Features
Could Kandy conservatism of 70-years ago and before be compared to Taliban restrictions?
With the Taliban having gained control of the whole of Afghanistan in August this year, even sooner than expected, after its thousands embroiled in warfare – this time more civil than directed by foreign forces – our thoughts focused on that mountainous region. Women the world over were perturbed that with Taliban control and rule being instituted, women in Afghanistan would have cruel rules re-imposed on them. I re-skimmed Anoja Wijeyesekera’s 2013 excellent book – Facing the Taliban: experiences of a UN Woman aid worker in Taliban controlled Afghanistan. Also read her online article on the Afghan situation:‘The tragedy of Afghanistan: is there a way forward?’ and an edited version in Interpress Service News on September 24; link being: http://www.ipsnews.net/2021/08/tragedy-afghanistan-way-forward/
It is a very perceptive article which ends in a plea that “the world help Afghanistan and not turn its back on it.”
Conservative Kandy society norms juxtaposed against some Taliban rules
Considering some of what the Taliban proposes Afghans under its rule observe, of course made to do so, I reminisced of long ago Kandy and its surrounding villages and how society lived in strict conservatism. Comparison would be interesting, I surmised, so I sent my mind way back to what I remember and what I had heard of, since when I was of discerning age conservatism had loosened its grip very much and I was not so strictly brought up.
Religions followed
The principal difference in the two situations is that the Taliban follows strict Sharia Law and we Kandy folk were in the majority Buddhists knowing full well the teachings of the Buddha as to observance of religion; living lay lives and treatment of women, where the Buddha gave women an even more significant and elevated position than that of men. It is a totally pacific belief, where injury to any other living being by word, deed and thought is totally forbidden.
Wikipedia defines Sharia Law “as a religious law forming part of the Islamic tradition, derived from the religious precepts of Islam, particularly the Quran and the Hadith. In Arabic the term shari’ah refers to God’s immutable divine law and is contrasted with the ‘fiqh’ which refers to its human scholarly interpretations.” What we have heard and accept is that it is extremely strict, it is not really from the Prophet’s teaching, it is a deviant form from the Koran and it was man propounded. (This have I actually heard, first in Lahore 25 years ago from a woman lawyer and read about).
Rule for men
Anoja writes on page 66 of her book: “According to the Taliban edict, all men had to grow their beards. Mullah Omar commanded that the beard belongs to Allah and that no man could touch it.” If trimmed or cut, the person faced one hundred lashes in public, a fine and imprisonment. Laughable if not so tragically true. Vice and Virtue groups implemented laws with cruel force then during the first Taliban-in-power period. The present leaders may well revert to this law. Men were also forced to wear the traditional baggy trousers and long tunic and vest.
Were there rules for men in the early half of the 19th century in Kandy? None, I would boldly say except that unwritten strictures of morality and social living were strong and observed by most. Only a few truants then, unlike now. The man was the breadwinner and dutiful to parents and wife and family. He knew his responsibilities and carried them out. I cannot remember from my childhood, misbehavior due to drunkenness or wife beating even among the villagers we holidayed among at my grandparents’ home. My uncles imbibed, but the one who did not, rose to a high position. My father and brother who took over the family when Father died at 41, were strict teetotalers. Men were free of any strictures covering appearance or dress.
Marriage
It was an encouraged practice in Afghanistan under the Taliban for a man to have four wives. Thus well-to-do men had wives as young as 12. For a woman it was absolute devotion to one man. Anoja reports on meeting a young 12-year old pre-teenager married to a man as old as her grandfather! Some Taliban leaders themselves demanded attractive young girls they saw.
Adultery meant death by stoning; it may have been the fate of the adulteress, the man getting away. Women of course were expected to be faithful slaves to their single husbands. Marriage in the old Kandyan province was strictly monogamous though according to historians polyandry was practiced where one woman had two or even more husbands. This practice, rare as it was, was solely due to concern over property and had not the slightest religiousness in it. Two brothers married one woman according to tales told. Polygyny was not tolerated but of course who knows, men may have had mistresses. Never heard of in our vastly extended paternal and maternal families. Friends would speak of grandmothers who were married at around 14 years, but never after the 1920s. However, even in my time, a girl was supposed to be married in her very early twenties. Curious questions were fielded by gossips if a girl was 25 or more and unmarried. Dowries were never asked for or bargained for, though of course the girl was endowed in proportion to the financial status of her parents. Even the ubiquitous magul kapuwa in his black coat with umbrella, did not formerly enquire about dowry.
Restriction of women
It is the utterly unfair and infamous restrictions that women had to suffer under previous Taliban regimes that causes the most fear and trepidation that women’s rights would be totally trampled and they would again be cruelly restricted in this second decade of the 21st century. The Taliban spokesman speaking over BBC in English in late August 2021, said women will be allowed education and to follow careers, but added “under Sharia Law.” There lies the crunch. The Afghan woman enjoyed 20 years of schooling, even higher education in Kabul and overseas and held jobs, many in foreign organizations. A huge question lies over the future of the women left behind in the country.
In the early 20th century in the Kandy district, education for a girl was not considered important as long as she grew up chaste and able to manage house, sew and be savvy over money saving. Mother being the eldest in her family and doted on by Grandfather, a true patriarch of the family and village, was safely escorted to the village school. But her two younger sisters were boarded at Girls’ High School, Kandy and played netball etc.
Mother was adamant her four daughters have their education to Senior Cambridge level at KHS, going against two uncles’ admonition to go to the village once my father died. I was off that restriction of school to a certain level and then a suitable marriage. Jobs for women were strictly frowned upon. Only Burgher girls went in for nursing and a few others into teaching. But Mother relented and allowed my second sister to teach (1940s) and the third to get tuition in math to enter University College, which she however did not. Marriage was the elders’ preference for her.
Women’s dress
The all enveloping cruelly injurious-to-sight burka insisted upon by the Taliban may return. TV shots of Kabul show more of these light blue tent like garbs evident. The eyes do not even have a slit to look through; the burka has a material-latticed slip for each eye. What an impediment. No part of body flesh can be shown.
Dress was modest in the old Kandy and its surrounding villages. Dresses were for young girls, but length above knees was strictly controlled. Once she grew up it was the half sari with a blouse which sported a long fringe around it. Missionary schools like Kandy High and the Convent insisted on uniform dresses; half saris in white were permitted. Soon enough the young girl was in full sari and her hair in a kondé. Senior girls in Hillwood were thus attired even in the early 1950s but played ferociously on netball field and tennis court.
Chaperonage
The Taliban forbids woman from even going marketing unaccompanied by a male who is her husband, father, brother or such like. Punishment is severe for breakers of this rule.
In Kandy of those days chaperonage was insisted upon. No girl groups could go traipsing around. My sisters, even in the 1940s, were not allowed to sit in our open verandah unless with an elderly woman chaperone. Modesty and good upbringing were targeted, and stoppage of in-law aunts gossiping.
Concluding view
No justified comparison is to be, or can be made of Taliban laws against what prevailed in the Kandy District in the first half of the 20th century. We were patriarchal but benignly so and women held their respected place; not even the faintest whiffs of mujahidin-ness would be tolerated. Some opine that our conservatism was Victorian, influenced by Brit rule. Not so. It was cultural and handed down through the generations with changes and increased laxity. Thus society and homes were settled, safe, secure and happy.
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
