Guinness Book records and ego trips
View(s):
The world’s tallest Christmas tree at Galle Face. “Budo Ammo, mahattaya, monavada mei,” my old dhobi (laundryman) would have said, if he was still in the land of the living.
I am not the only one who is not only disturbed but also perturbed. I did a quick poll among my editorial team and they too were horrified not only as journalists but as individuals who understand the needs and aspirations of a nation.
The feeling was shared by a reader who saw our picture of the tree construction in progress in the Sunday Times on October 16. This is what he says: “I just couldn’t believe my eyes. Has this nation gone crazy? Can we not put the scarce resources of this country to better use?”
Exactly, don’t we have more urgent needs and priorities? Are our priorities sinking as fast as the sea bed being dug up to reclaim land for the Colombo Financial Centre?
In another ego trip, akin to that made by many politicians in the past, Ports Minister Arjuna Ranatunga, once an ardent proponent of governance and accountability and responsible government, has launched this crazy idea that a Christmas tree – the tallest in the world mind you – would be a step nearer to peace and reconciliation among the island’s still-fractured communities.
The Minister, on one hand, should be commended for engaging in the reconciliation process. North-South reaching out is always a positive. On the other hand, a reconciliation process through a giant Christmas tree at Galle Face to which only a segment of the country’s 20 million inhabitants would have access to? Surely, the Minister knows better and is wiser. Who gave him this idea? Was it the Arjuna Ranatunga Social Welfare Society which organised the launch ceremony at the Galle Face Green on August 18?
Sri Lankan politicians are an interesting lot. When in opposition, they strive to save the nation: When they are in the government, people have to fend for themselves. Many have gone on ego trips ostensibly to build the nation but eventually they have turned out to be more about building themselves, much to the people’s dismay.
We have had development projects in their name, housing projects in their name and social welfare projects in their name. Parliament has approved many proposals for the setting up of foundations in the names of MPs. What they do only God knows.
A former president had the ubiquitous ‘Oralosu Kanuwas’ (clock towers) in every key town not only for residents to remember the time but also remember the man! Unfortunately time stands still for many of these clocks now. A waste of time… literally.
Such ego trips must be an Asian trait and can be seen in other countries too. So politicians will argue that if it is good for the ‘Tigers’ of Asia (East Asian nations), then it is good for us. Maybe. But a giant Christmas tree with millions of bulbs and the people’s tax money (or is it from the Minister’s own pocket) as part of the reconciliation process? Surely?
Ego trips also come in different forms. Take the recent acquisition of luxury vehicles by MPs. A newspaper report revealed details of 20 costly vehicles imported by parliamentarians using their vehicle permits.
What drew my attention was that one MP had booked a Hummer, which attracted everyone’s attention when US troops volunteered in Sri Lanka during post-tsunami reconstruction work. Soldiers in military uniform driving these wide-bodied jeeps was a pleasant sight those days.
General Motors is marketing the SUV version of these luxury vehicles and the ‘lucky’ MP will be humming A.R. Rahman’s popular South Indian hit ‘Humma Humma’ as he is driven in his fuel-guzzling Hummer to drought-stricken villages and abject-poverty regions in the north. Maybe he could transport a few lucky souls in the Hummer to visit Arjuna’s gigantic Christmas tree due to open in mid-December. Here’s hoping Customs will clear the vehicle soon. That’s our Christmas wish!
While the war is over, the conflict is not. Distrust and uncertainty still pervade with the occasional outburst of a possible return of a militant revolt blurring the reconciliation process. There is more to the reconciliation process needs than meets the eye that needs surgery or patching up, far more important than a Christmas tree on Galle Face green.
For instance the Minister of National Co-existence Dialogue and Official Languages Mano Ganesan, whose mandate is reconciliation, is complaining of interference and/or not enough powers. The north is complaining of lack of sufficient funds for development. Residents are worried that the army camps have not reduced to the extent expected. The Chief Minister of the North is at loggerheads with leaders of his own party, the Tamil National Alliance. These are far more crucial issues to resolve than a reconciliation process that believes a Christmas tree will bring communities together.
Is the Galle Face Christmas tree really a mechanism to mend fractured communities or a publicity stunt and ego-boosting adventure? If not why do you need to break records aiming to put up a tree that is higher than the world’s tallest artificial Christmas tree in Mexico which stood at 295 feet?
The other cities that have broken earlier Guinness Book world records in this arena are Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (278 feet with 3.3 million lights); Dortmund, Germany (145 feet made up of 1,700 individual spruce trees piled one atop the other); Phoenix, the US (110 feet); New York (80 feet); Prague, Czech Republic (72 feet); Paris, France (70 feet); Sydney, Australia (69 feet and 59,000 lights); London, Britain (65.6 feet every year since 1947); Zurich, Switzerland (50 feet) and Washington DC (30 feet in the White House’s President Park). Several years later Sri Lanka is joining the bandwagon with its own version to beat the rest.
Notice anything familiar here? Sri Lanka, far more poorer than these countries, is not only trying to ape the West but beat them in the pursuit of glory when the first thing we should beat is being a bankrolled nation, swimming in debt whose annual national income is not even enough to meet interest payments let alone the loan repayments!
The 2016 budget is in tatters, the private sector is waiting with bated breath for a disruptive-free budget 2017 and pleading with the authorities to be consistent… consistent… consistent (inconsistent policies are a bigger issue than high taxation), the President is trying to resolve his differences with the Prime Minister, former President Mahinda Rajapaksa is waiting to jump in if the present coalition collapses, the total budget for 2017 has come down a few notches from 2016 with many ministries including health and education taking cuts, etc, etc. Yes, there are far more pressing issues in the state than spending millions of rupees with millions of lights to light up the sky and alert Guinness officials to the advent of another record. This is also not in keeping with the tradition and true spirit of Christmas which should be celebrated in a simple and humble manner just like Christ who was born in a manger with his first visitors being very poor shepherds.
Simplicity is also the core of other religious and spiritual doctrines enunciated by leaders like Lord Buddha, Prophet Mohamed and the Hindu deities. These are also the values espoused by Mahatma Gandhi and Mother Teresa. While this tree will cost millions of rupees, the tamashas to herald the tree and the resultant partying will cost a few more millions. Can Sri Lanka afford this at this stage of our development and reconciliation process? Or is it coming out of the Minister’s own pocket?
Our reader Eksith Fernando had this to say in his letter (Full text on Plus Page 2): “Mr. Ranatunga, please do not proceed with this. We saw so much extravagance and wastage during the last regime, and thought we will see a difference after January 8th last year. Sadly we have not. We continue to read about BMWs and other luxuries for those who rule and we are sick of this. Do something to make life better for the hundreds of thousands who continue to suffer in this country of ours. How could you, Minister Ranatunga, think of spending money or approving such expenditure, in this way, when there are so many in desperate need?”
We fully endorse Mr. Fernando’s ‘plea’ and could not have said it better apart, of course from Sunil Perera’s popular hit “Lankawe Ape Lankawe”’ on the foibles of local politicians which goes like this: “Ethakota manthirilage liyum walata job denne mona rateda … Engalanthe engalanthe”!!!