Nagasalan Sri Lanka
Posted on February 2nd, 2011

Sunil VijayapalaƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Australia

Expats who envisage repatriating mustnƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢t only think twice but think hundred times before they make a move as the perception of expats about Sri Lanka is a far cry from the reality, the truth.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  One needs to observe and experience oneself as I did during the last few months, the hardship undergoing by the ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”ordinary folkƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ in our country.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  This experience one would not gain by travelling in Benz cars and eating in big hotels (the typical expat show off), but by using public transport and moving with and chatting with common folk.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ 

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Apart from high cost of living, the massive foreign debt and the current account deficit as we plunge more and more into country importing commodities, a new CLASS has emerged which can be appropriately called the Middle Eastern class, just hovering over the middle class.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  They possess large sums of money to throw about at everything and even to produce programs and influence the state and private media, the TV and Radio.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  TV advertisements, most repulsive on this planet, flash every few minutes while watching programs and distracting running ads. at the bottom of the screen throughout the program.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  The observation I made about these ads. is that in other countries a single ad runs for well over 30 seconds while here its around 10 ads. running for around 30 seconds, with most repulsive noises and verbose.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ I used the term Nagasalan to bring out a point in music and the society as a whole.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Morottans are famous for nalavena Baila and now that too has been twisted and ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”OthersƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ have created a sought of Baila, which is the nagasalan version, the typical Sakkili music. With the lack of good quality programs on TV, run over by low budget crap and annoying Radio bellowing from morning till late evening (especially young girls) even the incorrupt people are being slowly engulfed and conditioned to accept what is immoral as moral.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  (SatanƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s or MaraƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s presence) While this sad situation is going on at another extreme some channels purely broadcast mostly religious programs, with little or no affect on the general public.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ The people in Sri Lanka tolerate noise pollution to the limit especially while travelling in public transport and I had on several occasions did request the driver to turn the volume down.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Early morning Pirith on Radio and TV is just a formality in Sri Lanka and the value of it is losing day by day while our Poojakavaroos (incorrectly named as Bhikkus who in fact consume liquor, marijuana and sleep with women ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢¢”š¬…” only a very few Bhikkus remain) go on with their business of conducting Poojas, mostly to collect money.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  At Anuradhapura alone near Ruwanveli Seya and Sri Maha Bodhi there could be around 50 types of Poojas, an utter waste of money with little or no effect on accumulating merit.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Even if they do, a heavenly birth is sought by the ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”labelled BuddhistƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ and with the formal utterance at the end of a ritual ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”Nivan Suwa labewa!ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  This is a hilarious and a pathetic situation, and religious corruption at the highest level.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ 

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Even in our citadel of Buddhism, Anuradhapura, most patronage Hindu temples and often Buddhists enter place of worship with white lines on their foreheads and red Pottus!ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Well Sri Lanka is a multi-ethnic, multi religious country and everyone has his own right to worship all or none yet the sad situation is that insulting a Thathagata is mostly depressing and unacceptable.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  In almost all buses you could see all Hindu gods along with Buddha on a picture frame and at Seenigama Kovil on Galle road one could see a relatively large image of a Hindu god and alongside a small Buddha statue.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  The man who conquered all gods and even the creator is now having a second class place in Sri Lanka. No wonder the country is being punished left right and centre by nature.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  While I was in Anu, we lost gold coins belonging to Anuradhapura era at the Archaeology Museum, the value of these priceless, the culprits still not nabbed.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Artefact smuggling and Nidane hunters are on the increase and the Sinhala BaudhayaƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s conscience has hit the lowest ebb.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Terrorism and Eelam is a thing of the past, at least with the locals, as now you observe Tamils back on the bandwagon, busy on getting on with their jobs, doing business or engage in services and getting a dose of TV crap in the evening.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Most UNPs I spoke to, both in Anuradhapura and Colombo have voted for Mahinda in the last election as he took a firm stand and saw the end of Tiger Terrorism in our beloved country but now the people are losing patience including MahindaƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s party people, as Mahinda is failing to deliver the goods.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Price of most commodities went sky high recently and the popularity of Mahinda has hit a all time low.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  If slimy sleazy Ranil, the worst politician in the history of this world, paves way for Sajith, Mahinda will have a tough fight on his hands at the next Provincial/Pradeshiya Sabba elections.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  MahindaƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s vision for the future may be an honourable one but his foundation is already cracking up, with corruption at every level.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  The armyƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s new role is to sell coconuts and vegetables in towns and long queues were observed as the stuff was available at a low price.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  The last we needed in this country was a Pol queue, thanks to the plunder of our coconut growing areas to pave way for housing projects.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ One of the most annoying things anyone can observe in Sri Lanka is seen MahindaƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s picture on large bill boards at every street corner/intersection, the typical Premadasa/Saddam complex, losing the value of a leader and probably ending up eventually in every toilet in Sri Lanka.(I wrote to Mahinda just before I left to give an order to remove all that crap!)ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Apparently the Think Tank of Mahinda and cronies and friends, associates around him have derailed with the personification of him as a demi-god or a king (sometimes insulting one of our greatest kings, Dutugamunu who defeated the Dravidians to restore peace in our country 2000 years ago).ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  While being the Prime Minister he upheld some values and guided his sons too on the path of virtue aand morality which now has weaned and people have seen the man drunk which is apparent as he appears on TV with a bloated face. Recently a leading Buddhist monk had advised the President to refrain from drinking, probably the bane of Sinhala Baudhaya, which has plunged our country to purgatory with full of corruption at all levels in the society.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Customs, Police and Driver Licence issue office etc. is no different now from yesteryear.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  The same old people, the same old bureaucratic filth and same old bribe taking going on.

Mahinda has definitely FAILED in this area.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  At every level where CHECKING takes place whether at grass root level of checking the quality of milk produced by poor farmers or attempting sell agricultural produce to state, bribes are being solicited by officials.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  I met some farmers who had given up cattle faming or cash crop farming and taking on three wheelers or utterly frustrated at this pathetic situation, barely making ends meet or just making a bit of money for mere survival.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Money is being solicited by politicians from job seekers, a brand new corruption altogether in Sri Lanka.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Mahinda is well on his way to embrace the slogan ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”Power corrupts Absolute power corrupts absolutelyƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Added to this entire hullabaloo, the recent floods made the situation worse with crop damage in most areas and the recovery from this disaster would take not months but years.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Battaramulla was impassable and the traffic on the road at peak time was/is insurmountable defeating the purpose of declaring it the New Kandy Road.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  You would spend most of the travelling time passing this area before you hit the real Kandy/Colombo road.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  All this could be attributed to poor planning in Sri Lanka.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ 

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Thanks to our former Minister of Education, Private tuition industry has flourished as the Government teachers are allowed to conduct private classes after hours.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  The common students complain is that the teachers guidance at school hours is inadequate for a System based on ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”OƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ and ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”AƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ level exams and it would be almost compulsory to attend Private tuition classes.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Corruption with noble professions was unthinkable few decades ago and even the Medical man too is the game of Private practice at the highest corrupt level, charging enormous sums for their services.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  The business mentality has been over blown in Sri Lanka with rampant capitalism at its best.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Amidst all this chaos, I managed to see the Mahinda Rajapakse Harbour at Hambantota,

an impressive one and hopefully it would be a winner and not a white elephant for Sri LankaƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s growing economy.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Met beetle chewing Royalist, (probably the only one of this kind) journalist, Malinda Seneviratne of Harvard/Cornell and had a very interesting chat over lunch.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  IƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  was very fortunate to see a film at Regal, (the same old Regal, a visit after 40 years) called Vidu, probably one of the finest or the finest movie ever produced in Sri Lanka, sending an important message ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”the value of a human beingƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  A timely story for Sinhala Baudhaya as the general public is corrupt in one way or another, a personal observation of mine.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ 

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Lastly, as the whole world has plunged into a dark era, including this great city I live Brisbane, with untold natural disasters thanks to Global warming still denied by the rampant plunderers, the question arises ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”if God created man, Satan who in turn was created by God, too would have been as powerful to plant his seed in this world, and create his image, to show immorality as Moral and lead man to purgatory.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Who did plunder the world for the last 200 years and now facing themselves the brunt?ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  I leave this to the forum.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Sunil Vijayapala Australia

2 Responses to “Nagasalan Sri Lanka”

  1. Patriot-but-not-racist Says:

    If I am not mistaken, I think Sunil Vijayapa, an old Anandian hosteler has come up with the truth without getting biased. Most of the Lanka Web writers are blinded with “Myth of Mahinda era”. Genuine views like yours are needed at this hour rather than the views of the “Wandibhattas’ ” who do that for their benefits.

  2. Nanda Says:

    Sunil,
    You should also mention positive sides more. Much better roads, bridges never built (talked only) for 30 years can be seen now. Foundations for law and order are being laid. “Kunu” distribution getting slightly better. But I agree, there is no sign of dramatic improvement. “Paga” cluture cannot be overcome.
    Elections, elections, elections everyday.
    Bangaladesh is better !

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