WHEN WILL SRI LANKANS EVER LEARN?

At the time Sri Lanka was under the British, our people were generally disciplined with few littering the streets or any public place. After independence that happy situation changed.In the good old days it was rarely that we heard of a murder; if and when it happened it became a scandal, with the kavikola karayas reciting the whole story in Sinhala verse at bus stands and selling their printed version for 10 cents each. This was a regular sight at the Kandy bus stand.

Today not a day passes without news of murders. Assassins on motorcycles bump off targeted vicims and vanish from the scene. Most of them could be contract killings or the result of gang rivalry. There have been many political killings too and in most cases people know whodunit. But the influence of those who directed such killings prevent any meaningful follow-up. But the perpetrators will have to answer one day as history has demonstrated.

Unlike in the past, too many Lankans are uncaring of harm to others as well as the environment when they dump garbage on the roadside and into the canals. Some so-called educated people traveling in luxury vehicles throw garbage bags on the roadside.

Fortunately, there are fewer smokers in Sri Lanka now than then. Most of today’s youth do not smoke though some may be addicted to narcotics. As such, there are fewer empty cigarette packs, butts and used matchsticks thrown on the roads and pavements. But those who smoke continue to litter public places.

Then there are the betel chewers spitting the red juice any and everywhere. Some have had very bad experiences of betel chewers spitting out of bus windows. They also had the bad habit of leaving their chunam trademark on lamp posts. Thankfully that has now ceased. Also younger people do not chew betel, helping to keep the cities and towns a little cleaner.

Singapore was like us prior to the arrival of Lee Kwan Yew. But he changed all that by fining offenders on the spot. Later, they were made o clean the streets for a week or two. There is no littering of streets in Singapore any more and there’s no need for any checks.

Sri Lanka will never be able to match Singapore as long as corrupt politicians hold the reins of government. Lee’s was the only remedy to combat littering. After the Adam’s Peak season ended, people genuinely interested in keeping the environment clean organized clean-ups collecting mountains of plastic bottles and cellophane and other wrappers.

Apart from pollution, there are the blatant acts of vandalism felling valuable trees and denuding forests, unlawful occupation of crown land and unauthorized construction that continue unabated. The best solution to this problem before it escalates further is to emulate the Singapore model. No monitoring is needed there as Singaporeans have become environment friendly.

HM NISSANKA WARAKAULLE