By Kushani De Silva –
Dr. Kushani De Silva
Due to the lack of fuel situation generated by the economic crisis in Sri Lanka, the government has decided to give the day off every Friday for next three months. At a time when employers and citizens should put extra effort to help build the economy, the government has decided to give a day off to every government worker during an upcoming pivotal time. What the government plan to achieve by yet another tap-dancing around a problem is not quite graspable to my mind. Some of the Sri Lankan media assumes the day off is given to do garden cultivation as if it cannot be done any other time. Do they want to shut down the working-class bit by bit depending on the fuel they can afford? What is their plan within these three months to bring back people to work full-time?
The schools are closed every Friday as well and teachers are complaining they can’t complete the syllabus. Isn’t it possible to transition to online teaching once a week or do extra two hours a day to cover a day off? When do rulers realize the impact of the hit in the education sector in the long term? Since a future does not exist for Sri Lankan politicians or government heads, it is understandable that this is not a problem for them, but only for us. If we can take this opportunity to develop our country, this would be the perfect time to improve public transportation to facilitate both working class and school children that would benefit the country by (1) reducing the fuel demand (2) reducing the export expenses on fuel and use that money for cooking gas (3) saving the foreign remittance and finally (4) reduce carbon-dioxide emission.
Since the pandemic, there has been lock-downs and other ways that promoted laziness of people and they got comfortable with it because Sri Lankans prefer to have the time of their lives assuming the government takes responsibility for every matter. Now the economic crisis is hitting us and again the government is pushing people toward laziness. Putting people out of their work push them more into the spiral of depression. The government’s decision-making quite demonstrates the lack of a long-term plan for the future of the country – better yet next two weeks of the survival of people. When the government aware that people are looking up to the government than trying to rely on themselves, which is unfortunate by the way, they should be able to make wise moves to get the best of the people. When we cannot find food in the near future, they might release a gazette asking people to sleep for 24 hours without wasting energy, so we do not need to eat. Is their ultimate solution to put the country into a halt?
The biggest question is who makes these decisions and who approves them? Aren’t leaders supposed to have a long-term vision? This economic crisis polarizes the power play in our country whether we like it or not. That would result in more corruption in the higher hierarchy of power and civil war among the rest of the people who try to survive. Isn’t it what we see partially today? Can people stop this? Certainly, politicians do not want to stop this because, without this, they are dragged to the streets. What can you do as an individual? In an officially declared bankrupt country what is most needed is an executable long-term plan. This is the only way we can earn credibility as a country to get help from anyone else. Hasn’t this crossed the minds of the people? Instead, they try to survive day-to-day basis in ad-hoc ways. How long we can survive like this?
*Dr Kushani De Silva, Senior Lecturer Grade – Department of Mathematics, University of Colombo, Sri Lanka
Naman / June 18, 2022
Granting more and more Holidays is not going to get us out of the deep economic and political instability. Ranil W has not brought any kind of STABILITY or solutions to current situation. Just printing money IS NOT going to solve our issues. It will only lead to INFLATION and to make cost of living through the roof. Initially there will be increased BURGLARY and fighting among the HUNGRY Sri Lankans. We need a truly NATIONAL GOVERNMENT consisting only of CLEAN/EDUCATED/CIVILISED Members of the Parliament. That means without most of the SLPP;SLFP, MPs and Ranil.W.
We need to drastically reduce the defence staff in the North and East of the country.
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Native Vedda / June 18, 2022
Dr. Kushani De Silva
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“Is Government Unknowingly Driving The Country To A Great Depression?”
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Every government since 1948 has been working very hard to get to this pathetic state. No wonder Ranil is looking for new enemies, scapegoats, …. in such effective MP as Shanakiya Rasamanickam.
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A senior police thug brandishing his colt 45 while abusing a innocent unarmed civilian who had been in the petrol queue for days.
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While people are being attacked from all corners and made to starve, some saffron clad thugs are being busy building a Sinhala/Buddhist Dagoba on Gurunthur hill top where local people claim a Siva Temple stood there many centuries. The aim is to grab fertile land surrounding the hill. The Archaeology department, Army, Police, Forest Department, Water Department, …. imported Sinhala/Buddhist by luxury buses, … are too keen to build the Vihare despite the existence of a court order preventing people from erecting any new structure.
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While the people are being left to starve, the public racists Sunil Handunetty and, Champika, …… have been making unhelpful undiplomatic statements against, Hindia and Modi. Those who oppose Adani’s investment in this country should first find a way to feed its people three meals a day, find petrol to move the country, .. manufacture sufficient quality medicine (as Channa promised) to treat the sick, … milk for the children.
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old codger / June 19, 2022
Native,
“Is Government Unknowingly Driving The Country To A Great Depression?”
A non-sequitur if ever there was one. Where has this professor of maths been living?
“Since the pandemic, there has been lock-downs and other ways that promoted laziness of people and they got comfortable with it because Sri Lankans prefer to have the time of their lives”
It has been that way since 1948. We were living on borrowed money and time. We started a war with borrowed money. We discriminated against the most productive segments of the population, and promoted idling clerics. We sneered at neighbours whose airports, highways, and toilets were not up to our standards. Now we beg from the same neighbours.
The only real solution is an economic union with India. Aren’t there any Kandyan chiefs around who are willing to sign over the country to Modi? Or Hasina?
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Native Vedda / June 20, 2022
old codger
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“We sneered at neighbours whose airports, highways, and toilets were not up to our standards. Now we beg from the same neighbours.”
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Is it because our minds are polluted by our own thoughts, smellier than neighbour’s bog?
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Nathan / June 18, 2022
Kushani De Silva,
“When we cannot find food in the near future, they might release a gazette asking people to sleep for 24 hours without wasting energy, so we do not need to eat”.
You have a funny sense of humour!
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RBH59 / June 18, 2022
Is Government Unknowingly Driving the Country To A Great Depression
The new last year that the country is driving to depression, but 225 did nothing. None had the powering Economic forecasts must be revised when new information arrives and are thus necessarily provisional.
There is no insight even know no enthusiastic energy to feel choose for positive outcome.
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nimal fernando / June 18, 2022
“Driving The Country To A Great Depression?”
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Driving?
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What do you call what we are in now? ……… Can a depression be any greater than this?
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Only Lankans can create depressions like these …….. and only Lankans can write “academically” about them! :))
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Greetings from Budva.
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Sinhala_Man / June 18, 2022
So, nimal,
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You’ve crossed over from Slovenia to Montenegro. These were all parts of Tito’s Yugoslavia. Doing well?
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I’ve been googling those towns you’ve been to.
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I’m happy that you’re showing these places to your kids. I’ll be even happier if they settle voluntarily in your Bindunuwewa house some day when we are rid of all the Rajapaksas, and when those who have some authority regain their backbones. I won’t be alive.
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Things get worse with every passing day here. If one wants to get any where now, it has to be on foot. So, even here, one has to look for food (of which much is still produced in this area, but how does one contact the farmer?) Electricity and phones are still O.K.
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The local JVP guy is a graduate (External) betel-chewing teacher of Geography who does a lot of vegetable cultivation. I don’t think that guys like you can even imagine the lives these these people lead!
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Native Vedda / June 18, 2022
nimal fernando
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How are you?
While you are in Montenegro please explore the possibility of exporting 70,000 Saffron Thugs, 350,000 members of armed forces, 80,000 members of police, about 220 crooked MPs, … an estimated 100,000 crooked ***** carriers, 1 million state functionaries (good for nothing fellows), and too many smart patriots, ….. from Sri Lanka.
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As a complement we can throw in SJ with the lot.
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Government has decided to get rid of few people (except crooks) few state functionaries by granting them holidays before IMF enforce conditionality.
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Have a good time.
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a14455 / June 18, 2022
As you yourself said there is an overreliance on the government. Why not look after yourself and do what needs to be done.
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Naman / June 18, 2022
Hopefully, JVP-NPP + SJB + TNA + Mano G+ Upcountry Tamils join in a truly National Unity Government for the next 12 months only.During this Interim GoSL, a New Constitution for the country will be passed by Public REFERENDUM. This will be followed by the Parliamentary +/- Presidential elections that will be conducted by an impartial & an independent ELECTION COMMISSION.
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hanchopancha / June 18, 2022
The main reason for this disaster Srilanka is facing is due to the over supply of geniuses like you and the rest of the ilk. When the Republic of Singapore got founded the only source of income the state earned was derived from Keppel Shipyard, Sembawang Shipyard and the money Britain spent to maintain its Far East Fleet Logistics by the up keep of the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force. In contrast when the Great Britain handed Srilanka (Ceylon) to the Singhalese it was done on a Golden Platter. The Administration, Pubic Services and the Infrastructure was in tiptop shape and envy of the world with a vibrant economy. Let glory be to the Singhalese intelligentsia the country has sunk below the poverty level. All the Srilankans except the Rajapakshe elite are forced to fight back pangs of hunger. In retrospect one might wonder, if people had the hindsight to make Late Mr. Velupillai Prabhakan the President of Srilanka instead of Mahinda Rajapakshe we could have easily prevented ourselves from this catastrophe.
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hanchopancha / June 19, 2022
To add a footnote to my above comment the ingenuity of the Singaporeans who had their roots in Jaffana was a significant asset for what Singapore is today, an economic success commanding the respect of the whole world providing a decent livelihood for many Srilankans.
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Ajith / June 18, 2022
The realiity is there is no government at this moment. Opportunistics politicians, particularly President and Prime Minister playing games with the people’s poverty while enjoying completely destroying this country. The fact is they brought the economy and resources down to zero and chaeting the petrol is coming tomorrow, diesel is coming tomorrow, dolllars are dropping from the moon. The fact is debt is increasing and soverignity is decreasing but they are not moving out from their chair.
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Captain Morgan / June 18, 2022
For the past couple of weeks I have been watching on news the clashes and scuffles that break out between desperate people waiting in queues for hours on end and thereby forced into confrontational situations, due to no fault of theirs. The police of course, do their part by shoving women roughly and assaulting men who are waiting in queues without food or sleep for long periods. Though I am a tough guy, I feel saddened and deeply distressed after seeing these disturbing scenes.
I am saying that if our President has even one microgram of self-respect, he will resign from his post and go home, because ultimately he must take responsibility for all these unpleasant happenings. But he will not do that because he is a psychopathic individual. Maithripala Sirisena, the president previously, declared once that if he is forced out he will “set fire to everything” before he goes. He was not given enough time to accomplish that task though. However, we can be sure that the incumbent president will deliver on that promise on behalf of MS.
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Jit / June 18, 2022
What are you even talking about!! Sri Lanka is IN RECEIVERSHIP!!! BANKRUPTCY!!!
Not recession!
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Thiru / June 18, 2022
“Aren’t leaders supposed to have a long-term vision?”
Yes, the Sinhalese leaders of the country, since they are the majority, from 1948 have a long-term vision: To make the country Sinhalese-Buddhist at all costs; and it is executed even today with vigor.
Sinhala only, means no meritocracy or equality in employment or education.
Buddhism is given the foremost place pampering the Buddhist bhikku hierarchy and wasting money on racists who so hatred towards the ethnic/religious minorities.
Equality, meritocracy, efficient corruption-free public administration that existed at 1948 were jettisoned with the leaders’ long term vision of Sinhala-Buddhist supremacy over the island.
They borrowed money to the hilt and fought the Tamil’s fight for their rights and won the war to devastate the country. If they amicably settled the political problems with the Tamils, the country could have been prosperous now.
What the Sinhalese leaders and the Sinhalese society sowed in 74 years, they are reaping today dragging down the Tamils also with them.
Sinhalese-Buddhist hubris will not have it any another way. Pride comes before the fall, how true in Sri Lanka’s case!
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Eagle Eye / June 19, 2022
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Eagle Eye / June 19, 2022
This comment was removed by a moderator because it didn’t abide by our Comment policy.
For more detail see our Comment policy https://www.colombotelegraph.com/index.php/comments-policy-2
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Lester / June 21, 2022
“Sinhalese-Buddhist hubris will not have it any another way. Pride comes before the fall, how true in Sri Lanka’s case!”
Sinhala-Buddhism or whatever you call it triumphed at Nanthikadal. Hundreds of millions in Tamil Diaspora money wiped away in an instant. I have made some bad investments in my life, but I have never contributed to a fake freedom struggle centered around an overweight psychopath and suicide terrorism. Talk about hubris… terror buggers came out with white flags, expecting SLA to relent.
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Humble / June 18, 2022
Is Government Unknowingly Driving The Country To A Great Depression?
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They are doing it deliberately.
It is a part of the freakmason agenda.
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ramona therese fernando / June 18, 2022
Temporary to ling-term country rationing procedures :
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1. Gov. mass produces food (as this saves on gas and other cooking fuel) and people pay a nominal amount for it…free for those who can’t pay. Food is distributed to homes to avoid transportation costs and long queues.
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2. Fuel bowers with gauges travel around filling vehicles instead of vehicles travelling distances and waiting in queues (where they have to keep ignition on, or stop or start ignition everytime they move a short distance up the queue).
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3. Any vehicles on road to hold 5 persons and over. Big fine if not.
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4. Bullocks carts for short distance travel.
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5. Work-place living quarters during work-week…even for school children in schools. Places of worship and local hotels to be used as living quarters. Gov. to subsidize them, and people pay a nominal fee.
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6. Mass public transporation of course.
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7. Those that can work via internet to do so of course.
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Desperate times; desperate measures. Kick out or eliminate gov. and install JVP to facilitate socialized procedures to uplift economy.
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ramona therese fernando / June 18, 2022
Temporary to long*-term country rationing procedures
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Indi / June 19, 2022
The best comment Thiru:
“Sinhalese-Buddhist hubris will not have it any another way. Pride comes before the fall, how true in Sri Lanka’s case!”
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Indi / June 19, 2022
The best comment Thiru:
“Sinhalese-Buddhist hubris will not have it any another way. Pride comes before the fall, how true in Sri Lanka’s case!”
It has begun: let’s hope and pray that the free-fall will be curtailed by some shock treatment.
Till we think as a nation, together, doing our bit to cut down on unnecessary , useless investments and bring in immediate short term projects to increase food production locally, ensure food security, easy and accessible transport and a equally easy and efficient service oriented health and education, specially to the most vulnerable it will take a very very long time to pull ourselves out of this situation.
Let’s stop the blame game and pull ourselves together, do our bit, in whatever way we can to help each other rise out of this hole that we have pulled ourselves into.
It’s not just the politicians, we voted them in and we tolerated their corruption. Why did we vote so? For some sort of personal gain- social, racial, religious or otherwise. We need to change too; think together, look at the other, respect the other and do our bit to serve the other in our midst.
We need to change our self-centered ethos and way of life and think of the other, our neighbor, our local society and the country at large.
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Lester / June 21, 2022
Those who play the stock market know that the best time to invest is not at the top, but at the bottom, when all are panicking. The legendary Buffet says, “buy when there is blood on the streets.” Similarly, Sri Lankans can make small investments to improve their own welfare, in lieu of better days. The author mentions home gardens. These are cheap and inexpensive. They don’t require any chemical fertilizer. Rice is not essential or necessarily healthy due to the high concentration of starch. Regarding homeschooling, here too, there is potential. One does not need fancy equipment to learn maths or theoretical physics.
Next, let us think about depopulation. People who want to go abroad should be given visas. After Independence, some governments had plans to colonize the North and East to maximize the productive output. Unfortunately, these plans were curtailed due to suicide terrorism. When you have too many people with little in common, they fight over useless ideologies.
Finally, investment must be made in the future economy, which cannot rely entirely on tourism and foreign remittances. Important investments must be made to attract FDI as well as reform of the educational system.
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