Mahadena Mutta-style act at NIE!
Jul 15, 2016
Director general of the National Institute of Education in Maharagama Dr. T.A.R.J. Gunasekara is engaged in an activity that recalls to our minds the old Sinhala know-all Mahadena Mutta, according to reports reaching us.
She has ordered the cutting down of the very old and commercially-valuable trees within the NIE property, but her reasons for doing so reminds us how Mahadena Mutta cut off a goat’s head to save a pot and then broke the pot to take out the goat’s head.
According to NIE staff, her reasons are that the trees are blocking the institution from view from the main road, tree roots are affecting the pavement, tree leaves are falling onto parked vehicles, and that the trees are decayed.
However, no decayed trees or the ones posing threats have been cut down.
It should be looked into as to whether this act is having any connection to timber racketeers. According to reports, several lorryloads of timber have already been taken out of the NIE, purportedly as firewood. The leftover branches are giving a messy look for the NIE.
The NIE’s media unit has covered the cutting down of the trees, supposedly to educate masses on how to cut down trees.
The president is telling over the media day and night about punishing those who destroy the environment, and environmentalists will keep a watch as to whether he will investigate this know-all at the NIE. The NIE staff requests authorities at least to save the more than 100 year old Ladappa tree in the property.
