Adverse publicity overseas, yet we’ve seen better earlier

A news item on Sri Lanka was splashed across a page of the New York Times on September 8. However, hang your heads, Countrymen and Co-women, the news item called for blushing over, cringing and wishing the cause of the adverse publicity had never occurred. Cass means to say that pre-Covid-19 our country and us, have been paid lavish praise: we were named the best tourist destination in the entire world, and not by one voting body but three, Lonely Planet included. This time around, we need to hang our heads in shame, and lament.

Travelling around when our maids went en masse to work in the Middle East and elsewhere, the comment that was forthcoming when country of origin was divulged in conversation with acquaintances: “Oh! You are from Sri Lanka. I have a really good maid to do my housework ‘or’ I had a Sri Lankan housemaid who cheated and stole. I much prefer the Filipinos, who need to be paid more but know their work and can be trusted.” Sad and blushworthy, when much earlier the exclamation invariably was “Sri Lanka! The country of the best tea!”

The derogatory news

You may be asking yourself what Cass means and what the adverse news item in a recent New York Times is. It is the headline: He Faces Death for Murder Conviction. Parliament Swore Him in Anyway. Followed by the succinct explanation: “He may have been convicted of killing an opposition activist, but a member of Sri Lanka’s Parliament is keeping his day job.” Maria Abi Habib was definitely not singing hosannahs to us or our country in this article. This South Asian correspondent of a prestigious newspaper was however writing the truth. And, that is doubly damning to the country.

We have had adverse reports about us before, but most knew it was biased. The western media plugged the line of civilian murders et al by the government armed forces during our civil war but most glossed over LTTE ferocity, barbarity and wanton killing.

We have however shone

Many’s the time this little dot in the Indian Ocean has made headlines, hit the world through international media to the good of the country and calling for praise. To Cass the highest accolade for catching the attention of the world goes to stately Sirimavo Ratwatte Bandaranaike for being the very first woman Head of State. She won the premiership of free Sri Lanka by her party, the SLFP, being voted in, in July 1960. People tried to lessen the honour by saying she won by default as it were, with the assassination of her husband the previous year. Give credence to that, but after a shaky start she shone forth as a dignified stateswoman, particularly at the Non Aligned Movement gathering of Heads of State in Colombo in 1976. She beat so many other women like Golda Meyer, Margaret Thatcher to mention but two, to be the world’s first Prime Minister.

The country was also firmly placed on the international map when President Mahinda Rajapaksa hosted the Commonwealth Heads of Government (CHOGM) again in Colombo in 2014.

Thus it is extremely saddening, nay shameful; disgusting to many, that a convicted murderer was allowed by the Speaker to take oaths as a Member of Parliament which has caught international media attention and consequent notoriety.

Another bit of disturbing ripples have been caused by the 20 th Amendment, said to be fatherless, having no traceable author/s claiming its appearance in black and white. Gazetted, it raised uproars which called for a reappraisal. That was done. Mum’s the word for Cass!

Hero of the day

Ruwan Wijewardena is certainly deserving of the honour of Vice Chair of the UNP through the majority votes he polled against the other contender, Ravi Karunanayake. He expressed thanks when the TV cameras caught him. He said his first and most definite intention was to raise the Elephant Party from its face down, defeated stance. It was laid low at the general elections of last month.

Ruwan W projected a fine demeanour of modest charisma with the indication here is a honest politician concerned more about what he can do for his Party and thus his country than what both these can do for him. That aim came through, seeing him on TV.

Cass did not know humans can cling as tenaciously as limpets do!! The humans to posts of power as the sea creatures to rocks Their strong foot muscles attach the shell to rocks, offering anchorage and preventing desiccation at low tide. My word, what do our political limpets cling for? Power, perks, safety from obsolescence and them labouring under the false notion they are indispensible.

Good tidings

Those powerful parasites of society and wayward leading drug dealers are being caught like flies. Hossanahs and much thanks to the police squads, the spearheading higher ups and the President. This beautiful island, known for its smiling faces and serendipity seems to have been awash with dangerous drugs. All in the trade must be rooted out and punished. Many is the time we have heard that “they will be caught and due punishment given even if they are very important, and of the highest position.” However, let not the searching and convicting stop short when a VIP is in the net.

Latest Trump-et

Trump has held two vast election rallies in closed halls, with many minus face masks. Thus he continues to cock a snook at Covid-19 and its rapid ravage of the US of America. Accused of playing down the severity of the pandemic and opting to tilt the balance towards restoration and continuance of the economy at the cost of thousands of lives, he was severely criticised, even blamed, by the Democrats and authors such as Bob Woodward. And he has deflected the accusation he let Covid-19 roam free and infect thousands by saying he “played up” the dangers of the infection. Bare faced lie! Biden rides the polls as of now.

Sixty days more to see how things pan out over there.