Features
A man, a beast and a forest
A Short Story
BY SIRI GALHENAGE
I sit at my desk by the window to study. The all-important Advanced Level Examination is fast approaching. I am troubled by mixed feelings of anxiety and sadness. Unable to focus my attention on the assigned homework, I gaze into the vast expanse of the valley below, and the dense forest that extends as far as the eye could see. The sun sank into the horizon leaving behind a sky that looks like a weepy red eye. Standing on a hillock, beyond the paddy field and the lake that feeds it, is the village temple with its Dagoba and the bell tower, emerging from the bush surrounding it. The echo of the temple bells is heard across the valley signalling the start of devotional offerings to the Bo-Tree by devotees.
It is a quiet evening. The chatter of children, who usually play under the Tamarind tree at the heart of the village, is not heard. The flocks of bats that fly in at dusk to rest in the trees around appear to have gone elsewhere.
My thoughts return to my early years. Mine was a carefree life bonded with nature. During weekends we roamed around the outskirts of the forest without fear. My sister and I woke up early morning to compete with each other to pick the cadju nuts discarded by bats after the succulent puhulang had been eaten by them. We enjoyed watching the brooks that rolled over rocks onto pearly sands before they entered the lake below.
We picked the lilies that grew on its fringes – re-living our nature poems we recited in class. At a distance, fenced by the tall trees beyond the brooks, we often witnessed herds of elephants parading down a passage to their feeding grounds in the valley. We climbed our favourite Kumbuk tree and sat on its branches to watch the elephants bathing and frolicking in the marshes far away.
I remember the day, about a year ago, when a group of haughty town folk arrived in our village accompanied by the local Member of Parliament who was not seen after election time. They conversed among themselves for nearly an hour, and the inquisitive villagers, including my father, converged towards them, but stayed at a distance. During their conversation, one of the visitors opened up a scroll which the others examined pointing to the area of forest beyond the brooks.
Not many weeks passed when our village was regularly visited by surveyors and their assistants. They seemed to have chosen a picturesque location overlooking the valley. Few weeks later the tree-loppers came in with their chain saws. Their roar resonated throughout the day with frequent thuds of falling trees. The massive tree trunks were laid to rest on heavy trucks and taken away along the village road making it muddy, causing much inconvenience to villagers on foot. They put up an electric fence bordering the forest to protect the premises from wild animals entering it and a guard post was built in the cleared area to keep away human intruders. A security officer was seen at night carrying a torch and a rifle.
A group of villagers visited the local government offices in town to inquire into the recent developments occuring in their neighbourhood without any consultation with the locals. They were told that the government was planning to embark on a project which will generate income to the village by providing employment to the local folk. The plan was to build a tourist hotel in the environs of the forest; a private company has offered to help. The villagers were divided in their opinion about the project. Some believed that it could alleviate poverty in the village.
Interrupting my thoughts, my mother comes in to place a kerosene lamp on my desk, saying that it is bad for the eyes to be studying in the dark. There is sadness written on her face. She returns to the kitchen where she gets ready to prepare our evening meal. My sister puts down the book she was reading to join my mother, and starts grating a coconut. They work quietly together.
Intrusive thoughts about that dreadful night, few weeks ago, rob me of my concentration. It sends a shudder through my spine. I felt frozen, unable to move, re-living the horror. I close my book and put aside my pen.
It was past 10 pm. on that night. After a hard day’s work in the paddy field, my father was resting in his armchair on the veranda of our thatched house. I had just completed my assignment and was ready for bed.
The village was gripped in darkness. There was incessant barking of dogs. Suddenly, a rumble; shatter of banana trees in the backyard; a thud and the collapse of walls, followed by screams; a couple of gunshots, and the rush rolled away into the valley. The dogs continued to bark.
The last I heard from my father was a firm, “stay inside”, and a groan. Fearing his safety, my mother and I rushed outside to find him under the rubble of the collapsed roof of the veranda. We yelled for help from our neighbours who were running around in thick darkness, flashing torches. They pulled my father out of the rubble and rushed him in a three-wheeler to a base hospital, several miles away. My mother accompanied him.
At the crack of dawn, the villagers were out examining the trail of destruction left by a herd of marauding elephants who invaded the village. They explored the damage caused to their mud brick dwellings and their crops. A crowd gathered around a bull elephant with gunshot wounds lying on the slopes, fighting for his life. Others rushed to my home, as the word got round about my father, murmured to each other, and anxiously awaited news from the hospital.
My mother returned home with the bad news we dreaded. Hugging me and my sister, she wept; those gathered, joined in. The future of my family was overturned overnight – hopes shattered, with the demise of the breadwinner of the family.
Hit with a sense of disbelief, my emotions were initially numbed. As reality set in, I was overcome by a deep sense of sadness. As days passed by, I was confronted with feelings of anger and guilt. Anger: directed at whom? I do not know. Guilt: within myself for not being able to save my father; how? I do not know.
My father’s funeral was held at the local cemetery amidst a large gathering of villagers. The workers, who cleared a section of the forest for the hotel project, provided a helping hand in setting up the funeral pier using left over logs from the clearing. The head priest of the village temple performed the last rites with his compassionate eyes cast upon my mother, sister and me, weeping in a huddle. The local Member of Parliament made a brief visit to offer his condolences. He arrived in his Defender jeep accompanied by security staff. He left hurriedly, having to attend to ‘urgent business’ regarding the upcoming general election. He approached me and my sister, kindly offering to help us in our future endeavours.
In keeping with Buddhist tradition, an alms-giving to the monks was held at my home, seven days after my father’s death. The sermon that followed, delivered by the head priest of the village temple, was inspiring, and made a lasting impression in me.
“We lost an iconic figure that epitomised our village – a hardworking paddy farmer”. He described my father as ‘a man of wisdom’, and underscored his dignity, his generosity of spirit, his ability to work harmoniously with the village folk, and his patronage to the village temple. The ageing head priest reminded those present of the old Sinhala adage that, ‘washed off the mud, our paddy farmer is fit for the throne’, which he said my father symbolised. Turning to my mother, he said that my father always worked hard for the betterment of his family, and that he had confided in him of his desire to see his children achieve academically.
The prelate then went on to address the general topic of ‘loss’. He said, “while we incorporate the positive aspects of the person we have lost, we need to work through our grief ‘letting go’ of our emotions attached to the lost person”. “It is the only way we could move forward”.
“Ancient wisdom”, he went on to say, “Teaches us about the unity and interconnectedness of the human body and spirit and the flora and fauna around us and the universe at large with its celestial bodies, such as the sun, the moon and the stars”. “We are all one”. “When one aspect of nature is destroyed, the other aspects come back with a vengeance, and many innocents may get hurt as a result. No fence can prevent it. Such is the unity and interconnectedness of nature. Life, in all forms is sacred, and should be protected. Modern man, driven by greed, is yet to understand this. What you have witnessed here is the destruction of a forest, a man, and a beast – all very sacred to us. Man needs to learn to live in harmony with nature”.
I got up from my seat to join my mother and sister in a shared meal and a shared grief, and a shared determination.
[sirigalhenage@gmail.com]
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 . )
