DR SLM RIFAI
LONDON : No time humanity suffers from a pandemic as it does today. Sri Lanka is not exempted from this natural calamity. In fact, third world countries suffer more than any developed countries from this calamity. This disaster does not make any discrimination between poor and rich; it does not make any discrimination between people of different races and religions. Sinhalese , Tamil, Muslim, Hindus, Christians all suffers from this natural calamity.
People are suffering from starvation, famine, and hunger. We are hearing that some families have committed suicide in some areas in India. They could not take this suffering any longer so, they decided to take their lives out of abject hardship and hunger. Sri Lankan government is giving 5000 rupees as a relief and yet, this amount is not enough at all. It would not last more than a week. Government must focus on relief during this difficult time. Politicians of all parties should stand together and be united in front of this natural disaster. They should not play party politics with this pandemic. Politicians must put the welfare of people above party politics at this difficult time.
Religious leaders of all communities should work hand in hand to help people in this difficult time. Buddhist temples, Churches, mosques, Hindu temples all should become relief centres to provide necessities of life. In fact, some temples, mosques, and churches have been providing food for people for some times. This collective community spirit must be maintained during this hard time. Hunger does not discriminate between people of different religions. We all are human beings.
As Sri Lankans we must be united at this time to overcome this pandemic. Each one of us must have a sense of humour, compassion, and mercy to look after our next-door neighbours. They could be Sinhalese, Tamils, Christians, or Muslims. We have a moral duty to look after our next-door neighbours at this crucial time. No Sri Lankan soul should die out of hunger and starvation. Never this happened in Sri Lankan history.
No time Buddhist teaching of Love, Compassion, Kindness, and Charity is more applicable than today at this crucial time. No time Christian concept of Agape Love is more applicable than today at this crucial time. No time an Islamic concept of feeding the poor is more applicable than today. No time Hindu concept of Danam is more applicable than today. All religions encourage and persuade people to feed poor. But at this crucial time, it is more important all Sri Lankans come together and meet this national calamity as a one family.
Many NGOs and charities have been working in inner cities to help families at this difficult time. People in cities are mostly affected as lock down continues. Labourers, day to day workers, three-wheeler drivers, traders, and retailers are mostly affected. Families with babies, children and elderly people are suffering most at this difficult time. It is Sri Lankan culture that people do not come out and tell others about their suffering. Most Sri Lankans do not like to beg or ask others any financial help even at this difficult time to protect their family dignity and respect. Some Muslim villages have come up with some new ideas to help desperate people. They have started some food bank systems in some mosques. People are asked to inform the mosque administration anonymously about their difficulties and suffering so that mosque administration could do whatever they could. Likewise, People have been approaching Buddhist temple for help and Buddhist temples too do their best to help people at this difficult time. But their resources are limited.
It is very much heart touching to note some Muslim brothers cooked food continuously for more than one week in some Colombo areas and distributed meals for all Sri Lankans without any discrimination. This prompted one medical Doctor to praise such a noble action of these kind-hearted people. In these difficult times, we must display our humanism and human values. This is a testing time and Sri Lanka could get through this difficult time if only we work as one family. We should learn ethics of hard working from Chinese and Japanese people. Japanese people during the war faced more difficulties than this and yet, they managed to overcome all these difficulties with their hard work and dedication. Sri Lankans can overcome this difficult with their resilient attitude to this problem.
This pandemic should teach some good lessons for our Sri Lankan politicians, civil servants, experts in agriculture and policy makers to revise their agricultural policies. Sri Lanka is blessed with some fertile lands in the South Asia and yet, do we benefit maximum from our agricultural land in this age of modern agricultural revolution? Sri Lanka is one of the fertile countries in the world. Each province of Sri Lanka is a unique one with some special geographical and environmental features. If only Sri Lankan government has got some good agricultural strategies to develop the fertile lands of North and East with the support of modern agricultural technologies, no Sri Lankan will suffer even at this difficult time.
A large percentage of fertile lands are not used for cultivation in many districts in Sri Lanka and yet, government agents do not have any clue about this. It is high time to implement the agricultural policies of late Srimavo Bandaranaike using modern technology in agricultural revolution. Sri Lankan government must consider reforming its policy on agricultural land. No fertile land should be left idly for nothing. Government must ask people to use it or otherwise, lease it for someone who can cultivate it. Government must come up with new policies on unused fertile lands. Academics and experts in our agricultural departments in our universities have a moral duty to come up some new ideas to revolutionise Sri Lankan agricultural sector. Dramatic changes are taking place in the field of agriculture today in this digital world.
We are surrounded by sea and yet, we are importing fish, we are blessed with fertile lands and yet, we are importing rice and other agricultural products. It is pathetic to see this ironical and paradoxical situation in Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka is one of unique countries in Asia with a rich human and natural resources and yet, it is regrettable to see people must suffer like this. I do not like to blame politicians alone for these pathetic conditions. So called academics, GAs, AGAs. Policy makers, and civil servants must take a lion share of responsibility for this pathetic situation. If only they could direct and guide politicians, this country would not descend into this pathetic situation. Politicians come and go and yet, civil servants are permanent public servants and are responsible to draw good policies and guide politicians in right directions. Unfortunately there is an antipathy between politicians and top public servants in Sri Lanka.
