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Tuesday, November 09, 2004 

Where the shore is white and wide By Damitha Hemachandra

Arugam Bay is a page from a surfer's dream book where the shore is white and wide, surf is high and the waters clear. Arugam Bay in Pottuvil was created to fit this dream and even today it stands the same with untouched beach lines stretching for miles.

Arugam Bay is at its best at sunrise when the sky and the beach provide a festival of colours. Fishing boats returning after the night catch, famous jumping fishes heading towards the beach and fisherman waiting with baited lines all join hands to make the perfect picture of a day break.

Most of the people in Pottuvil are fisherman and have returned to their vocation with the dawn of peace. Thus, Pottuvil is also the seafood paradise today with delicacies like prawns, cuttlefish and crabs available at every food outlet!

The beaches are also ideal for sea baths although the waves could be too strong for an amateur.

The surfing season in Arugam Bay starts in April and ends in October. There are four main surf points in Arugam Bay including Arugam Point and Crocodile Rock. Although all of them provide diverse experience of the sea, the sand and surf the ultimate experience is the Peanut Farm or Pottuvil Point.

The best, lesser known and hard to get is the Peanut Farm to where the journey takes you through a forest in habited with elephants. Nearly 20 minutes drive through forest brings you to the clearest and the most beautiful beach ever to be created.

A long, deserted, sandy beach dotted with some huge boulders at the waters edge make these waves a favourite with some of the seasoned veterans. Pottuvil Point provides 800 metre rides from the outside section right through to the beach on the inside.

The magic about these waves is that for the most of it, a surfer can be working a four foot face and be only a few metres from the beach as the wave grinds down the sandy point. The outside section sucks up and throws out as the swell raps into the point giving a 30 metre wall to work with before it fades as it hits deeper water for about 10 seconds. The surf increases into the day so be sure to be at beach by 10 in the morning.

Surfers and visitors are often helped and hosted by small communities of fishermen who live in wooden huts among the forest but who are keen to maintain the beach which is still heavenly.

Getting there

Arugam Bay is nearly 340 kms away from the capital of Colombo and is nearly 2.5 km away from Pottuvil. Peanut Farm is situated half an hour north to Arugam Bay and one must have a bike, motorbike or hire a three-wheeler to get there since public transportation is not at its best in Pottuvil.

The road to Peanut Farm is written on sand and is only visible as tyre tracks through the forest and could be easily missed. However, any villager could give you directions to the point.


 

A dream Sri Lankan home, not a clutter of cultures by Sirohmi Gunesekera

There were colourful, woven mats on the ground. A few cushions were scattered here and there. On a low table there was a model of a trishaw made with mahogany, jak, rubberwood and other kinds of locally available wood.

Out of reach of children, was a shelf with a single ornament made out of decorated seashells.

The small, three-roomed house contained none of the heavy furniture which many Sri Lankans consider necessary for a home. No wonder so many get into debt setting up house after an elaborate wedding ceremony.

In tropical Sri Lanka, there is no need for wall-to-wall carpeting or plush settees to sink into. A few chairs and tables made of rattan can be both attractive and serviceable. An armchair or two to relax in at the end of the day and you have enough furniture and not too much.

Handlooms are not cheap but they are so peaceful if one chooses soft shades of green to soothe the eyes as you go to bed. Or one can sleep on mats and pillows on the ground saving the cost of beds. Besides, huge beds mean that much space is taken up while mats can be rolled up and put away during the day.

The recently concluded "Shilpa 2004" crafts exhibition at the Sirimavo Bandaranaike Hall at the B.M.I.C.H. displayed the multi-faceted talents of Sri Lankan craftsmen and women. My imagination was captured by the beautiful carvings and the traditional brass trays and lamps as well as the innovative modern crafts.

Some day, when I have my dream home, I know exactly what kind of theme it will have. No, I will not fill it with imported paintings or imitations to give others the idea that I have taste.

How many Sri Lankans simply copy others and decorate their homes with a lot of unnecessary bric a brac?

When I was in Paris, I visited the Louvre museum and saw Leonardo Da Vinci's original painting of the "Mona Lisa".

In fact, a friend of mine who lives in and has travelled in the West confided in me that many visitors pass by the famous painting titled "La Joconde" because the woman herself is unremarkable, being a simple peasant woman.

It is her enigmatic smile that makes the painting unique and of course the fame of the Renaissance artist Leonardo Da Vinci. Why then do so many Sri Lankan homes prefer to hang an imitation of the "Mona Lisa" in preference to the grace and beauty of our own Sigiriya maidens?

Taste differs from individual to individual but I think that many Sri Lankans simply follow others without questioning or finding out their own original taste. We in Sri Lanka are influenced by so many cultures that you and I have forgotten what simplicity means.

What is the point of having many many ornaments preventing one from admiring the beauty of each?

If only you and I had the luxury of starting life from scratch in our own home, what couldn't we do?

»First of all, I would have a garden with a mango tree if possible. I would grow vegetables and fruits as well as flowers. A sandy driveway and you would enter the small house with a welcome bowl of jasmines in water at the entrance.

High ceilings would enable coolness and there would be plenty of windows and doors to let in air and light. A skylight and a "meda midula" are part of traditional Sri Lankan homes to be indulged in if one has the space and the money.

The kitchen would be serviceable and not be cluttered with too many gadgets. "The Kitchen Prayer" would hang over the sink as I do my cooking and washing up, singing out of the happiness of having my own home.

I would have a patio or a balcony depending on my finances. I think it is essential to sit out in the evenings and on holidays, breathing in the fresh air and thinking over one's day and life. If you have space, a hammock can be strung across two trees and you can really enjoy life in this tropical paradise.

Let's re-think what we need in our surroundings and not clutter up our homes and our lives, reflecting the clutter inside our heads.

Sri Lanka has so much to offer and most of it at an affordable price if one is willing to look around or wait for an individual order to be executed.

Let's dream of a beautiful home on a Sri Lankan theme showing off the exquisite taste that has inspired generations of craftsmen and women uphill and down dale right here on this beautiful island.


 

Muthurajawela marshes for a few dollars more By Ashwin Hemmathagama

A Cabinet paper was recently presented by the Minister of Urban Development and Water Supply to allocate 50 acres from the Muthurajawela buffer zone to Lionvert Lanka Ltd. (LLL), for a petroleum refinery and power plant project.

The Cabinet recommended that further consideration of this proposal was necessary, with due notice to the Minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment Promotion and the Minister of Finance and Planning, while involving the BOI and the Central Environmental Authority in further studying this proposal as suggested in these observations.

It was also decided to authorize the Ministry concerned to sell to the construction industry, at a price to be negotiated, within three months from the date of this decision, the sand presently piled up on this land, which was originally set aside for the proposed Colombo-Katunayake Highway, .

Lionvert Lanka Ltd.,with a nominal share capital of Rs. 500 million, currently operates from the USA, though registered in Sri Lanka as a private limited liability company under the Companies Act No. 17 of 1982. Reference to the Memorandum of Association (MoA) of Lionvert Lanka Ltd., the two shareholders of this company, Donald T. McDevitt and Mary B. Resch of Texas, USA have only fulfilled the legal requirement by taking one share each in the formation of the company.

According to the Department of Registrar of Companies, Sri Lanka, the primary objectives of the LLL is to carry on the business of a petroleum refinery and storage facility cum electric power generation plant, and operate a single point offshore mooring in Sri Lanka.

Lionvert Lanka Ltd. also has plans to expand the business of crude oil distillation, to produce naphtha, petrol, diesel, kerosene, aviation jet fuel, residual fuel oil, pitch or any other products of every type and description, incidental, supplementary or complementary to the distillation of the main products.

Lionvert Lanka Ltd.in its Memorandum of Association, the company has also stated that it has further plans in operations related to the business of import, export, wholesale and retail distribution of crude and refined petroleum products and byproducts of every type and description and to carry on the business of electrical power generation and supply.


 

Cultivate or lose your land, Minister warns landowners by Dholani Mawalage

Land left fallow after the restoration of irrigation tanks will be confiscated, Agriculture Minsiter Anura Kumara Dissanayake warned yesterday.

Addressing a news conference convened largely to refute allegations of financial irregularities with regard to the JVP's 10,000 tank restoration programme, the minister said large areas of arable lands were lying fallow in the Colombo, Gampaha and Kalutara districts or were being refilled for commercial purposes, posing some problems for the tank restoration programme.

He warned that under the Agrarian Development Act, the government could confiscate uncultivated lands but acknowledged that some of these lands faced irrigational problems.

Mr. Dissanayake said steps would be taken to provide water to these lands and if the landowners continued to leave their lands fallow, the state would confiscate the lands.

The minister also dismissed allegations that the tank-restoration project reeked with financial irregularities - an allegation that was levelled at the JVP by President Chandrika Kumaratunga herself.

Mr. Dissanayake said that of the Rs. 400 million the ministry got from the Treasury, Rs.386 million had been spent on the restoration programme and claimed that not a cent was spent for personal purposes.

He said restoration work on 500 irrigation tanks had been completed and 956 tanks were being restored while work would begin on 1012 tanks in the next two months.
The minister said the restoration work was being carried out with the participation of farmers, banks and businessmen.


 

Sitawaka river bank being raped by illicit miners by K. G. H. Munidasa

For the second time in ten months the Sitawaka river, off Avisawella, is in the grip of illicit gem miners.

Last time prospecting for gems in the river-bed illegally went on in a wide scale and lasted for months, despite frequent police raids. But now as the water level has risen considerably, following heavy rains upstream, the miners have turned their attention to the river banks.

Gem pits complete with wooden scaffoldings and props are in full operation along the right bank and is visible to passers-by on the Avissawela-Kegalle main road. They have already caused considerable damage to the river embankment.

On investigation by the Daily Mirror, Dehiowita P.S. Chairman Ananda Kularatne said the gem prospectors appeared to have taken advantage from a recent decision of the State Gems and Jewellery Authority to permit river gemming, hence the Sabha could not act on its own, but lodge its protest.

Vice Chairman Sextus Arsekularatne said "Under the 'Pavitra Ganga' concept of the previous government, a programme was launched to preserve the environment of both the Kelani and Sitawaka rivers. But the guide lines set by the programme have not been adhered to, since the general election. I hope that the present minister in-charge of Natural Resources and Environment acts immediately to avert further damage to the river.

Upon inquiries made at the Avissawella headquarters police by the Daily Mirror, a senior officer said up to now no one from the Dehiowita Divisional Secretariat or the Pradeshiya Sabha had complained to them about any gemming in the Sitawaka river.


 

Elephants devastate four villages by N.P.Mohottige

Three wild elephants form Madunagala jungle in Sooriyawewa are devastating the villages of Bogul Ara, Karawila yaya, Uswewa and Kachchigala.

These elephants have destroyed the cultivations of these villages and also damaged several houses.

A farmer in the area has died on 11th of last month after being attacked by one of these elephants.

The residents warn that there would be elephant-human conflict soon unless the wildlife officers concerned acted immediately to drive these animals back to the jungle. (274)


Monday, November 08, 2004 

CEA sues 20 private companies for pollution by Vineetha M.Gamage

The Central Environment Authority has filed plaints against 20 private companies for pollution of the environment.

Six establishments have been prosecuted for pollution of water and another six firms for sound pollution, said Director General of CEA Manel Jayamanne.

She further said that she has prosecuted an animal farm at Udugampola for running it without permission from the CEA and a rubber factory at Horana for the same offence.

The Courts have ordered four factories to construct complexes to purify water and function according to the terms and conditions of the Environment Act .

A person who has been constructing a hotel in violation of ( C ) section of the National Environment Act was also prosecuted she further said.


 

Diabetes - the mega disease of the future by Dr. Mandeep S. Dhillon

November 14 is celebrated all over as World Diabetes Day. In India it is the birthday of Jawaharlal Nehru, and it is labelled there as Children's day. It is also the birthday of Frederick Banting who first conceived the idea which led to the discovery of insulin. This may be a coincidence, but for many medical professionals like me, it makes us doubly aware that our focus should be on children who are potential candidates for developing diabetes, which is being now labeled as the "mega disease" of the future.

In 2001, the World Health Organization (WHO) estimated that more than 177 million adults have diabetes, an increase over the 2000 estimate of 151 million. This does not take into account children who are becoming fat or sedentary, and are potential candidates for this disease in early adulthood. The theme for the World Diabetes Day 2004 is thus appropriately "Fight Obesity Prevent Diabetes".

Being an orthopaedic surgeon, my interests in the fight against diabetes mainly focus on three problems: nerve and blood vessel damage over the long term, leading to the much dreaded complication of Diabetic foot, with ulcers and infections, which may sometimes even lead to amputations! I do think the theme for next year (2005), Diabetes and Foot Care is very appropriate. However, since I have written extensively on the Diabetic Foot in recent columns, I will focus on two other aspects: how diabetic neuropathy affects the extremities, and how the effect of diabetes on your kidneys could modify drug use for pain prevention (this was the theme for 2003 - Diabetes could cost you your kidneys: Act Now!)

World Diabetes Day, organized by the International Diabetes Federation is a global awareness campaign for diabetics. Introduced in 1991, it is a response to global concern over the escalating incidence of diabetes. "World Diabetes Day is the primary global diabetes awareness campaign, and therefore the ideal occasion to inform the general public about the strong link between overweight, obesity and diabetes," says Prof Pierre Lefèbvre, IDF President. Prof Martin Silink, IDF President-Elect, further explains the potential problems-"Several complex and interrelated factors are at work for the rise in diabetes prevalence: an ageing population, the lack of physical activity and unhealthy eating habits due to urbanization combine to produce large numbers of people with type 2 diabetes. All over the world traditional lifestyles and dietary patterns are giving way to a sedentary lifestyle and a high-fat diet. Increasing obesity is a significant risk factor for diabetes"

The message that is being transmitted with this campaign is a simple one: lifestyle changes such as eating a healthy diet and being physically active are effective in delaying and, in many cases, preventing the onset of diabetes, and reducing the risk of developing complications in people with diabetes. It is estimated that at least half of all cases of type 2 diabetes could be prevented if weight gain in adults could be avoided.

Diabetic nerve damage ( known as Diabetic Neuropathy) has been known to cause numbness leading to the common problem of insensate feet and their complications; however, many patients are not aware that this can also result in pain in the legs and feet in the initial stages, and overtime be replaced with numbness, as nerve damage becomes nerve cell death. Pain is often attributed to many other causes and the correct diagnosis may be delayed; patients should realize that this pain is a "scream" from the nerve cells, and is caused by the double damage resulting from too high a blood sugar content as well as deprivation of blood supply to the nerves due to obstructions occurring in the blood vessels themselves. Nerve damage in other areas of the body can result in such things as incomplete emptying of the bladder, incontinence, or sexual dysfunction, and in the stomach/ gut lead to abdominal discomfort, nausea, vomiting or bloating. Damage to nerves that regulate blood flow and blood pressure can result in significant blood pressure drops when sitting or standing, causing a person to feel light-headed or even faint.

The doctors need to exclude other causes of neuropathy confirming the diagnosis. Certain nerve and muscle tests should be done early, and when the picture is clear, treatment should focus on strict blood sugar control and prevention of complications in the limbs.

Many medications are available to relieve the pain of neuropathy. Routine pain killers maybe of no benefit; the simple ones, like Paracetamol etc. may be safer, as other analgesics, if used over a long period of time have the potential to damage the kidneys, which are already being influenced and damaged by the Diabetic disease process. So drug use in diabetics has to be very carefully monitored, and both the patient and the physician should take care of this aspect. Surprisingly, certain antidepressants are helpful and take the edge off the pain of neuropathy. This doesn't mean that you are depressed! Rather, it seems that the medications block the pain. If taken at night, they help reduce the pain. Antidepressants can take several weeks to become effective, so patients should try them for a month before deciding about their effects. Today, one of the most commonly used and effective medications to help with the pain caused by neuropathy is called Neurontin, which has relatively few side effects.

A topical cream (capsaicin) is now available and helps relieve neuropathy pain, by blocking nerve signals, especially when pain is localized. Patients should avoid taking narcotic painkillers for neuropathy, as they do not work very well for neuropathy, and will lead to addiction.

Newer medical research is focusing on fatty acids as Alpha Lipoic and Gamma linolenic acid, as well as nerve growth factors. The data is preliminary, and the work is experimental at best.


 

Child abuse in Sri Lanka by Leona Sutton

According to a BBC report there are around 100 children who are abused everyday in Sri Lanka, with many of these cases taking place domestically. Until 1993 such cases were considered acts of homosexuality, until people were educated and it was considered abuse. However, Sri Lanka still has a long way to go regarding the awareness of this issue. Today, due to economic realities parents have no other option but to work; with mothers often leaving the country to pursue a career in the Middle East in order to make ends meet.

This results in the child being cared for by their extended family. Sadly, this can sometimes mean that these trusted caregivers take advantage of innocent young children. However, the home is not the only reported place of abuse; with teachers or even a priests being accused of such acts. But of course this is something that here in Sri Lanka we are often taught not to discuss. Children themselves don't fully understand what is happening to them and therefore the abuse continues. According to statistics this kind of domestic abuse occurs more frequently in poorer homes. However, this is not to say that it is not occurring in middle class families also; cases are just better hidden.

According to Dr. Hiranthi Wijemanne, of the ICI Dulux Child Protection Trust Fund, children in society are taught to say "yes" to everything offered to them, we need to teach our children to say "no"! Children look to their parents for guidance and protection. However, if they do not receive this, the result can only be pain and misery. Dr. Hiranthi Wijemanne adds, "We all want to have a happy childhood; therefore we need to respect children and give our best to them." Therefore, the ICI Dulux Child Protection Trust Fund along with the Lion Ladies of The Lion Club of Colombo are hosting the EVE Signoraa 2004 fashion show this month.

Indian Designer Sarita Ajitsaria will present her latest designs for every taste and budget; including modern and traditional designs as well as an exclusive wedding collection. The main objectives of the event and fund are to support and provide financial support and to give assistance to needy children as well as organizations involved in fighting this cause. Thus, publicizing and creating awareness with regard to the Rights of Children. Not only this, the committee wish to engage in activities of preventing and eradicating child abuse in Sri Lanka by providing assistance and caring for victims of child abuse.

With all proceeds going to the ICI Dulux Child Protection Trust Fund it guarantees to be a spectacular night of colour, design and high fashion. Held at The Galle Face Hotel on Saturday, November 20, from 7.30pm.

Tickets are priced at Rs.1000 and can be purchased from the Galle Face Hotel Colombo Business Centre, Rich & Famous at Majestic City and Crescat and Velona Showrooms - Liberty Plaza and Bambalapitiya. It is certainly a night not to be missed, so come along and let's do something to make Sri Lanka a better place for our children.


 

He is the answer to a woman's prayer by Sirohmi Gunesekera

I met him at a party many years ago. He is not drop-dead-gorgeous by the standards of all women but there are many women who find him handsome and sexy. As the popular song goes, "He caught my eye…as he walked across my pathway" Besides, my idea of a sexy man may not be the same as yours.

Apart from looks, he had a soft-spoken manner and he was not brash. He did not make me feel that he was so important that I had to listen to him with bated breath. Nor did he expect a woman to look at him with adoring eyes. In fact, he would probably have run away if I had.

He asked me about my interests and goals in life and we found that we had much in common. We talked the whole evening and then each went home. We met again and again for he joined our crowd of party-goers.

Gradually he and I began to hang out together and we came to be accepted as a couple. As we grew older and matured, we thought seriously about marriage. It was a big step for both of us but we thought "Why not?" We asked our parents and aunts and uncles for advice about marriage and then we decided to take the plunge.

We had a quiet wedding for we could not afford to provide food and drink for more than thirty guests. He and I were both determined not to start our married life in debt. Our wedding gave us special memories and we knew each guest by name. They were the friends and relatives who formed our intimate circle or those who had watched us grow up.

We went to a friend's house in Kandy for our three-day honeymoon and came back to Colombo with our arms around each other and no homecoming party. We shared his two-roomed apartment, cooking in one room and sleeping in the other.

It was difficult living with a man and getting used to his leaving his shirts and trousers lying around. He and I used to argue about small things and we both learned to be patient with each other. But there were days when I just would not talk to him but he did not give up on me.

He and I used to walk on Galle Face Green in the evenings, buy "Kottu Roti"(local stir-fried pasta) for dinner. He then washed the dishes and I wiped them. Each day meant the creation of new memories to add to our store.

He admitted that there were times when he felt jealous and insecure if I spent time in office talking to other men. I realized that a man is often more insecure than a woman and I would then take extra trouble to show him that he came first with me. I also confessed that I was jealous if he looked at another younger or prettier woman. Then he too would go out of his way to show me how much he loved me. Gradually he and I became more secure and sure of each other. I guess that is what a happy marriage does to you. More than anything else, we both realized that we must never stop sharing our feelings frankly with each other.

We waited two years to cement our marriage for we had gone to the Family Planning Association and learnt methods of birth control. After that we were ready to start a family. I had a difficult pregnancy but my husband was with me throughout, accompanying me to the doctor and cooking and cleaning when I had to lie down to rest my swollen ankles.

He was by my side with his arm around me when I delivered our only child, a daughter. No, he was not disappointed that it was not a son. But he admitted that he felt jealous when the baby and I bonded with each other when I breast-fed her. Then I started getting him to carry the baby and then it was invariably his voice that soothed her when she was restless and crying. He and I shared the tasks of nappy washing and changing and rocking the baby to sleep.

As we watch our child grow, we have not lost interest in each other. He and I have had to change our goals and dreams over the years. We want to spend time together and with our child, so he and I will not be able to earn a lot of money.

What does it matter?

We hope to save and buy a small house and a garden somewhere to live in when we grow old. But right now, the three of us still live in our two rented rooms and it is a tight fit. What does it matter?

On Friday evenings, the three of us go to Galle Face Green and as we feel the sea breeze on our faces, the three of us are grateful for the love we share in our little family. I am lucky to have met and married my Dream Man, aren't I? Wish you out there good luck too!

Actually, I am divorced and alone but I want all of you to think of the above and not make mistakes by going after money and careers without cementing your relationships with your family. Happiness comes not from money but from love.


 

Kerawalapitiya, the forgotten power plant by Munza Mushtaq

There is much hype made about the proposed coal power plant and the Upper Kotmale Hydro power project. But sadly many seem to have forgotten about yet another vital power plant: the proposed 300 MW Kerawalapitiya power plant, which is also very much behind schedule, a senior CEB engineer said.

According to the original plan, the Kerawalapitiya combined cycle power plant was to go into operation by early next year. But the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) is still in the process of evaluating the bids, informed sources told the Daily Mirror. "The CEB does not have much choice, several foreign companies submitted their proposals initially, but now there is only one player in the field, a Korean consortium," they said.

But the CEB is facing other problems with regard to the Kerawalapitiya plant. Even though the Board wanted a unit of electricity to cost around Rs. 7 (excluding fuel costs), the Korean Consortium has proposed a 12 US cents (around Rs. 12), per unit, sans fuel costs.

The Kerawalapitiya plant was initially to be a 150 MW range power plant.

However the anticipated delay in implementing the coal power plant caused the CEB to increase its capacity from 150 MW to 300 MW.

The feasibility study on the project was completed in December 1998 with the assistance of the Japanese International Cooperation Agency (JICA).


Sunday, November 07, 2004 

Weligama’s kasippu mafia

Local kasippu or 'moonshine' producers are hand-in-glove with the police in Weligama and running a profitable business, residents in the area told Bribery and Corruption Commission officers, who were in the southern town on an awareness programme.

The residents have complained that the illegal liquor trade in the area is fast spreading and affecting a number of families, but the police were turning a blind eye.

The residents made the complaint when the Bribery Commission officers conducted an awareness programme about identifying bribery and corruption and taking counter measures. The police in the area were among those who had been invited for the session held at the Welipitiya AGAs office, but Weligama police officers were not present.

All complaints against the police are to be referred to the Inspector General of Police for necessary follow up action. The residents told the session attended by more than 300 persons including villagers, teachers, and grama sevakas about the failure of the police to take serious action to stop the flourishing kasippu trade.

Most of the people explained how their complaints were ignored by the police adding that many of the villagers were therefore reluctant to go to the police.

They claimed that in one incident, a kasippu brewing spot was raided and later the police had taken away the barrels of kasippu in their vehicles and sold them at a higher price.

Weligama Inspector Sam Bandula told The Sunday Times that the police were not informed of Saturday's seminar, but admitted that some police officers were having links with kasippu traders.

"It cannot be generalised. Only a few inform us of the illegal spots. We cannot take sufficient action against this trade because of the shortcomings in the law." IP Bandula said without elaborating.


 

‘Eco Explorers’ : New meaning for Eco products and expeditions

“The Eco Explorers’ is Sri Lanka’s newest Eco company to offer local and foreign eco enthusiasts and nature lovers an enriching experience through the diversity of the country’s flora and fauna.

Partnered by two enterprising naturalists - Darshika Weeraperuma and Tharindra de Silva, ‘The Eco Explorers’ offers travellers five tailor-made expeditions through locations such as Uda Walawe, Kaudulla, Horton Plains, Yala and Sinharaja. The expeditions range from one to three days and offer clients “an educational ecological experience”.

Darshika and Tharindra who bring their abiding love for nature to ‘The Eco Explorers’, said that each expedition has been “meticulously crafted” to give clients the maximum possible options, through the best possible experience, and, within the chosen time frame.

Situated at Lilian Avenue, off Hotel Road in Mt Lavinia, ‘The Eco Explorers’ has also just launched its eco-boutique and theme gallery. The gallery is an exciting permanent exhibition of the work of diverse nature and wildlife artists and photographers who express themselves through oils, water colours, charcoal drawings, and dot art. In keeping with the overall theme, this is essentially a dedicated art gallery which focuses solely on flora and fauna.

The boutique further complements the theme and offers a wide and interesting range of ornamental, utility and gift items made from clay, cloth, reed, recycled paper (from elephant dung, straw, banana fibre etc) and other eco-friendly material. A new line of coconut shell jewellery has also just been launched for the discerning woman!

Says Tharindra (who is also a Director with husband Kumar de Silva at ‘Adahas PR & Media Consultants’), “ours is neither eco-tourism, nor eco-adventure. “Ours is a totally holistic approach to the overall eco-experience. Man and Nature are co-dependent in their eternal quest for existence. Hence, the need for greater understanding.” she said.

Darshika affirmed that “each expedition is, in fact, a fully rounded educational experience whereby clients are taught how to fully appreciate Nature’s flora and fauna. We encourage vegetarianism and abstinence from alcohol and smoking during expeditions. We advocate experiencing the experience as opposed to tasting what you see. We don’t encourage ‘collectors’ either!

The company even organises expeditions to locations of their client’s choice. Its trained and experienced guides share their love for, and knowledge of Nature, with every traveller. The observation of snakes is one of its specialized areas, while dress codes, behaviour, the correct management and disposal of garbage (bio degradable and otherwise) are given importance during expeditions.”

Given the demand from both local and foreign nature lovers to “go beyond the beaten track” Darshika and Tharindra are confident of the success of their new venture. “It doesn’t quite matter if you are a veteran traveller or an uninitiated observer. We welcome you anyway, and give you a never-to-be-forgotten experience through the flora and fauna of Sri Lanka”, they say.


 

Children abroad exposed to distorted image of Lanka by Apsara Kapukotuwa

"Welcome to Sri Lanka", a book that contains distorted and erroneous details has come to light after it made its appearance overseas for the use of students as a source of information about the island nation. The book, published by Times Media Private Limited of Singapore in 2003, has several entries, which could easily create a wrong impression and a distorted image of Sri Lanka.

The Sinhala newspaper, Lanka Irida Sangrahaya first reported on the book in a series of articles from early October. The matter received more attention after the Cultural Affairs Minister Vijitha Herath wrote to the Australian High Commissioner requesting that the matter be looked into. Vanessa Lee and Krishnan Guruswamy are attributed as having authored the book in which there are many prominent entries that catch the eye for its inaccuracy, devaluation and under-estimation of the country's proud history.

In a section on Independence it states "The British granted Sri Lanka its independence in 1947". Another glaring mistake is in the segment "Quick Facts" which states that the Ethnic groups are the "Veddahs, Sinhalese and Tamils". Several archaic beliefs regarding Asian countries are common in the book such as in the segment on "Family Life" which goes on to say, ‘Marriages in Sri Lanka are arranged by family members and most couples only meet briefly before the wedding ceremony".

The over-generalization and poor editing of content has resulted in the book giving a haphazard image of the country. In the section under Education, a photo caption reads, "Children attend classes that are taught by a Buddhist monk. As they grow older, children may attend private classes in maths and science and try to get higher grades so they can qualify to enter a top university". Bizarre statements such as "Students who do not attend a university may try to learn a trade such as carpentry", are commonly seen in the book. It even goes on to add in the section Language that 'Sri Lanka has its own special English phrases such as "short eats" for snack while stating in the Leisure segment that "Sri Lankan children often make up simple games such as throwing rocks at a target or rolling tires down a slope".

Upon reading the book, one is left wondering about whether any of the information included is unique, relevant or factual about a country, which has a long history that is both unique and comment-worthy. In his letter, the Cultural Minister states that since the book is available in the libraries of Australia, he would appreciate if the situation is brought to the notice of the authorities of the Australian government and requests that an investigation be carried out to reveal the sources which provided the misleading information. He further goes on to say that he would be much grateful if the High Commissioner would "take action to withdraw the book from libraries and redistribute same after incorporating true and accurate information".

When enquired by the Sunday Times regarding its response in the matter, a spokesman for the Australian High Commission stated that they are "looking into the matter" and "will respond to the Minister".


 

SNATCHED BY A GIANT BIRD! by Jeevani Pereira

A giant bird swooping down and carrying away a child, something out of a fairytale or a comic book you might say. However, for P. H. Namali it was something all too real last Tuesday morning, which might just go down in the books as one of the strangest events of this century.

Making sure not to walk in places where the fishing nets were laid out in respect for their livelihood, Namali took us to the beach and showed us the spot where her son Dimuthu Madhushanka, 5, was almost carried off by what they called an eagle with an eight foot wide wing span!

Living in Ambalappola, Beruwala, Namali and her husband said Dimuthu is their only child."At around 9 o'clock in the morning, my son insisted on going down to the beach to fly his new kite," said Namali with a shudder. "He bought it at the market the day before and was very exited about it." So while he happily let his kite soar in the wind, Namali walked around collecting driftwood a few feet away from him. She went on to relive the moments that almost cost her Dimuthu's life. "The bird suddenly came swooping from behind him and caught him by the scruff of his T-shirt. It managed to carry him into the air for about three feet before letting go when I threw a piece of wood at it."

Initially in shock for a few seconds while her son was being carried away "with no strength to even shout out" Namali said her presence of mind came with her son's cries of help. "He was screaming for me and I just took the piece of wood in my hand and hurled it at the creature." She added that the wood struck the animals legs and it immediately let go of Dimuthu, landing the boy in a small stream that ran along the sand.

Calling her son the luckiest boy in the world, Namali showed us the scratches on his forehead and face. "No one would have believed this story if not for the injuries," said Namali saying that the doctors were completely stunned when she told them what happened. "They weighed him then and there and found he was 22 pounds heavy," she said proving the fact that the bird would have had to be enormous to be able to lift Dimuthu into the air. "There were a few people who saw this happening and who came running to help. They could not believe the size of the bird either," Namali added.

"This bird had been spotted about a day ago in the area. No one believed those people because they said an eagle that size cannot exist," Dimuthu's father Dhammika de Silva said. "I was a few feet away attending to some fish netting when I heard my wife scream." He described the bird as 8 feet long, completely white with black spots.

However, according to Dr. Ranjan Fernando, an environmentalist, the biggest eagle in the area is the Serpent Eagle, which has a wingspan of about three feet. "There are eagles in the mountainous area that grow up to fiv feet but they never venture below a certain altitude and they are certainly not able to carry a 5-year-old boy." He added that no birds of that size migrate to Sri Lanka and are not even in the Asian region.

Unsure as to what sort of an Eagle this could be, most of the people in Dimuthu's neighbourhood said they are now afraid to let their children out because of the bird. "We are afraid that this thing might carry our children away next," said one of their relatives. Some of the residents said that the eagle had been spotted carrying a dog away earlier in the morning.

Putting mystery bird aside, Namali said that she is thankful that her son is alive. "I was about to leave to Lebanon for work. Now after this, I decided not to leave," she smiled. "I never want to be away from my boy."


 

India brings Lanka into sea canal project

India and Sri Lanka yesterday discussed prospects of cooperation in defence and fisheries as visiting President Chandrika Kumaratunga briefed Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and other leaders on recent developments in the peace process in Sri Lanka.

The two leaders also reviewed bilateral relations and resolved to further expand the scope of their cooperation through development projects in Sri Lanka, External Affairs Ministry spokesman Navtej Sarna told reporters.

The Presidential Secretariat said

President Kumaratunga and Premier Singh took up various matters including the much debated Sethusamudram Sea Canal Project.

The Indian Premier said this long term project would take ten to 15 years and was still at its design stage while several more feasibility studies needed to be done.

The Indian Government pledged to keep two Sri Lankan specialists fully informed of all aspects of this proposed sea canal project and any issue that might have adverse effects for Sri Lanka would be resolved in Sri Lanka's favour, Dr. Singh assured adding that India would be willing to discuss any matter at any time.

Premier Singh was keen to know the current status of the Sri Lankan peace process and assured President Kumaratunga India's unreserved support for a negotiated settlement within a united Sri Lanka, the Presidential Secretariat said.

The two leaders also reviewed bilateral relations and expressed their satisfaction at the current levels of cooperation in diverse fields. They resolved to further expand the scope of such collaboration in future through various development projects.

Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar, Power and Energy Minister Susil Premajayantha and Sri Lankan High Commissioner Mangala Moonesinghe were associated with President Kumaratunga. In the discussions that preceded the luncheon Dr. Singh was assisted by External Affairs Minister Natwar Singh, Security Advisor J N. Dixit, Foreign Secretary Shyam Saran, and Joint Secretary Neelam Deo.

India's ruling United Progressive Alliance chairperson Sonia Gandhi called on President Chandrika Kumaratunga on Thursday evening, the Presidential Secretariat said.

The two leaders recalled the warm and friendly ties the Bandaranaikes and the Nehru-Gandhi families have had over several years.

Ms Gandhi then sought details about the current status of the peace initiatives in Sri Lanka.


 

Illegal zoo in Marawila raided

The special investigation unit of the Chilaw Wild Life department raided a mini zoo at Muhudukatwa in Marawila and arrested its owner on Friday night.

An eagle, two spotted deer, two stags and two mouse deer were seized at the zoo. The animals had been caught from the jungles in Wilpattu and were on display for tourists.

The suspect was produced in court and released on bail while the animals were handed over to the Wild Life department.


 

Demo against project to recycle solid waste near Getambe temple by R. S. Keeriyawatte and J. A. L. Jayasinghe

Thousands of people on Sunday ( 7) morning staged a massive protest and Satyagraha at Gatambe Rajapanaramaya beside the Bomaluwa against the proposed project on recycling of solid waste in close proximity to the sacred area by the banks of the Mahaweli Ganga.

Dayake Sabha of Gatambe Rajopawanaramaya, members of all associations connected with the conservation of Rajopawanarama sacred area, students of Sri Amarawansa Dhamma School and people in the area participated in the Sathyagraha compaign. Later the campaigners blocked the Kandy - Colombo highway.

Before the start of the Satyagraha campaign Viharadhipathy, Venerable Keppetiyagoda Siriwimala Thera addressing the crowd said projects of this sort are needed but they should be located in suitable places. "Although the authorities give assurances that no harm will be caused by the project we have the experience of past instances where the repercussions had been adverse.

When such a project was located at the Peradeniya hospital we protested and the authorities said that it would not affect the Viharaya and Bomaluwa area but later we could not bear the stench as proper maintenance measures were not adopted", he said.

He referred to the instance in which the politicians erected barbed wire fences enclosing the Viharaya. No harm could be caused due to the miraculous power of the place.

Diyawadana Nilame of Sri Dalada Maligawa Neranjan Wijeratne said that the location mentioned was not the proper place to locate a solid waste recycling project as the water cutting ceremony of Sri Dalada Maligawa was conducted in close proximity.

Venerable Galketiwa Ratanawansa Thera of Rajopavanaramaya, Bhikshu parliamentarian Udawatte Nanda Thera and the Secretary of Rajapavanarama Dayake Sabha W. R. D. Bandara also spoke.



 

Top bureaucrat fires broadside against poultry imports by Sajeewan Wijewardana

The chief of the Department of Animal Production and Health (DAPH) , the only government department authorized to issue import permits relating to poultry said that he did not understand the intention behind the attempt to import chicken from the USA when Sri Lanka can easily meet the country's demand.

"I did not take part in the proceedings and I was not party to it. But what I say is that the present domestic production is sufficient to meet the normal demand," Director General Dr. S.K.R Amarasekara said.

"However, even if they decide to import, I will go through the cases one by one and analyse them thoroughly before issuing any permits. The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) recently reported to the World Animal Health Organization (OIE-Office International Des Epizooties) that they are free of Avian influenza," he said.

Therefore the DAPH has relaxed some of its restrictions imposed some time ago, but the DG emphasized that he will not issue a blanket permit or relaxation to all chicken imports. "So any importer must furnish a valid health certificate and all relevant documents. If the USDA reports any Avian influenza again, we will not issue any import permits from USA," he said.

Meanwhile the All Island Poultry Association Chairman Dr. D.D Wanasinghe said that the Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Jeyaraj Fernandopulle had agreed to observe the local industry for two months, and would import US products if the local prices go above Rs. 180 per kilo. "We assured him that the prices would not go up above Rs. 180 per kilo if the current input prices remains the same. If the input process goes up, the final product prices would go up as well," he said.

"The Minister was planning to import chicken thighs and legs and sell them at Rs. 80 per kilo. But those have no market in the USA, the chicken breast has the market. They are trying to find a market to dump their goods. Even India and Bangladesh have banned imports of such items and we are the only country contemplating such a move," he said. Minister Fernandopulle was not available for comment.



Wednesday, November 03, 2004 

Soaring oil prices: The real reasons by Prof. J.A. Karunaratne

It should not be too simplistic or naïve to say that Sri Lankans are a Nation of finger-pointers. Of course, this does not refer to innocuous finger-pointing that one does when, say, one tries to show a child a star in the night sky or a bird perched within the foliage of a tree. Neither does this refer to that social faux pas of finger-pointing that one does, say, when one is trying to identify an individual in a crowd.

Instead, this refers to that act of finger-pointing that, considering its social and moral implications, hinges on political knavery and malice.

I think that finger-pointing has become a part of Sri Lankan culture. I remember once, a long, long time ago, when my mother inquired of me about the culprit who put his teeth into the sponge cake that she had left on the table, I pointed my chocolaty finger at my baby sister who in turn pointed her slobbery fingers at the family dog (kukka), which had not yet learned the vices of finger-pointing, and, hence, trotted away with a rueful look in its eyes and, a soft whimper, to its usual spot under the mango tree.

Finger-pointing goes on at other levels too, which has wide ramifications for the individuals and societies concerned. For example, there are those who have failed to secure themselves a decent remunerative opportunity (due, perhaps, to a lack of merits), and who, therefore, pointed their fingers at others over on the other side of the ethnic or social divide (saying, perhaps ''he grabbed the opportunity that I was entitled to''. This is an attempt at stirring ethnic or social tensions within the country. Hoping, perhaps, that when a sufficient number of fingers have been pointed at each other, it would lend legitimacy for the goons to resort to violence on innocent souls on either side of the ethnic and social divide. Thus, unleashing yet another ethnic and social strife, making it possible for the finger-pointers to bag some of its spoils. Spoils of war do not refer only to loot from innocent people but also what they may bag from dealing in arms, amounting to exorbitant sums.

Finger-pointing is, to a large extent, a political act of 'white washing' oneself and blaming another. It is also a way to shrug off one's responsibility in remedying problematic situations.

Right now there is so much finger-pointing going on in Sri Lanka that one has to be extremely careful when one moves about in society. The chances are that one could get someone's finger in one's own … eye.

Let's discuss one specific act of finger-pointing and its true bearings.

Once there was a man who asked, 'Why is there this price rise in goods and services? Who is responsible for this?' Then he was joined by others who too asked the same question. Then when the noise became louder, reverberating on the walls of the capital, one pointed his finger at another, the other pointed his finger at the third. Then when finger-pointing went a whole round in the city, the last one held his arm outstretched, pointing his finger at the horizon, where the sky meets the sea, and declared: "We are not the culprits. The culprits are over there, over the seas. It is they who pushed up the price of oil. It is as a result of that, the prices of goods and services in Sri Lanka have increased."

Presto! Now everybody has joined the man who, first, held his arm outstretched pointing his finger at the horizon. Some dithering, perhaps in doubt and hesitation, however, with their fingers poised as if they are ready to poke them somewhere. Let's stop there for a moment, retract the finger, drop the hand, and ask the basic questions: Did the oil price really increase? How did we measure the price increase? Could there be, perhaps, a fundamental error in our perception of price fluctuations?

There is a similarity to Einstein's attempt at explaining the measurement of the length of sound waves emanating from a roadside bell whilst one is listening to it from a moving train. Hence, the pertinent question is: what actually is moving, is it the price of oil or the value of the SLRupee?

It is true that the nominal price of a barrel of crude oil has, in terms of USDollars, fluctuated regularly over the past three decades. (The price of oil has always been quoted in USDollars.) Just prior to the first oil crisis of 1973, a barrel of crude oil in the spot market was at US$ 2.75. Then following the oil crisis of 1973, the price jumped to US$ 20 per barrel, which further soared in 1978 to US$ 40 a barrel. The surge in price of crude oil was attributed to the formation of the oil cartel of OPEC (Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries) in 1973.

After 1980, however, the price started to decline. The worst was in 1985, when the price of oil came down to US$ 13 per barrel. The drop in the price of crude oil in the 1980s was attributed to the entry into the market by non-OPEC members such as Norway, UK, Russia (USSR), Mexico, Indonesia, Brunei and other countries that weakened the oil cartel. Non-OPEC members were not required to abide by OPEC conditions of quotas. Then, during the 1990s the oil prices were highly volatile. At one point it dropped to as low as US$ 15 per barrel. However, for the most part, it remained at US$ 25 per barrel.

What is the cause of this volatility in the price of oil in the market? We shall discuss the factors that affected the oil price in Sri Lanka over the last one year.

There were three major factors that contributed to the increase in the price of oil in Sri Lanka, over the last one year.

  1. Depreciation of the SLRupee against the USDollar.
  2. Depreciation of the USDollar.
  3. Terrorism and Political instability in West Asia.

As the spot market price of oil is quoted in USDollars, fluctuations in the exchange rate of the SLRupee affects the price of oil. Over the past one year the SLRupee depreciated by about 10% and consequently the SLRupee price of oil increased proportionately by 10%. This means that if we were to purchase oil for Rs 10,000, one year ago, in order to purchase the same quantity of oil today, we must, assuming that other aspects of the economy remain the same, pay Rs 11,000. Hence, depreciation of the SLRupee is one contributory factor to the increase in the Rupee price of oil in Sri Lanka.

Secondly, over the last one year, the value of the USDollar has depreciated considerably. The value of the USDollar may be checked against the price of gold or against a basket of currencies including the Euro, Sterling Pound and the Japanese Yen. According to both these instruments of measure, the value of the USDollar has, over the past one year, depreciated by about 33%. For example, one year ago US$ 1 = Euro 1.2. Today, US$ 1 = Euro 0.85. In other words, a quantity of gold at US$ 100 one year ago, would cost US$ 130 today.

Then, considering the price of oil is quoted in terms of USDollars, when the US Dollar appreciates, the nominal price of oil decreases and, vice versa. (It seems that the price of oil has acquired almost a similar status as the price of gold.) It has, since the early 1980s, been incumbent on OPEC to adjust the quantity of oil supplied to the world market with the purpose of regulating the price of oil. That in turn, guarantees the purchasing power of the oil income. In other words, the oil suppliers do not wish to lose out in real income from oil due to fluctuations in the currency market for USDollars.

Thus, when the USDollar depreciates in the currency market, the nominal price of oil increases and, conversely, when the USDollar appreciates in the currency market, the nominal price of oil declines to a corresponding degree. Thus, the real value of oil is expected to remain constant.

The price of crude oil in the spot market a year ago was US$ 30. Except for a fortnight in October, the price reached the US$ 45 mark. This increase in the price of crude oil in the spot market roughly corresponds to the depreciation of the US Dollar in the currency market.

One must note too that the SLRupee has, for good or bad, been for the past several decades pegged to the USDollar. (US being a major trade partner, there were numerous benefits that Sri Lanka could reap over the years from having the SLRupee pegged to the USDollar.) Being pegged to the dollar, the rupee was allowed to fluctuate only very marginally. This is disregarding the 10% depreciation of the SLRupee over the last year. Otherwise the SLRupee has been fluctuating in tandem with that of the USDollar.

Third, over the past six weeks or so, the oil price has been affected by fears of terrorism and political instability in West Asia. Considering that the equilibrium price of oil (with reference to the specialists of the oil market) rests at about US$ 43 per barrel (in terms of current value of the USDollar), the price we have observed for the past few months has been above this only very briefly.

For about three weeks the price of oil remained over and above its equilibrium price, which was almost certainly due to the fear of terrorism and political instability in Iraq, the fear of the war spreading into Iran and the fear of terrorist attacks in Saudi Arabia and Kuwait. But these brief increases have not been as high as the oil price increase in Sri Lanka due to depreciation of the SLRupee and the USDollar. Price increase of oil due to terrorism, war and political instability in West Asia has not exceeded 15%.

Thus, we cannot blame the oil exporters solely for the oil price increase in Sri Lanka. First, the consequences of the SLRupee depreciation have to be borne by the Sri Lankans and by the Sri Lankans only. Secondly, the consequences of oil price increase in Sri Lanka due to the USDollar depreciation has to be faced by the Sri Lankans and Sri Lankans only.

This is because it is not somebody else but the Sri Lankans who pegged the SLRupee to the USDollar. Finally when it concerns oil price fluctuations, due to social and political instability in West Asia, we could blame someone else.

In this case I shall not beat about the bush but, place the entire responsibility on those who wish to point their fingers at … who knows where!


 

Beating the agricultural crisis by Mahinda Ranaweera

We are in the throes of an agricultural crisis, both in production and agricultural marketing, after 56 years of Independence.

Governments since D.S. Senanayake's time have been tinkering at the agricultural policies, and the result is that we are importing 1,50,000 tons of rice, when we have sufficient stocks of paddy in the bins of the farmers for consumption.

Whatever politicians have been talking of in the past we are essentially an agricultural country, and, therefore, it is but timely to look back and see where we have gone wrong and why this has been so.

The farsighted erudite politician he was D.S. Senanayake had a pioneering task in agriculture in that he had to concentrate in opening up the once abandoned rice-growing tank fed lands back into cultivation.

Not only this, did he do this appreciably well, but also that he reinstated a peasant Sinhala population in the northern parts of the island much to the chagrin of the then expansionist Tamil politicians. If not for this far sightedness, the ethnic problem we are facing to day would have taken a more criminal turn.

He set up the agricultural Department, the Batalegoda paddy research station and the Peradeniya experimental station. He also opened up the entire eastern province through the Multi Purpose Agricultural Diversion Scheme Gal Oya, emulating the then famous Tenessey Valley Scheme of USA.

In this sphere I was fortunate enough to be associated with this founding father as a young District Land officer in the emergency Kachcheri at Polonnaruwa shuttling between Gal Oya and the the Parakrama Samudra colonization Scheme.

As is being done today, the Marxist and Trotskyite giants then such as Dr. N.M. Perera, Phillip Gunawardene, Dr. Colvin R De Silva, his pupil Batty Weerakoon and the comrades alone with the Stalinist communist blood brother Peter Kueneman, abused and character assassinated him and finally called him "jungle John," perhaps not having the vision to foresee that this agricultural prophet, had predicted the present crisis, the so called Marxist "podians" are grappling with today.

In his less talked of erudite agricultural thesis "Agriculture and patriotism" writing in 1935, long before these chatter boxes were even born, he foresaw this impending calamity.

He was a practical agriculturist and a theoretician as well. He guided the land and agricultural policy suited to the island then, through dedicated public servants such as C.L.Wickremesinghe, the grand-father of the present Leader of the opposition - the author of the hitherto unrevised Land Development ordinance and the Land Settlement Ordinance - agriculturist W. C. Joachim and irrigationist W. Guthrie, and the land technician R.L. Brohier, doyean of surveys.

He lived and dined with Malaria sticken colonists for days end, just to make them not abandon the rough going colony settlements and return to their cosy home gardens in the up-country.

In 1936 he visioned an Agricultural credit scheme, and even spoke of debt conciliation of the farmers, Dietetics, Animal husbandry, and imbibed on the farmer the need of cooperation both for cultivation and marketing.

Mr. Dudley Senanayake went a step further in his green revolution, and thereafter, it was a dead end for agriculture in this country. Mrs. Bandaranaike, as Dr. Sarath Amunugama candidly enumerates in his latest book the 'Last Struggle' " ruined the plantation economy of this country", "as well as education, by nationalizing the plantation economy and the denominational schools."

What followed for 27 years is what we are today vis-à-vis agriculture; the eastern paradise living on the begging bowl off the Indian farmer for rice, sugar, oranges, and apples; on the Nepalese and the Australian farmer for dhal and lentils; and the American Lousiana belt for wheat; and shamelessly "' Oft on the New Zealand husbandry for babies milk. Let us not talk of Salmons and Sardines.

The malady lies in the fact that all Post independent governments jettisoned long term plans of agriculture for short term policies of vote bargaining. Diversified intensive agriculture was abandoned.

The plantation economy was eaten up. Land alienated in pocket blocks to satisfy housing, hunger, cultivation of vital crops such a sugar, ruined, consequent to governmental grabs. Lentil and peanut farming not talked of when large tracts of dry zone agricultural lands were allowed to lie fallow.

Inland Fishery cultivation which D.S. Senanayake introduced to the tanks of the N.C.P. just not furthered for fear of Buddhist sentimental reasons of the Sangha who have to be fed on fishes; but not caught to be fed on fishes. Large scale inland Tanks are being silted up due to haphazard denudation of watershed forestlands.

Stream and river reservations alienated to political henchmen and even river beds are sand dried. Village forests reserved for cattle herding felled, alienated and erased out of the final village plans. Riverbeds handed out, and road, railway reserves, tunneled in and even paddy fields mined for gems at the behest of politicians.

That Irrigation Pioneer of Sri Lanka, King Dhatusena, in the 6th Century ventured into irrigation canal development after giving up the construction of small village tanks as unecomical.

Instead of desilting large tanks and bringing another 30% of the lands now abandoned for lack of holding capacity, we are grandiloquently talking of reviving 10,000 small tanks, by lotteries to find the money for the purpose. What pompous dream schemes to further agricultural development of the country, once the granary of the east.

Of nearly a million over acres of paddy land in the country, we are today cultivating only about 500,000 acres for Maha and not even half of that for Yala due to lack of water. Nearly a hundred thousand acres are completely abandoned as being not tenable for paddy cultivation.

Even colonization schemed, 5 acre and three acre blocks are becoming uneconomical for cultivation for the small farmer, consequent to the high rise of input, soaring prices of agricultural labour and ever decreasing irrigation facilities. Furthermore, nearly million acres of colonization scheme, dry lands are barely cropped.

While we are the third highest in paddy yields, we are also the only country which has allowed such large extents of agricultural land to lie fallow. In addition to the paddy lands about another 100,000 acres of plantation land which were economically used for cultivation of tea, rubber, and cocoa are abandoned for lack of agricultural labour. While rubber production statistics reveal a deficiency, the reduction in the production of tea is not reflected conspicuously as the reduced production is covered by tea smallholdings.

Our inattention to agricultural, development of the country is oblivious from the act that five ordinances applicable in respect of land alienation in the country have not been revisioned for the last 60 years, even though land utilization has become varied for the last 40 years.

Land has become the main bait of the vote hungry politician, and hence we are wasting away the most valuable asset of the country.

It is really unfortunate that we have so far not identified the problems of irrigation we faced with. This small land area equivalent to that of Taiwan is blessed with twelve perennial rivers, majority of the waters of which flow into the sea utilized. The real problem of irrigation is careful conservation and proper utilization.

Emulating the words of King Prakramabahu, permit me to quote what D.S. said in 1936 "the lesson to be learnt is that the problem need to be tackled on a large and in a systematic manner: no mere pottering on isolated tanks here and there will suffice to give the country the water it needs for the full development of the cultivable area."

This is what he further said; of the volume of water stored in them is so small and the lose by evaporation is so great that it is no exaggeration to say that for a considerable period of the year they hardly fulfill the purpose for which they were intended.

Attempts made from time to time to fill them by Sinhalese kings failed due to lack of water after rapid denudation of forests of the catchments area and now it is worse with the white planters opening up most of the catchments area lands for commercial crops. "

That being said of small tanks, let me now turn to the other causes of the on going crisis situation. In the absence of long-term development plans piece meal directions of politician have almost crippled the utilization value of our educated agricultural personal as they are not being gainfully directed. We were the foremost in Asia in agricultural management in the fifties and sixties.

Dr. Panabokke was the one and only authority in dry farming in the fifties, long before Dr. Chiddan Singe, Professor of Agronomy of the University of Uttra Pradesh, India and the then well known authority in India. He successfully grew Dhall in Maha Iluppallama but the project vanished without ministerial support.

When I was in the Kegalla District in the late fifties, Mr. Norman Gunatillake developed potatoes in experimentation plots in Kegalle and today we are self sufficient in the crop due to Mr. Dudley Senanayake'a and Norman's efforts despite the political opposition of the potatoes cartels in Sri Lanka, including high officials of the Agriculture Department.

Both D.S. Senanayake and Dudley as Ministers of Agriculture spent regular times at the Peradeniya Research station discussing crop problems with the researchers.

They were born farmers, but to day, indifferent ministerial attitudes have hampered both research and Crop development.

Under the denominational education system a practical one-hour was a must in the class curriculum for agriculture. The necessity of an agricultural bias in the training of the young was considered as one of the important aspects of our agricultural problem in Sri Lanka by Mr. D.S. Senanayake.

Today we have over 30 doctors of agriculture hibernating in Gannoruwa, piled up with loads of paper work any thing other than agriculture, and without being effectively made use of. With every turn table of miniseries it is a new agricultural ministerial policy.

We have a rudder broken Department of Agriculture despite the fact, that since independence two Presidents and two Prime Ministers were Ministers of agriculture of the country.

The days of Home Garden Competitions, farmer popular agricultural exhibitions, Govi Raja selections, educational trips for farmers, are gone. There in nothing in the so-called model Va'ines for the farmers to be educated on except the home garden plots of the resident instructors.

Since the land commission of 1950 none of those in authority have even bothered to review the land policy for the last 54 years. Land orders laid out by C.L. Wickremesinghe are still in vogue. We have not stepped beyond the limits of peasant colonization. '

When the world over agricultural economy is based on intensive agriculture and farmer owner ship of economically viable units; the minimum being 5 hectares. We have in a very limited way gone in to inter cropping of plantation lands. By no means have we gone into diversification and intensive cultivation of paddy lands.

Mr. D.S Senanayake said in 1936 as a general principle it may be laid down that the chief problems of the cultivator is the diversification of his agriculture." We have never resorted to dry crop farming in paddy lands when there is insufficient water for paddy cultivation.

All political parties since independence have ruined our agriculture, except that of producing rice. Day by day the farmer is being pushed into being a dependent cultivator fed on subsidies and agriculture loans, while even newly independent countries such as Vietnam, and the historical farmers such as Taiwanese and the Thais are reaping millions of foreign exchange by cornering the American and Japanese markets for subsidiary agricultural products.


About me

  • My name is Phoenix Project
  • From Colombo, Western, Sri Lanka
  • This blog concerns the Sri Lankans fight against LTTE terrorism.LTTE is a ruthless terror outfit which fights for an ethnically pure, separate Tamil homeland for Tamils living in Sri Lanka since 1983. The outfit is well known for its extreme tribalism and nefarious crimes against soft targets specially the women and children. During its two and half decade long terrorist war against Sri Lankan people, LTTE has killed over 70,000 people mostly civilians in its ethnic cleansing raids, indiscriminate bomb attacks, suicide blasts, etc. LTTE is also in top of the UN's list of shame for using child soldiers in war. As a tactical measure the outfit uses only young female cadres and male child soldiers for the front lines.

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