Features
Fence sitting; frank comment; front-paged on NYT
‘SJB challenges Vasu. Udaya and Wimal to leave Cabinet’, so read page one headline of Monday’s The Island. Cass adds her vote to this proposition as will so many other Lankan Ordinaries. At least will they vote against the Yugadanavi deal which they are protesting about? The deal was signed and sealed and we thought the entire Cabinet of Ministers had agreed to the project, promoted by the Finance Minister. But then these Cabinet Ministers said no vote nor discussion had taken place. So, Cass’ hypothetical questions remain valid, since a vote might be taken on the deal.
What Cass gathers from this headline and preceding incident is that while the inhabitants of this Isle are lazy lotus eaters, they are also fence sitters with an eye for dinun paththa so they can fall thataways with a cry of hoiya. The three critics who are vociferous now will meekly nod agreement or cast an ‘aye’ vote if the project is discussed again and put to the vote. Consequently, to Cass’ jaundiced eye, the three Ministers are branch hangers, like monkeys, who want to jump on to another branch but stay put as they are instinctively aware the other branch may not be safe. The monkey considers his safety; the politician considers his skin, power and perks and ignores the tempting branch he wanted to jump on to. If he jumps, he may lose all material goods but gain in popularity and be considered honourable. He may well ask himself ‘honour kantada?”
Justice Minister speaks truth, so help him God!
Ali Sabry has said he is fed up with the Parliament; he has had enough of the Parliament and will not re-enter it after serving the current term. We applaud him for speaking the truth and not being scared to do so. Most MPs and Ministers, especially on the government side, keep their lips clamped about internal matters, more particularly dissatisfaction with the status quo, which translates to dissatisfaction with how government is carried on. It is a judgement on the leaders. We admire Sabry for his arguments in the House, his apparent decency and honesty, standing out as a genuine man among such a motley of government MPs. He is definitely not a fence sitter. He says he will serve the time he was elected to serve and then leave.
Wide exposure
Ooh la la! We’ve made it to one of the world’s most prestigious newspapers. On December 7, 2021 Sri Lanka was featured on page one of New York Times with a long article carrying three pictures. The sure-to-have-been glaring headline was “Sri Lanka’s Plunge into Organic Farming Brings Disaster: the economically troubled country banned chemical fertilisers without preparing farmers; prompting a surge in food prices and worries about shortages,” reported by Aanya Vipulasena and Mujib Mashal. A vegetable seller from Colombo, a Ratnapura farmer and an ice cream vendor were pictured and interviewed. Cass will not summarise the article or comment on it, but it was objectively written with no blame laying, not at all. It is so sad, since we should have been applauded for being the first country to ban inorganic stuff but that would and should have been at least twenty years in the future. Now, instead of applauding us and holding our little island as an example and a first-to-do-it, we are touted pathetically and our troubles made internationally known. Bad advice; very bad decision. A single tree was seen by the powers-that-be ignoring the vast wood of consequent disaster. The worst is that we are yet to experience the full impact of the unwise and too hasty decision. Oh well! Tighten your belts. But how to, when we are already at can’t-breathe point.
Bombs in guise of gas cylinders
The deplorable, shocking, disgraceful, wanton killing of people through faulty mixture of gases in household cylinders still continues. Cass told you two weeks ago she was near starving, without a replacement gas cylinder. She cooked just a curry or two for both daily meals. Now she has to be more niggardly and has no money to spare for food packets. The scenario is worse in more disadvantaged homes. At least she transferred recently to a better gas dealer, one who seems to care about his customers. She phoned the gentleman (noun used deliberately) and he said all his stocks was returned and he expected new stocks in four days. Consequently, Cass has to lose weight for a further four or five days. Pity the helpless!
And to think that a couple of days ago a mother of four lost her life when a cylinder exploded in her face. The editor commented on the issue in The Island of Tuesday, December 14, lauding the husband of the tragically killed woman, who has decided to take legal action against Litro Gas and the government. He says all should help him, especially with legal aid paid for. We wondered why no court cases were brought forth earlier. Cass surmised it was a case of feeling that that course of action was hopeless, a dead end. No real punishment nor deterrent would result as most cases are just dismissed now.
So, Parliament was prorogued like the thunderbolt that shattered us in Kollupitiya on Monday afternoon at around 3.00 pm with a red light (not actually a ball of fire) shooting past Cassandra’s flat balcony. Her ear drums were nearly shattered. She surmised sadly, the gods too are angry with us. The President has gone (nearly used the rude-in-this-case term ‘fled’) on a private visit to Singapore. We are glad for his sake, as times are very bad here in this Paradise Island Like No Other. We wish him well.