No contaminated fertilizer please: Vroom vroom in Colombo

Headline in The Island of Friday October 29 gladdened Cass’ heart: “Unions threaten to cripple port to foil bid to bring in contaminated fertiliser.” Three hearty cheers! Congrats! So happy port workers at least realise the potential damage of unloading the Chinese organic fertiliser!

Readers would consider Cassandra fully deranged, in cuckoo land, when you read her cheering and congratulating a strike, a crippling one at that, within a vital entry point to the city. But what else to do, aney? The government is trembling at the wagged finger of the Chinese Ambassador pronouncing that the organic fertiliser determinedly shipped by them to this experimenting-with-vital-agriculture-country is good and to be trusted. The results of scientific tests conducted by our experts not to be trusted? So declared the Chinese ambassador. He wants a second opinion. The government may have taken the shipment in and even distributed it, since we seem to be beholden to China. Never mind that result would be disastrous and our land ‘infected’ forever. Our agricultural lands, already damaged by the hurried ban of inorganic fertilisers, would have been further damaged with dangerous Chinese microrganisms invading it. So, the people have taken it into their hands to defend the country. Shows people have no trust in decisions taken. It will finally fall on The People to save the country: us Ordinaries – the active.

The Chinese Ambassador has blacklisted a government bank too!

Dune racing

It is sand racing, isn’t it? Good for the oil rich Middle East with its vast acres of sand. But it seems that it will become one of our sporting events. To participate in this desert recreational sport you need a dune buggy or beach buggy which is a ‘recreational motor vehicle with large wheels and wide tyres.’ Goes without saying that dune racing is a rich man’s sport as the buggies guzzle petrol. More pertinently, wise heads of government and institutions led by the UN are urgently trying to reduce greenhouse gases and thus global warming. And in this country with more beggars, the sport is being introduced by no less a person than the Minister of Sports. Venue? The Port City. It must be really large to have a race track too. Cass never looks that way on her infrequent forays to the Fort.

While the country is burning – economically, politically and with a certain rise in C19 infection, dune racing will be introduced. A picture of ‘dune racing’ enlivened the front page of The Island of October 29, with an apparently enjoying Namal Rajapaksa, Prassana Ranatunge spreading himself in a red buggy, Was the female buggy rider the Pot and Pavithra, who was present on the occasion as Minister of Transport? So bracing, so spirit uplifting, so giving of hope to have the youthful Minister promising the rich elite of this country fun on the dunes. We once upon a time heard racing cars whiz and vroom at night around Colombo Fort and Kollupitiya. Then daytime sports car races in Colombo Fort causing disruption to offices, and in Kandy against the Mahanayake’s advice. What Marie Antoinnete did not say but is ascribed to have, can be altered to suit our country situation: Thrill to racing on the sands if you have no money to take a bus nor strength to walk

Continuing love affair (read sycophantic adoration)

“PM expresses appreciation to China for its continued support” through its Ambassador for supporting Sri Lanka in the fight against Covid-19 by providing vaccine. What about other countries, and most importantly the WHO that helped immensely by sending us vaccines that have been tested and re-tested and passed as at least 90 percent effective against Covid 19.

Aluthgamage shares blame generously

Admitting on 28 October that “as a government they had failed to market the concept of organic fertiliser.” Minister of Agriculture, Mahindananda Aluthgamage (MA) apportioned blame on the Ministries of Health and Environment. “The Minister said the two crucial ministries had done virtually nothing to promote organic agriculture.” (Wise they were). He added that 70 percent of chemical fertiliser was wasted due to overuse. (As much as that? Unsubstantiated statistic?). A bad carpenter blames his tools; and in the kindergarten it’s always a case of “Miss, why catch me? Manel, Yoges and Fatima are also to be blamed.”

Though the Minister says this, the farmers do not agree. They viciously battered, bruised and burnt only his effigy. Once Cass spied another bobbing figure held aloft but it definitely was not of either of the two ministers MA points to as equally responsible for destroying the agriculture of the country – its backbone.

Other burning issues

Cass’ heart lies with the farmers. Her stomach too depends on them. However, her empathy for the plight of the farmers sans inorganic fertiliser and pesticides et all, is not dictated to by her stomach but by both her heart and mind. They have reason to be disheartened and gather in protests, turning more vituperative and cruel to the effigies they hold loft and vent their wrath on. One thing is certain. The Minister of Agriculture had better not go sightseeing in rural areas, especially in moonlight. He will not only see stars but fireworks too. Very probably explosive.

Global food is prophesied to be in short supply, or at least not abundant due to Covid related restrictions. In Sri Lanka this shortfall in agricultural produce has an added damaging impetus to it: shortage of inorganic fertilisers, weedicides etc., that farmers and our cultivated grounds have got accustomed to. So, we are going to be facing shortages; some unfortunates actual starvation. No imports possible since other countries too will be pinched for food. Even otherwise we have no money to import food. The Cassandra Cry of ‘I see starvation and death’ is not necessary since these two conditions stare everyone in the face excepting the biggest ones and their acolytes. Professed know-alls whispering in the Prez’ ears, contrary to scientific data, have driven us into the arms of greater poverty and worse – protests and probably them getting out of control. Of course, the army is ready to be called out. Is that what we want?

A Sunday newspaper writer gave voice to a doubt or suspicion that has been festering in non-sycophantic minds. Is the present farmers’ dilemma a maneuvered situation so they throw up their ploughs and seed and let money grabbers take over their land for cash crops like corn, haatha variya, to name but two?

What an unholy mess we are in!

Heat in the cool

The President was promised a strong taste of messiness in the city by the Clyde in the West Lowlands of Scotland: he was to be accorded a greatly (un)welcome reception when he landed in Glasgow for COPS 26. Cass means here the cries of the hordes of Tamil protesters who were supposed to have travelled from all over the UK to brandish Tiger Flags and hurl abuse at him.

A stunner

We the public of this Socialist, etc., Republic of (Un)Free Sri Lanka received a resounding presidential slap in the face, Cass here refers to the appointment of that controversial monk – twice convicted by courts of law and out of prison due to a presidential pardon – to head the 11th Presidential Task Force to study and report on making One Country One Law.

She will not only singe her fingers but burn herself too, including her boats if she comments on this issue. Mum’s the word is safest but she just have to speak up as a person descended from Kandyan Kingdom ancestors. Cass hopes very strongly that the enlightened Kandyan Laws of Marriage and Divorce giving due place to women’s rights, will not be struck off. Who knows what the lopsided task force with not one single woman to represent 52.1 percent of the population nor one Tamil to represent the Tamil population will report on? The TF under a yellow robe will render under Caesar what Caesar commands.

Media reports: “Sabry likely to quit justice portfolio” on account of the appointment. It should read not ‘likely’ but ‘will certainly’. The slap on his face is far more resounding and insulting than the slap the public received.

So, we Ordinaries will lumber along from one shock to another; from one setback to another. Only silver lining is the vaccination drive.