Sunday Times 2
If there is a nut above you while others have not
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When Rome was burning, Nero was fiddling. Now, Colombo’s starving, paralysed and dying and the rulers are quibbling.
President Rajapaksa has admitted to two fatal mistakes—financial and agricultural— that caused the crisis but says he has a mandate of the people to rule for two more years and does not want to go down in history as a ‘failed president’. And his appointed Prime Minister whose party lost every seat at the last election says he can rescue the country but each week says: It’s going to be worser and worser.
The Opposition wants President Gotabaya Rajapaksa to go. Buddhist monks, Opposition leader Sajith Premadasa, students, independent citizens activists — all want Gota to Go. But the Opposition dodges taking over the Government because there are no dollars (US) to buy food, oil or gas.
Last week a smiling president sat alongside Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, who challenged anyone who could resolve the crisis to take over government. In Parliament, opposition members howled, ‘Gota Go’ but Gota is certainly not going. Will he stay on with Wickremesinghe who pledged to resolve the crisis soon with an EFF (Extended Fund Facility from the International Monetary Fund)?
New Delhi reports say that ships carrying billions of dollars (US) worth of food, oil, gas and medicines have sailed to Lanka. But oil and gas are coming only on driblets and doctors warn of shortage of drugs. Is the flow of dollars linked to the fine-tuning of defence agreements to be signed with our generous neighbours? Meawhile, gas and fuel queues stretch over the horizon as motorists pass-out almost every day in their vehicles.
But while leaders were squabbling in parliament this week over constitutional amendments, the people starved and died in queues. The history of Rome repeats itself in Colombo!
Meanwhile a cursory rhyme came to our thoughts as we lay down in
our hansiputuwa fighting an Influenza virus.
If you got your nut above you when others are losing theirs…….
If you got a nut above in these times
When others are losing theirs and know not
about it,
And if your nut is not a cashew nut or coconut
But a Human Nut that has evolved over millennia
And has produced this civilisation.
Then you got to take care of your nut, my son.
***
Human Nuts are susceptible to viruses
Of natural varieties and political ruses
They come in forms of arbitrary power
And can turn a working nut into a military knot.
***
There’s a time to win
And a time to lose
But when the cheering stops and the crowd says:
Go home Gota, you’ve Gotta Go home.
***
Go back to the places where the buffaloes and jumbos once did roam,
but now are on the highways.
The R-Paksas have destroyed their jungle homes: To play cricket.