In the West there is a growing interest in Buddhism. In Australia, a report released in May,1996 by the Bureau of Immigration, Multi cultural and Population Research, declares that Buddhism has become the fastest growing religion in Australia with membership up almost by 300 percent in a ten year period between 1981-1991.
There has been a steady rise in the popularity of Buddhism among disaffected churchgoers in Australia. The report further reveals that Australian born Buddhists are the second largest national group in the religion, behind the Vietnamese who account for more than a third of the Buddhist population.
In the West, there is also another strong movement i.e. the Animal Liberation movement with a powerful and convincing message, based on moral and compassionate grounds, for human beings to give up eating meat and embrace vegetarianism. Almost every new publication in the West, on health and nutrition, discusses the benefits of a vegetarian diet over that of flesh food consumption.
Is there a connection between the rapid growth of Buddhism and the increasing popularity of Vegetarianism in Western countries, or are these trends two parallel movements with neither influencing the other? It is a matter which should attract some interest among sociologists.
While vegetarianism is gaining ground with almost every European city having a vegetarian restaurant, it is sad to see a reverse trend occurring in predominantly Buddhist countries. Whatever may be the food consumption patterns of Buddhists, these countries were never historically identified as meat producing countries. But now under the pretext of earning a high export income and providing a protein diet, the meat industry is rapidly spreading in predominantly Buddhist countries with active encouragement from foreign-sponsored NGO's (with hidden agendas).
In Sri Lanka, the advertising industry through the TV, newspapers, radio and billboards is continuously espousing the cause of flesh foods. Many new restaurants which have opened in Colombo advertise and offer a wide range of meat dishes. The poultry industry in newspaper advertisements mention the names of mostly Sinhalese (probably Buddhist) who have taken to running chicken farms and achieved high profits. There is hardly an organized campaign by Buddhist organizations in Sri Lanka, to oppose such large scale advertising and promotion of meat consumption, which in a subtle and insidious way, would have the effect of gradually destroying the Buddhist cultural image of this country.
Though the abstinence from flesh foods is closer to the spirit of Buddhism than the consumption of flesh foods, there is hardly a proper vegetarian restaurant in Colombo, other than the ones serving South Indian food, to cater to those who have given up eating meat either on health or compassionate grounds. A significant number of tourists who are dedicated vegetarians, are also affected by the absence of good vegetarian restaurants offering a wide ranging menu, in Colombo.
There is no collective effort in Sri Lanka towards the promotion of ethical investment, based on the concept of Right Livelihood, one of the noble eight fold paths. The Buddha has recommended in his discourse on Right Livelihood, not to engage in earning a living through trading in either live or dead animals.
The concept of ethical investment is rapidly gaining ground in many parts of the world, and are supported by investors according to their religious or ideological beliefs. For example, Islamic Banks which do not charge interest is a type of ethical investment promoted in predominantly Muslim countries, because the Koran prohibits Muslims from charging interest when lending money. Likewise in several western countries there are ethical investment companies and Trusts, which have been established to pool money and invest only in enterprises, which produce goods without damaging the environment.
Therefore the time has perhaps come for serious consideration to be given by the Buddhist public for the establishment of a Buddhist Trust Fund which would collect investor savings for the purpose of channelling them into ethical investments e.g. Vegetarian Restaurants, Soya Bean production as a meat substitute, environment protection industries etc., which are run on the principles of Buddhist ethics.
Sri Lanka is one country which was all along dependent on hydro power for 90 percent of her energy. History clearly indicates that Sri Lanka always had two super monsoons every year - namely the South- West and the North-East. This was due to the fact that this country had the good fortune of being bountiful with nature's gift.
But alas! today the greenery or jungle areas have been reduced to a mere 30 percent and at the rate trees are cut down and jungles felled, we would be left with only 20 percent or less of jungles by the turn of the century. Shrubs have been cleared, trees felled and jungles destroyed in such unplanned, unchecked and unabated manner in the distant and specially in the recent past, that we ourselves are to be blamed for thoroughly disturbing nature and upsetting the environment, resulting in our not getting the monsoons on time.
It was the people in power - I mean the politicians and their henchmen with the connivance of the bureaucrats who are directly responsible. It is, I stress with a sense of sadness, that politicians of both camps or may we say that politicians of all camps who are to be taken to task for this wanton national disaster and destruction. It is certainly not the ordinary masses who destroyed nature. But it is unfortunately the ordinary masses who are paying heavily and dearly for the sins of corrupt politicians and their henchmen.
Warnings given over the years by authoritative persons and organizations had all gone unheeded, as if playing a guitar at a deaf elephant.
Sri Lanka can now no longer depend solely on hydro power. We will not be having the two monsoons regularly and in their full bloom as in the past. We will not get the rainfalls that we experienced in the years gone by. We may have to be contended with only intermittent rains in the future - which we may have to preserve for our irrigation and agriculture as they are our main livelihood. We will not have enough water for generation of hydro power in the near future and specially on to the 21st century.
Knowing all these, the people in power, those in authority would have foreseen the dangers we are faced with and taken alternate remedial measures. It is crystal clear that our planners, administrators and those who governed had been either ignorant or had opted to purposely ignore or not bothered to do anything about it with a view to arresting the situation. All previous regimes are to be equally blamed for this blatant lapse. The past UNP regimes are to be faulted more and even the present PA government should be held responsible for this dangerously volatile and chaotic situation. I really begin to wonder if the people in authority and power are at all aware of the most adverse and serious consequences of the continuity of power interruptions?
Are those in office aware of the dangers this power interruption would cause to the government itself? Why is that even at this late hour hardly any action appears to have been taken to bring the situation under control? There are scores of the other power generating methods, viz. thermal, coal-fired, gas, wind and solar. Such power may be expensive. But one cannot help, given the situation of productivity sliding down fast, economy stagnating and development and stability being gravely threatened. One cannot have the cake and eat it. Either you have it or eat it. Let's not have it, for it will get rotten one day - but let's eat it to digest well.
Sri Lanka is in the throes of a grave power crisis - not one of the political kind. The eight-hour power- cuts last June were unprecedented in the hydro-power history of the island. Its negative economic fall-out will not even spare the remote villager whose mainstay is kerosene for his daily chores.
Explanations trotted out are merely evasive strategies to ward off responsibility. As often as it happens, Mother Nature is the villain of the piece; the failure of the monsoon and hence a prolonged drought. There are the political scapegoats too, blamed for not having had the foresight and not taken steps to prevent the crisis before their defeat.
The wisdom of siting the reservoirs under the Accelerated Mahaweli Programme and the need for vigilant management of the waters are contained in the words of late. Gamini Dissanayake, then minister in charge, whose intimate knowledge of all aspects of that massive effort is amply borne out by the outstanding success of the plan implementation in a short period of time.
"Reservoirs at these places have been constructed to provide sufficient storage to regulate the river flows, to generate hydro-power at a steady rate and tide over lean periods, when there is no rainfall. What surprises many is the sudden upshot of a shortage of water in these reservoirs only this year. An outcome of gross mismanagement appears to be the case more than anything else.
Drought is a relative term. Weather-watchers can quantify one by juggling with the data at their disposal. Who can dispute? Even the Central Bank statistics are questioned today, as orchestrated to serve the masters. Its reputation for authenticity is now, only a thing of the past.
Not for us, is this drought theory! We have experienced both drought and deluge in our lifetime. The hills and valleys here, are as green as ever. Not for years have we seen parched hill-sides going up in flames in the night, when village urchins make bon-fires of the dry patnas. On the contrary, the vegetation is greener now than it used to be a decade ago, before the Mahaweli waters began flowing through the Matale valley.
The power crisis has taught everyone a few lessons. Imagine the dire plight of the suffering masses in the North. Years sans electricity, and even kerosene and candles hard to come by.
What lessons for the politicians? Deception has its limits. Being in the opposition is the time of study and preparation to govern effectively, when given the chance. Destructive criticism and opposition should not be the stock-in-trade, nor, capture votes giving false promises that would never be kept when returned to power. Credibility loss, is certain vote loss, for those that matter.
Since independence, it was only the 1977 Government of President J.R. Jayewardene, which came to power with a clear cut plan and soon set about implementing it. A new Constitution was introduced with far-reaching changes which holds good even today under a new regime. A market-economy soon replaced an era of queues and scarcities. Under the Mahaweli Programme, food production, land settlement and industries increased noticeably and hydro-power alone doubled.
It was a period of impressive achievements. J.R. Jayewardene's political acumen and economic pragmatism are today, a study in contrast. Political opponents call him the Machiavelli of Sri Lanka and even attribute vulpine qualities, borne out of sheer political invective and envy of his success which is hard to emulate.
There is a lesson for us, voters too! Our literacy may be high for an Asian nation, but our gullibility is the Achilles heel. We are ready victims of the crafty demagogue and when we err we err rue it till the next election. Let us all, grown up!
Time and time again, with each passing regime, I have pointed out to the authorities through the newspapers, the crass stupidity or seemingly diabolical tenacity displayed in the Electoral Lists, among the particulars which states "Race" instead of "Nationality". Are they so naive that they don't know the distinction between "Race" and "Nationality", or so dense that they refuse to heed correction when constructively pointed out?
Why should the ethnicity of a citizen matter where his/her vote is concerned? He/she is either Sri Lankan (a national) or Alien (non-national). This must appear to be a subtle means of gauging the minority votes in the electorate, or what reason is there to perpetuate this racial census in an electoral list? Surely there are other means to take a head count of the races if that is the purpose.
When we were under the British, we were either British nationals or Aliens. Then, the ethnic problem was undreamt of. Come Independence, and with it the majority community bulldozed over a minority with the Sinhala only language - the thin end of the wedge. Sow a wind and reap a whirlwind - today the horror of an ethnic war has devastated us with frightful vengeance.
Can the Tamil speaking people be blamed if they feel segregated and want their own territory, so long as successive governments perpetuate ethnic divisions?
Notwithstanding all the talk of Unity and brotherhood and a Unitary State, they want to know whether my vote is a Sinhala vote, or a Tamil vote, or a Muslim vote, or a Burgher vote! Of course I am angry! Is this our brand of democracy?
In conclusion I reiterate, that it is governments who started the ethnic problem, and all this talk of a united Sri Lanka has been just eyewash. The SLFP did it, the UNP did it, and the PA tramples on regardless.
The best show in building unity is to recall all the electoral lists, and all such other discriminatory forms and burn them.
Start afresh - in sincerity and in truth - not merely in rhetoric, but in actual deeds - Then the people of the North and the South, the East and the West, will believe. Not until then will Sri Lanka be One Nation, One Land.
Our attention has been drawn to a reference in an article appeared in The Sunday Times dated July 7, 1996 under the Caption "The collapsing Mills" in which, mention has been made that most of the weaving sheds of Kuruwita Textile Mills Ltd., have been closed.
We wish to state that no part of the Kuruwita Textile Mills has been closed.
Write a letter to the editor : editor@suntimes.is.lk