People suffer, politicos travel in luxury
The burning question today seems to be transport!!! The trains and buses in our country are indeed a sorry sight.
Today’s ADA newspaper says the Government is thinking of raising the fare of train tickets.
They want to increase the train fare for the poor people, who are forced to travel on the footboards risking their lives every day.
What about children
The Ceylon Daily News of March 13 carried banner headlines ‘AGE LIMIT RAISED FROM 8 TO 12. PUNISHMENT FOR OFFENCES COMMITTED BY CHILDREN in the name of all that is sacred in this country.
I ask, ‘WHAT ABOUT PUNISHMENT FOR CRIMES COMMUTED AGAINST CHILDREN?? CHILDREN AS YOUNG AS 5, 6, 7 YEARS AND IN SOME INSTANCES EVEN BABIES???
WHAT ABOUT BANNER HEADLINES OUTLINING PUNISHMENT FOR THESE MONSTERS??? CAN THE GOVERNMENT IGNORE THIS TREACHERY???
UNSOLVED MYSTERIES!
Sorry folks the promised EXPOSE cannot be exposed today as “The Voice” has quite a bit of exploring left to do. So, stay tuned to this page!!!
The Udayanga, Mahendran and other realities remain unfinished!!!
So, what else is new? Our Prime Minister was pushing a cartful of promises, saying the Government will soon correct itself and deliver the goods!!! Are we not entitled to ask, WHAT WERE THEY DOING ALL THIS TIME???
MORE THAN THAT, WE ARE LOOKING AT THE PRIME MINISTER OF OUR COUNTRY ACKNOWLEDGING THAT “THE GOVERNMENT WILL SOON CORRECT ITSELF” - WOW!!! MEA CULPA, MEA CULPA, MEA MAXIMA CULPA!!!
IT TOOK THE GOVERNMENT OVER TWO YEARS TO REALISE THEY HAD TO CORRECT THEMSELVES, TO ADDRESS THE BURNING ISSUES OF OUR COUNTRY INSTEAD OF ROAMING THE WORLD WITH THEIR ENTOURAGE!!! NOW LET US ASK WHAT ARE THE GOODS THEY ARE GOING TO DELIVER? WILL THEY ADDRESS THE BASIC ESSENTIALS LIKE FOOD, SHELTER, AND TRANSPORT??? The Prime Minister also said the people wanted things done fast. So what, don’t they have a right to ask that? It has taken them over two years to realize that they still have not delivered the goods. WE HAVE TO CREDIT OUR GOVERNMENT WITH REALLY SOUND MINDS FOR NOT REALIZING THIS ALL-IMPORTANT FACT TILL NOW. SO LET’S SEE THEM DELIVER!!!
WHEN IT COMES TO FOOD, THE REALLY POOR PEOPLE OF OUR COUNTRY HAVE REALIZED THE FUTILITY OF DEPENDING ON GOVERNMENTS THAT DON’T DELIVER, SO CULTIVATION IS THEIR WEAPON AGAINST NOT HAVING FOOD TO EAT.
AS FOR SHELTER, NO ONE KNOWS WHEN THE GOVERNMENT WILL WAKE UP TO THE NEED FOR HOUSES FOR THE POOREST OF THE POOR.
Beggars and thugs
It is not possible to stop at a colour light without someone tapping and asking you to turn down your window. When you do, they have some pathetic story which is always a lie, for which they need money.
The Parliament Road and Water’s Edge are some of their favourite haunts. A woman asked the driver to put the glass down and then pleaded for 1,000/- which was all she needed to go for an operation. The gentleman gave her the 1,000/- but when he came back on the same road, she was still asking for money. When he stopped to question her, he was told very rudely by a gang who had been in hiding that it was none of his business and asked him to go away. So much for law and order in our country??
PASSENGERS PACKED LIKE SARDINES
THE GOVERNMENT LAYS DOWN LAWS ON HOW TO TRANSPORT ANIMALS. BUT PEOPLE SEEM LESSER THAN THE ANIMALS, LOOKING AT THE MANNER IN WHICH PEOPLE ARE FORCED TO TRAVEL BY TRAINS!!!
THE TRAINS ARE FILTHY DIRTY, NO MATTER WHERE YOU STAND OR WHAT YOU HOLD ON TO AND IN THE NIGHT YOU HAVE COCKROACHES CRAWLING ALL OVER YOUR LEGS.
IS IT FOR THIS SUPER LUXURY THAT THE POOR TRAVEL IN THAT THEY ARE BEING ASKED TO PAY MORE?
OUR TRAIN FARES ARE BEING INCREASED FOR THEM TO PAY OFF THEIR DEBTS. WE ARE BEING ASKED TO PAY MORE FOR DOORS THAT DON’T CLOSE, FOR WATER THAT POURS DOWN ON US WHEN IT RAINS.
In addition, commuters have to put up with a terrible stench, body odour and all the filth that emanates from whatever part of the train you touch.
CLEANLINESS IS NIL, ABSOLUTELY NIL!! The long-distance trains that come from places like that have no room for a passenger to even get to the toilet and relieve himself or herself-it is so jam-packed.
WHEN BASIL WAS MINISTER THE LONG-DISTANCE TRAINS HAD TO STOP AT GAMPAHA-NOT FOR THE SAKE OF THE PASSENGERS, BUT FOR HIM TO COLLECT VOTES.
The Government has been talking about introducing Electric Trains but we are still operating as we did in the British era.
The buses are no better. The passengers, around 60 or more, are at the mercy of just two men— the driver and the conductor.
Like the trains, the buses are crowded beyond capacity. They have very loud music, constant honking of horns, absolutely no quality about anything.
Old people, pregnant mothers, children or mothers with babies, no one gets a seat if they don’t already have one. There is absolutely no humanity or decency afforded to the passengers.
People say when they look out from the windows of the bus with all the dirt and filthy smells, they can see our Ministers travelling in their luxury cars with their wives, children, dogs and even mistresses, in super comfort.
That is when they think it is better for them to commit suicide than exist in the filth and discomfort of the buses, but what option have they got???
It is well known that recently a Minister paid 1.5 million to get a luxury car delivered to his mistress. While the poor man suffers, the Minister, who we put there with our vote, go about in all the luxury with their families and mistresses and even their dogs.
Leaving the horrific realities of the unfinished, let us return to the mundane everyday realities.
On Saturday, March 10 at Kiribathgoda Junction about 4 o’clock there was a terrible commotion. A POLICE CAR FOLLOWED BY AN STF JEEP WITH ABOUT SIX SOLDIERS IN IT, FOLLOWED BY A VEHICLE CARRIER CARRYING ONE EMPTY CAR AGAIN FOLLOWED BY A VAN, WAS HORNING AND HORNING WITH LIGHTS FLASHING FOR PEOPLE TO GET OUT OF THE WAY!!
All this for one empty car!! We criticized the Rajapaksa Government for doing that very same thing. What are we doing now? Isn’t it our money, that is being spent on all this useless waste???
WE ARE GOING BACK TO THAT ERA BECAUSE THE UNDERWORLD (OR THE PATHALAYA) as it is known, is operational again and have started harassing the people.
