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Quotes with comments as 2021 fades away and 2022 takes over
Today is the last day of the year. An obvious clichéd statement but must be stated as 2021 dies in a couple of hours and 2022 dawns.
Cassandra, reclining on her couch with no cooking to do – no gas and no desire to get blasted by a new cylinder – looks back at the 365 days gone by and the 366 to come with mixed feelings. Hunger and anger tear her guts and heart. Looking back her major emotion is rock bottom disillusionment, because most of the woes we people of Sri Lanka sank under were man made: Economic downturn; reduced crops and heartburn to farmers; bombs in the kitchen and consequent deaths and injury to the innocent. The persons who principally caused these by action or advice are detested and those who by their silence or votes abetted the crimes, cursed. That is the tragedy of this wonderful country – once bountiful now fast depleted. Cass will not name names – too long for this column – but they hatefully pass before her third eye, most fat bellied with self satisfaction on faces and fingers coiled around ill-gotten gains. It was patently obvious that to many, getting a buck or two on the sly was worth lives of innocents lost; starvation and national bankruptcy. New Sri Lankan rupees flow out of CB machines exacerbating the dire inability of us Ordinaries to contend with the soaring cost of living.
And the deniers of truth; the tall tale tellers, the crazy advisers – legion in number – sycophant themselves to the Mighty Powers. The wavy haired elder, the ‘Ala gone’ one and even a police officer covered up, by inanities, the gas company directors’ blatant lying, blaming gas cylinder connections and home cookers, while they manipulated for quick profit the composition of the gases in cylinders. Mr Waves, speaking on reduced harvests, asks us to grow vambatu and what else. Where? Cass spits on all of them, never mind her neck being guillotined.
Other writers, more objective and competent, will comment on events of the year that’s ending in a couple of hours and divinatory prophets (plenty available) will forecast the year to come. So, Cass decided to cull some quotes and comment on them paradigming them to suit the Sri Lankan context. So here goes.
Quotes
I wish our farmers, particularly, will take the Buddha’s advice and turn away from lamenting and burning effigies and will become wise and demand what they need. Or else they may quietly fade away and their paddy and vegetable lands given to greedy land seekers approved by the Soubhagya Government. The Buddha noted that “The Brahmins had no cattle, no gold, no wealth. They had study as their wealth and grain.”
Our farmers may have passed higher grades in school than many an MP, and constituted the backbone of the country; respected by us for their dignity, integrity and hard work. Now with the foundation of their farming success taken away by presidential decree, they shed tears; their families go hungry and they give up cultivation, even their lives. And those who advised doing away with chemical fertiliser, insecticides and weedicides bask behind presidential protection.
The original Cassandra was of the 5th to 4th centuries BC, when Greek civilization flourished with nonpareil philosophers. The present-day Cassandra quotes them.
“What you leave behind is not what is engraved in stone monuments but what is woven into the lives of others.” Pericles. This invites another quotation – from the Percy Bysshe Shelley.
Two vast and trunkless legs of stone/Stand in the desert….
And on the pedestal, these words appear:
My name is Ozymandias, King of Kings;
Look on my Works, ye Mighty, and despair!
Nothing beside remains.
Oh yes, we have plenty of modern vast white elephants which impoverished the entire country and we bear the brunt even now, of China cooperated sites to blazen forth a name – not Ozy but Mahinda. Derision substitutes admiration and sycophancy. A persistent question that bothers Cass is why the Chinese, who are our friends and benefactors and all that, are not asking that seaweed company not to demand its pound of flesh from Siri Lanka that has no dollars. Also did the Chinese ambassador visit Jaffna with an acquisitive eye in the name of helping poor Siri Lanka?
So true what Pericles said. Once leaders go – either deposed or to the grave – they leave behind what people think of them. History will record them and future generations judge them, notwithstanding their names atop buildings and on roads. The least said the better of such in our country as of now and the very recent past.
This Christmas season, positioned for all to see the gaping gap between haves and have-nots in this country, is no longer serendipitous. While the fat folk from the House by the Diyawanna winged their way across oceans or to Little England here in SL, some even chartering planes like a family group to receive blessings from South Indian gods, the poorer could hardly scrape one full meal a day, due to expense and gas bomb threat.
A good thought for both groups was said by Democritus in BC years.
“Happiness resides not in possession, and not in gold. Happiness dwells in the soul.”
Even babes in arms know how much wealth has been accumulated by many in power through foul means. They seem happy and live luxuriously. But retribution will surely come to them. At least they live under the cloud of fear of discovery of their crimes. They better keep this saying in mind:
“Depression is a cruel punishment. There is no fever, no rashes, no blood tests to send people scurrying in concern, just the slow erosion of self.”
Many an Ordinary bemoans the fact that utter corruption seems to make those who resort to it happy, living the good life. They groan – no karma, no punishment. Who knows whether they will pay even in future lives? But philosopher Cass says – Not to worry. Their thoughts alone must already be torturing them. Hence the younger corrupt seeks more and more of the good life and the older scurries to this kovil and that seer. Depression of mind compounded with fear is a terribly terrible punishment and occurs as day follows night.
Those who tear their hair about injustice can take solace from Heraclitus’ pronouncement: “Everything flows and nothing abides; everything gives way and nothing stays fixed.” The Buddha said it simpler: Anicca vata sankhara – Impermanent, alas, are all formations.”
Rumours or mere murmurings float around about change being inevitable, but change in how things are as of now. We see marches and hear protests and predictions that change will come soon. We Ordinaries want change but abiding by law and order, in the proper way and if its change of government, through elections. Socrates’ wisdom comes in here. He pronounced:
“The secret of change is to focus all your energy not on fighting the old, but on building new.”
That’s good advice for the rising JVP and the ranting SJB. Do it the proper way and change, nay eliminate for goodness sake, the cloak of corruption that shrouds this island of ours. Uproot and fling aside corruption. To do that, catch the corrupt, extract all their ill-gotten gains and add to the country kitty and then punish the rogues severely.
Even the government in power can take Socrates’ advice. They can change themselves. The President who carried the majority people’s hopes for a better country, can start the change by drastically reducing and changing the Cabinet. A golden opportunity was given him to right so many wrongs and get the country on a path of recovery minus all the Cabinet garbage and crooked bureaucratic high ups. But please no more sackings due to adverse comments by those who know.
And finally, a warning to such as Cass who criticise, with the best of intentions but can and will be misunderstood as flies in the ointment who deserve elimination. Personal proof: She, in another guise, was a columnist in a newspaper, not of Upali’s. She received an email with names of the richest politicos in SL. That was during the Yahapalana Government. She included some names in her column with the distinct comment that she could not believe Aiyo S to be rich. But his guards – probably his presidential secretariat – pounced on this. The man himself would have read Sinhala newspapers. Result: The Ed wrote to the columnist that her weekly column was being discontinued on orders of ‘higher authority’. Worse can happen like getting the brain needled by insertion of a sharpened rod through the ear. Sure, horribly painful death sans gunshot or scuffle. Consequently, Cass takes to heart the following: ‘There is such a thing as tempting the gods. Talking too much, too soon and with too much self –satisfaction has always seemed to me a sure way to court disaster. The forces of retribution are always listening. They never sleep.’ – Meg Greenfield.
On that cautionary note which is taken as a New Year resolution by Cass, she wishes all her readers a much better 2022, starting with hope and continuing with contentment and ending with this land of ours much improved, cleaner and more concerned about the less well to do.
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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