An Comunn Gàidhealach Publications > Sruth > Volume 2 > No. 73, 8 January 1970

TWO
Di-ardaoin, 8mh latha de’n Fhaoilteach 1970
Thursday, 8th January 1970
FAICINN
Sruth, Di-ardaoin, 8 latha de’n Fhaoilteach 1970
/ruth
FOiRBHICH IS PEACAICH
’S CINNTEACH gur iomadh ceann a bha ’ga chrathadh o
choinn ghoirid airson nan eucorach dubha a bha poitear-
achd aig toiseach na Bliadhna Uire. Gu dearbh, is cinnteadh
gur iomadh crathadh cinn a tha air na h-eucoraich fhein
a nise airson na dh’61 iad. Bha sluagh na Gaidhealtachd
riamh a’toirt urram dha’n fheadhainn aig an robh ughdarras
thairis orra agus bha na peacaich riamh, dona ’s gu robh
iad, a'toirt urram do na foirbhich.
Bha seo riamh a’cur ioghnadh air coigrich a thigeadh
dha’n Ghaidhealtachd. Cha robh iadsan, na truagham, a’
tuigsinn mar a bha na Gaidheil air an sgaradh anns an da
bhuidhinn seo. Is ann a bha feadhainn aca cho aineolach
agus gu robh iad a’faicinn peacadh anns an foirbhich agus,
nas miosa na sin, a’saoilsinn gu robh peacannan nam foir-
bheach nas miosa na peacannan nam peacaCh. Chanadh
iad gu robh na peacaich a’deanamh geill do ana-miannan
na feola agus a’deanamh bruidean dhiubh fhein, ach gu
robh na foirbhich gu trie cruaidh, mor asda fhein, cealgach
agus buailteach air fein-fhireanachadh. Chanadh iad nach
robh na peacannan sin cho follaiseach ri peacannan na
feola, ach gu robh peacannan spioradail nas miosa na pea¬
cannan na feola. Is ann a thainig iad dha’n cho-dhunadh
uamhasach gu robh cuid de na foirbhich nas miosa na na
peacaich agus mar sin gur e peacaich a bha anns na foir¬
bhich agus an aite da bhuidhinn a bhith ann nach robh ann
ach an aon bhuidhean — na peacaich. Thuirt iad cuideachd
gu robh e sgroibhte anns a’Bhiobull nach robh ann ach an
aon bhuidheann seo.
Tha na coigrich an deidh bhith radh seo airson greis
mhor, ach cha do chreid na Gaidheil idir iad. Ged a tha
fhios aca gu bheil e sgriobhte anns an fhirinn gur peacaich
sinn uile, bha na Gaidheil riamh a’toirt mor urram dha’n
fheadhainn a chuireadh os an cionn, agus is e chanas cuid
de na coigrich, gu bheil peacannan spioradail, prois. cruas
is fein-fhireanachadh nas cumanta a measg luchd an
ughdarrais, ministearan is foirbhich, is mar sin nach
cluinnear uibhir umpa.
NOTHING NEW . . .
AS THOUGH the subject were something new with which
to 'herald in the decade of the Seventies, pollution has
suddenly become the talking point for the news media and
men in their streets. Though the peril of environmental
pollution has been threatening for more than half a century,
the factor of pollution has rapidly grown to the point where
it is seen to have immense potential as a threat to the
survival of the human race.
No wonder, then, that the subject of pollution is
topical and will be for some time to come. There is no
doubt that the problem is approaching the stage where
solutions are becoming increasingly difficult to apply. The
reason is not far to seek: any solution must affect the two
areas of human endeavour which more than touch the
present high standards of living in the civilised western
hemisphere, economic and political.
To impose a solution which will shut down huge plants
making artificial fertilizer, antibiotics, “health” chemicals
such as fluorides, petrol (which now saturates London
with fumes with levels of arsenic and old lead of carbon
monoxide three times above the accepted safety figures),
and so on, is something which canot be tolerated.
To make a clean-sweep attempt at solving the basic
sources of pollutants would mean throwing many thousands
out of work, with attendant economic problems. This can
hardly be practicable, and yet if the politicians were to
begin to grasp this prickly thistle at least it would go some
way towards reducing the pollution of our environment
which would be acceptable and not greatly affect the econo¬
mic health of the country. But the political machine is so
welded to the industrial machine that politicians are them¬
selves powerless to do anything effective.
But pollution is a problem which must somehow be
faced squarely by the present generation. At present we
are taking so much from the earth’s natural resources that
one wonders if there will be much left for our grandchild¬
ren. In fact, if certain problems, pollution among them, are
not subjected to attempts at a solution by the year 2,000
they will be insoluble and the consequences of our neglect
will be our gift to future generations.
In the Highlands, there is at present little to worry
about the problem of pollution. The air is clean; water is
reasonably pure; the land is still in a pristine state. But
how long will it last? With a growing population problem
in Britain and in Europe, and with the prospects of the
Common Market daily becoming a reality, the Highlands
region may well find itself faced with the problems of many
parts of the western world. It is a thought . . v
BUADHNA UR
Tha e ’ne fhasan aig daoine
mu ’n am seo a bhith sealltainn
thairis air tachartasan na
bliadhna a tha seachad. Theag-
amh gu bheil a leithid sin a
chleachdadh iomchaidh agus
feumail. Chan e gu leig duine a
leas feitheamh ri Nollaig no
Callainn a chum cuairt dhe ’n
t-seorsa a dheanamh, oir faod-
aidh neach sealltainn bliadhna,
no corr, air ais, uair sa bith a
thig sin fanear dha. Gu eiseam-
plair no dha a ghabhail, sann
mu mheadhon an t-samhraidh a
bhitheas maighstirean sgoile ag
innse sgeul na bliadhna a
dh’fhalbh, agus am meadhon an
earraich a bheir lonmhasair na
Rioghachd dhuinn a sgeul-
bliadhna fhein. Ach tha sinn a’
faotainn barrachd iomraidhean
bliadhnail aig a’ Challainn na
aig am sa bith eile.
A chionn gun d’thainig sinn
an drasta bho 1969 gu 1970
chan e mhain sealladh air
bliadhna a tha cuid a’ toirt
dhuinn ach sealladh air deich
bliadhna. Tha na feallsanaich
a’ cur an luach fhein (no cion
luach) air na thug na deich
bliadhnachan dhuinn, comhla ri
oidhirp, faodaidh e bhith, aig
a’ cheart am, air innse de tha
iad an duil a bheir an ath
dheich dhuinn. Tha mi cinn-
teach gun abradh am fior
fheallsanach, co dhiu a bhith-
eadh e a’ hruidhinn air aon
bhliadhna no «• deich, nach
fhaigh sinn asda gu brath ach
na chuireas sinn annta.
Ma dh’ fhaodas mi a dhol
a thaobh (gtm, tha mi ’n dochas,
a dhol air seacharan) chaneil mi
uamhasach cinnteach mu roinn
nan deich bliadhna seo. Am
measg na feallsanachd cead-
aichear dhomh facal a chur a
steach mu ’n mhatamataic.
Jle nan linntean rinneadh
moran atharraichidhean air ais
s air adhart mun do shuidhich-
eadh cunntas nam bliadhnachan
mar a tha e againn an diugh.
Chan urrainn duinn aicheadh
nach d’rinn na sgoilearan obair
bharraichte ’nan tomhas air
cursa na talmhainn seo. Cha
dean mise agus a’ chuid mhor
de chach ach eisdeachd riutha
le ro-ioghnadh, agus gabhail ri
an co-dhunaidhean, ag radh
rudeigin mar seo, “ Smath a
rinm sibh. Tha sinn a’ creidsinn
a h-uile guth.”
Gu h-aithghearr feumaidh
sinn aireamhachd nan speura-
dairean a ghabhail mar a gheibh
sinn e agus a bhith taingeil air
a shon. Ach tuigidh na h-uile,
nuair a bha, obair, an naoidh-
eamh linn deug a’ crioch-
nachadh le 1897, 1898, 1899,
nach robh an ceud bliadhna seo
suas gu deireadh 1900. Mar
sin cha do thoisich an fhich-
eadamh linn anns a bheil sinne
beo gu ’n cheud latha de’n
bhliadhna 1901.
Anns an aon doigh, ma tha
sinn a’ dol a roinn nam
bliadhnachan ’nan deacadan
(decades), an aite ’nan ceudan
(centuries), cha bhi deireadh
an seachdaimh-deacaid-thairis-
air-a-naoi-fichead - sa - seachd-
deug (197mh deacad) againn
gu ’n latha mu dheireadh de
1970, a’ bhliadhna a tha air
toiseachadh. Tha 1970 a’
criochnachadh deacaid, chan
ann a’ toiseachadh fear eile.
Mar sin, a thaobh nam feallsan-
ach ’s nam faidhean leis am
miann tabhartasan sonraichte a
ghealltainn dhuinn an drasta a
chionn gu bheil deacad ur a’
toiseachadh, saoilidh mi gur
mithich dhaibh feitheamh
bliadhwa eile.
Tuigidh sibh a mise nach
abair mise dad mu na cWch
bliadhnachan, 1/1/60—31/12/
69, a rha seachad. Bithidh mi
riaraichte leis a’ bhliadhna
1/1/69—31/12/69, agus dir¬
each beagan mu ’n te sin fhein.
Tha ni eile gam chumail air
ais gu mor. Chriochnaich a’
bhliadhna air aon doigh gu
math neo-rathail dhomh. Seo
mi an drasta a’ deanamh oidhirp
air cuibhrionn Sruth na seach-
dain seo tighinn a chur ri
dieile, agus mi gun Sruth na
seachdain seo ’chaidh fhaicinn
fhathast. Chaneil sin a’ cordadh
rium idir. Bha muinntir na
butha ris an robh mi deiligeadh
roimhe air ionnsachadh mun
d’ fhag mi iad nach b’e rud
faoin a bh’ann idir nam bith-
eadh Sruth air chall air an
latha ordaichte; bha an leasan
ceudna air a dhol an claiginn
nan ceannaichean mora bho
robh iad fhein a’ faotainn a’
phaipeir.
Ni motha a bha a’ bhutha ur
a’ deanamh cho dona. Thainig
mi gu ’n cho-dhunadh gum b’e
daoine pongail, tuigseach a bh-
annta. Dh’eisd iad rium gu
modhail, foighidneach nuair a
thug mi dhaibh an aon sgeul sa
thug mi seachad anns a’ bhuth
eile. Gu dearbh bha cothrom
agam air barrachd brosnach-
aidh a thoirt dhaibh-san, oir
dh’innis mi dhaibh cho math sa
bha a’ cheud bhuth a’ deanamh
agus cho luachmhor sa bha
Sruth ’nan sealladh mu robh
mise ullamh dhiubh.
Mo thruaighe, aig fior dheir¬
eadh na bliadhna bhloitig iad
an coipi, mar a their iad anns
an oilthaigh. Corr is seachdain
a nise an deidh an latha a
.chuireadh air leth leis an fhear-
dheasachaidh, chaneil sgeul air
Sruth. Na saoileadh duine gun
do leig mi fois leotha. Chuir
mi ’nan cuimhne e a h-uile
latha ach latha na Sabaid is
latha na Bliadhn Uire. Tha e
coltach gun d’thuirt Menzies
gun deachaidh am parsal air
chall, no nach d’rainig e idir iad.
Chan fhaca mi doigh air a’
choire a chur air Inbhirnis. Tha
mi ’faicinn gur ann air Menzies
mor fhein a dh’ fheumas mi an
ath ionnsaidh a thoirt.
Tha mi mar sin fo imeheist.
Chaneil fhios agam an urrainn
dhomh a bhith nas daine a
chionn gu robh cuideigin ’gam
mholadh, na an coir dhomh a
bhith nas iriseile a chionn gu
robh cuideigin ’gam chaineadh,
no, rud as docha, am feum mi
a bhith cho teagamhach sas
abhaist a chionn nach d’ thuirt
duine guth.
Nuair a chuimhnicheas mi
mar a thug mi a’ chomhairle
air feadhainn eile gun deanadh
iad coltach rium fhin, agus am
oaipear ordachadh faisg air
laimh an aite iarraidh a Inbhir¬
nis ! Sgaoileadh seo, ma b’fhior,
luaidh a’ phaipeir is bhitheadh e
na bu shaoire cuideachd. Chua-
las gu leor anns a’ choimhears-
nachd mu ’tn phaipear ceart gu
leor, ach ged a thigeadh e am
maireach, cha bhi e saor.
Ach gu luaidh air obair a’
Chomuinn re na bliadhna,
feumaidh mi fuireach a nise gu
ceann bliadhna eile; sin ceann
nan deich bliadhna cuideachd.
DOMHNALL GRANND
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