Features
Hope for future; Heads need be cautious
Beware the bullet
Open letters have been penned and seen in the public sphere as how things should be done. Personally, Cass believes no pontificating nor even advice is needed. President Anura Kumara Dissanayake and his advisors, and Dr Harini Amarasuriya know what they have to do, how best to do these, and they will deliver, for the greater benefit of the country and its people. Already things are greatly improved like food items getting cheaper.
Cass always wondered why eggs and onions were imported from India, Bangladesh and Pakistan when we can produce our own, and if there occurred a shortfall, we just had to tide over that hiccup and use less or no eggs and onion. Then she was told of the import mafias – unscrupulous persons making personal profits at the expense of the country and us The People. The authorities, under the new dispensation which is honest and wise and true to the country will stop import of inessentials. That will give a boost to local producers. So, enjoy it!!
One matter Cass wanted to write an open letter to the two Heads was to please be careful; employ high security; cut down on moving around freely. They have to be very cautious. The entire country’s future now depends on these two: the Prez and PM. This is no exaggeration. Murderers, willing now to kill for perhaps a mere Rs 2,000, float around looking for their kind of work. Someone corrected Cass when she said this. Stupid, a murderer can be hired for a shot of arrack, so low is the morale of some and so rampant are sharpshooters ready to be hired.
The two Big Ones must constantly keep in mind that there are politicians in kapati suits who do not have an ounce, nay, an atom of conscience. The hunger for power, envy, need to avenge being defeated are so great that for the sake of just himself, he will order the murder of someone, even though it will shatter the entire country and send it plunging down a gorge worse than the bankruptcy they caused. Also, a strong motive pushes them forward to order a killing – their being open to exposure now that previous crimes are to be re-investigated, and more closely.
Remember Lasantha W was brutally, horrendously murdered just because he was writing about an act of suspected corruption. Even more tragic was the torture and murder of ruggerite Wassim Thajudeen since he cocked a snook at powerful sons and was, it is said, due to a dispute about a sports team. Those who were suspected of commissioning the murders and the murderers themselves are still free and around. Nothing was proven in these cases so what Cass says here is almost hearsay, but fingers pointed then and still do so. Murder simply cannot be overlooked.
Advice given by elders when we complained of a theft of something of ours was: Why do you accommodate temptation? Why are you not careful about your possessions? Do not keep them lying around, inviting theft. Now that Cass is the older person and allowed to advise: please, increase the security around our Head of State and Head of Government. It was wonderful seeing the President Elect let himself out of his car and walk unescorted by security personnel to take his oaths as Head of State. He needs to change his stance; and Harini as well. They need very secure, foolproof protection. They must also cut out walk-abouts.
Work ethic
Iridescent, luminous is the message conveyed by the true story of the son who reported for work in the skies while his father was taking oaths as the Prez of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka. His reply to his peers who asked him why he was not among the VVIPs at this momentous event is said to have been: “I let my father do his job and I like to do my job.”
That ethos was much with us older persons when we were in careers: hardly took leave, especially medical staff and teachers, (not government teachers who were often non-caring of kids in their charge); we worked a full day. Cass remembers going to her place of work the day after her husband was cremated. Shocked looks. You could have taken a week off. But why? I did all I had to do and now I am ready to carry on my job. She remembers as the Education Officer in a professional association finding students taking very long over an assignment they had to submit before final results. Why have you taken so long to complete the research and submit your paper? My father died? When? A year ago. So, you are in deep mourning all this time, unable to do what you have to do! That is the general trend in this lotus eating country of ours.
Back to work
This malaise has ceased. Goodness gracious! A woman reports that she visited the income tax office in the past week. A department which had earned the wrath of the public for sending them from pillar to post. But to her utter surprise and delight her work was attended to, pronto, and she was treated politely.
Cass had a report to get about a piece of land. Her agent went a number of times to two offices concerned and spent many hours, but the document was not signed. The person authorised to sign the document had gone to political meetings, he said. The agent told her the officer expected jarava – oiling palms. Post September 23, Cass told her agent that now he would get the completed document handed over to him the moment he went in!
Demise of the vehicle parades
A vendor on Thurstan Road opposite Royal and Thurstan Colleges told a friend that normally a large number of armed forces’ vehicles driven by uniformed personnel would stop in front of where he was to drop boys studying at Royal. But no longer since September 23!
Monday late news reported that 107 vehicles, all luxury, were allocated to Presidential advisors, secretaries et al by ex Prez Ranil W. So very many advisors when he was a man who decided matters often on his own? What did Rosy Senanayake advise him on, pray? Sartorial elegance? This is just one institution and the cost borne by us, citizens, in maintaining them a favoured bod could cruise all over in a public paid for vehicle? Deeply shocking!
Dr Harini Amerasuriya’s views
Cass listened to an interview conducted before the presidential elections by Kishani Alanki of Conversations with Dr Harini Amarasuriya where she was asked what she stood for if the NPP won the presidency. Cass’ heart got lighter, hopes kept rising and pride was born within as Dr H A outlined strategies she would promote. She first made clear the ideology of the NPP and its inception – the National People’s Power or Jathika Jana Balawegaya, established in 2019, is a socialist political alliance led by the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna, consisting of 21 political parties.
Dr H A’s main areas of interest are education, women’s and children’s concerns and of course bringing equality among all in the island, particularly concentrating on erasing the divide between the haves and the marginalized. She was questioned about the low representation of women in Parliament and how she fared, with the majority of her co-MPs being male. She smiled broadly! She said she fared well but there were instances when behaviour toward other women MPs was below par (Cass’ words).
Encouraging it was to hear that in her interaction with women in various spheres of employment and economic status, she found so many willing to give of their ability to improve the condition of the people of the land. Yes, Cass agrees wholesale with the move: give a woman a job and she will do it well, with full commitment and effort. Corruption and its temptation are so much less in women, Cass boldly affirms.
So, unlike on previous Fridays, with Cass’ dismal mood infusing her Cry with acid and suppressed frustration, she now looks to the future with hope and enthusiasm.