Features
My aachcho’s jaadi making at Paiyagala
by Jayantha Perera
Until about 50 years ago, a rice-and-curry lunch in Sri Lanka was incomplete without the side relish of jaadi theldala (sauteed cured fish). Some ate white rice with a piece of jaadi before serving other curries onto their plates. Amma (my mother) prepared a special Jaadi dish with tomatoes and large onion rings for Sunday lunch. She got jaadi from Aachcho (my grandmother), who boasted that her jaadi was the best in the Kalutara district. Aachcho produced jaadi at home twice a year. I remember her making Jaadi in 1963. I was then 12 years old and was on holiday at her place.
The Colombo-Matara railway line goes through Paiyagala village, where Acchcho lived. It is about 30 miles south of Colombo. The vast, powdery, and clean beaches with kodol (mangroves) patches to the west and the Dutch canal to the east demarcate its boundaries. In pre-monsoon seasons, February to April and October to December, fishermen engage in seine net fishing. The sea was calm, the sky was blue, and the sun was bright. Seine net fishing is an elaborate exercise performed by about 100 men over three to four hours before noon.
Three or four veteran fishermen rode a large paaruwa (barge or a seiner) to the sea with a huge seine net. They manoeuvred the paaruwa to the deep sea while laying the seine net at intervals. The net hung vertically, with its bottom edge held down by lead weights and its top edge buoyed by floats. After laying the net, the barge took a semi-circular path and returned to the beach. Its landing place is about 100 meters from where it started the journey. In the middle of the seine net is the kudumbiya (purse-elongated net bag) – which traps fish, crabs, and dirt in the sea.
About forty men held on to each end of the net on the beach. As soon as the paaruwa was lodged under kodol trees, the two parties started pulling the net, singing songs with the chorus of ‘hodi helei heleiya.’ Fishermen added their own pieces, sometimes vulgar slogans, and regaled in their short get-together. Anybody who happened to be on the beach could join a team to pull the net. If the kudumbiya was full of fish, several fishermen went on a boat with the second kudumbiya. They removed the first kudumbiya and tied its mouth with a strong rope. Then they attached the second empty kudumbiya to the seine net. They brought the rope attached to the first kudumbiya to the beach and handed it to a group of people to pull.
When not in use, paaruwas were drawn on the beach under kodol trees. Each barge had its docking location known as ‘Paaluwa’ (empty land). It had no boundaries or a land deed. Still, fishermen in the village honoured others’ known beach rights and paaluwas and did not encroach on such land. Aachcho remembered going to the beach with her father as a young girl after the Sinhala-Muslim riots in 1915 to check if the seine net fishing could be started for the season.
Aaccho inherited a paaluwa from her father in front of the Paiyagala North Railway Station. When she became a young widow, she ‘rented’ out her paaluwa to two brothers known as ‘Francis Michael aiyamalo’ (two brothers). They were tall and handsome men. The rumour had it that Aachcho wanted to marry one of them. But her brother objected, saying that they, although rich, were uneducated fishermen and much older than her. They would send a few fish to Aachcho each time they caught fish as a token rent for her paaluwa, where they parked their two paaruwas. I remember someone bringing a basket of fresh fish to Aachcho‘s, saying it was from ‘today’s catch.’
Francis and Michael also sent several large bags of fish twice a year to Aachcho to make jaadi. Aachcho removed six large barani (clay jars) from her kitchen in early April and again in mid-October. Each glazed jar had exquisite blue floral patterns on faded white background. Aachcho’s great-grandfather received ten such large jars from a Dutch ruler of the Western Province as a token of appreciation for his service as an opisara (local officer). The ruler also decorated him by tying a silk handkerchief around his head. Thus, he got the honorific title of ‘patabandige‘ – a gentleman with a silk handkerchief (on his forehead).
The day after my arrival for a long holiday, Aachcho told several women friends to be ready to help her make jaadi. On the day she chose to make jaadi, she sent a message to Francis and Michael asking them to deliver ten large buckets of seawater. The women gathered at Aachcho’s front yard, washed the jars with seawater, and dried them. Each jar had a large mouth and was about four feet tall. Aachcho got a sack of salt from her brother’s grocery shop. She cut open the sack and checked the quality of the salt by tasting a few crystals She then asked a woman to empty the bag into a giant canvas sheet in her compound and check the salt for sand and other impurities, such as dead leaves.
Once the jars were ready and the salt was checked, Aachcho awaited the fish. Francis brought two sacks of fish on a cart and delivered them to the compound. Aachcho checked the fish for their freshness. She then asked the women to clean them; they washed the fish several times in seawater from the buckets and then gutted and cleaned each fish. She piled up the cleaned fish at four places on the canvas and assigned a woman to each heap of fish. About 120 hurullo (sardinella) and 100 paraw (yellow spotted trevally) were on the canvas.
Crows and stray cats started to gather around the compound, and it was my duty to keep them away from the fish. Halfway through the cleaning fish, Francis again came with several plastic jars of seawater, which the women used to rewash the fish. Freshwater was taboo in the yard while making jaadi.
Aachcho checked the speed at which the women cleaned and washed the fish, and once, she asked them to take a tea break. She served them ginger biscuits, black tea, and sugar. After the tea break, two women fetched the goraka (Garcinia cambogia) sack from the kitchen, washed the goraka pieces in saltwater, cut or tore them into small pieces, and flattened them with a wooden hammer.
At the end of preparations, Aachcho served lunch to her companions with brown rice, lentil soup, and jaadi curry. She had kept a small amount of jaadi from the previous season for this special occasion. The women congratulated Aachcho for her excellent jaadi curry and promised to help her produce jaadi of the same quality.
Aaccho lined up the jars and covered their bottoms with salt. I helped her salt two jars. She took a handful of crushed goraka and spread it on top of the salt layer. Then came the zenith of the entire process—placing fish on the goraka layer. The washed fish had already been dried in the sun for an hour on old newspapers, which absorbed moisture from the fish.
Aachcho was worried that two women in her party could spoil her jaadi. In the village, they were known for their howaha (poisonous thoughts), aswaha (toxic sight), or katawaha (evil utterances). Especially with aswaha, jaadi jars would get fungi or maggots and develop strong rancidity within a week. Then, she would have to discard the entire jar of jaadi. Aachcho knew a special prayer she had learned from her mother to invoke the blessing of St. Anthony, the fisherfolk’s patron saint, to prevent jaadi from becoming rancid. Before laying the first batch of fish in each jar, she prayed silently for a few minutes to St Anthony. Then her assistants took over stacking fish in the jars in layers, packing fish and salt/goraka mix alternatively until each jar was about three-fourths full. Aachcho checked each jar and added the leftover salt and goraka.
Aachcho opened a bag, took dry lime leaves, and spread the leaves as the top layer in each jar. She believed lime leaves absorbed excess water and acted as a deterrent against toxic eye and evil tongue. She assigned each jar to a woman to wipe its mouth with a clean rag and then seal it with clean cloth. Aachcho kept the jars where they were for two hours. She then looked for a dark, cool place inside the house to store the jaadi jars for fermentation. I remember she kept the jars in a small, empty room without a window with a small door. Jaadi jars had to stay there for at least two months for fermenting.
After two weeks, Aaachcho opened two jars to check whether the jaadi had started curing well. At the end of the first month of curing, four women returned to take the jars out briefly. They tilted each jar to check whether any excess water had accumulated. If they found water, they drained it and added more goraka and lime leaves.
At the end of the second month, achcho wrote to my mother to send me to her place to watch Jaadi’s final phase. I travelled with my mother to Aaccho’s. She checked each jar with a flashlight for maggots or fungi. If the jaadi were safe, aachcho would reseal each jar with a new clean cloth. The tenth week fell during the Christmas week. I was there with my parents and brothers. Achcho’s assistants returned to check the jars and collect their dues. All pots were opened in the yard, and achcho smelt each jar to ascertain whether the jaadi had cured well. She smiled when the jaadi was shining and dry, shrunk, and had an appealing smell. She used a long wooden spoon to check the jaadi at the bottom of each jar. She removed lemon leaves, took the first layer of jaadi, and handed them over to her assistants. She was generous with her free distribution of jaadi. Anyone who visited Aachcho got a small parcel of jaadi to take home.
After the women left, Aachcho prepared a special lunch for us — rice, lentils, and jaadi fried with green pepper and onion rings. I still remember the wonderful, mouth-watering aroma of the meal. I regret that I never asked Aachcho for the special prayer to St. Anthony that protected jaadi from natural elements and evil eyes, thoughts, and utterances.
by Dr Gotabhya Ranasinghe
Senior Consultant Cardiologist
National Hospital Sri Lanka
When we sought a meeting with Hon Dr. Ramesh Pathirana, Minister of Health, he graciously cleared his busy schedule to accommodate us. Renowned for his attentive listening and deep understanding, Minister Pathirana is dedicated to advancing the health sector. His openness and transparency exemplify the qualities of an exemplary politician and minister.
Dr. Palitha Mahipala, the current Health Secretary, demonstrates both commendable enthusiasm and unwavering support. This combination of attributes makes him a highly compatible colleague for the esteemed Minister of Health.
Our discussion centered on a project that has been in the works for the past 30 years, one that no other minister had managed to advance.
Minister Pathirana, however, recognized the project’s significance and its potential to revolutionize care for heart patients.
The project involves the construction of a state-of-the-art facility at the premises of the National Hospital Colombo. The project’s location within the premises of the National Hospital underscores its importance and relevance to the healthcare infrastructure of the nation.
This facility will include a cardiology building and a tertiary care center, equipped with the latest technology to handle and treat all types of heart-related conditions and surgeries.
Securing funding was a major milestone for this initiative. Minister Pathirana successfully obtained approval for a $40 billion loan from the Asian Development Bank. With the funding in place, the foundation stone is scheduled to be laid in September this year, and construction will begin in January 2025.
This project guarantees a consistent and uninterrupted supply of stents and related medications for heart patients. As a result, patients will have timely access to essential medical supplies during their treatment and recovery. By securing these critical resources, the project aims to enhance patient outcomes, minimize treatment delays, and maintain the highest standards of cardiac care.
Upon its fruition, this monumental building will serve as a beacon of hope and healing, symbolizing the unwavering dedication to improving patient outcomes and fostering a healthier society.We anticipate a future marked by significant progress and positive outcomes in Sri Lanka’s cardiovascular treatment landscape within the foreseeable timeframe.
by Fr. Emmanuel Fernando, OMI
Jesuit Fr. Aloysius Pieris (affectionately called Fr. Aloy) celebrated his 90th birthday on April 9, 2024 and I, as the editor of our Oblate Journal, THE MISSIONARY OBLATE had gone to press by that time. Immediately I decided to publish an article, appreciating the untiring selfless services he continues to offer for inter-Faith dialogue, the renewal of the Catholic Church, his concern for the poor and the suffering Sri Lankan masses and to me, the present writer.
It was in 1988, when I was appointed Director of the Oblate Scholastics at Ampitiya by the then Oblate Provincial Fr. Anselm Silva, that I came to know Fr. Aloy more closely. Knowing well his expertise in matters spiritual, theological, Indological and pastoral, and with the collaborative spirit of my companion-formators, our Oblate Scholastics were sent to Tulana, the Research and Encounter Centre, Kelaniya, of which he is the Founder-Director, for ‘exposure-programmes’ on matters spiritual, biblical, theological and pastoral. Some of these dimensions according to my view and that of my companion-formators, were not available at the National Seminary, Ampitiya.
Ever since that time, our Oblate formators/ accompaniers at the Oblate Scholasticate, Ampitiya , have continued to send our Oblate Scholastics to Tulana Centre for deepening their insights and convictions regarding matters needed to serve the people in today’s context. Fr. Aloy also had tried very enthusiastically with the Oblate team headed by Frs. Oswald Firth and Clement Waidyasekara to begin a Theologate, directed by the Religious Congregations in Sri Lanka, for the contextual formation/ accompaniment of their members. It should very well be a desired goal of the Leaders / Provincials of the Religious Congregations.
Besides being a formator/accompanier at the Oblate Scholasticate, I was entrusted also with the task of editing and publishing our Oblate journal, ‘The Missionary Oblate’. To maintain the quality of the journal I continue to depend on Fr. Aloy for his thought-provoking and stimulating articles on Biblical Spirituality, Biblical Theology and Ecclesiology. I am very grateful to him for his generous assistance. Of late, his writings on renewal of the Church, initiated by Pope St. John XX111 and continued by Pope Francis through the Synodal path, published in our Oblate journal, enable our readers to focus their attention also on the needed renewal in the Catholic Church in Sri Lanka. Fr. Aloy appreciated very much the Synodal path adopted by the Jesuit Pope Francis for the renewal of the Church, rooted very much on prayerful discernment. In my Religious and presbyteral life, Fr.Aloy continues to be my spiritual animator / guide and ongoing formator / acccompanier.
Fr. Aloysius Pieris, BA Hons (Lond), LPh (SHC, India), STL (PFT, Naples), PhD (SLU/VC), ThD (Tilburg), D.Ltt (KU), has been one of the eminent Asian theologians well recognized internationally and one who has lectured and held visiting chairs in many universities both in the West and in the East. Many members of Religious Congregations from Asian countries have benefited from his lectures and guidance in the East Asian Pastoral Institute (EAPI) in Manila, Philippines. He had been a Theologian consulted by the Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conferences for many years. During his professorship at the Gregorian University in Rome, he was called to be a member of a special group of advisers on other religions consulted by Pope Paul VI.
Fr. Aloy is the author of more than 30 books and well over 500 Research Papers. Some of his books and articles have been translated and published in several countries. Among those books, one can find the following: 1) The Genesis of an Asian Theology of Liberation (An Autobiographical Excursus on the Art of Theologising in Asia, 2) An Asian Theology of Liberation, 3) Providential Timeliness of Vatican 11 (a long-overdue halt to a scandalous millennium, 4) Give Vatican 11 a chance, 5) Leadership in the Church, 6) Relishing our faith in working for justice (Themes for study and discussion), 7) A Message meant mainly, not exclusively for Jesuits (Background information necessary for helping Francis renew the Church), 8) Lent in Lanka (Reflections and Resolutions, 9) Love meets wisdom (A Christian Experience of Buddhism, 10) Fire and Water 11) God’s Reign for God’s poor, 12) Our Unhiddden Agenda (How we Jesuits work, pray and form our men). He is also the Editor of two journals, Vagdevi, Journal of Religious Reflection and Dialogue, New Series.
Fr. Aloy has a BA in Pali and Sanskrit from the University of London and a Ph.D in Buddhist Philosophy from the University of Sri Lankan, Vidyodaya Campus. On Nov. 23, 2019, he was awarded the prestigious honorary Doctorate of Literature (D.Litt) by the Chancellor of the University of Kelaniya, the Most Venerable Welamitiyawe Dharmakirthi Sri Kusala Dhamma Thera.
Fr. Aloy continues to be a promoter of Gospel values and virtues. Justice as a constitutive dimension of love and social concern for the downtrodden masses are very much noted in his life and work. He had very much appreciated the commitment of the late Fr. Joseph (Joe) Fernando, the National Director of the Social and Economic Centre (SEDEC) for the poor.
In Sri Lanka, a few religious Congregations – the Good Shepherd Sisters, the Christian Brothers, the Marist Brothers and the Oblates – have invited him to animate their members especially during their Provincial Congresses, Chapters and International Conferences. The mainline Christian Churches also have sought his advice and followed his seminars. I, for one, regret very much, that the Sri Lankan authorities of the Catholic Church –today’s Hierarchy—- have not sought Fr.
Aloy’s expertise for the renewal of the Catholic Church in Sri Lanka and thus have not benefited from the immense store of wisdom and insight that he can offer to our local Church while the Sri Lankan bishops who governed the Catholic church in the immediate aftermath of the Second Vatican Council (Edmund Fernando OMI, Anthony de Saram, Leo Nanayakkara OSB, Frank Marcus Fernando, Paul Perera,) visited him and consulted him on many matters. Among the Tamil Bishops, Bishop Rayappu Joseph was keeping close contact with him and Bishop J. Deogupillai hosted him and his team visiting him after the horrible Black July massacre of Tamils.
Sri Lanka-Singapore Free Trade Agreement
By Gomi Senadhira
senadhiragomi@gmail.com
“You might tell fairy tales, but the progress of a country cannot be achieved through such narratives. A country cannot be developed by making false promises. The country moved backward because of the electoral promises made by political parties throughout time. We have witnessed that the ultimate result of this is the country becoming bankrupt. Unfortunately, many segments of the population have not come to realize this yet.” – President Ranil Wickremesinghe, 2024 Budget speech
Any Sri Lankan would agree with the above words of President Wickremesinghe on the false promises our politicians and officials make and the fairy tales they narrate which bankrupted this country. So, to understand this, let’s look at one such fairy tale with lots of false promises; Ranil Wickremesinghe’s greatest achievement in the area of international trade and investment promotion during the Yahapalana period, Sri Lanka-Singapore Free Trade Agreement (SLSFTA).
It is appropriate and timely to do it now as Finance Minister Wickremesinghe has just presented to parliament a bill on the National Policy on Economic Transformation which includes the establishment of an Office for International Trade and the Sri Lanka Institute of Economics and International Trade.
Was SLSFTA a “Cleverly negotiated Free Trade Agreement” as stated by the (former) Minister of Development Strategies and International Trade Malik Samarawickrama during the Parliamentary Debate on the SLSFTA in July 2018, or a colossal blunder covered up with lies, false promises, and fairy tales? After SLSFTA was signed there were a number of fairy tales published on this agreement by the Ministry of Development Strategies and International, Institute of Policy Studies, and others.
However, for this article, I would like to limit my comments to the speech by Minister Samarawickrama during the Parliamentary Debate, and the two most important areas in the agreement which were covered up with lies, fairy tales, and false promises, namely: revenue loss for Sri Lanka and Investment from Singapore. On the other important area, “Waste products dumping” I do not want to comment here as I have written extensively on the issue.
1. The revenue loss
During the Parliamentary Debate in July 2018, Minister Samarawickrama stated “…. let me reiterate that this FTA with Singapore has been very cleverly negotiated by us…. The liberalisation programme under this FTA has been carefully designed to have the least impact on domestic industry and revenue collection. We have included all revenue sensitive items in the negative list of items which will not be subject to removal of tariff. Therefore, 97.8% revenue from Customs duty is protected. Our tariff liberalisation will take place over a period of 12-15 years! In fact, the revenue earned through tariffs on goods imported from Singapore last year was Rs. 35 billion.
The revenue loss for over the next 15 years due to the FTA is only Rs. 733 million– which when annualised, on average, is just Rs. 51 million. That is just 0.14% per year! So anyone who claims the Singapore FTA causes revenue loss to the Government cannot do basic arithmetic! Mr. Speaker, in conclusion, I call on my fellow members of this House – don’t mislead the public with baseless criticism that is not grounded in facts. Don’t look at petty politics and use these issues for your own political survival.”
I was surprised to read the minister’s speech because an article published in January 2018 in “The Straits Times“, based on information released by the Singaporean Negotiators stated, “…. With the FTA, tariff savings for Singapore exports are estimated to hit $10 million annually“.
As the annual tariff savings (that is the revenue loss for Sri Lanka) calculated by the Singaporean Negotiators, Singaporean $ 10 million (Sri Lankan rupees 1,200 million in 2018) was way above the rupees’ 733 million revenue loss for 15 years estimated by the Sri Lankan negotiators, it was clear to any observer that one of the parties to the agreement had not done the basic arithmetic!
Six years later, according to a report published by “The Morning” newspaper, speaking at the Committee on Public Finance (COPF) on 7th May 2024, Mr Samarawickrama’s chief trade negotiator K.J. Weerasinghehad had admitted “…. that forecasted revenue loss for the Government of Sri Lanka through the Singapore FTA is Rs. 450 million in 2023 and Rs. 1.3 billion in 2024.”
If these numbers are correct, as tariff liberalisation under the SLSFTA has just started, we will pass Rs 2 billion very soon. Then, the question is how Sri Lanka’s trade negotiators made such a colossal blunder. Didn’t they do their basic arithmetic? If they didn’t know how to do basic arithmetic they should have at least done their basic readings. For example, the headline of the article published in The Straits Times in January 2018 was “Singapore, Sri Lanka sign FTA, annual savings of $10m expected”.
Anyway, as Sri Lanka’s chief negotiator reiterated at the COPF meeting that “…. since 99% of the tariffs in Singapore have zero rates of duty, Sri Lanka has agreed on 80% tariff liberalisation over a period of 15 years while expecting Singapore investments to address the imbalance in trade,” let’s turn towards investment.
Investment from Singapore
In July 2018, speaking during the Parliamentary Debate on the FTA this is what Minister Malik Samarawickrama stated on investment from Singapore, “Already, thanks to this FTA, in just the past two-and-a-half months since the agreement came into effect we have received a proposal from Singapore for investment amounting to $ 14.8 billion in an oil refinery for export of petroleum products. In addition, we have proposals for a steel manufacturing plant for exports ($ 1 billion investment), flour milling plant ($ 50 million), sugar refinery ($ 200 million). This adds up to more than $ 16.05 billion in the pipeline on these projects alone.
And all of these projects will create thousands of more jobs for our people. In principle approval has already been granted by the BOI and the investors are awaiting the release of land the environmental approvals to commence the project.
I request the Opposition and those with vested interests to change their narrow-minded thinking and join us to develop our country. We must always look at what is best for the whole community, not just the few who may oppose. We owe it to our people to courageously take decisions that will change their lives for the better.”
According to the media report I quoted earlier, speaking at the Committee on Public Finance (COPF) Chief Negotiator Weerasinghe has admitted that Sri Lanka was not happy with overall Singapore investments that have come in the past few years in return for the trade liberalisation under the Singapore-Sri Lanka Free Trade Agreement. He has added that between 2021 and 2023 the total investment from Singapore had been around $162 million!
What happened to those projects worth $16 billion negotiated, thanks to the SLSFTA, in just the two-and-a-half months after the agreement came into effect and approved by the BOI? I do not know about the steel manufacturing plant for exports ($ 1 billion investment), flour milling plant ($ 50 million) and sugar refinery ($ 200 million).
However, story of the multibillion-dollar investment in the Petroleum Refinery unfolded in a manner that would qualify it as the best fairy tale with false promises presented by our politicians and the officials, prior to 2019 elections.
Though many Sri Lankans got to know, through the media which repeatedly highlighted a plethora of issues surrounding the project and the questionable credentials of the Singaporean investor, the construction work on the Mirrijiwela Oil Refinery along with the cement factory began on the24th of March 2019 with a bang and Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and his ministers along with the foreign and local dignitaries laid the foundation stones.
That was few months before the 2019 Presidential elections. Inaugurating the construction work Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said the projects will create thousands of job opportunities in the area and surrounding districts.
The oil refinery, which was to be built over 200 acres of land, with the capacity to refine 200,000 barrels of crude oil per day, was to generate US$7 billion of exports and create 1,500 direct and 3,000 indirect jobs. The construction of the refinery was to be completed in 44 months. Four years later, in August 2023 the Cabinet of Ministers approved the proposal presented by President Ranil Wickremesinghe to cancel the agreement with the investors of the refinery as the project has not been implemented! Can they explain to the country how much money was wasted to produce that fairy tale?
It is obvious that the President, ministers, and officials had made huge blunders and had deliberately misled the public and the parliament on the revenue loss and potential investment from SLSFTA with fairy tales and false promises.
As the president himself said, a country cannot be developed by making false promises or with fairy tales and these false promises and fairy tales had bankrupted the country. “Unfortunately, many segments of the population have not come to realize this yet”.
(The writer, a specialist and an activist on trade and development issues . )
US sports envoys to Lanka to champion youth development
Rahuman questions sudden cancellation of leave of CEB employees
