Opened up for economy’s sake but who plunders in? C-19

Yes, the country opened up on 02 August with all public officers called upon to report to work and public transport fully functioning. We wish it could have been delayed two weeks until the most commendable mass vaccinations that are carried out by the army both day and night could have taken effect. But Cass is the last person to be opinionated about such as important matter which was decided on by the government. We pray the fourth surge, predicted by no less an expert than Dr Malik Peiris from Hong Kong, would not be that devastating although even now hospitals are overcrowded with Covid patients. Let us hope the curve flattens out soon.

Condemned wholesale are the teachers, demanding salary adjustments at this dire time and amassing in all major towns across the island in protest marches. They are spreaders of the deadly infection. Their fiery leader Joseph Stalin (or vice versa) should never have done what he has done. Blood of Covid dead stain his palms.

Banging the door shut after …

The President when authoritatively addressing his long table of officials recently said that they must ensure all Sri Lankans are vaccinated. Wonderful admonition! The Prez is to be lauded. But Cass was not over the moon with delight and admiration. Rather was she seeing the door being banged shut very forcefully once the horse had bolted. What is this horse that Cass alludes to as having fled? Why Silly, it is the C19 pandemic that was not stemmed. We were pining for long months for vaccination and wondering why the government was not going all out to procure vaccines by buying or begging for them. A few in Colombo and some suburbs got a first shot in late Feb/early March and then a deep lull since the reserved jabs for the second vaccination and much more were bagged by GMOA for their family (and friends); and others with clout cashed in. So it looked as if Trumpism reigned with no emphasis at all on vaccination and no serious attempt to get doses. Now with the WHO urging sharing, foreign countries gifted their held excess and China has been extra generous with free Sinopharm. Thus the late coming Bidenism with loud orders that all should be vaccinated. The army stepped in and Sri Lanka holds a record for number of daily jabs. However government has decreed full opening up in the face of dire warnings. Is it a case of Johnson-ism of ‘let the bodies pile high’? We will wait with bated breath and us Ordinaries who do not need to go out of doors too much will continue being cabined, cribbed, confined even more severely than before, though double jabbed.

Turn around?

Has the President hearkened unto the many expert agriculturists, the knowing scientists, the pleading farmers and us national minded Ordinaries and rescinded his order of no import of pesticides and chemical fertilisers with immediate effect? It is almost too late: the damage is done and much less inferior tea will be available for export. Rice harvests and vegetable and fruit crops will definitely respond immediately to the lack of inorganic fertilisers and thus the spectre of a soon-to-be shortage of food stares us in the face. There is such an ache in Cass’ heart because to her the farmer is the backbone of the nation and knows what he is asking for. All who write about this business say a shift to organic fertilizer is good BUT at least phased out for 20 years. Hemaka Nanayakkara holding a doctorate in agriculture has spelled this out clearly. But the President, PM, Minister of Agriculture took no notice of what he and very many qualified others said. No one in the Cabinet spoke against the President’s unilateral decision. They are like those eternally nodding Indian dolls we used to have; dumb too, when they hear the Master’s voice.

A foreign communicator told Cass that inorganic fertilizers were being imported. She heard a similar bit of news on Tuesday night but thought it was her wishes and fears playing tricks on her. If chemical fertilisers are being imported and will soon be distributed, Thanks be!

Monkey business

A government MP came up with a utopian idea presenting a bill in Parliament to sterilise monkeys. Good idea; kudos for brilliance. But the practical aspect? Read the editorial in The Island of 02 August 2 to get the reply in the editor’s inimitable style of writing which hits nails absolutely accurately. Yes, as he says and us Ordinaries determine, human population must be controlled. Educate our menfolk, particularly the rural, and get family planning going. Remember Prez Premadasa’s Punchi pawula raththaran? The slogan is much more apt now. Population control is of the essence. The beasts of the jungle and birds of the air will be free of gun, sly trap, and other horrendous ways of killing practiced by our people in this Theravada Buddhist country, if human population is controlled.

At last a full enquiry

That lovely 16-year-old who was raped by a vile beastie protected by his sister and father, and then set on fire, did not die in vain. Poor consolation for her family though. Our hearts cry out in deep sorrow for her, more so when we read in The Island of 04 August that she had her study books beside her. It has come to light that the agent, now in remand, had supplied this particular household with eleven underage servant girls and three had died, one committing suicide by rushing on to a passing train.

It was the public’s hue and cry that unfolded and laid bare the crimes committed in this rich house, which it appears were not investigated by the police. As usual catch the sprats like a child selling three stolen coconuts to meet the money demand of her school and let the big bad wolfie sharks get away with devilish rape and foul murder.

Cass said Ishalini did not die in vain, although in such terrible agony of continuous rape and then grievous burns, because protectors of the girl child and others are awakened to act. Two questions bother Cass. Did no neighbour or security guard of Bathiudeen’s house hear and know what was going on within, and kept mum. Second question: Wasn’t a statement taken from Ishalini while she was in hospital, ICU warded notwithstanding?

Spicy tidbits

So it’s true what a foreign communicator conveyed to Cassandra that an ex-sports minister has come down with Covid-19, probably Delta variant. Did he catch it while surreptitiously in Japan to see the opening of the Olympics? It was said, when the composition of the large contingent of ‘observers’ was eked out and questions asked about funding that private enterprises paid for the MPs who sallied forth. Who were the benefactors? We’d like to be told so we can appeal to them to look closer to the ground and see the starving peoples of our land – some existing on boiled papaw and that too once a day. Why should the already much travelled fat cats of Parliament be so treated with an expensive trip to Tokyo known for its very high costs.

An opinion in The Island of Wednesday August 4 had this to say in bold uppercase letters about witnessing the Olympics: “Two ministers of sports graced the occasion – namely the Minister of Sports Japan and the other from cash-strapped Sri Lanka.” That one sentence says so much! Another first for this Land Like No Other; among so many firsts like ordering (and thus condemning) all agriculture, even cash crops, to go organic overnight. Our Minister of Sports was so concerned he had to cheer our competitors but did not cheer for long, he had to return fast to grace so many local occasions like openings et al with him holding pride of place and the minister concerned with the matter taking second place. Admirable!

Kudos to a panel of medical professionals

TV I Face the Nation programme on Monday August 2 discussed the Covid 19 pandemic situ in Sri Lanka with Shameer Rasooldeen conducting the session. Panelists were Dr Deepa Gamage – Consultant Immunologist; Prof Indika Karunatileke – past Pres of AMS; Dr Ranjit Batuwanthudawe -Media promotion; and Dr Miyuru Chandradasa – Paediatric Psychiatrist. They were truly excellent and so able to give exact yet understandable info in answers to questions Shameer and the three journos presented, many of which we had in mind. Dr Deepa Gamage insisted and appealed to all to get vaccinated. They were cautious in answering the question- was the opening up of the county premature? They gave allowance for economic considerations.

On a personal note Cass has to admit she was near bursting with pride at our own, single citizenship holding medical professionals who surely would have earned their MBBS in Sri Lanka and further qualified abroad. They returned to serve the home country. One comment: when the camera first focused on the panel, Cass asked herself: How come a schoolboy among them? Very young looking Dr Miyuru Chandradasa prompted this query. He emerged so humanely concerned about our kids.

Just hearing persons like this – born, bred, educated and living in this country – gives us hope and raises our spirits. Thank you the four medical specialists and Shameer and his team.