Columns

Before advising others and showing them the correct path, we need to be on the correct path. If we are not kind to ourselves, we cannot be kind to our fathers, mothers, children, workers or our countrymen. Those who try to comfort others who are in sorrow, fear or grief should first learn how to cope with these when they themselves are afflicted. Those who governed, are governing or are hoping to govern as well as those governed, in our country, are like kings or queens in their own homes. We say all are kings or queens, which means we are leaders. As we seek our own needs we should be mindful of the needs of others.

We were keen about the Pilgrim’s Rest at Kataragama to get the people to go first to the Viharaya, then to the Bodhi and the Davale. The Ramakrishna Mission was built with the greater participation of the Sinhala people. The government took over this land and as compensation gave money worth eight times the value and a valuable land. Till now a pilgrim’s rest had not been constructed with this money. The Gangaramaya, however, built a Pilgrim’s Rest sometime back. Government leaders did not visit this place when in office but they visited and resided there once out of office. Even the lady Ambassador of the United States stayed in the Gangaramaya Pilgrim Rest for a few days.

Around three thousand can stay there free. Only donations are accepted. These donations are inadequate even for repairs and maintenance. But even now, 52 new rooms are under construction. More than 10,000 bicycles have been donated to the villagers. We have helped people to set up small industries or go into self-employment and built 50 houses in Sella Kataragama. In the land of 100 acres with individual plots of 2 acres we have distributed teak and mahogany plants and seeds, and more than 10,000 coconut saplings.

During the war period, the Kataragama area was deserted. When the then President Mahinda Rajapaksa informed us about this, we took about 1,500 dancers and 1,000 students from our technical college and for three days we had a day-night perahera to give a new life to the area.

But there are still problems created by drug peddlers, poachers and other miscreants. These problems should be addressed by the villagers and the clergy. There is more tourism in the south because of the availability of meat of the hunted animals and drugs. Tourist villages are supplied with illicit meat from the Yala sanctuary and nearby forests. The Government should stop this.
When Ranil Wickremesinghe was prime minister 2001 to 2004, we promised him to repair 16 lakes at Hambantota, but ended up repairing 18. That was one of the public projects undertaken by the Gangaramaya. During the Rajapaksa era, pipelines were laid to connect the lakes. Today there is little or no water problem in Hambantota. If we have a proper plan to provide water to Jaffna and the rest of the North, there will be international aid. We have plans for this too. Let those who can take charge and do something or allow others to handle them.

Let everyone be alert and work for the country
Seasons and climate change from country to country. There is no alternative to hard and honest work. Only lazy people have time for idle talk. Though time is money there are many who try to dissuade others from putting in an honest job of work for the day. There is a saying in Sanskrit “Lapuni Shelapplavanti” which means lighter things are on the surface and what is heavy is under. But today the situation is the other way around. Today people are lazy and do not even wash their own plates after meals. Earlier, we had sufficient labour. Today it is not so. The time has come for everyone to work in such a way so as not to be a burden to others. Today families have fewer children. They cannot afford to have more. Earlier, the rich people had fewer children and the poor had more children and with more hands around they were able to get through their lives.

Gone are the days when we had rocks, clay, wattle and daub walls, coconut rafters, coconut leaves or arecanut leaves. Today we have cement blocks, cement, concrete, steel, glass and other items of modern construction. It is good to go back to simple living to be successful in life. Even today Myanmar, Vietnam, Cambodia, Indonesia and the Philippines use natural items as roofing material.

Once, coconut and palmyra were our primary building material. Today trees are cut and no new plants are grown in their places. Malaysia and Indonesia are full of trees and they plant teak and mahogany trees lining highways. But here we plant weeds.

The Portuguese came here for cinnamon and pepper. If on every cinnamon plant we have a pepper creeper too we will go a long way towards being self-sufficient. If there are fallow paddy fields, we should plant peanuts, some other crops, even gotukola. All uncultivated land should be taken over by the state and cultivated if we are to be self sufficient. The broken bunds and ponds should be repaired with the help of the security forces so that the farmers who are without water would be happy. Wells could be dug in every paddy field that has no water. Like in India if electricity is given free to farmers, they can grow different types of paddy. The trend now is to bring seed material from abroad. We have local types that could be grown. Farmers need the help. In every village school agriculture must be taught as a compulsory subject and the help of children obtained for agricultural work in the village.

The Government should provide financial help and local raw material to those who are looking for cheap local roofing material. Hotels should be encouraged to use clay products as kitchen utensils. The clay industry is in decay. Making clay products gave useful physical exercise to the people, but it is so now. So people are getting sick more often and need to depend on imported medicinal drugs. We have to turn the country upside down and create avenues to develop it. We need to stop the Samurdhi and instead give some incentives for planting crops such as cinnamon, pepper, cocoa, coconut, and arecanut.

Janasaviya was a concept of the Gangaramaya. It was activated through President Premadasa. Samurdhi that replaced it has become a burden. We must give incentives to the recipients and lead them in the correct path. Hours of work should be increased from 8 to 10 a day. Staff should be given an extra 7 days off according to their religion. All other holidays should be abolished.

If we implement these we would be in a position to settle our foreign debts. If we need we can take loans when necessary. We should not get loans to buy luxury items, buildings and vehicles. No country will give loans to a bankrupt country. If we resolve and work hard for at least two years to eradicate difficulties forgetting our creed and caste differences we will be successful.

If by using several clay pots we can filter the boiled drinking water we can curb the kidney disease. Often, medicine is in short supply in hospitals. Most of the machines in hospitals are in need of repairs. Private hospitals have taken over the medical sector. Native treatment has gone into decay. Many schools do not teach first aid. If a little water gets into one’s ear, they do not know how to deal with it.

Instead of the Government talking about the coupons that existed before, people should be encouraged to rise up and work.
We used to earn foreign exchange by exporting tea, rubber and coconut. Now we get most of our foreign earnings from Sri Lankans working overseas. People sell all their belongings and go abroad as debtors. Some return in coffins having donated even their organs, or many return empty handed with no salary, no house or family. We must be content with what we have and try to make progress with what we have here and now.