Dr Sarath Obeysekera 

– See more at: http://www.dailymirror.lk

I wrote about the Sad State of Sigiriya few months back .I mentioned the issues faced by not only tourists and our locals who are second class citizens” !

Security and officers of and the officers of  the department of archeology hang around the gates looking for foreigners who want to cheat the system by trying visit with tickets for locals which is much cheaper  and do not inquire about the sanitary conditions of the premises.

.During my visit I noted that touts selling artifacts at three –four time the price just before the entrance to Tourist car park where shops are located .When I confronted one and ask them why they rip off foreigners and even locals one local thud came charging at me .

SigirIya management is a disgrace and the minister in charge should visit Sigiriya incognito and see it himself and may opt commit suicide

Quote below is what I wrote to Lanka web  last November

SAD STATE OF SIGIRIYA

We Just returned from one of the World Heritage Sites in Sri Lanka today. Despite the fact that I should not be climbing up the lion rock due to my age  ,I had a lion,s heart to overcome my own reluctance and fear  and I concurred.

Rock was full of foreigners of European ,Chinese and many other nationalities who are charged 4350 Rs where I was charged only  80 Rs   ,Of course for 80 Rs I was not supposed to bring my car to the gate hence we had to hire three wheeler paying 300 Rs to get to the Local” gate after  a de tour .I did not get the wash room facility like in foreign sectors ( which reminded me of apartheid in South Africa ) where an attendant was standing at the door ( interestingly there was a notice board that it is free to use) ,who expected the foreigner (who discharged his refuse” on our land  ) is rewarded with a toilet paper half-roll when you enter and he keeps smiling .

I knew all these as I came down running to have pee and found that with all the precautions, toilet was smelling .I did not mind because local toilet is worse and stinks .

If your remember I wrote about toilets in the museum in Pollonnaruwa .there were notice boards indicating for locals” and for foreigners”

I noted that so called guides  carrying an umbrella pestering locals as well as foreigners to use them and charging exorbitant prices. I also observed that  quite elderly men and women  were trying hard  to climb up with the help of guides who lose consciousness after hearing about  their fee after they descend.

We should ask UNESCO to provide a First Aid with some ambulance type device to bring down and person who can get ill due to steep climbing .Even at half way point there are no officers or para medics to attend to any emergency .Some stairs were badly rusting and wobbly and yet Department of Archaeology turns blind eye to defective structures. At the entry point they could have given some printed    material about the rock as the guides who speak foreign languages were uttering nonsense

Department guards look at local people who may be fair in colour with suspicion and my wife who was wearing a foreign attire was almost stopped until she blabbered in our language

On the way down scrupulous traders were milking money out of ignorant foreigners by charging 10 times for their artefacts and destroy the Sri Lankan name .

Department should privatize the whole Sigiriya Rock to a  party who may  run the establishment in a better  way so that they spend more money for the welfare of locals as well as foreigners .

THEY SHOULD ISSUE  AN EOI (EXPRESSION OF INTEREST )  ( OR USE SWISS CHALLENEG !)  AND ISSUE RFP (REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL ) AND THEN HAND OVER THE MAANGEMENT TO A FOREIGN PARTY AT A ROCK” BOTTOM PRICE AS USULLUALLY  THEY DO

THEN THEY CAN GIVE THE JOB OF RUNNING SIGIRIYA TO A SOMEONE IN THEIR OWN DYNASTY !

Unquote

Dr Sarath Obeysekera