Gang activity persists in the Nor

Ravaged by war for years, the civilians in the Northern Province are now settling back into their lives. While the war ended over four years ago and peace prevails, there have been news reports of increased gang activity in the North. According to the reports, these groups have been extorting money from Northern inhabitants. Even though the groups are not armed with guns, gang members are said to travel on motorbikes carrying swords and iron bars in an attempt to spread fear among the populace. However, in midst of contradicting reports The Nation decided to embark on a journey of truth with regards to this issue.

Locals

The Nation was able to contact a few local residents regarding the issue. Speaking on grounds of anonymity, a local alleged the groups which are engaged in criminal activities have links to a particular political party in the area. “Local authorities say the gang members are former LTTE cadres, but there are no such cadres now as they have been rehabilitated by the government, the persons involved in these crimes are linked to a political party,” the local said. “This is well known among the public.” He opined that the military has not clamped down on gang violence in the area, so they could use it as an excuse to maintain military presence in the peninsular.

According to the civilian the groups target the affluent. “They threaten to kidnap them if they are not paid and sometimes they do carry out the threats and demand ransom,” the local informed. According to him professionals such as doctors, lawyers for example are targeted by these gangs. “The locals who are resident abroad are afraid to return due to the extortions being carried out by these groups,” the resident spoke from personal experience. There is an air of fear among the wealthy, but apparently the average person is not affected.

Another local alleged that these groups consist of youth who have been unable to secure jobs after leaving school. “They engaged in rowdy behavior and disturb day-to-day life.” He claimed that despite allegations, the Army is not involved in any of these activities. According to him the activities of two groups going by the names of Aawa and Dilo have been curtailed by the Police and criminal activities are very much reduced in the North.

Police

Speaking to The Nation of the gang activities, the Police media spokesperson SSP Ajith Rohana emphasized there are no criminal gangs currently operating in the Northern Province.  “There is some petty theft in certain areas; however, there are no criminal gangs in the North despite many false news reports regarding the matter,” SSP Rohana said.

DIG of Jaffna Police Rohan Dias concurred with the comments made by the Police media spokesperson. “The Police have made arrests, and there is no gang activity in the area now,” the DIG maintained.

In January the Police in fact arrested 12 persons in a series of raids in a 36-hour time frame in the Jaffna peninsula. The persons had engaged in robberies and violence in the province. The Jaffna Police had arrested a 21-year-old gang leader who in return was able to give the Police more information regarding other gang members. The police recovered 12 swords, three knuckle-dusters, two hand grenades and six motorcycles from the arrested. At the time DIG Dias had claimed that the Police were determined to crack down on the Jaffna underworld. The Police squads assigned for the operation took suspects in raids conducted in Kopay, Inuvil, Chunnakam, Kondavil, Manipay, Jaffna and Athchuveli. Police at the time ruled out the gang’s affiliation to any political party or group operating in the Jaffna peninsula despite such allegations.

Public Officials

The District Secretary of Jaffna S. Arumainayaham confirmed the statements made by the Police. “The Jaffna Police have dealt with the issues efficiently,” Arumainayaham said, speaking to The Nation. “Now such crimes have become rare occurrences. While certain elements of these gangs still remain there are no serious issues now,” said the district secretary.

Sri Lanka Army

Speaking to The Nation spokesperson for the Sri Lanka Army Brigadier Ruwan Wanigasooriya said that while the Police have made several arrests in the recent past currently the Army has no such information or reports of any such gangs operating in the Northern Province. He attributed the sudden interest of the matter to rehashing of old news by some media organizations. 

Gangs or no gangs?

The Police ensure the public there is no such criminal activity in the Northern Province anymore with government officials and the Army reiterating this. However the important question is what gave rise to such criminal gangs and formulation of an underworld in a post-war setting. Is it, as one local alleged, the lack of jobs in the Jaffna Peninsula? If the issue is inability to secure jobs by the youth, then a long-term solution is needed to stamp out the formation of such gangs in the first place. Unless jobs are not created there is nothing to prevent youth going down the path of crimes in order to make money. Are these gangs after easy money? Or are these youth compelled by poverty? Are these gangs in fact now obsolete? Many questions remain and only time will provide answers.

Pic Courtesy of : www.planetivy.com

- Seemore at:http://www.nation.lk/edition/fine/item/26114-gang-activity-persists-in-the-north.html#sthash.YefhsXtq.dpuf

Whist Bungalow of Modera - Faded and forgotten

Whist Bungalow (Pic Courtesy of www.defonseka.com)

The Modara we know today is a congested residential area with narrow roads and alleyways. Passing by, one would not think there is much to know about the place. However Modara or Mutwal was once home to the elite in Colombo. The place was once described as the abode of the rich. The ‘Kurunduwatta’ of the yesteryears is steeped in history where the socialites of the upper class attended extravagant and exclusive soirées.

This year ‘Colomboscope’ organized jointly by the Geothe Institute, British Council, and Alliance Française was held at Whist Bungalow, a mansion where once the glitterati of Modara gathered for fancy dinner parties. A nineteenth century stately home modeled on neoclassical style, is located in Modara north of Colombo along the coast. Today unimaginatively renamed ‘Pradeepa Hall’ it is virtually unknown among the citizenry of Colombo.

However Whist Bungalow was once home to prominent and influential figures in society. Whist is said to have been built around 1804 according to Debbie Phillips a descendant of one of the owners of the house. This is thought as the bungalow is mentioned in 1807 in the book A Description of Ceylon by James Cordiner. German Ernst Haeckel in is book A visit to Ceylon speaks of an exclusive gentleman’s club of 12 which gathered to play Whist cards to escape from orthodox English Sundays at the mansion. While the first owners name is unknown, according to Debbie Phillips it could have been Hans Augustus Marshall the 1st Auditor General of Ceylon. While Justice Henry Byrne a Judge of the Supreme Court also could have been an owner of the mansion as an official government party hosted by him at the Whist Bungalow was mentioned in a government gazette.

Perhaps two of the most noteworthy residents of the house are Sir Francis Morgan and Selina Louisa Elizabeth de Soysa. Sir Richard Francis Morgan was the fifth owner of the bungalow. Sir Francis was at the fore front of the political scene at the time. A student of the first batch of Royal College, Colombo which was then called the Colombo Academy; he became the first district judge in 1866 and was the first non-European to be appointed to such a position. He was knighted in 1874, which was another first for Sri Lanka. He was also the crown advocate that prosecuted famed bandit Saradiel.

Sir Richard Morgan spent a large part of his fortune in extending the bungalow and creating a magnificent garden which was said to be spread across 18 acres of land. It is this new building probably built around the middle of the 19th century that stands to date.

Another prominent occupier of the house Selina Louisa Elizabeth de Soysa is in fact the first woman to exhibit with the Ceylon Arts Society. She was an avid painter proved by pictures of her surrounded by her works which was taken at the bungalow. 

Today the property is owned by the National Housing Development Authority (NHDA) and perhaps is kept alive by residents of the area by using it for their weddings and other functions. However the Whist today is only a shadow of its former glory.

Sri Lanka struggles to eradicate leprosy

Sri Lanka commemorated World Leprosy Day on January 26 with the aim of creating awareness of the presence of the disease and educating the public on treatment available. 

A revelation perhaps for many citizens, Sri Lanka is not yet free of Leprosy. In fact the country has seen a modest rise in recent times according to the Deputy Director of Health Services, Dr. Sarath Amunugama. However the Ministry of Health along with the Anti-Leprosy Campaign has put the Anti-Leprosy program into high gear with the aim of eradicating the disease.

Leprosy

Leprosy has been around since ancient times, often surrounded by terrifying, negative stigmas and tales of leprosy patients being shunned as outcasts.  Till recent times Leprosy was feared as an incurable, mutilating, and contagious disease giving rise to establishing Leper Colonies in societies.

The disease is a chronic infection caused by a slow growing bacterium called the bacterium Mycobacterium leprae and Mycobacterium lepromatosis. While the bacteria affect skin and nerves, transmission of leprosy is caused by droplet infection (through the Respiratory System). Left untreated, leprosy can be progressive, causing permanent damage to the skin, nerves, limbs and eyes. However contrary to common belief leprosy does not cause body parts to fall off, although they can become numb or diseased as a result of secondary infections; these occur as a result of the body’s defences being compromised by the primary disease. Secondary infections, in turn, can result in tissue loss causing fingers and toes to become shortened and deformed, as cartilage is absorbed into the body. It is believed that around 95 percent of people are naturally immune to the disease. At highest risk are those living in endemic areas with poor conditions such as inadequate bedding, contaminated water, and insufficient diet, or other diseases that compromise immune function.

Currently Leprosy is found in 115 countries around the world with a reported 189,018 patients by the end of 2013 according to the World Health Organization.

History

In Sri Lanka segregation of Leprosy patients began with the discovery of a group of patients in Colombo in the year 1708. The Dutch established the Hendala Leprosy Hospital the same year to contain the disease. The patients who were ferried across the river were imprisoned here for life in a bid to stop the spread of the disease. Though the Dapsone monotherapy treatment was introduced to treat patients in late 1940, segregation was the main mode of control carried out till the early 1970s.

New patients

Today an average of 2,000 new Leprosy patients are reported from Sri Lanka annually while patients are reported from all 25 districts of the country according to the Health Education Bureau. Sri Lanka is among the 16 countries that report over 1000 Leprosy cases a year. 44% of the patients are reported to be from the Western province and highest number of cases is from the Colombo District. In 2013 around 438 patients were discovered from the district.

According to the Regional Director of Health Services, Dr. V.T.S.K Siriwardene in the Western Province most leprosy patients are reported from areas such as Moratuwa, Dehiwala, Kaduwela and Kolonnawa. While Dr. Ruwan Wijayamuni of the Colombo National Hospital pointed out that due to high density of population there is also a spread of leprosy in Maradana, Mattakuliya, and Grandpass areas. Child patients are high in districts such as Jaffna, Vavuniya, Matale, Colombo and Kalutara, 177 children were diagnosed in 2013. Amounting to 9 percent of new patients it indicates active transmission of the disease from undiagnosed individuals.

Sri Lanka is also said to have a high percentage of patients with visible deformities at the time of diagnosis. This is perhaps because of the stigma surrounding the disease which discourages patients to seek treatment and lack of awareness. Such patients’ amount to 7 percent of the cases diagnosed yearly.  According to Anti-Leprosy Program Director Dr. Nilanthi Fernando, it is important to dispel the common misconception that Leprosy has been eradicated from Sri Lanka. “The disease is still among us as we as a society lost focus on it along the way” she said.

Detection

Detection and treatment of the disease is paramount to its eradication. Speaking at the World Leprosy Day conference Dr. Nilanthi Fernando was of the opinion that the disease cannot be eliminated if patients are not identified at an early stage and treated.

Leprosy can be identified through various signs. “Namely large spots covering a vast skin area, dry skin around the spots, Stiff nerves near the neck and elbow areas, muscle weakness, lesions and bumps on the skin, wounds that do not heal, stuffy nose” says Dr. Indira Kahawatta, listing the common signs of Leprosy. “As the disease progresses there can also be visible facial and physical changes,” she further stated. 

Dr. Nilanthi Fernando wants to impress on the public that Leprosy is not hereditary and therefore cannot pass between family members and also cannot be contracted through touch. However it is contagious making it possible for more than one family member to contract the disease. “But it is important to understand that 70 percent of patients are incapable of spreading the disease” explained Dr. Kahawatta.

Leprosy can be fully cured. In the last two decades, more than 14 million people with leprosy have been cured. Starting from 1983, the multi drug treatment can cure patients from 6 months to a 12 month period of time and is offered free of charge in government run skin clinics. It must be noted that even pregnant patients can take this treatment without any side effects while all patients can carry on with their daily routine during treatment. However stating that 20 percent of the patients do not complete treatment, Dr. Kahawatta stressed that the disease can return if not treated fully. “Today there’s no reason for segregation or shunning of leprosy patients, such a stigma should not exist as it’s a fully curable disease with timely treatment,” says Dr. Indira Kahawatta. 

For more information call the Health Education Bureau on 011 2696606