No tolerance with crits; gas cylinder bombs

Bold black headline in Monday’s The Island: ‘Sirisena, other SLFP MPs asked to leave govt.’ Cass pounced on the paper and read avidly to find the order was from a mere Cabinet Minister, large though he be in size. She had thought the order was a government decree from the combined forces of Prez and PM through the Presidential Secretariat via SLPP Secy. But then, Cass surmised, swallowing her disappointment, (yea – disappointed it was not a lawfully given order to quit) that Prasanna R was surely the mouthpiece of higher-ups.

So trouble is brewing in this coalition too. Is Sirisena a Jonah by any chance? We know he is an opportunist, a la hopper sharing and then vaulting across, but at that time we approved of him and what he did. He did not vault on his own steam; he was invited to by no less than Maduluwawe Sobitha Thera, helped by Madam Chandrika and welcomed by Ranil and other Elephants. However, after his immense good deed of pruning presidential powers and his own at the time, he turned turncoat. He was brought in to banish the presidency, but clung on to it and of course later strengthened it with added autocracy by voting for 20A. Said he’d always ‘Sir’ Ranil as a senior politician, but four years later, unconstitutionally sacked him from the premiership and invited the person he said who would have sent him six feet under if he had lost the election of 2015, to be PM.

Cass’s jaundiced eye, which however indicates 20-20 good vision or normal vision acuity, sees two characteristics buried in the Sri Lankan political psyche, manifest here in this instance. One is leaders’ abhorrence of criticism, however justified. This is especially true of the Rajapaksa leadership. If one criticises them or their government, that one is labeled a traitor and may run the risk of being hounded.

The second characteristic is that always, most politicians’ first concern is self; concern for country coming last. Manifest in Sirisena’s latest move. True, he was coerced into turning rebel by the treatment given him and his SLFPers by the Pohottuwas. But he sees the ship sinking, Cass presumes, and turning rat-like, prepares to abandon it, hoping he will land in a bit of clover. This last is a wishful thought. But one never knows with local politics.

Kitchen explosions

Those housewives actually working in their kitchens were exploded upon by skyrocketing prices of every essential that goes to make a simple meal and a fruit as dessert. They had no milk available at one time, then no gas to cook with. All shocks to the system. But mild compared to the situ now, purchasing bombs instead of gas cylinders and not knowing when they would explode. Totally unfair, nay criminal, to make us Sri Lankan Ordinaries suffer thus when saubhagya living was promised by incoming Prez Gotabaya R and then incoming PM, his brother, and all his Cabinet ministers.

“Causes of gas explosions not determined yet,” says Minister Alagiyawannna. He will add later that compensation will be paid by the government for damage to houses and injury to persons. That is an insult, the greater being that compensation is now a never never payment. Jeff and Mutt, in The Island of November 30, states the most practical solution to the problem: Alagiyawanna should be made to sit on a gas cylinder selected as being onne menna exploding. Not only will he learn a lesson and be reprimanded with punishment but we Ordinaries will chant GROBR – good riddance of bad rubbish.

Page 1 of Wednesday’s The Island carries report ‘More gas explosions’. Page 3 is entirely hogged by Litro Gas with its Important Notice saying the mixture of gases is as it should be and thus laying the blame for the explosions squarely on us, the consumers thus: “The recent incidents and confusion that have occurred have been caused by the use of inferior quality regulators, hoses, cookers, and user negligence.” How dare they? Consumers have safely used gas cylinders these many decades with a very few accidents caused by negligence. But how the sudden spate of explosions, pray?

The last line in the notice says: “For any emergency or issue contact the hotline 1311…” That is if the user is not blown to kingdom come in the interim.

Again offered compensation

‘State Minister Ranasinghe assures farmers using organic fertiliser compensation in event of losses.’ Cass inhales deeply to critique that statement. First: why compensation to farmers using organic fertiliser? If it is, as touted, the panacea of all ills like kidney failure, no compensation is needed. Farmers should be gloriously happy seeing their crops thrive. But they are wisely refusing untested Nano something from India and they will kill themselves if forced-to-accept shitty rotted seaweed from a Chinese manufacturing firm.

Second: Compensation will be terribly severe, needing millions, nay billions of rupees since all farmers of all crops have suffered due to the fertiliser imbroglio, advised by non agriculturists the likes of Dr. Padeniya, and accepted by the Prez even though experts had been against the move of going completely organic too rapidly. Experts’ 20 years to the Prez’s overnight. Why? To get a plus point internationally and his name inscribed thereof: First to go organic.

But no worry: Promises are airy fairy, never kept or dragged along to eternity. Anyway, how to pay compensation when the country’s money barrels, SL rupees and dollars, are being scraped and nothing gathered. So dire our finances.

The third comment is a repetition of Cass’ recommendation of last Friday. If mighty Modi could eat humble pie because of India’s farmers who were not close to death or suicide, why not our Prez admit a mistake was made, but righteously, and allow imports of chemical fertilisers the land and farmers are used to. Much cheaper than paying compensation and having farmers throw in their towels and us Ordinaries having food shortages to contend with in the near future.

However, is it too late to turn back the clock of agricultural disaster; of staring-us-in-the-face near starvation with failed crops, both commercial and consumer? The Prez, along with all Sri Lankans, is sitting on a time bomb. Cass here refers not to the gas cylinder bombs but to the political bomb of a fall-out of a grossly gigantic mistaken decision.

Cass can hardly whisper goodbye for this week. She is weak in body and despairing in spirit. Why the former condition? Her gas cylinder ran out but she was too scared to risk buying a replacement. So no home cooked food and no money to buy restaurant food!