Features

Maha ovita (My Grandfather’s Vegetable Plot )

Published

4 years ago

2022/09/16

Thilina Walpola

A SHORT STORY

By Dr. Siri Galhenage

As I stood at the edge of a strip of mangroves that separated the dry land [goda] from the wet [mada], the vast expanse of the paddy field rolled out in front of me. The embankment of the Boralu Wewa, the lake that fed the crops of many generations of my ancestors, could be seen in the horizon. The paddy, except for a nearby abandoned patch, was pregnant with grain ready for harvest. A cool breeze swept across the field, making a golden ripple, bringing some relief from the oppressive humidity. Few women chuckled as they bathed in a nearby well hedged by bamboo trees. One of them washed her clothes by striking them on a rock face, sending an echo across the field. Two kids ran along a niyara in an abortive attempt at getting their kite airborne.

Behind me was a neglected plot of land, nearly an acre in extent, which stretched between the mangrove and the gravel path. The path snaked through the village towards the ancient Buddhist temple of Royal patronage. The dagoba and the bell tower of the temple loomed over a growth of coconut palms that surrounded the sacred site like a group of devotees. I remember, my father saying, that the legendary poet of the ‘Colombo era’, who wrote ‘To an Unborn Child’, once lived somewhere beyond the temple.

The neglected plot of land was the vegetable patch of my grandfather. We used to call it the Maha Owita. No vegetables have been grown here for several years. A few feral vines of pumpkin had braved the invasion of an army of weeds. A horde of mimosa amongst them, with their flowery helmets, spread across the field like an occupying force. Their thorny weaponry was hostile towards me, oblivious of my inheritance to the property. A dilapidated mud-brick hut stood at the centre of the Owita. In it a few broken pots, strewn around an abandoned wood fire, appeared like museum artefacts. In a shallow well beside the hut, tadpoles swam vigorously in the murky water lashing their tails. A young frog, after a brief exploration of the land, leapt back into the water in glee. A lone egret dipped its beak into the water in search of its morning meal.

Temple bells chimed. The tapping of the drums and the initial testing of the flute heralded a procession of monks preparing to attend an almsgiving. Measured movement of yellow robes could be seen through the coconut palms.

My brother was awaiting the arrival of Abaran Appu. No relative of ours, we called him Abaran Aiya as a gesture of respect and endearment; aiya in Sinhala meaning elder brother. An elderly figure appeared at the kadulla, a ramshackle gate with wooden poles, an entry point to the Owita from the gravel path. He wore a new sarong, with a tartan design, tied to his waist with a silver chain. His arms were strong despite his advanced age. His deeply pigmented body carried a profuse growth of grey hair, mainly over his chest, barely covered with a white vest, and a towel thrown over his right shoulder. He cautiously climbed over the kadulla, with some assistance from my brother.

As I approached Abaran Aiya, he greeted me with a broad smile. As a respectful gesture he removed the towel from his shoulder while tilting his body slightly to the right. I reciprocated with a verbal greeting of ayubowan, holding both his hands with mine, and with a feeling of gratitude and warmth. An archetypal ‘wise old man’, he certainly was – a figure, symbolic of my past.

“Your brother sent word that you have arrived, and would like to visit the Owita. I know that you come home from time to time, but I never get a chance to meet you. I last saw you at your mother’s funeral, but you were too busy. Your brother, of course, I meet often at the village temple.”

“I am too old now – almost ninety.” Abaran Aiya looked much younger than his years. Then he went on to talk about hi various ailments, which I thought were age-related. I lent a sympathetic ear. “There must be a lot of new medicines for these sicknesses in those countries,” he said. I nodded. “You must come back to your own country. We could do with more doctors.”

After a pause Abaran Aiya started chatting again. Looking around the Owita, he said, “It breaks my heart to see this place neglected. Until a few years ago, I grew vegetables in this patch. It is too hard for me now. My sons are not interested in working in the field; they don’t like getting their hands dirty; they prefer to do an office job in the city. Until recently, I managed to get Sugathan, my brother-in-law to do the paddy field; he too is getting old. And you can’t find reliable people these days.” My brother nodded in approval.

Abaran Aiya continued. “I am worried that squatters may occupy this place, and you will have a hard time evicting them; there is hardly any vacant land left around here”.

My brother joined in the conversation at this stage.”Yes, you can’t find good vacant land around here now; one pays an exorbitant amount for a perch, especially after the University was built; it is round the corner from here. Look at the number of new houses that has come up in the neighbourhood. It used to be bushland; all those beautiful trees around here are gone.”

There was a brief pause in our conversation as the procession of monks passed by gracefully along the gravel path. Abaran Aiya whispered in my brother’s ear that the monks were attending a customary almsgiving for a village elder who passed away three months ago. They both knew who he was. I felt like an alien.

Abaran Aiya had grown vegetables in this owita for nearly four decades, leasing the property from my family for a meagre fee. He sold his produce at the village fair held on Sundays. I remember, when my parents were alive, he brought in a sackful of vegetables, from time to time, as a gesture of goodwill. It often contained okra, snake beans, aubergines, bitter gourd, snake gourd, pumpkins and a variety of yams, which my mother received with delight. She shared the produce with friends and family.

My family had owned this land since the mid-nineteenth century. Being the elder sibling, my brother had been delegated the task of looking after family property and documents since the death of my parents.

Over many generations my people have toiled this land to sustain themselves. Since the death of my grandfather in1926, the Maha Owita was neglected for several years, before Abaran Aiya, the son of one of his loyal assistants was allowed to cultivate this land by my father.

My grandparents died long before my parents married. But over the years, I have developed a mental image of their persona through bits of information picked up from family elders and have put them together as a jigsaw. The most reliable informant would have been my father, but he passed away before I developed a keen interest in my ancestors. Since I emigrated in 1972 my interest in my progenitors grew.

When I left my motherland, I took this landscape with me. The village occupied my mental domain and my ancestors continued to dwell in it. I watched them plough this field, sow seeds, harvest their paddy, grow vegetables in the Owita. I listened to their folk songs. I followed them to the village temple, saw them offer ‘new rice’ [aluth bath] to the monks, and listened to the sermons by the head monk. I joined them during their festivities, and shared their hardship and their grief, and admired their resilience in overcoming them. They gave me strength and solace during difficult times.

I imagined sitting on the niyara [embankment] watching my grandfather toil in the field from dawn to dusk, his feet immersed in mud. Wearing a loin cloth [amude], his youthful body covered in sweat, glistened in the midday sun. Washing his hands and feet at the shallow well in the Owita, he would find shelter in the nearby hut at noon, awaiting his youthful wife [my grandmother] who brought him his ambula [lunch]. He watched with affection, the vibrant young woman, dressed in cloth and jacket [redda hette], hurry across the paddy field carrying the basket of food. They sat down to share a meal of rice and vegetables, chatting to each other about the weather, family matters and the happenings in the village.

On this day in the month of Vesak in 1896 she had a twinkle in her eye. She whispered in his ear that she was pregnant. They wished for a son as their first child and were full of innocent dreams. “I don’t want him to toil all day in the mud as I do”, said my grandfather. “I prefer him to have an education in English and work for the sudda [white man] in Colombo. Their first child – my father – did live up to their expectations. I remember my father wearing a white suit with tie and waistcoat going to work in the hot and humid capital city!

My ‘dreaming’ was interrupted by my brother. “There is no point in hanging on to this property; let’s sell it”, he said. I could read a sense of sadness in Abaran Aiya’s face, beneath his nod of approval. My brother and I had joint inheritance to the Maha Owita. I once entertained the thought of returning home in my retirement, of building a small house on my section of the property, growing vegetables, and leading a quiet life! My brother was always sceptical about it. “This is no longer the village it was”, he said, with a sense of nostalgia. “We hardly know the people who live around here. I hear, some youngsters occupy the hut at night”. And, Abaran Aiya joined in: “even some of the so-called educated people dump their rubbish here”. Pointing to the rubbish heap at the edge of the Owita, he added, “this place has now become a breeding ground for mosquitoes; they don’t seem to listen to an old man like me”.

“As I have discussed with you”, said my brother, “there is an interested party prepared to buy the land, and he is willing to offer a good price. I hear he is looking for a block of land to build a hostel for University students. This is an ideal site for accommodation for students of the newly built University, a walking distance away from here”.

“A hostel for students? Not a bad idea”, I thought. Once again, my imagination ran riot. Many young men and women would arrive here, their bags packed with hope for their future, as I did when I arrived in Peradeniya many decades ago. Seeds of knowledge will be sown on this fertile land. Creative thought, literary analysis, political debate and psychological insights will sprout. Time will be spent on reflection; there will be deadlines for assignments. Exams…bloody exams! Success and failure; joy and despair; frustration; rebellion; alcohol binges on weekends and love and betrayal! Most would harvest the life skills and knowledge, and would carry them into their future. A few, sadly, may wither away like a failed crop.

After a lengthy conversation, my brother and I helped Abaran Aiya to cross the kadulla, perhaps for the last time. We watched him stagger along the gravel path carrying a sackful of our heritage with him, which, he will, sadly, take to his grave.

The procession of monks seems to have reached its destination; the sound of drums was heard no more. The monks will continue to traverse this path, and one day, in the near future, will reach the home of Abaran Aiya, who would have been fit for the throne, washed of his mud.

[sirigalhenage@gmail.com]

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Features

‘The devil is in the details’ in West Asian peace

Published

5 hours ago

2026/06/18

Sahan Weerasooriya

President Donald Trump at the current G7 summit in France. Evelyn Hockstein/Getty Image

It is obviously too early for an outpouring of joy over the seeming cessation of hostilities between the main antagonists in West Asia. While the prospect of there being a measure of calm in the region is being welcomed by considerable sections of the international community, what is ‘on the table’ currently is only a Memorandum of Understanding between the US and Iran to give peace a chance. The hard part in the peace effort remains to be achieved.

In the Middle East of today we have one of the most complex conflicts to break out in modern international politics and the observer would be naive in the extreme to expect a facile and early closure to the tangle. Yet, for the sake of the world’s publics who have been hurting badly in the prolonged hostilities one could only hope that the US-Iran MoU that is expected to be signed by the sides on Friday would lead eventually to a substantive peace. The world’s thanks are due to Pakistan in this connection for its sustained support in the peace drive.

While the sides have agreed to a ceasing of hostilities in the most general terms and have reached accord on the facilitation of uninterrupted oil and gas supplies to the rest of the world, for instance, the ‘devil will prove to be in the details’ in an envisaged comprehensive peace settlement. It is these details that would make or break peace if the negotiations go on in earnest.

Nevertheless, the details would need to be worked out consensually in a spirit of compromise with an eye to the greater good of the world community. Realpolitik or a narrow focus on solely the national interest among the protagonists, for example, would need to give way to a measure of humanity that would encompass within it a consideration of the overall well being of the world. In other words, it is statesmanship that would crucially matter.

The next few weeks would establish whether humanists are ‘asking for far too much’ when they broach the questions at issue in these terms. Yet it is essentially self interest and national security considerations of the first importance that drove the conflict from even prior to February this year and these questions would need to be taken up and resolved to the satisfaction of the US and Iran in the main if some headway is to be made towards a durable settlement.

The nuclear issue would prove to be the proverbial Gordian Knot. From a realistic viewpoint, Iran could not be expected to be without a potential nuclear deterrent in the face of perceived nuclear threats emanating for it from the West and Israel. In the short term, Iran would need to possess this deterrent to a measure, within a mutually agreed international legal framework maybe, until wide agreement is reached on the nuclear tangle. Specifically, Iran’s immediate threat perceptions with regard to her nuclear-powered rivals would need to be defused during initial negotiations.

Ideally it is a world free of nuclear weapons that must be aimed at but since this goal cannot be achieved in the near or medium terms, unfolding negotiations would need to ensure Iran’s absolute security in a world of powers that continue to swear by the nuclear deterrent, if it is to give up the suspected latter capability.

However, it is to the degree to which the present nuclear powers divest themselves of this capability that Iran could be put at ease on this score. Accordingly, it is nothing short of a complete elimination of nuclear weapons from the world that could dissuade keenly security conscious states from developing nuclear weapons of their own with a mass destruction capability.

This is the number one dilemma the international community needs to grapple with going forward and it is to the extent to which it resolves it that a nuclear weapons free world could be envisaged. No doubt, an uphill challenge.

Compelling Israel to support the present negotiatory process constitutes another grueling challenge for the US. Currently the Iranian position essentially is that a Middle East peace is inseparable from a normalization of the security situation in Lebanon. That is, the present Israeli attacks on the Hezbollah presence in Lebanon must cease if a comprehensive peace is to be realized in West Asia.

However, Israel is showing no signs of drawing back from its attacks on Hezbollah strongholds in Lebanon since the security of the Israeli state is being seen as threatened by the militant group. Co-opting Israel into the negotiatory effort therefore would turn out to be a matter of paramount concern for the US.

Moreover, elements in the rightist administration in Israel are seeing the current peace efforts as a ‘sell out’ to the enemies of Israel. They would have none of it. It is left to be seen how the US would be managing these virtual storm centres in the diplomatic process that could very well bring down the overall purported peace drive.

A recent pronouncement by US Vice President J.D. Vance points to yet another problem area in the US’ current peace overtures. He said that, ‘Regional peace and stability includes stopping the funding of terrorist organizations.’ He was obviously referring to the support extended by Iran to Hezbollah when he mentioned ‘terrorist organizations’ but he has given fresh life to the age-old conundrum of ‘Who is a terrorist?’ by these words.

To the Netanyahu government the Hezbollah and other militant organizations fighting Israel are ‘terrorists’ but from the viewpoint of the Iranian regime they are ‘freedom fighters’. This seemingly insurmountable definitional issue would not only stubbornly bedevil the peace effort but could even figure in bringing about its collapse, unless judiciously handled.

Thus, it’s the thorny details that need to be watched to keep the West Asian peace process afloat, once it gets going in earnest. There is no doubt that US President Trump would be receiving a considerable amount of support from the G7 in this historic peace undertaking and his personal appeals to the grouping currently meeting in France for continuous support are likely to elicit a positive response from it.

Likewise, Trump would need to appeal to also the BRICS countries if almost total global support is to be garnered for the peace drive in West Asia. BRICS’ solidarity with the US and the West is likely to carry considerable weight with Iran and other Eastern actors who are key to a sustained peace drive in the Middle East.

Features

Sri Lanka’s elephant paradox: Govt. counts tourism dollars while playing a dangerous numbers game: Expert

Published

5 hours ago

2026/06/18

Sahan Weerasooriya

At a time when Sri Lanka is enjoying a resurgence in wildlife tourism, with elephants remaining the undisputed stars of the country’s national parks and one of its most marketable natural assets, elephant conservationist Supun Lahiru Prakash has sounded a stark warning: the nation is in danger of losing the very species that helps attract millions of tourism dollars while sustaining some of the island’s most important ecosystems.

Supun says repeated claims by authorities that Sri Lanka’s elephant population is increasing, despite the absence of a final survey report and amid continuing elephant deaths, risk creating a misleading narrative that could undermine conservation efforts and encourage retaliation against elephants.

According to Supun, the issue is not merely about numbers. It is about political priorities, scientific credibility and the future of one of Sri Lanka’s most iconic species.

“Repeatedly claiming that the elephant population is increasing appears to be an attempt to hide the Government’s inability to manage the rising annual elephant death rate and the complications of human-elephant conflict,” Supun said.

For decades, the Sri Lankan elephant has been a symbol of the country’s rich natural heritage. It is the centrepiece of wildlife tourism, drawing visitors from across the globe to national parks such as Yala, Udawalawe, Minneriya, Kaudulla and Wilpattu. International wildlife documentaries, tourism campaigns and social media promotions frequently place elephants at the heart of Sri Lanka’s nature tourism brand.

Yet, according to Supun, the country’s conservation policies do not reflect the value of the species.

“On one hand, the Government is enjoying increasing tourism revenue, and elephants remain one of Sri Lanka’s most important wildlife attractions. On the other hand, narratives are being promoted that could encourage retaliation against the very species that contributes significantly to the country’s tourism industry,” Supun said.

According to the First Countrywide National Survey of Elephants conducted in 2011, Sri Lanka had 5,879 elephants. However, official statistics show that 4,167 elephants died between 2012 and 2024.

Supun stressed that these figures represent only the deaths officially recorded by the Department of Wildlife Conservation.

“In a context where more than 70 percent of the country’s elephant population reported in 2011 has died within 13 years, it is difficult to accept claims that the population has increased,” Supun said.

The conservationist pointed out that elephants have the longest gestation period among land mammals and that scientific studies have reported increasing interbirth intervals among female elephants together with high calf mortality.

“When such biological realities are taken into consideration, claims of a dramatic increase in elephant numbers become difficult to understand,” Supun said.

Supun believes that repeated references to increasing elephant populations risk fuelling public hostility towards elephants, particularly among farming communities already affected by crop raids and property damage.

“Such claims can create the impression that elephant populations are exploding and thereby promote retaliation against elephants as well,” Supun said.

According to Supun, Sri Lanka’s elephant crisis cannot be understood solely through population estimates. The real issue lies in the country’s failure to address human-elephant conflict through long-term, science-based solutions.

Sri Lanka continues to record among the highest levels of human-elephant conflict in the world. Every year, hundreds of elephants and dozens of people lose their lives as competition for land and resources intensifies.

Despite the scale of the crisis, Supun says authorities continue to rely on strategies that have repeatedly failed.

Lahiru Prakash

These include driving elephants into protected areas, strengthening electric fences to confine them there and allocating additional manpower to maintain fencing systems.

Supun was also critical of several proposals that emerged from district-level discussions on conflict mitigation, including the sowing of paddy and corn using Air Force drones and the planting of fruit orchards within protected areas.

“Such proposals fail to address the real ecological and social dimensions of the conflict,” Supun said.

While welcoming reports that the Government intends appointing a national-level mechanism to tackle human-elephant conflict, Supun said the challenge required intervention at the highest level of government.

“Given the gravity, complexity and geographical spread of human-elephant conflict, appointing any committee other than a Presidential Task Force is not useful,” Supun said.

He argued that a Presidential Task Force chaired by either the President or the Secretary to the President would be better positioned to overcome the bureaucratic delays and institutional fragmentation that have hindered previous efforts.

Supun also stressed the urgent need to restore and protect elephant corridors and home ranges that allow elephants to move safely across landscapes.

He cited the Koholankala elephant corridor in Hambantota as one example where removing obstacles could help reduce conflict while improving habitat connectivity.

At the same time, Supun questioned policies that permit the allocation of forest lands in areas identified by environmental assessments as crucial elephant ranges and movement corridors.

“The opening of elephant corridors and the protection of elephant home ranges must be carried out scientifically and consistently if they are to succeed,” Supun said.

Beyond tourism, Supun emphasised the ecological importance of elephants.

“Elephants are ecosystem engineers. Through their feeding habits and movements, they help maintain habitats that support numerous other species. In many ways, they create safer and healthier environments for wildlife,” Supun said.

According to Supun, protecting elephants means protecting entire ecosystems and the biodiversity upon which Sri Lanka’s wildlife tourism industry depends.

“By protecting elephants, we are also protecting the biodiversity that makes Sri Lanka one of the world’s premier wildlife tourism destinations,” Supun said.

As Sri Lanka seeks to expand tourism earnings and strengthen its reputation as a wildlife destination, Supun believes the country faces a defining choice: continue with policies that have failed to stem elephant deaths and human-elephant conflict, or embrace a science-based conservation strategy that safeguards both people and wildlife.

Without a fundamental shift in policy and political will, Supun warned, Sri Lanka risks losing not only one of its most iconic species but also the ecological and economic benefits that elephants continue to provide.

“The suffering of both farmers and elephants will only intensify unless meaningful action replaces rhetoric,” Supun said.

By Ifham Nizam

Features

Top Model of the World 2026

Published

5 hours ago

2026/06/18

Sahan Weerasooriya

Back-to-back victory for Colombia

Katherine Castaño of Colombia claimed the Top Model of the World 2026 crown, securing a historic back-to-back victory for her country. Angelica Sanchez of Puerto Rico was named first runner-up, and Eunice Deza of the Philippines finished as second runner-up.

Katherine was crowned by outgoing titleholder Natalia Garizabal Vera of Colombia.

Several special category awards, and subsidiary titles, were also presented during the Top Model of the World 2026 pageant.

These awards recognised excellence in modelling, peer support, and regional representation.

Primary Subsidiary Titles

Sri Lanka’s Netalie Withanage: Top 16 at
the grand finale

Miss Globe 2026: Valentina Tabares (Ecuador) — Awarded to the contestant who perfectly balances fashion modelling with traditional beauty queen qualities.

Queen of Europe 2026: Mia Danielle Williams (United Kingdom) — Given to the highest-ranking candidate from a European nation.

Special Awards Recognition

Audience Iconic Award: Charly (Dominican Republic) — Won via the official public online vote, granting her a fast-track direct entry into the Top 6.

Exotic Model of the World: Angel Emeka (Nigeria) — Awarded for exceptional editorial presence and strong runway performance.

Best Body Award: Thailand — Voted directly by fellow contestants at the Flow Spectrum Hotel. The highest-ranking runners-up for this category included Zambia, South Africa, Colombia, and Ghana.

Angelica Sanchez (Puerto Rico): 1st Runner-up

Final Placement

Winner: Katherine Castaño (Colombia)

1st Runner-Up: Angelica Sanchez (Puerto Rico)

2nd Runner-Up: Eunice Deza (Philippines)

Top 6 Finalists: Included contestants from the Dominican Republic, Romania, and Germany.

The pageant, known for focusing on professional modelling careers over just beauty, brought together 36 models from around the globe for two weeks of runway, photoshoots, and cultural events.

Sri Lanka’s Netalie Withanage walked among 36 of the world’s best and powered her way into the Top 16 at the grand finale.