What’s up with coconut?
Posted on December 23rd, 2010
By Dr. Mrs. Mareena Thaha Reffai Dehiwela.
Why this unholy ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ preoccupation with coconut is something I cannot understand. It is not as if we cannot live without coconut. When we are abroad we jolly well manage to cook all sorts of tasty dishes without coconut. May be healthier too. We are going on and on as if it is the staple food. The government going onto import this nut is simply nutty. Not only we will be hitting the poor coconut cultivators in the stomach but will help some crooks to get ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ huge commissions too. And the poor ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ citizen will pay for it.
Some hard nut ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ is trying hard to sell some coconut and had created this frenzy. All of us haveƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ fallen prey to this plot. When you see the whole family of five standing in the queue for hours to get 5 coconut each is amazing. What are they going to do with 25 coconuts? Probably sell some for a profit; no harm, but is this worthƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ all the song and dance we are having about coconut?
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Someone should start a cookery demonstration class for ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-cooking without ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ coconutƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢¢”š¬…” sure they can makeƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ a whole lot of money nowadays.
My friend, Mallika Joseph, this is a call for you! ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚
December 24th, 2010 at 1:27 am
Sorry Mareena, hello- this is Sri lanka – not Saudi Arabia.
You have to be a Sinhalese to understand how important the coconuts are to us.
For a century, Sri Lanka’s main income came from tea, rubber and coconut. Young village couples who ran away from homes to get married thought they can survive with coconut sambol and rice.
Coconuts are used by both Tamils and Sinhala people at cultural events and at Hindu temples.
Coconut oil is a must to make our delicious Sinhala Kewum.
Use of virgin coconut is healthy, despite big propaganda from the west and now from the Middle East. Use of coconut will make our Sinhala dishes authentic. Even the prestigious Chicken Buriyani even those came from Muslims has a peculiar taste in Sri Lankan style when cooked using coconut milk.
I know you are trying to impose Muslim extremism to our free and fair society. Our society gave opportunity to prove the world that women are not play things of the superior men unlike in Muslim, uncivilized societies where Muslim women are restricted not to even show her face.
Please write something positive about Sinhala Buddhist values, if you are Sri Lankan and genuinely love Sri Lanka. This is a Sinhala country where you should adopt to our values ( including use of coconuts) rather than criticize our traditions.
Mallika Joseph is angry, as you very unjustifiably criticized practices of her religion in you writing a little while ago.
Come on get used to Sri Lanka. We don’t need too many dates but we need coconuts unless you are a nut.
December 24th, 2010 at 7:05 am
Well lady I cannot understand why you are so silent about RIZANA NAWFEEK!!
I am so appalled by the plight of this poor girl, falsely accused of murder. In a country where the testimony of a woman is worth half that of a man what else can you expect? Absolute shame on you Mareena!!
“Please write something positive about Sinhala Buddhist values, if you are Sri Lankan and genuinely love Sri Lanka. This is a Sinhala country where you should adopt to our values ( including use of coconuts) rather than criticize our traditions.”
No point De Costa! These extremists see nothing beyond the pathos of Saudi Arabia.
December 24th, 2010 at 2:37 pm
Dr Mareena
Why complain?
If we can Import Duty Free cars for the MP’s , Chicken, Eggs dropped from India why not Coconut to keep the masses happy?
December 25th, 2010 at 5:33 am
Its strange that some give a different color to the coconut affair. Mareena in her true spirit said that its a nut that can be avoided if its expensive and become a luxury in life. Muslims are a community in the island who own acres of coconut estates and consume coconut in their daily life. Pls. do not give a communal shade on people of other faiths. Pointing at others as extremists ,we expose ourselves too. Muslims also love pol sambol like us.
December 26th, 2010 at 4:49 am
Vipula 2,
You are innocently correct and honest.
But what we have noticed is this wirter always complains about Sri Lanka ( anything she can find).
This wirter always fail to say a word abut burtal, uncivilized attack on innocent women by Saudi Arabia or simply a single word aganist islamic extremism. We are still waiting for such a complain.
This is why mjaya asking about a word on RIZANA NAWFEEK.
We should be vigilant on all sorts of sublte ways to discredit SriLankan way of doing things. This is exactly what this wirter is doing.