Whither Sri Lanka

Whither Sri Lanka (as sung by Sunil Perera - Americave mehema unath Lankawe meva wenne ne !!!)

Eng. M. Chandrasekera/Lusail City/Qatar

25^th February 2013

 

Let me refresh the readers a bit about our ‘paradise island’. What I give here is common knowledge to all of us but for some strange reason we take these things for granted and mind our own business.

A Private Bus Driver tells me that in the places where they stop the buses they are ushered in to a room where sumptuous made to order meals direct from the fire place, cooked by an excellent cook is served. They are also offended a choice of drinks and smokes including arrack, cannabis, an addictive beetle chew all at no cost.

In addition, in long distance routes, the crew changing takes place at these places where they get guest accommodation. They are provided with a choice of meals, drinks, soft company etc. while they reside in this guest accommodation.

He also tells me that they transport cannabis to west from east and Arrack from west to east and get a good income on the sideline.

A job Agent who sends housemaids to Gulf tells me that the job aspirants will have to live away from their homes during the period the formalities are arranged and it is they who provide temporary accommodation to those women. While they are in temporary accommodation, the job Agent can at his will get the pleasure of the company of any of those women. However, they cannot open their mouth since by that time they have mortgaged their property, borrowed money from private parties etc. to find the initial expenses. Hence they have no choice other than going ahead with the job.

We also see a quite a large number of big and small ‘Guest Houses’ in all the towns than the number of people who travel to those towns from elsewhere. Other than the Van salesmen, there cannot be so many genuine travelers going about into these areas. So, to whom are these Guest Houses catering to:

-          Those who go to drink

-          Those who go to have casual sex

This is well known to politicians and the law enforcing officials.  Permission to start these places cannot be obtained by normal means. Similarly, selling of liquor and providing rooms to under aged persons cannot be done for a long run without being noticed by the law enforcement authorities. So the obvious conclusion is either some money is exchanged or some politician will come into the middle. And the authorities become deaf and blind as a result.

A prominent Guest house owner who was recently killed by an unknown assailant once told me about the people who frequent his Guest house. They are none other than the boys/girls employed in the Free Trade Zone. All of them are from very rural areas.

I am aware that from the Pettah bus stand; there was a three wheeler service to bring couples to this Guest house.

He was frank to admit that his customers were those who come purely to enjoy casual sex. This business man had a teenage daughter at that time. He categorically told me that he will never allow his daughter to ever step into his Guest house. Later I learnt that this daughter eloped with one of their drivers!

A three wheeler driver tells me that   he takes young couples to lonely places where the side tarpaulin cloths are lowered so that those who are inside are not visible to the outside. His charges are usually for one hour, during which time he provide guard from a close distance.

We also hear of mobile brothels operated from vans in the Towns.

We frequently read in the papers of husbands killing their love marriage wives after secretly falling in love with other women and vice-versa.

There are also fathers killing their own children after fighting with their wives; and mothers giving poison to their children and committing suicide when they become destitute.

There was also a classic case where three persons living in a house in a rural area; husband, wife and wife’s mother. Both the wife and wife’s mother delivered children on or about the same day.

Another three wheeler driver tells me that he is the person who distributes the drugs at his three wheel park.

In the press we read that when the houses of ill fame are raided, although the Clients are well to do people, the girls caught are those from very rural areas.

Also I am aware that many of the ‘Guest houses’ are owned or operated by the Pradeshiya Sabha Chairmen/members and also by tele-drama actors/actresses. These people use their Guest houses as homes away from their homes.

I get first hand information that nowadays, married men women who work in the offices have day time partners from among their own offices or from other offices. It is very common for them to scoot off to Guest houses in the afternoons and return to their homes in the evening as if nothing has happened.

Many teenage school children who are supposed to go to tuition classes after schools are found going to Guest houses after changing to casual wear and returning homes later in the evening as if they were returning from the tuition classes.

Similarly, what do the mothers of children who drop their primary school children at the public schools do until the schools are over to pick their children back. They get into groups led by ‘leader women’ who trick them away to ‘Guest houses’ to seek ‘day time pleasure’ or ‘money’.

When mothers and their teenage daughters attend the Musical Shows where ‘Super Stars sing’, if the singer happen to move to the audience area while singing, we observe mothers jumping over their daughters to embrace the singers.

Those who patronize the karaoke bars know that most of the girls in those places are from very rural areas.

A fancy goods shop owner tells me that the highest sales from his shop other than during the nw year period is during the ‘Valentine week’. He says that the rural girls who come for employment in the Garment factories, the first thing they do is buying of a mobile phone and then finding a boy friend. In the Valentine week his shop is flooded by teenage girls and boys all from very rural areas. He knows the fast moving Items during this period and stocks them in time.

These girls and boys eventually enter a guest house of the type I mentioned above misbehave enjoying the new found freedom.

We Sri Lankans are also one of the record holders in the world for accommodating largest number of boozers.

We are one of the record holders for maintaining the highest bribe taking politicians and   government servants.

While all these things happen, umpteenth times we ‘declare’ to observe ‘panchaseela’.

We also watch/listen to ‘seth pirith chanting’ and ‘bana preaching’ via a number of FM and TV Channels day and night.

By our own omissions and commissions, in the first instance we become liars to ourselves.

In Qatar, where I am currently working, the ‘wises’ of the above nature are rarely seen or heard of. Here, the Laws are very strict and equally applied to everybody. That is the prominent difference I could observe.

I would like somebody to tell what the root causes of the predicament in Sri Lanka and if this suicidal trend could be reversed?

Can we ever become ‘a truly just and righteous’ nation?

What should be the road map to achieve this goal?

Eng. M. Chandrasekera/Lusail City/Qatar

25^th February 2013