Is it murder or suicide?

In an emotionally charged message to the nation, ‘Who killed Tony Greig?’ Professor Carlo Fonseka, Chairman National Authority on Tobacco/Alcohol (NATA) has concluded that the death of the famous cricket commentator Greig is a ‘pre-meditated murder’.

He has charged the tobacco industry for killing the dearly loved Tony prematurely. The chairman of NATA has also recalled his father’s death, in early thirties, and two of his younger brothers’ deaths, later, due to tobacco.

He says he is suffering from a chronic lung disease caused by inhaling second hand tobacco smoke exhaled by his chain smoking father, who used to smoke keeping him on his lap.

However, NATA chairman forgives his father because at that time he did not know what he was doing was really harmful for him and his child.

Tony’s lung cancer was diagnosed in Sri Lanka and within weeks while awaiting surgery he died of a heart attack.

The chairman has repeatedly warned all smokers of four major killers in the modern world – cardiovascular diseases, cancers, diabetes and chronic lung diseases and two of their major causative factors are tobacco use and alcohol abuse.

NATA wants the tobacco industry indicted for the murder of 6 million people worldwide every year.

I agree with the chairman on the murder charge on tobacco industry on all the killings that took place before the awareness campaign against this deadly habit was initiated but sadly all recent deaths including that of our dear Tony should be nothing but called ‘suicides’!

We all know very well that how much the Sri Lankans loved him and how Tony loved Sri Lanka and its people, so dearly. He was a South African born English cricketer, lived in Australia but loved Sri Lanka!

- Asian Tribune -