We in Sri Lanka are facing a more vicious and ruthless epidemic than the nightmarish natural curse that made our simple and innocent society suffer, choking us from even breathing a luxury through the imposition of an unwritten law compelling us to be a Nation in Masques, an ironical outcome precipitated by a lengthy period of political perambulation in an imaginary affluence, where only the crafty and ruthless confidence tricksters could survive.
As a nation, we have failed in all possible directions and have become passive contributors towards a society consisting of very serious-looking jesters who think that they are the saviours of the once simple and happy nation.
It is not thinking negatively but realistically, and what we require now is the newly generated inertia to become the natural sign with all walks of members of our society.
Self Assessment the need of the hour
If all of us are aware of our surroundings and therefore can see the pitfalls in advance, we will have a naturally alert society which is conscious of the natural weaknesses that have become enlarged into proportions beyond recognition.
It is a naked fact that all of us need something to satisfy our hunger but it is also hilarious to note enough land with luxuriantly flourishing wild plants while waiting in a ruthless fashion that makes people decide everything on the Marketing Conditions. Of course, the majority of the people that can be placed as almost 80% of the total population can be seen as dazed kind clueless and helpless about their lot, at a time, there are enough lands capable of being reconverted into reasonably productive paddy lands. The appointed ‘mouthpieces’ mumble that paddy cannot be continued as we do not have the fertilizers needed. We have forgotten, because the older farmers who were not scared and were waiting for someone to provide the fertilizers as they found solutions to enrich the soil while mitigating the disastrous effects of pests that keep the paddy farmers clueless, with the newly formed and highly sophisticated tycoons who are watching the World Market Prices and plan the to keep the already weakened Paddy Farmers to be on their knees, tied to ruthless networks that control the access to fertilizers as well as marketing, a parasitic system that has come into being controlling the rice market in the country. While those ‘puppeteers’ who run the ‘Greatest Puppet-Show in Paddy Marketing’ while turning the National Paddy Farmers into the most miserable lot they as, without knowing it, they have been reduced in into an ineffective lot, especially at a time when the Whole World is worried about the future Food Security.
Constructive Criticism – Positive need of the hour
Due to the misunderstood concept of free trading that has made people be at each other’s throats rather than developing healthy completion, we have become too self-centred and with the casino type of mentalities which beckon more and more into such circles for ‘High Living’, the initiative needed for the development of progressive and people-oriented thinking has been abandoned, which is a very natural tendency. But, our systems have provided, a wonderful infrastructure in the location of such resources closer to the beneficiaries, the people. They are very logically divided into simplified authorities, available and accessible to all those who desire, but are unfortunately engaged in looking after “Recurrent Expenditure” to keep facilities such as irrigation ready but the end results are not thought of and planned to be linked”. A facility such as Agrarian Services Department has Commissioners and Directors and regionally spread-our field staff.
Imagine the irony of the situation of National Egg Production. As a schoolboy at Richmond College, Galle, I was attached to a Young Farmers Club, just for the fun of it. The knowledge I gained there still is within me. We learned how to keep chicken for eggs under a very logical system that was known as the “Deep-Litter System”. We were shown how to start a small Poultry Shed, and we saw how those White Leghorn hens started laying within four to five months. We even learned how to prepare the chicken feed at very low costs. The American Peace Corps Instructor drew our attention to simple things like the Costs of a Rice Measure( around One kilogram) at Rs.0.25 Cts, A loaf of Bread at Rs.0.25 Cts and the price of an egg at Rs.0.25 Cts. It was not rocket science, the logic is the same, but we have politicians who manipulate the egg market in Sri Lanka. If we had some bureaucrats who had brains, they could have encouraged such a project in their relevant localities, and by this time, through a well-organized campaign, we would have had a nationwide development programme and we would have already seen results. Instead, these educated and highly qualified agrarian experts would have shown their worth.
We must become aware of our capabilities and learn to be humble enough to criticise ourselves for not doing what we could have done. It is high time that we encourage public voluntary action, making use of a Movement such as the National Vocational Labour Cooperatives System, to take the initiative.
Correction and Application
It is only an example, shown. If Sri Lankan Traders need to be supported, it is a matter of logical thinking. Is the solution to Sri Lanka not having enough eggs and the effect on the pricing that raises egg prices the main issue? Our Wise guys, the bureaucrats advise their bright political leaders that the answer is to import eggs from India and introduce them to the market, to teach a lesson to the egg importers and to serve the people the majority of whom see eggs only as their dreams.
By doing such, what do those clever specialists do? and the new breed of egg-laying importers do not feel sorry for the consumers, and as the foreign prices are fairly low, they can leave enough margins for those who get involved, to have reasonable gratifications, and they fix prices at very near imports at landed costs. All the egg-importing Local businessmen can lay more eggs because each imported egg delivers them to better personal affluence. Can you see why we have to correct our thinking? What will be the picture if all those egg-laying businessmen become a force and start poultry farms all over the country to produce for the Global market, will not the Sri Lankan eggs be sold to foreign lands? This is why insist that we do not assess our inbuilt capacities and become victims of a few Moneymakers (Definitely not businessmen)
I beg your pardon for my not using tender language, correction and application of the corrected systems is the key to success. It can be applied anywhere and everywhere as what one has to have is to be alert to Global Trends.
Taking the poultry business seriously, just imagine the volume of biofertilizer that can be made using Chicken Droppings. Enrich with other bio-materials we will be having our own Bio- Fertilizers. It is a well-known fact the Chicken Droppings provide a good base for Bio-Fertilizers which are very much in need in the Paddy Cultivation.
The increased Paddy Cultivation shall produce a huge supply of paddy straw that will become the main ingredient for Dairy Feed. Imagine the volume of Community Dairy Centres that can be located in all the Grama Niladhari Divisions and the sludge collected at the Bio-gas pits in those Community Dairy Centres shall become another added ingredient in Bio-Fertilizer making. This will not happen in a month. But if we start now, see how many poultry farms and Community Dairy Centres can be established in Sri Lanka.
Why cannot the Sri Lankan trading Community ‘Import’ from Chicken farmers and Community dairy Centres’ instead of importing from elsewhere committing so much in foreign exchange?
This correcting and application is also a very far-reaching strategy. When it became news that an establishment like Pelwatte Dairy was giving Sri Lankan fresh Milk to the people, it became one of the best news for all serious citizens. What shall be different after some time? If Pelwatte comes forward and starts helping National Vocational Labour Cooperatives to establish an island-wide Network of Community Dairy Centres, will the business be down? This is why the mentalities have to be corrected. When other nations can do such proactive projects, why cannot our Sri Lankan entrepreneurs do the same things?
Effect Evaluation
The picture can be complete only when we can be happy that all those precepts have been properly understood and observed. That was how all those countries achieved growth’.
Can there be a more stupid environment than this where we think the answer is Free Trading? Yes, Free Trading shall be the answer if all those who get involved become aware of their strengths and take steps to improve locally rather than depending on imported materials so that by improving productivity, the costs can be lowered.
To do that we have to become more alert and start our investigative approaches to identify the hidden potentials we have.
The hidden potential is everywhere. You name it, it shall be there.
Throwing IMF for all the maladies as the explanation is the open acceptance of inability. It is a simple solution. The commitment that has to be covered to get out of IMF obligations can be quantified and recovery targets can be found and implemented. It is not a case of disregarding IMF.
It is a solution where people will not be further burdened to pay back the old sins of inefficiencies. This is where we are going wrong. We can correct all those. What we should do immediately is to stop merry-making and allow any merry-making to be done.
Ananda Ariyarathne