By Chandra Goonewardene –
‘I just finished reading that commendable letter ‘Productivity my foot’ by Deshapriya Rajapaksha in the Island (Nov. 19). He rightly questions why public servants had been compelled to come all the way to Temple Trees to receive their appointment letters when those letters could have been sent by the post as was done in the golden times of yore. As a retired public servant, I can fully empathise with this sentiment. Congrats to The Island on publishing this.
However, we now live in a different era, when even lawyers go all the way to Temple Trees and bow their heads in supplication before the President to recieve ‘silk’? Of course, we are not sure whether some of these recent ‘silks’ know the law or not! As the Bard would have it, these are the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune, no doubt. Oh, if men of the calibre of S. Nadesan and Bunty Zoysa were living.
And while the impeachment of the Chief Justice wends its way, we have these lawyers partying and living it up in style.
What a difference from Pakistan where the lawyers realised that they would be the losers when their Chief Justice was threatened by the President and they took to the streets, bringing the President down.
Cry our beloved country!’
See the letter by Deshapriya Rajapaksha published in Island Monday 19th November 2012 below;
‘Productivity, my foot!
According to news items, President Mahinda Rajapaksa on Friday (16) at the presentation of appointment letters to 1,500 workers attached to the Road Development Authority at Temple Trees, told public servants to show more dedication towards their duties as productivity promotion was the key to solving the country’s many woes.
But the question is whether the President wasted his as well as those workers’ time on that day by making them come all the way to Temple Trees to receive letters confirming them in service. Time was when appointment letter were sent by registered post.’
Deshapriya Rajapaksha
Battaramulla
Pandukabaya de Silva / November 20, 2012
Great response Chandra! I agree with your criticism of the lawyers. They are a shameful bunch. Even this week, these PC parties continue while the country simmers.
Hats off to the Island for publishing your letter today with prominence.
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Senguttuvan / November 20, 2012
Ego is absent only in lettered and learned leaders. In almost all others ego is the very basis of their actions, goals and dreams.
Napoleon Bonaparte and Adolf Hitler were so consumed by ego they took on several fronts simultaneously. Bonaparte ended at St Helena and
Hitler in his bunker.
Senguttuvan
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Sumihiri / November 20, 2012
I believe it all because that lanken law graduates are being poduced by a law college – as far as my information are concerned ( please help me here if new faculties are introduced to each universites today)In late 80ties,as I was well aware there was a law college in Colombo which was the place where all the lawyers were trained. I think the qualification to get selected to study law was not compettitive as the case for natural sciences, Engineering and Medicine. In Europe, Law, Medicine and few other subjects are strictly held as numerous clausus – meaning not everyone can get an admission to study these subjects but only ones with the highest cut off marks at their university entrace exams.
Very recently, I got to know from one European national who had been abused for some 8 lacks by a lanken lawyer (Galle) while he was asking his assitance in terms of his devorce from his srilanken wife. Most of the lawyers in SL have made records for demanding unnecessary charge from their clients. This they have been practising as tharawkarayo from that day on. Nobody would go agains thtem either, because clients are helpless. There should be a kind of agencies built by lawyers themselves to go against those abusive lawyers. So long lawyers would not react against their unlawful – money greedy lawyers, nothing will get changed in the system.
The subject – LAW- should be studied by only those who are hearted and would like to work against injustice. But in our country, lawyers get qualified not adequately enough to comprehend the basics of their profession.
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gamini / November 21, 2012
Sumihiri, that is why it is said there are Lawyers and Lawyers. Now that the Balligey Putha the former CJ has accepted that he gave Judgement on the Humbanthota issue not according to Law but on his expectation, is there a single Lawyer worth his salt to take the matter up legally and cite the bugger as a respondent. Honestly I am ashamed of the calibre of Lawyers we have produced, a mediocrity the result of free education where none had the courage to challenge this Mother F. of a CJ.
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Ainsley Abeywickreme / November 21, 2012
@gamini, please do not say that ‘none had the courage to challenge’ when some did – very notably as I have pointed ot in this same forum. These are brave and inspiring examples.
To refuse to recgnise this is to devalue that effort.
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