I have heard
You calling in the night.
I will go Lord, if You lead me.
I will hold Your people in my heart.
-Hymn composed by Dan Schutte in 1981 Its words are based on Isaiah 6:8 and 1 Samuel 3
By I Rajkumar in Jaffna
Courtesy: JDCSI News
(June 04, Jaffna, Sri Lanka Guardian) Many German cities and townships were devastated extensively during World War II and civilians everywhere were severely affected, many lived under appalling conditions in underground shelters, thousands perished and the war left the country and the people reeling. All these just seven decades ago commented the head of the Jaffna Diocese of the Church of South India, the Rt Rev Dr Daniel Thiagarajah during his recent visit to Vavuniya and Cheddikulam along with a team from his church.
He was accompanied by his wife Dr Thaya Thiagarajah a trauma counselor and the Reverends Srilal, Chelvan, Pathmathayalan and Thevaharan and Ms Amutha and Mr Dharmalingam to have an on the spot assessment of the situation and to see how best the JDCSI can help with the efforts that are being made for rehabilitation of the displaced, assist with health programmes but even more, the redevelopment of the Wanni.
Referring to how Germany recovered almost like a miracle within a short period of time, Bishop Thiagarajah observed that the Wanni could become a role model example in development not just for Sri Lanka alone but to the entire developing countries.
Bishop Thiagarajah said: “The Wanni is a rich agricultural region, a virtual rice bowl of the nation with immense dairy and other farm development potential.
Furthermore the coastline both on the west and east are rich in ocean resources and they need to be developed with permanent wadi structures, fishing boats maintenance facilities and even opportunities to train fisherman including preservation techniques. In fact all these need to be modernized and now is the time to begin work with such development projects.
The bishop further said that each township in the Wanni must be so organized that there will development units with satellite villages and agricultural development should be totally farm and home integrated with field and home activities involving the cultivation of rice, small grains in the fields, fruits in well planned orchards, vegetable gardens, dairy cattle, goats and poultry with some of these activities as backyard efforts. This will also enable to set up compost pits and biogas digesters in each home and make all productive ventures environmentally friendly.
Bishop Thiagarajah also referred to how South Korea developed in the rural regions after the devastation caused by the Korean War. The South Koreans gave immense prominence to rural development backed by Credit Unions that were run by the people themselves. “This,” he said, “would be ideal for the Wanni region and from there spread over the whole country.”
“Our development must be fully focused on the rural areas and make our people feel proud of themselves as capable of being, not only independent but also they have the ability to produce their basic needs. Any kind of industrial activity must be based on the potential to provide for the agricultural needs and also certainly, using agricultural products as the raw material too,” Bishop Thiagarajah observed.
As an example, he said, there could be a central hatchery that could supply day-old chicks for farmers on the basis the Magnolia Corporation did for rural families in the Philippines. In this scheme, families participate with the corporation to produce poultry meat in healthy circumstances as the open yards and not in batteries. “When a new set of chicks are delivered, the older ones are collected and for these services the families are paid and also adequate feed are supplied too.”
“This is the time,” Bishop Thiagarajah said, “the government should build model villages in such a way that every community in the Wanni will be inter-dependently linked in a major development activity that is not only economically active but also educationally appropriate not just the formal type, socially and culturally enriching and spiritually holding the highest values of the faiths with which our country is blessed.
Bishop Thiagarajah concluded: “The field is rich in potential and the challenge we face promises to be quite pleasing and exciting. This is time for us to place the yoke on our shoulders.”
By I Rajkumar in Jaffna
Courtesy: JDCSI News
(June 04, Jaffna, Sri Lanka Guardian) Many German cities and townships were devastated extensively during World War II and civilians everywhere were severely affected, many lived under appalling conditions in underground shelters, thousands perished and the war left the country and the people reeling. All these just seven decades ago commented the head of the Jaffna Diocese of the Church of South India, the Rt Rev Dr Daniel Thiagarajah during his recent visit to Vavuniya and Cheddikulam along with a team from his church.
He was accompanied by his wife Dr Thaya Thiagarajah a trauma counselor and the Reverends Srilal, Chelvan, Pathmathayalan and Thevaharan and Ms Amutha and Mr Dharmalingam to have an on the spot assessment of the situation and to see how best the JDCSI can help with the efforts that are being made for rehabilitation of the displaced, assist with health programmes but even more, the redevelopment of the Wanni.
Referring to how Germany recovered almost like a miracle within a short period of time, Bishop Thiagarajah observed that the Wanni could become a role model example in development not just for Sri Lanka alone but to the entire developing countries.
Bishop Thiagarajah said: “The Wanni is a rich agricultural region, a virtual rice bowl of the nation with immense dairy and other farm development potential.
Furthermore the coastline both on the west and east are rich in ocean resources and they need to be developed with permanent wadi structures, fishing boats maintenance facilities and even opportunities to train fisherman including preservation techniques. In fact all these need to be modernized and now is the time to begin work with such development projects.
The bishop further said that each township in the Wanni must be so organized that there will development units with satellite villages and agricultural development should be totally farm and home integrated with field and home activities involving the cultivation of rice, small grains in the fields, fruits in well planned orchards, vegetable gardens, dairy cattle, goats and poultry with some of these activities as backyard efforts. This will also enable to set up compost pits and biogas digesters in each home and make all productive ventures environmentally friendly.
Bishop Thiagarajah also referred to how South Korea developed in the rural regions after the devastation caused by the Korean War. The South Koreans gave immense prominence to rural development backed by Credit Unions that were run by the people themselves. “This,” he said, “would be ideal for the Wanni region and from there spread over the whole country.”
“Our development must be fully focused on the rural areas and make our people feel proud of themselves as capable of being, not only independent but also they have the ability to produce their basic needs. Any kind of industrial activity must be based on the potential to provide for the agricultural needs and also certainly, using agricultural products as the raw material too,” Bishop Thiagarajah observed.
As an example, he said, there could be a central hatchery that could supply day-old chicks for farmers on the basis the Magnolia Corporation did for rural families in the Philippines. In this scheme, families participate with the corporation to produce poultry meat in healthy circumstances as the open yards and not in batteries. “When a new set of chicks are delivered, the older ones are collected and for these services the families are paid and also adequate feed are supplied too.”“This is the time,” Bishop Thiagarajah said, “the government should build model villages in such a way that every community in the Wanni will be inter-dependently linked in a major development activity that is not only economically active but also educationally appropriate not just the formal type, socially and culturally enriching and spiritually holding the highest values of the faiths with which our country is blessed.
Bishop Thiagarajah concluded: “The field is rich in potential and the challenge we face promises to be quite pleasing and exciting. This is time for us to place the yoke on our shoulders.”
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