Browsing by Author "Shanker, K."

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Elephant: As a Royal Mount
(Centre for Asian Studies, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, 2016) Shanker, K.
Elephants, in Indian culture, especially in Hinduism, are the most widely worshipped. In fact, the Hindu god deity is Lord Ganesha – ‘The Elephant God’. Ganesha, as he is commonly called, is an elephant-headed god who has an extensive legend. He represents royalty, power, wisdom, fertility and longevity. He is considered to be the ‘remover of obstacles’ and a ‘bestower of prosperity’. Ganesha is also called Ganapati. ‘Ga’ means ‘knowledge’, ‘na’ means ‘salvation’, and ‘pati’ means ‘lord’. Since time immemorial elephants have been inherently associated with human life, especially in Indian culture. Hindus have worshiped elephants for centuries, and this gigantic animal has also enjoyed tremendous popularity and a prestigious status in other parts of South Asia as well. Even now, many Indian temples and festivals demonstrate the significant role of elephants. In Kerala, richly decorated elephants carry the deity during annual festival processions in the temples. These elephants are loved, revered, groomed and given a prestigious place in the state's culture. They are the living embodiment of power, strength, wisdom and royalty. In ancient times, elephants were also the essential part of any battle or war, they served as royal transport which is evident through numerous miniatures of the Mughal period. They were also used in armies as living tanks and troop carriers. Elephants have also been closely associated with Indian weddings and other grand processions. Elephants have always been pillars of Indian life and culture. This paper will dwell on various aspects of the relationship between elephants and humans since time immemorial and how an animal has been symbolized as a royal mount.
A Study on the knowledge and attitudes on examination of patients for drunkenness among doctors involved in such examinations
(College of Forensic Pathologists of Sri Lanka, 2022) Appuhamy, H.D.S.C.P.; Kitulwatte, I.; Vaasuthevaa, K.; Shanker, K.; Senarathna, U.; Gangahawatte, S.D.S.
Introduction: Driving after consumption of alcohol is an offence in Sri Lanka according to the Motor Traffic Act. When a police officer suspects that the driver of a motor vehicle on the highway has consumed alcohol, he may request such person to submit himself immediately to a breath test for alcohol or to an examination by a government medical officer. Hence, the knowledge and attitude of doctors who perform examinations for drunkenness play a crucial role in the administration of justice. The objectives were to study knowledge and attitudes on examination of patients for drunkenness among doctors with different levels of expertise/experience who are engaging in such examinations. Study design: A cross-sectional descriptive study was performed using an interviewer-administered questionnaire, on doctors who engage in an examination of people for drunkenness. The knowledge was assessed by 8 comprehensive questions on the procedures and subjects scoring ≥75% were considered as having ‘satisfactory’ knowledge on the matter. Results: Out of the 306 doctors who participated in the study, 80% (n=246) were ordinary medical officers while there were 9.5% (n= 29) postgraduate trainees in Forensic Medicine and 10% (n = 30) specialists. One-third 34% (n=105) believed that their knowledge on examination procedures is poor. The procedure to be followed in the finger nose test was correctly identified by a majority 95% (n= 290) while only 35% (n= 107) were aware of the procedure to be followed in the one-leg stand test. Conclusions: According to this study, ordinary medical officers who perform a majority of medico-legal examinations for drunkenness in Sri Lanka were found to have poor knowledge on examination procedures. This can adversely affect the results of the tests in the examination of drunk and hence can lead to wrongful convictions. Thus, it is high time to fill the gaps in their knowledge through special professional training programs and by introducing a guideline.