Features

Mokata Matters

Published

4 years ago

2022/02/21

Sahan Weerasooriya

By Capt Elmo Jayawardena

Elmojay1@gmail.com

We have enough and more good articles in the newspapers. Of course, some could be a bit warped and wrongly presented for ‘politically correct’ reasons. Some others are sterling in the quality of journalism. All these collectively help us understand what happened and what happens and what may happen in our Paradise. We are well aware that certain political godfathers do dominate some parts of what is reported in Sri Lanka; the same is true for many other so-called first world ‘holier-than-thou’ countries as well. Journalistic souls do get pawned off and on at times and we do get to read ‘magic from the mud’. Culprits from the worst dungeons of corruption prop out as the ‘white-painted’ sepulchres with only the harp and the halo missing.

But there is a lot of honesty, too, ‘brave hearts’ who pen the truth without mincing words. Everything depends on what newspaper we read and which news channels we watch on television. One thing is sure, the truth and the so-called nothing but the truth does get amputated or exaggerated leaving the poor pedestrian reader, the Tom, Dick and Siripala totally confused.

Therefore, let me not dwell on things I do not know and make a fool of myself but write something we all can understand. Let me deviate from all that serious reporting and bring you Mokata Matters, part and parcel of our daily life. Let us ponder for a moment on how we Sri Lankans strut the planet, shades of humour wrapped in anything we do, original and colloquial, the many-splendoured kaleidoscope we call Sri Lankan life.

“Mokata’ is “why” (this part is for the benefit of the non-Sinhala speaking readers) so here is the ‘mokata matter’ saga.

Most often we have regrets in life. ‘We could have done this, and we could have done that’, idle words and the litany goes long and winding, like the lament of lent. All of us, bar none, have regrets on buses we missed or the ships that never came in. Opportunities lost, chances not taken, and dreams that faded, but life goes on. Yes, we do miss a lot of catches in life. True, the ‘mokata matters’ creep in at times and dampen our spirits. But being Sri Lankan, we surface back like corks, ‘poroppa fashion’ not drowning in a sea of sorrow in life’s twisted sense of humour.

Buy a car, (second-hand) and it breaks down or has a flat tyre and the ‘mokata’ system takes over. “Mokata gaththada” (why did you buy?) comes out in a flash to the utter annoyance of the husband. The words spit out, well! you know from whom. Obviously, the ‘know-all’ in the family. Usually, it is followed by “I told you not to” conclusion. I will leave that subject for elaboration to a fairer day and get on with this Mokata story, lest I get the full blast as a target of female venom which I can ill-afford in my twilight years.

Let’s look at another ‘mokata’ matter? Weddings are very special, fancy card and fancier hotel and over-painted creamy bride and the band plays so loud bursting every eardrum in the hall. The buffet is below mediocre, more silver chafing containers than contents. The regret is so much for the gift you gave. Cost against the food and entertainment value is an ultra-steep gradient in favour of the wedding planners. Too much spent on too little gain. “Mokata giyada” (why did we go?) is the frustrating regret related to the dead-loss suffered.

Go to a doctor, not happy with the diagnosis, a ‘mokata awada’ (why did I come?) rings out. Plan a holiday, promised paradise turns out to be a bug-infested bed and frogs swimming in-tandem with you in the swimming pool and the ‘mokata theruwada’ (why was this chosen?) resonates. Heavens help the husband if he is the one who read the glittering brochure and made the selection. There are the day-to-day ‘mokata matters’ too.

Let me now direct you to the ‘mother’ of all ‘mokata matters,’ the commonest of them all. Stop by a green neon-lit roadside eatery and buy a weighty buriyani to take home and have a good diet. (Why do we Lankans say diet for gormandising?) And you eat and eat and eat till your belly button pops out (buriya ulwenakan kanawa) and then comes the ‘mokata kevada’ (why did I eat?) theme song, ever present and most common. A week’s brisk walking and cutting down on sugars and watching weight shredded to pieces in a buriyani fiesta for cholesterol and high rise systolic. Isn’t this the most popular ‘mokata’ in our beloved land?

‘Mokata kevada’ is certainly the theme song second only to the national anthem, ever-present in all circles, from the pedestrian to the President. I bet in his moments of solitude His Excellency too might be having a good ‘diet’ giving a friendly tap to his tummy whispering a silent regretful ‘mokata kavada” once in a way.

Wake up Sunday morning and find your head split like a well-kicked football as the previous night’s worship of Bacchus has gone beyond all perimeters erected to keep the soul sober. It is ‘mokata biwwada’ time (why did I drink?) and the ‘never again’ swearing comes in lorry loads, simply to vanish when the next weekend arrives. Ask anyone who has permanent membership amongst the booze brethren; it will be difficult to find someone who would not have asked ‘mokata biwwada’ as a recurring regret.

Of course, profanity does not permit me but there is a scintillating ‘mokata matter’ attached to pregnancies, especially the unplanned ones that come silent like spies or the ‘Hora Umpire’ debacles. Fun and frolic and the stomach now is protruding like a pumpkin. The exact connotation added to ‘mokata’ is unfortunately unmentionable vulgarity in prose. True to every syllable but let me not give room for the editor to chop me off like a chicken sausage. Let’s call it the “mokata ****?

See some sad-looking husband walking five paces ahead of the wife, that is a prime ‘mokata ‘qualification. Same holds true for the one-time Romeo who held hands and counted his Juliet’s fingers as if they were getting stolen. All whilst ‘komalafying’ in the last seat of the Panadura bus. The lovers of yesteryear now sit rows apart in the same transport and are grateful for the ‘sanasili thaagee’ (consolation prizes) they receive at home.

These are classic ‘mokata’ champions. Take a different view, when stupid fights erupt between the husband and the wife whose anger fuses have become shorter as the years added to the union, a ‘mokata bandada?’ (MB – why did I marry?) flashes in multi-colours. It tops the mokata hit parade and plays in the loudest trumpet notes and becomes the clarion call of more people than you can imagine. The ‘finger-counting’ Romeo and many a husband/wife combination make MB their ‘daily bread’. Isn’t this as common as grass blades? The ‘mokata bandada’ thought that is gulped down silently for the sheer lack of options. Don’t forget this particular ‘mokata” always has outside interference, the support systems that do the refereeing with an interest in one of the fighters. Yes, the MB certainly is a well-used metaphor, if not as a permanent prayer, then at least as a more than most used ‘mea culpa’ in many a supposed to be ‘fair and lovely’ marriage.

The ‘mokata matters’ rule in most things we do in life. Bad enough when we make the mistake and suffer but it is a thousand-fold more when the bystanders of our lives become advice experts and come with ‘mokata’ talk whenever things go wrong.

Unfortunately, the final Mokata Matter has devastated us Sri Lankans as a covenant from all the gods who gifted us our paradise. Like a tsunami it has hit us every five years. But did we learn? Of course not. Every five years we have been celebrating with awe the arrivals of the ‘new kids in the block’.

It does not take long for the proletariat to ambulfy their faces and whisper like all other times ‘MOKATA CHANDE DAMMADA? (why did I vote?)

For 74 years that is the sure victory we constantly achieved.

The only thing left for us to do is like in all other Mokata Matters, is to seek and find a reason to laugh at our own selected folly.

After all, we are Sri Lankan! The Mokata Clan of the planet?

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Features

Maduro abduction marks dangerous aggravation of ‘world disorder’

Published

20 hours ago

2026/01/8

Sahan Weerasooriya

Venezuelan President Maduro being taken to a court in New York

The abduction of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro by US special forces on January 3rd and his coercive conveying to the US to stand trial over a number of allegations leveled against him by the Trump administration marks a dangerous degeneration of prevailing ‘world disorder’. While some cardinal principles in International Law have been blatantly violated by the US in the course of the operation the fallout for the world from the exceptionally sensational VVIP abduction could be grave.

Although controversial US military interventions the world over are not ‘news’ any longer, the abduction and hustling away of a head of government, seen as an enemy of the US, to stand trial on the latter soil amounts to a heavy-handed and arrogant rejection of the foundational principles of international law and order. It would seem, for instance, that the concept of national sovereignty is no longer applicable to the way in which the world’s foremost powers relate to the rest of the international community. Might is indeed right for the likes of the US and the Trump administration in particular is adamant in driving this point home to the world.

Chief spokesmen for the Trump administration have been at pains to point out that the abduction is not at variance with national security related provisions of the US Constitution. These provisions apparently bestow on the US President wide powers to protect US security and stability through courses of action that are seen as essential to further these ends but the fact is that International Law has been brazenly violated in the process in the Venezuelan case.

To be sure, this is not the first occasion on which a head of government has been abducted by US special forces in post-World War Two times and made to stand trial in the US, since such a development occurred in Panama in 1989, but the consequences for the world could be doubly grave as a result of such actions, considering the mounting ‘disorder’ confronting the world community.

Those sections opposed to the Maduro abduction in the US would do well to from now on seek ways of reconciling national security-related provisions in the US Constitution with the country’s wider international commitment to uphold international peace and law and order. No ambiguities could be permitted on this score.

While the arbitrary military action undertaken by the US to further its narrow interests at whatever cost calls for criticism, it would be only fair to point out that the US is not the only big power which has thus dangerously eroded the authority of International Law in recent times. Russia, for example, did just that when it violated the sovereignty of Ukraine by invading it two or more years ago on some nebulous, unconvincing grounds. Consequently, the Ukraine crisis too poses a grave threat to international peace.

It is relevant to mention in this connection that authoritarian rulers who hope to rule their countries in perpetuity as it were, usually end up, sooner rather than later, being a blight on their people. This is on account of the fact that they prove a major obstacle to the implementation of the democratic process which alone holds out the promise of the progressive empowerment of the people, whereas authoritarian rulers prefer to rule with an iron fist with a fixation about self-empowerment.

Nevertheless, regime-change, wherever it may occur, is a matter for the public concerned. In a functional democracy, it is the people, and the people only, who ‘make or break’ governments. From this viewpoint, Russia and Venezuela are most lacking. But externally induced, militarily mediated change is a gross abnormality in the world of democracy, which deserves decrying.

By way of damage control, the US could take the initiative to ensure that the democratic process, read as the full empowerment of ordinary people, takes hold in Venezuela. In this manner the US could help in stemming some of the destructive fallout from its abduction operation. Any attempts by the US to take possession of the national wealth of Venezuela at this juncture are bound to earn for it the condemnation of democratic opinion the world over.

Likewise, the US needs to exert all its influence to ensure that the rights of ordinary Ukrainians are protected. It will need to ensure this while exploring ways of stopping further incursions into Ukrainian territory by Russia’s invading forces. It will need to do this in collaboration with the EU which is putting its best foot forward to end the Ukraine blood-letting.

Meanwhile, the repercussions that the Maduro abduction could have on the global South would need to be watched with some concern by the international community. Here too the EU could prove a positive influence since it is doubtful whether the UN would be enabled by the big powers to carry out the responsibilities that devolve on it with the required effectiveness.

What needs to be specifically watched is the ‘copycat effect’ that could manifest among those less democratically inclined Southern rulers who would be inspired by the Trump administration to take the law into their hands, so to speak, and act with callous disregard for the sovereign rights of their smaller and more vulnerable neighbours.

Democratic opinion the world over would need to think of systems of checks and balances that could contain such power abuse by Southern autocratic rulers in particular. The UN and democracy-supportive organizations, such as the EU, could prove suitable partners in these efforts.

All in all it is international lawlessness that needs managing effectively from now on. If President Trump carries out his threat to over-run other countries as well in the manner in which he ran rough-shod over Venezuela, there is unlikely to remain even a semblance of international order, considering that anarchy would be receiving a strong fillip from the US, ‘The World’s Mightiest Democracy’.

What is also of note is that identity politics in particularly the South would be unprecedentedly energized. The narrative that ‘the Great Satan’ is running amok would win considerable validity among the theocracies of the Middle East and set the stage for a resurgence of religious fanaticism and invigorated armed resistance to the US. The Trump administration needs to stop in its tracks and weigh the pros and cons of its current foreign policy initiatives.

Features

Pure Christmas magic and joy at British School

Published

21 hours ago

2026/01/8

Sahan Weerasooriya

Students of The British High School in Colombo in action at the fashion show

The British School in Colombo (BSC) hosted its Annual Christmas Carnival 2025, ‘Gingerbread Wonderland’, which was a huge success, with the students themseles in the spotlight, managing stalls and volunteering.

The event, organised by the Parent-Teacher Association (PTA), featured a variety of activities, including: Games and rides for all ages, Food stalls offering delicious treats, Drinks and refreshments, Trade booths showcasing local products, and Live music and entertainment.

The carnival was held at the school premises, providing a fun and festive atmosphere for students, parents, and the community to enjoy.

The halls of the BSC were filled with pure Christmas magic and joy with the students and the staff putting on a tremendous display.

Among the highlights was the dazzling fashion show with the students doing the needful, and they were very impressive.

The students themselves were eagerly looking forward to displaying their modelling technique and, I’m told, they enjoyed the moment they had to step on the ramp.

The event supported communities affected by the recent floods, with surplus proceeds going to flood-relief efforts.

Features

Glowing younger looking skin

Published

21 hours ago

2026/01/8

Sahan Weerasooriya

Hi! This week I’m giving you some beauty tips so that you could look forward to enjoying 2026 with a glowing younger looking skin.

Face wash for natural beauty

* Avocado:

Take the pulp, make a paste of it and apply on your face. Leave it on for five minutes and then wash it with normal water.

* Cucumber:

Just rub some cucumber slices on your face for 02-03 minutes to cleanse the oil naturally. Wash off with plain water.

* Buttermilk:

Apply all over your face and leave it to dry, then wash it with normal water (works for mixed to oily skin).

Face scrub for natural beauty

Take 01-02 strawberries, 02 pieces of kiwis or 02 cubes of watermelons. Mash any single fruit and apply on your face. Then massage or scrub it slowly for at least 3-5 minutes in circular motions. Then wash it thoroughly with normal or cold water. You can make use of different fruits during different seasons, and see what suits you best! Follow with a natural face mask.

Face Masks

* Papaya and Honey:

Take two pieces of papaya (peeled) and mash them to make a paste. Apply evenly on your face and leave it for 30 minutes and then wash it with cold water.

Papaya is just not a fruit but one of the best natural remedies for good health and glowing younger looking skin. It also helps in reducing pimples and scars. You can also add honey (optional) to the mixture which helps massage and makes your skin glow.

* Banana:

Put a few slices of banana, 01 teaspoon of honey (optional), in a bowl, and mash them nicely. Apply on your face, and massage it gently all over the face for at least 05 minutes. Then wash it off with normal water. For an instant glow on your face, this facemask is a great idea to try!

* Carrot:

Make a paste using 01 carrot (steamed) by mixing it with milk or honey and apply on your face and neck evenly. Let it dry for 15-20 minutes and then wash it with cold water. Carrots work really well for your skin as they have many vitamins and minerals, which give instant shine and younger-looking skin.