Our people who take pride in the fact that they have a long history of great achievements in agriculture, architecture and literature, and “Sinhala Vedakama”, and even surgery, Buddhist lifestyle and subdued desires, could perhaps be easily duped by appealing to their inner consciousness of past glory. If you tell them this is how your ancestors fed, not only the people of Sri Lanka, but the entire East, and recommend ancient agricultural methods, they will believe you with an accompanying sense of pride. Same could be said of ancient medicine, home remedies, food habits and ancient industry. It is true that the ancient people had their science and their life was based on that knowledge, but some of it has been proved to be wrong while some has stood the test of time. It is the duty of the intelligent people to choose the grain from the chaff, and guide the ordinary people in choosing what is good for them. This has happened throughout history and societies have developed to the extent that they were successful in that endeavour.

Recently, in Sri Lanka, there had been instances of the wrong choice being made at heavy cost. Treatment of Covid with indigenous decoctions is a case in point. How much this cost the people in terms of money, time and inconvenience has not been calculated, but must be fairly substantial. The fact that there is no antiviral drug similar to antibiotics effective against the Covid-19 virus is well known to the eminent medical men and women of Sri Lanka. And these men and women know that immunity cannot be boosted by outside agents, but if the immunity is lowered due to a disease or a deficiency, it could be restored by treating the disease or correcting the deficiency. Yet charlatans were able to make millions selling their immune boosting decoctions. And there are medical men and women who recommend traditional remedies, which are supposed to have immune boosting properties. These remedies may have some benefits, like for example any warm drink when one has a cold, but not immune boosting ability. Could Sri Lanka effectively implement preventive methods like wearing of masks, social distancing, hand hygiene and lockdowns, when people are allowed to be misled by wrong information about the nature of this particular viral infection. People who have taken these decoctions for instance, may think it is not necessary to follow these health guidelines and protective measures.

Then there has been misinformation about the nature of the Kidney Disease that affects the Rajarata farmers. This wrong information has enabled unscrupulous politicians and some opportunist agriculturists, and even medical men, to prevail upon the government that Kidney Disease and also other non-communicable diseases are caused by aggro-chemicals. If there are scientists among these people, they are duty bound to examine the available evidence. They are under oath to practice evidence based medicine and science. The fact that KDu does not commonly affect people who drink tank or reservoir water, the fact that it mainly affects people who drink deep well water, and the fact that there is no agrochemical residue in well water, have been well established by good scientific research. Further there are no excessive amounts of these chemicals in the food these KDu patients eat. These facts prove beyond any doubt that this disease is not caused by agrochemicals. Yet these worthies support to the hilt the decision taken by the government to stop the import of inorganic fertilizer.

Use of organic fertilizer could cause a lowering of harvests which would make grain imports necessary, which in turn would have a negative impact on the economy. The practical problems of producing, storing and distribution of organic fertilizer and traditional pesticides are well known. Already there is malnutrition to a certain degree and some poor people may not be getting three square meals a day. A fall in the rice production would worsen this situation. Moreover, it has not been done successfully anywhere in the world. Yet these people encourage the government to venture into this disastrous journey, which could bring about the ruination of this government.

These non-scientists have called the chemical fertilizers “wasa visa”. The insecticides and pesticides may be called that if the harmful ones are being used or used in excess of the required amounts. But chemicals that supply the plant requirements of nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, etc., are not poisonous, unless used injudiciously. The term “wasa visa” has now developed into a political slogan, and some people may have attracted a lot of votes in the last parliamentary elections by shouting out this slogan. These people are advising the government on the agricultural policies, and the top scientists on the subject are sidelined and slandered as beneficiaries of inorganic fertilizer companies. This is the unkindest cut.

What benefits could the government get out of being unscientific at this juncture is difficult to fathom. If the banning of fertilizer imports is going to save foreign exchange the loss in terms of low harvest, rice imports, possible collapse of the tea industry, and compensation to farmers could be much more. There is no scientific evidence that there would be health benefits due to the ban on the “wasa visa”. The excessive use of pesticide is a different kettle of fish that needs to be addressed separately. If the government is doing this to get political mileage or fulfill an election promise, it is again unscientific, and would amount to committing harakiri. Instead what the government should be doing is to listen to the top scientists in these fields, forgetting their political affiliations, and with their help develop a policy on the correct use of inorganic fertilizer, organic fertilizer, pesticides and other best practices.

If instead the government listens to non-scientists and hangers-on, it would be committing suicide. Then all the national minded people who love this country and who voted this government into power would be left high and dry.

N. A. de S. AMARATUNGA