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Kapu Ella, You defeated me
The Dutch made this waterway, and the locals called it Kapu Ella (the canal that was dug). That was centuries ago, during the sad years when the civilised ‘New World’ was playing musical chairs, in the poorer continents, to own the rest of the planet. We, too, had our share, from a powerful threesome, the Portuguese, the Dutch and the English; they all had a go at us. That part is history, best left for the erudite to squabble about. My story is about Kapu Ella, the water link between the Kalu Ganga and the Bolgoda Lake, approximately nine miles of pastoral beauty, bucolic every foot of the way, which I tried to navigate in a canoe, just for the hell of it.
I have come down from Ratnapura to Kalutara rowing a boat, three days of toil but fascinating splendour that would stay in my mind for the rest of my life. Such was the thrill! Kapu Ella was nothing compared to that; just a day’s romp, maybe, three to four hours, adding a few more to laze and enjoy the ride; well, that was the plan.
My partner this time was Harin, 21 years of age, and from the canoe land of Canada, a uni student and nephew. Keen as mustard, off we went, the old, grizzled pelican, and the young and strong eager beaver, to conquer Kapu Ella.
The start was from Galapatha, where the Kalu Ganga linked to Kapu Ella, the route through which the Dutch brought their laden padda boats from Ratnapura to Colombo, via the Bolgoda Lake.
The morning was gray, distant thunderstorms were coughing and a steady drizzle fell, intermittently, at times intensifying to raging rain. We went by road, the canoe loaded into a van, driven by Buddy, my bosom pal, who was going to drive along the by-roads, riding shotgun for us from on the canal bank, just to give some insurance of sanity. We got down by the Kapu Ella and launched our Solitaire, the robin red canoe that had stood faithful in many a river journey of mine.
The plan was for us to keep moving and for Buddy to meet us at the bridges that spanned the Kapu Ella – a sane way of ensuring safety. We had a map; my young friend had ogled Google and printed out the path we were to follow. Sandwiches in a bag, two bottles of water and the camera and a notebook; that’s all we needed.
The first part of the journey was beautiful, the width of the Ella was no more than 30 feet and, on either side, were trees of all kinds, with emerald leaves from which multicoloured birds shot out to the sky in fear of the ‘red canoe’ trespassers. Cormorants swam among the water lilies and kingfishers perched and waited patiently for the fish to be foolish. The sky cleared into patches of blue and the cartoon clouds still hung around as if to say we will be back to drench you. The kid from Canada and yours truly rowed on, both fascinated by the serenity of it all, beauty at its best, a feast to the eyes and a balm to the soul as we made our way north along the Kapu Ella.
Then came the Ketela clumps, tall and green and thick and threatening, growing wild right across the Ella, completely blocking the path of the canoe. I never bargained for that; the most I thought would be some ‘japan jabara’ and salvinia that could be sorted out by two bamboos we brought with us, just in case the paddling became impossible among the water obstacles. But this Ketela wall was different, no way to proceed beyond that; the only choice was to take the canoe ashore and walk around it, along the Ella, till we came to the clear. That’s exactly what we did. As usual, the ever-present Sri Lankan advisor was there; Seeman, he’s come to collect his cow who was grazing on the marshy land and he became our instant guide, telling us to drag the canoe about 100 metres to clear the Ketela dense. That we did, and off we went, back among the Lotus and the Manel swaying in the wind as if to say, “Hello, hello, we haven’t seen your kind before.”
A mile down the lane, we ran into another Ketela wall. Nobody had come by boat this way, the thick green obstruction blocked the path and there was an ‘edanda’, right across the waterway as if to say ‘beyond this is damnation’. We pulled the canoe out again; this time it was no marsh, but a harsh creeper filled, and thorn infested the water’s edge, where we had to carry the 14-foot canoe. It was almost impossible, but that word had been omitted from my vocabulary long ago and I stubbornly trudged on and my young friend responded magnificently. He had come to do a canoe ride amongst the breathtaking riverside scenery and here he was dragging canoes along knee high marsh and carrying the canoe among the thorn bush with all kinds of insects having a feast on us. Yet, like the good Pancho he was, he simply hung on with the self-styled Don Quixote of Kapu Ella.
Back to the water and back to the beauty, my spirits were still at the zenith but my senses were giving warning bells. This was not the Kalu Ganga where people along the river waved at you and gave all the information needed. Here there was no one, not even a little hut to tell us help was near, the salvinia by this time was adding another dimension of distress and clogging the path so much that my weary “boat carrying – boat dragging” shoulders were making their own protests. As if to say all this is not enough, the rains, too, started pelting us; life certainly wasn’t fair and it appeared that the Gods themselves were ensuring punishment on those who were disturbing the tranquillity of nature.
My young friend, I knew, was busted, yet no complaints; he hung in there, paddle for paddle as we inched our way on the salvinia sea, hoping at least the rain would stop. We’ve been on the water for almost six hours, and it had been most demanding. There was always the fear of a crocodile, or a snake, or a viper. Well, there the Gods were kind; we saw none and none came to see us. That was a huge concession and a consolation in this desolation.
As we passed the sea of Salvinia, another Ketela wall was in sight. That one beat me. There was no way to go ashore, so thick was the scrub bush that it was impossible to take the canoe ashore and walk around. I sat there with my friend, and admitted defeat. We had to turn back, not to go back through all what we suffered, but to find a place we could go ashore and walk to find someone who would help us return to sanity.
We rowed back to a place where we saw some rubber trees and knew there would be people in the vicinity. We were too tired even to pull the canoe ashore, but managed, left the boat and went looking for help. A half a mile inland there was a house, and, of course, the instant warm hospitality of the proletariat.
A man and his wife came out and he told us to rest whilst he called a friend and went to bring our boat. In the meantime, my Canadian pulled his mobile and called Buddy and the van and gave the location. In no time we were on our way home.
Yes, Kapu Ella defeated me and won the round, but that was only the first battle. On our way home, we passed a bridge, under which the majestic Kapu Ella flowed. It was almost near Bolgoda. I stopped and got off the van and stood there looking at the ripples as they swirled around the Bridge roots. It looked as if Kapu Ella were laughing at us mockingly, seeing the Old Man and the Kid drenched, and weary, standing on the bridge and watching what vanquished them.
“Laugh, Kapu Ella, laugh all you want,” I whispered to the wind. “One day I will be back.”
Note:
It wasn’t long ago that motorboats from Bolgoda went along the Kapu Ella to Kalu Ganga and the Padda boats came in the reverse direction. Now, that cannot be done. Clumps of Ketela stand obstructing the way. One does not need the World Bank to fund the clearing of Ketela and make Kapu Ella a beautiful waterway for people to travel. But then, will the beauty and the serenity remain? That is the question. Maybe, I should cheer for the Ketela bushes that defeated me, maybe they are the last vestige of defence to protect nature and retain the solitude of Kapu Ella and reserve the place for the flora and the fauna, who, unlike us, know how to respect and hold such beauty sacred.
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 . )
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