Opinion

Destruction of priceless paddy lands

Published

2 years ago

2022/12/28

An open letter to Director General of Agrarian Services

I make reference to this subject, which is directly affecting the food security and safety, as well as the national security of our country in the future.

Rice, being our citizens’ staple food over many centuries, plays an important role in our country’s food production chain, which is totally dependent on the limited paddy lands laboriously created by our ancestors. Apart from those paddy lands built by our earlier farmers, no new land is being turned into a paddy land by anyone at present. Therefore, the paddy fields are not increasing, while the population is constantly increasing, making it essential to fully use the paddy lands currently at hand.

In such a backdrop, it is imperative to maximise the use of paddy lands for the sole purpose of producing high quality rice, and develop, cultivate and protect them for the benefit and protection of our future generations. That will also prevent looming famines or food crises in the years to come.

Amidst such circumstances, crooks all over the country target and purchase precious paddy lands as a cheap land acquisition option, and then tactfully convert such paddy lands into lands of other permanent economic crops, by landfilling and first cultivating temporary or biennial crops, such as sweet potatoes or “innala”. After a season or two, they then start cultivating permanent economic crops like cinnamon, by completely and permanently destroying paddy lands in a way that those lands can never be used for cultivating rice again. This is a hidden systematic process to destroy our paddy lands, so is rice production as a result of it. Compared to buying other lands, paddy lands are much easier and cheaper to buy; and then these crooks keep them for a few years, purposely without cultivating them, in order to get degraded fertile paddy fields from grade A and B to grade C. Then, with the support and recommendations of their political henchmen in local Agrarian Societies, they make requests for approval to the Agrarian Services Department through their local officials, to allow them to cultivate temporary crops other than rice. This is tactfully done in the pretext of making maximum use of the land, but after a season or two, they gradually start growing other cash crops such as cinnamon and coconut, changing the appearance and condition of a muddy land into a solid land, in a way it is not recognisable by anyone thereafter or cannot be turned into a paddy field again. Then, they get the assistance of local Agrarian Services Centre officials to remove the particular land from the Paddy Lands Register, maintained by the local Agrarian Services Centre. However, this can easily be detected if a deed of a land is checked carefully, as it mentions whether the land is a solid land or a muddy land.

Nowadays, in front of our residence located at Pollewwa, Batapola in the 75 C Batapola North G.N. division, one can easily find such a centuries-old, valuable paddy land being tactfully ditched and landfilled, under the pretext of growing sweet potatoes. After a season or two, this crook namely Dayananda (commonly known as Naathaya of near Pollewwa Tyre Works junction, Pollewwa, Batapola, will start permanently growing cinnamon and coconut in this land, completely changing the current face of the muddy land into a dried solid land. Thereafter, no one will be able to use this paddy land for paddy cultivation. This criminal had done the same thing before, several times, and why the authorities can’t identify his cunning tactics is very much doubtful.

Many years ago, he did the same thing to the priceless paddy field in front of the house of Katta Bandu in the same manner, first growing a cultivation of “innala”; then after one year, not only turning the entire land into a cinnamon mixed cultivation, but also a part of the main road from the Atabhagaha Junction to the Pollewwa Junction. He, then, did the same thing to the paddy field behind the Grama Niladhari office, and in front of the house of Thekola Mudalali, by filling and cultivating coconut in the side of the Karrijja Bubula Road. Due to the fight given by this Mudalali until his death, he could not completely fill the muddy land as he did earlier. Now, he has moved to a new location again after a few years of silence. It is surprising why the local Agrarian Services officials are purposely allowing these crooks not to cultivate their paddy lands by making them barren.

These lands can be given to innocent farmers who can cultivate them successfully. It is revealed that several requests made by local farmers to get these paddy lands were turned down by the officials, without any valid reason. This childless, barren family keeps another two valuable paddy lands near Ilukpollewwa (near the ex-Batapola coroner’s residence) without cultivating them for over 10 years. Several attempts were made by them to build a road in the middle of one of the two paddy fields, and to cultivate cinnamon by making a bed on the part of the paddy field. Due to the pressure from the residents near them, they had stopped working further on them. It is said that the public funds of the Ambalangoda Pradeshiya Sabha was wrongfully used for building this private road with the support of VC and a PS member of the same Pradeshiya Sabha. . It is known that the TO of the Pradeshiya Sabha had also been misled by pretending this road to be an extension to the Karijja Bubula Pradeshiya Sabha Road connected to the Pollewwa – Pathraketiya by-road. This family maintains a strong connection with the assistant commissioner of Agrarian Services, at the Galle Office, who recommends and approves any kind of request made by them, citing justifiable reasons. People used to say that even the Commissioner General cannot prevent these malpractices from taking place, until this commissioner serves in the Galle district office.

Sir, by granting permission and allowing them these paddy lands to be used for cultivation, other than paddy cultivation, will ultimately create a lack of paddy lands in the country for adequate rice production in the future. It is very pathetic that we allow this to happen in an area situated in the wet zone, where we can cultivate paddy in two seasons successfully. It is, indeed, our utmost responsibility to preserve and protect what our ancestors made possible by hard work and left us in the same manner intact for our future generations. Otherwise, they will curse on you and us, for neglecting our priorities for personal reasons and temporary gains.

Hon. Sir, it is very essential that you personally intervene, investigate and take necessary legal actions to prevent these crooks, destroying the future of our children, in disguise of cultivating other crops in paddy lands and then systematically and tactfully turning them to the lands of cash crops. Under any circumstances, please do not allow the provincial or local Agrarian Services officials to grant permission for such good-faced, but long-term harmful activities. Also look into the weak points in the law, which are often amply being misused by the crooks like”Naathaya for their ravenous for wealth and temporary success.

I kindly request you to inform all officials under your purview, not to entertain these criminal elements in their respective areas, under whatever influence made by any affluent person, due to personal connections.

I strongly believe that you will thoroughly investigate as to how this crook has been granted permission once again to completely destroy another paddy land, without looking into his previous criminal record of destroying paddy lands; and those who are allegedly involved in this crime should be dealt with in accordance with the law of the land. Please treat this as an urgent and serious matter of significance that requires your personal intervention, and thorough investigation. Just calling a report from the local officials, who are also the supporters of these scrupulous activities will do nothing, but provide further encouragement to the culprits to follow the same path again and again.

In conclusion, I do admire and appreciate your dedication and commitment in serving our life-blood like farming community by providing strong leadership and correct guidance.

Concerned resident

Batapola

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Opinion

LG polls, what a waste of money!

Published

2 days ago

2025/03/13

Sahan Weerasooriya

If the people of this country were asked whether they want elections to the local government, majority of them would say no! How many years have elapsed since the local councils became defunct? And did not the country function without these councils that were labelled as ‘white elephants’?

If the present government’s wish is to do the will of the people, they should reconsider having local government elections. This way the government will not only save a considerable amount of money on holding elections, but also save even a greater amount by not having to maintain these local councils, which have become a bane on the country’s economy.

One would hope that the country will be able to get rid of these local councils and revert back to the days of having competent Government Agents and a team of dedicated government officials been tasked with the responsibility of attending to the needs of the people in those areas.

M. Joseph A. Nihal Perera

Opinion

What not to do

Published

3 days ago

2025/03/12

Sahan Weerasooriya

Trump and Zelensky arguing in the White House

By Dr Upul Wijayawardhana

It is immaterial whether you like him or not but one thing is crystal clear; Donald Trump has shown, very clearly, who is the boss. Surely, presidents of two countries are equal; perhaps, that is the impression Volodymyr Zelensky had when he went to the White House to meet Trump but the hard reality, otherwise, would have dawned on him with his inglorious exit! True, the behaviour of President Trump and VP Vance were hardly praiseworthy but Zelensky did what exactly he should not do. Afterall, he was on a begging mission and beggars cannot be choosers! He behaved like professional beggars in Colombo who throw money back when you give a small amount!!

Despite the risk of belonging to the minority, perhaps of non-Americans, I must say that I quite like Trump and admire him as a straight-talking politician. He keeps to his words; however atrocious they sound! Unfortunately, most critics overlook the fact that what Trump is doing is exactly what he pledged during his election campaign and that the American voters elected him decisively. When he lost to Biden, all political commentators wrote him off, more so because of his refusal to admit defeat and non-condemnation of his supporters who rioted. When he announced his intention to contest, it only evoked pundits’ laughter as they concluded that the Republican Party would never nominate him. Undaunted, Trump got the party to rally round him and won a non-consecutive second term; a feat achieved only once before, by Grover Cleveland around the end of the nineteenth century. His victory, against all predictions, was more decisive as he got more collegiate votes and, even though it does not matter, won the popular vote too which he did not get when he got elected the first term. Even his bitterest critics should accept this fact.

Zelensky was elected the president of Ukraine after the elected pro-Soviet president was deposed by a ‘peoples revolution’ engineered by the EU with the support of USA. After this, the EU attempted to bring Ukraine to NATO, disregarding the Munich agreement which precipitated the Russian invasion. He should have realised that, if not for the air-defence system which Trump authorised for Ukraine during his first term, Russian invasion would have been complete. It may well be that he was not aware as when this happened Zelensky may still have been the comedian acting the part of the president! Very likely, Trump was referring to this when he accused Zelensky of being ungrateful.

Zelensky also should have remembered that he disregarded requests from Trump, after his defeat by Biden, to implicate Biden’s son in some shady deals in Ukraine and that one of the last acts of Biden was to pardon his son and grant immunity to cover the alleged period. Perhaps, actions of the European leaders who embrace him every time they see him, as a long-lost brother, and invitations to address their parliaments has induced an element of the superiority complex in Zelensky that he behaved so combative.

Trump wanted to be the mediator to stop the war and spoke to Putin first. Instead of waiting for Trump to speak to him, egged on by EU leaders Zelensky started criticising Trump for not involving him in the talks. His remark “He should be on our side” demonstrated clearly that Zelensky had not understood the role of a mediator. His lack of political experience was the major reason for the fiasco in the White House and the subsequent actions of Trump clearly showed Zelensky where he stands! PM Starmer and President Macron seem to have given some sensible advice and he seems to be eating humble pie. In the process Trump has ensured that the European nations pay for their defence than piggy-backing on the US, which I am sure would please the American voter. By the way, though Macron talks big about defence France spends less than 2% of GDP. Trump seems vindicated. Of course, Trump could be blamed for being undiplomatic but he can afford to be as he has the upper hand!

Ranil on Al Jazeera

Zelensky has shown what not to do: instead of being diplomatic being aggressive when you need favours! Meanwhile, Ranil has shown what not to do when it comes to TV interviews. God only knows who advised him, and why, for him to go ‘Head to Head’ with Mehdi Hasan on Al-Jazeera. Perhaps, he wanted to broadcast to the world that he was the saviour of Sri Lanka! The experienced politician he is, one would have expected Ranil to realise that he would be questioned about his role in making Sri Lanka bankrupt as well, in addition to raising other issues.

The interview itself was far from head to head; more likely heads to head! It turned out to be an inquisition by Tiger supporters and the only person who spoke sense being Niraj Deva, who demonstrated his maturity by being involved in British and EU politics. The worst was the compere who seems keen to listen his own voice, reminding me of a Sinhala interviewer on a YouTube channel whose interviews I have stopped watching!

Ranil claims, after the interview was broadcast, that it had been heavily edited reduced from a two-hour recording. Surely, despite whatever reason he agreed to, he should have laid ground rules. He could have insisted on unedited broadcast or his approval before broadcast, if it was edited. It was very naïve of Ranil to have walked in to a trap for no gain. Though his performance was not as bad as widely reported, he should have been more composed at the beginning as he turned out to be later. Overall, he gave another opportunity for the Tiger rump and its supporters to bash Sri Lanka, unfortunately.

Medhi Hasan should watch some of David Frost interviews, especially the one with Richard Nixon, and learn how to elicit crucial information in a gentle exploratory manner than shouting with repeated interruptions. He does not seem to think it is necessary to give time for the interviewee to respond to his questions. I will never watch Al-Jazeera’s “Head to Head” again!

Ranil’s best was his parting shot; when asked by Hasan whether he would contest the next presidential election, he said “No, I will retire and watch Al-Jazeera and hope to see you better mannered”!

Opinion

Ajahn Brahm to visit SL in May 2025

Published

4 days ago

2025/03/11

Sahan Weerasooriya

The Ajahn Brahm Society of Sri Lanka (ABSSL) is pleased to announce that Ajahn Brahm will be visiting Sri Lanka for a short stay in May this year. Many, both Buddhists and non-Buddhists, know him and have listened to his addresses made on earlier visits, including his 2023 public talk at the BMICH, which was attended by over 4,000 people.

Ajahn Brahmavamso, popularly known as Ajahn Brahm, is the Head Abbot of Bodhinyana Monastery in Serpentine, Perth. He was a pupil of the famous Thai forest monk Ajahn Chah, considered the best Theravada meditation teacher in the last century. By his own choice, Ajahn Brahmavamso shortened his name and was extra pleased that the initials represent the major religions of the world. He is renowned world-wide as an outstanding meditation bhikkhu, teacher and instructor, guiding thousands of practitioners.

As in previous visits, Ajahn Brahm’s schedule will be packed with addresses, meetings with senior professionals, business leaders, and researchers. This year, a special session has been included for teenagers and young adults.

The agenda planned for him includes:

Public address at the BMICH to all irrespective of religion and age; then to a younger audience.

· Exclusive Leadership Forum for senior professionals and business leaders.

· Forum with academics engaged in research at the Centre for Meditation Research, University of Colombo.

· A week-long meditation retreat for the Ven Sangha and experienced lay meditators.

Public Addresses

The public addresses will be on Sunday, May 18, 2025, from 7:00 am to 11:00 am, at the BMICH Main Hall and Sirimavo Halls; Ajahn Brahm moving from one hall to another so the entire audience sees him. Each hall will be well equipped with audio and video presentation. The first address: The Art of Meaningful Living, is designed for all, age notwithstanding, offering wisdom and practical insights for a fulfilling life. The second: Coping with Life Transitions and Emotional Challenges, is a special session tailored for teens and young adults, addressing key challenges faced by them in today’s fast-paced, competitive world. Both talks will be in English, with concise translation to Sinhala by Ven Damita Thera.

Exclusive Forums

On Saturday, May 17, 2025, two exclusive forums will be held at the BMICH Committee Room, Jasmine Hall. The first such session will be with eighty invited Sri Lankan academics and scientists engaged in research on meditation at the Centre for Meditation Research of the University of Colombo. This will be followed in the evening by an interactive session for a hundred invited senior professionals and business leaders, featuring a talk on leadership followed by a Q&A session.

Meditation Retreat

The most significant item on Ajahn Brahm’s programme will be a week-long meditation retreat at the Barberyn Waves Ayurveda Resort in Weligama. Focus is intended to be on the fifty members of the Ven Sangha. A limited number of experienced lay meditators will also have the opportunity to participate.

Participation & Registration

Those interested in attending the public talks at the BMICH are kindly advised to register at to secure free passes. For further information, please contact the Ajahn Brahm Society of Sri Lanka at .