them get where they want? “I realise that I can use this knowledge in Marketing gained practically, so it makes a lot more sense now,” says Ishani. For Shemani, the knowledge gained and the practicality of it is correlated. “We get to use the theories and the principles that we’ve studied at class, at work. Also we can eventually co-relate real life experiences at examinations as well, giving everything a more holistic meaning. Dilhara feels that a good understanding of Marketing is essential to succeed in the business world. “At the end of the day, it’s all about marketing your brand, and even yourself, and CIM helps you gain that knowledge. The overall knowledge to give your customer a synergistic service is very important.”
Not falling into the typical studious category of students, Ishani enjoys reading, and also takes piano lessons, and is currently studying for her Grade Six, Royal Schools of Music examination. Shemani, also an avid reader, is quite the movie buff as well. Among Dilhara’s interests, public speaking tops the list. A member of the Colombo Toastmaster’s Club, she has represented Sri Lanka a few times. She also enjoys travelling and interacting with people.
Success for them is defined in various ways. “Hard work is the key. Of course you need to enjoy what you’re doing. I generally focus on whatever I need to get done, and then take the best avenue to get there.” With these examinations, the time factor was her biggest issue. “I’m a last minute crammer. I didn’t really have time to do any extra reading as such, and just took leave in the last week leading upto the examination, and gave it my best shot.”

shani feels that success is half luck and half hard work. “Since I didn’t have much time on my hands, I used to make cards with short notes on them, and read them while travelling. I also paid attention while at lecturers and absorbed everything I could, so that it was easier to understand the subject material.” Since she had quite a lot of travelling to do, having to commute between Galle, Peradeniya and Colombo, the support she received from her cousins and her batch mates was highly appreciated. “I feel that success is a continuous effort in achieving what you believe in,” says Dilhara, adding that she had to study on her own most of the time, since she couldn’t make it regularly to lectures. “I generally work according to a time table, so that makes life a lot easier.”
Accomplishing one goal after the other, these young achievers will probably one day be the movers and shakers of the business world. Until then, its success in whatever they’re doing.

Family Fun

2006-04-06T01:41:00.000-07:00

By Isuri Kaviratne and Aamna Mahboob

It was a day of fun and joy. Children, being free from limitations and restrictions, had a memorable day at Sri Bodhi playground in Gampaha. The green ground had turned into a playground full of muddy activities. To crawl in the mud, to run into mud, to play in the mud were things they could not experience in daily life. But finally, "Surf X Sellam Family Fun" organized by Unilever Limited, made way to it.
Renuka Damayanthi, a mother of two sons, had come there with her family to enjoy a day in mud. She said that these kinds of games are very good for children to improve their talents. "It's not necessary to participate in games. Watching others play too is important for character building," she said.
Suresh Lalantha is a thirteen-year-old boy who studies in Wegauwa Vidyalaya. After winning one game and queuing for another, his whole body covered in mud, he said that he is enjoying it a lot and happy too. "This is really fun. I came with my parents," he said in a hurry, taking part in the next game.
Kamani Wasantha said this is quite good not only for children, but also for parents as well. "Both my children are enjoying a lot today,” she added.
People swarmed over the ground, taking part in games. Ramani Somasundara, Marketing Manager, Unilever said their main purpose was to make the child accept defeat as well as the victory. "Dirt can get washed away but not the experience," she added.
"We have taken care of the safety of these children too, from drinking water to informing the nearest hospital," said Rohith Annaswatta, Senior Brand Activation Manager, Unilever.
This fun day gave the idea to parents on how much children learn through experience.

The women in green ...

2006-02-07T04:01:00.000-08:00

W@WWomen at Work
Text and pix by Aamna Mahboob
It is a common sight in Colombo to see women in green giving out parking tickets. Regular pavement parkers have even formed friendships with these women, who have been working beside the road for more than 20 years.
These ladies (Traffic Wardens) are the last batch appointed by the Municipal Council.

These women enter the Colombo Municipal Council (CMC) office at Darley Road wearing long green frocks and leave for different destinations with ticket books in their hands. Later they can be seen at parking lots in areas such as Hospital Square, Borella and Kollupitiya.
They were appointed during the rule of the late President R. Premadasa. “We were all very young when we joined the job as Traffic Wardens”, said 52 years old Mallika Dabare who has served in this field for about 25 years as a Traffic Warden.
She said that she is quite satisfied with her job, adding that “something is better than nothing”.
The total number of Traffic Wardens are 173. Working as a Traffic Warden in Colombo under the CMC, most of the wardens have studied up to O/Ls and almost all of them have family and become grandmothers.
“I started doing this job before I married and am still working”, said G. Namali (48), working at Fort. She has been working as a warden for more than 28 years; her husband is doing his own business at Pettah. She said that sometimes, vehicle owners or drivers do not pay despite having got the parking ticket.
The Traffic Wardens are allowed 45 holidays a year. Their working hours are from 7AM to 5PM. They have to sign the attendance register.
49 year old Chandraleka Balasundaram from Kandy has four children. She works at Narahenpita and has served as a Warden for more than 22 years. She said that she liked her job very much.
The parking charges for one hour are rupees 10 and rupees 80 are charged for a vehicle parked for the whole day.
“I am not scared to do the job as a Traffic Warden, if someone scolds me, I scold them back”, said M. T. Tissera (57) when asked about the behavior of people using the parking area.
She said that it was hard to live with the pay which she is getting. About her career she said that on the advice of her friend, she joined the present job in 1985. She is working at Borella. She is supporting a large family of eleven and living with a polio affected husband. Prior to joining the present job, she was serving in Good Shepherd Convent up to the age of 21.She said that she had to give up her education after primary school.
Their pay is 13000 a month and during the festival they get a bonus. They can take loans from the CMC which will be cut from their monthly salary.
“I do not think the government will continue this service,” said Kumar Karunaratne Administrative Officer at CMC Darley road. He explained that the Traffic Warden service was started in 1980 and in those days, there was not much traffic. There was ample space to park but now Colombo is too crowded and there is no place to cope with the ever increasing number of vehicles.
In case the CMC continued the Traffic Warden system, then it will have to devise some traffic plan and reserve places for parking , he opined. However he said that the cost of Traffic Wardens is a burden on the CMC. He further explained that the continuation of Wardens job was not feasible economically. Presently the expenditure on pays and perks for these 173 Traffic Wardens surpasses the income, he concluded.
Under the new parking scheme, parking of vehicles in different areas has been restricted due to security reasons and the Traffic Wardens of such areas have been taken off and remain at Dalery Road office at present and get a pay without doing any service, he added.
The problem presently being faced by these wardens is that “NO PARKING” signs have been put almost at every place by the Traffic Police due to security reasons. At some places where there are No Parking signs, when they get the vehicle parked and ticket issued, the police appear and order them to remove the vehicle. This creates an embarrassing situation for them and the vehicle owners also scold them