Two deaths, no weddings: An ancient Wewa in danger

We sincerely and very sadly mourn the death of Susil Siriwardena and Mangala Samaraweera. Cass echoes Macbeth from her most favoured Shakespearean tragedy:

“(They) should have died hereafter; there would have been a time for such a word.” Especially true of the demise of Mangala at age 65.

Death of two outstanding Sri Lankan VIPs

Many fine appreciations were written by those who knew Mangala Samaraweera well and published in all our newspapers. His many character facets were highlighted but the sharpest were his telling it as it should be, and his successes, not because he was one time Minister Samaraweera from Down South but success as a clear-thinking politician who latterly stood up for rights and truths. To Cass, the most endearing trait was his love and devotion to his mother Khema, so beautiful in face and figure and personality. Cass remembers Khema and three children living in the upper storey of a huge house in which Cass occupied an annexe. Mangala was around 11, clinging to the fall of Khema’s saree. A tiny but telling anecdote. Son of Cass said that it was Mangala, older than him, who introduced him to Tin Tin books. He also said, “I was facilitating a VIP conference to which Mangala came as Finance Minister of Sri Lanka. He walked up to me and chatted about our families. I was surprised he recognised me after so many years.” That was the unassuming gentleman Mangala was.

Cass strongly approved of two statements of his: “I am a Sri Lankan Buddhist” and “Sri Lanka is no Buddhist country” (or words to that effect). Significances are clear, and the latter statement is gaining veracity as we go down the path of moral behaviour, particularly. The Buddhism the majority of us profess is far removed from the Dhamma preached by Siddhartha Gautama the Buddha. These statements should be remembered and abided by. He also said, “We will never enjoy peace and prosperity until all the communities and citizens of this country feel in their hearts that they are full Sri Lankans, not de facto second class citizens whose existence depends upon the magnanimity of the majority community.”

Susil Siriwardena had many appellations attached to his name by writers of tributes to him: ‘Engaged and committed intellectual’; ‘Wants to change the world overnight’; ‘A highly literate radical thinker’; and very much more. An Oxford scholar and genuine intellectual, he always lived simple, straight and honest, sympathizing with the less fortunate by deed more than word. One proof is the Janasaviya Programme under Ranasinghe Premadasa, said to be Susil’s brainchild and, the ‘houses for all’ scheme, promoting it as Chairman of the National Housing Development Authority.

Dr. Dayan Jayatilleke mentions in his tribute in the Guardian a revealing trait: “Susil turned traitor to his class and became a revolutionary. Returning from London, he had clandestine discussions with Rohana Wijeweera and was sympathetic to the JVP’s cause.” For which Susil spent a year imprisoned.

He always dressed simple, though he led a life of refinement descended from ‘Down South near-aristocracy’, as Cass wishes to mention, and married a Kandyan radala beauty. Even at weddings when other men were togged up in three-piece suits or silk national costumes with exotic satakas, Susil wore a white sarong and a plain shirt, yet stood out distinctively. He was of the fast-disappearing breed of true professionals: honest in word, deed and intent, intellectual, suave, courteous, and unafraid to speak the truth.

May-be destruction

Shockingly stunning, seeing on TV massive tractors turning stones on the bund of Parakrama Samudra built between 1153 and 1186 when King Parakrama Bahu I ruled Lanka from his capital Polonnaruwa. Don’t the planners of this rotten, useless scheme to make a promenade or jogging track along the wonderful bund realize it is likely to be dangerous as the mass of water is held captive by an earth banking? Thinking people don’t touch such. But no, a politician’s word, even an ex VVIP’s wishful thinking, is fulfilled by minions in departments concerned. And what had the relevant Cabinet Ministers (approximately three, one supposes, in a bloated Cabinet), PM and President to say? Cass is sure she and you can guess who the main instigator of this vanity project is, to carry a name board. Cass does not think it will curry favour with the Polonnaruwa person. It won’t be a mere jogging path but will soon gather small trading outlets, jostling against each other and further endangering the Wewa containing its sea of water. How many likely promenaders or joggers are in P’nnaruwa, even at the height of a tourist season? This ex, Cass has in mind, apparently sponsors his wealthy sibling who built a massive hotel; grotesquely out of sync with the ancient ruins and the old rest house at the opposite end of the Wewa. No building site rules for VVIPs!

I quote Laksiri Warnakula’s opinion in The Island of Monday, August 30, titled ‘Hands and feet off Parakrama Samudra. “I hope this utter madness will be put to an end without delay and whatever the damage done so far to the bund will be restored and the would–be-costs charged on the key personnel who gave the approval to this project.”

If the project was to give work to labourers, and though the money was allocated to it (by the previous government?), it must be stopped. There are many more vitally necessary building and reconstruction projects to spend money on: Paving roads and building minor bridges to ease the life of remote villagers. Plenty of these are highlighted in the Gammadda program of TV channel MTV.

Money! Money!

Cass has said this recently and dares say it again. The country is in dire straits money-wise and aggravates the situation by printing money excessively. This is due to the governments of present and past over-staffing the public service to repay voters for pushing them into Parliament and positions of power. I mean here the ‘chit for jobs’ system. It is useless bemoaning that salaries of public servants and pensions cost over 1.2 trillion rupees while State earnings are 1.4 trillion, thus leaving a meagre 200 billion for health, education, salaries and all else. (As reported in The Island of August 30 by Sonali Wijeratne quoting Dr. Nalaka Godahewa) Did the government promise more to teachers very recently? They should not have since teachers broke their pedagogy morals and thronged streets promoting the spread of COVID-19? Pensions should not be stopped or cut as the comparatively small amounts received each month were worked hard for at least 20 years. Why not start government cost-cutting by banishing MPs’ pensions? All Sri Lankans, except present and past MPs, will raise both hands and add a loud YES to this!

Gold and Bronze for Sri Lanka

Heartiest congratulations to 35-year-old soldier, Dinesh Herath, who sustained grievous injuries during the war but beat handicaps by continuing his sport, the javelin throw. He won Gold and broke the existing record in one of the javelin events. He won the Bronze in the 2016 Rio Paralympics and outdid that with his stupendous win in Tokyo. Compatriot Dilan Kodithuwakku won Bronze in another distance javelin event. Double heroes for sure! They brought a gleam of shining light in the prevailing gloom that shrouds Sri Lanka.

Bye for now on that triumphant note and with the strong hope that the present lockdown will ease the terrible COVID-19 situation when we meet again next Friday, preferably in printed copy!