19 March, 2024

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The Dollar Myth: Selling Young Women & Sacrificing Children

By Harendra De Silva

Vidyajyothi Prof. Harendra de Silva

Yes, dollars are important for our reserves! Yet without addressing root causes but focusing narrowly on earning $$ is probably the mindset of a gambler! The recent supposed cabinet decision of the government to allow mothers of young children to go abroad and slave for the mirage of dollars, sends shivers down my spine. This is an intention of a pre-emptive strike before it is formally approved! I hope the Family Health Bureau, UNICEF and WHO joins in the protest without being diplomatically passive. Aiyo! Minister Sir! Your cabinet paper has given a දෙකේ පන්තියේ (grade 2) question paper to justify the absurd cabinet paper!

As a paediatrician for 40 years, and even having treated children of members of parliament and some members themselves; as well as the founder Chairman of the National Child Protection Authority and the Chairman of the Presidential Task Force on Child Protection, I have seen through the huge social, psychological and health impact on children and young women on one hand as opposed to a few fistful dollars on the other!

We need to address the huge impact on the family in the absence of the mother from the household, especially during the formative years in childhood! It is well recognized that most of the behaviour traits of adults are imbibed during childhood. A well-documented behaviour is: childhood abuse of all sorts including physical, emotional and sexual abuse often leads to abusive conduct or becoming a passive victim in adulthood. For example, some of those children sexually abused in childhood may become abusers as adults, some others would continue to be victims without resistance while others would become promiscuous. Of course, although a majority are emotionally affected not all have behavioral changes. Those who have faced emotional or physical violence are more likely to behave in the same way as adults or as parents. Hence the reason why paediatricians and psychologists advocate a non-violent childhood. The mother is the most important first layer of protection to prevent a child being traumatized! I know, the economic pundits crazy of dollars would clinch this statement and cry out; “the mother is the first sources of trauma!” Remember it is a mother in her childhood who has faced trauma that may be violent to the child. Although it may be so in some instances, in a majority of instances the maternal instinct protects the child. It is the father who is more likely to be violent, considering the fact that he in his childhood was more likely to have faced violence than the mother. A violent alcoholic or drug addict father to look after a young child without any doubt will affect the next generation. At the same time imagine the extent of exploitation and abuse of many dimensions the young inexperienced mother would face in an unfamiliar environment!

In your Cabinet paper you firstly, quote international standards of women’s rights to opt to work. As far as I know all international women’s rights groups are concerned of young women going for domestic employment in the Middle East.

Taking the first reason: has the UN protested? If so, what is the reference? Are you trying to hoodwink the people and the UN by quoting a mysterious ghost concept? Does the UN state anywhere that women’s rights override making children at risk of abuse and neglect??  Secondly, you quote fraudulent papers and illicit travel by women as a reason to abolish this circular! On this excuse, let me ask you that it isn’t it your own officers who produce fraudulent papers? Isn’t it your mandate to stop this corruption? Isn’t the corruption by your officers a trickle-down effect of your own corruption? Without correcting your fault, you are going to throttle children and young women with an illusion of a pot of $ at the end of the rainbow!! Enough is enough! Instead of professional decisions, the cabinet and minister are trying to take pavement hawker decisions. With apologies to hawkers who would understand better!

In short, thousands of children and women would be at risk of abuse and neglect if you go through this decision. my plea is to look at the next generation and not look cross eyed narrowly at Petro-dollars!

Again, let me tell you that you still will not get your dollars since the undiyal system will continue unless other measures are taken. 

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Latest comments

  • 5
    1

    It is a timely reminder to the GoSL about the mothers who go abroad for the ‘house hold helper’ jobs. It is the Government’s DUTY to check up on [ how their children going to be cared for] each and every mothers who are trying to find jobs abroad.
    I would like to bring to the attention of the article, the problem of Narcotic & alcoholic addiction in adults that affects their children. In the North and East this problem had got worse after 2009. There are politicians & defence forces involved in promoting this dangerous addiction. When you DON’T have a really “GOOD GOVERNANCE” GoSL, the country will never be a safe healthy place to live in.

  • 8
    1

    Why cannot Rajapaksas and families go abroad and send all the dollars earned before and now and future to mother lanka?

    • 3
      0

      Ajith, Rajas are not able to do jobs and earn money for their expenses. So they are forced by these circumstances to rob the nation and if obstructed legally, will commit murder. If they give back the robbed dollars, they will be beggars, and not the kings they pretend to be.

  • 8
    0

    “….Selling Young Women & Sacrificing Children….”

    What is new here…Harendra??? This is how it had been happening since 1977?? This is how SL got its coffers filled up…….well……up until 2019!

    A typical denying, stupid nation…..no clue where the money to run the daily economy came from….
    Just believing a century old myth that තේ, පොල්, රබර් gave them the dollars from heaven to feed them…………

    When will the truth be told to them if …ever….????

    • 5
      0

      Bro Jit, you and I know it very well, that srilankens in general dont respect truths. All because media fraudsters mislead the public for their commercial agains.
      .
      Besides, truths are being not be respected by srilanken main stream media.I raised this several times by asking SIRASA, they dont care about such questions either.

      To everyone s eye, Sirasa TV might be revealing little bit more, but it is still below – the satisfactory level.
      Now SIRASA for some hidden reasons seem to have realized to work with senior lawyer, Nagananda Kodithuawakku. I am not a fan of NK, because, he makes every effort to be super correct. Sometimes not knowing the true nature of our people. It is wrong him to expect or compare it with that of europe. But he has been doing it again and again. NK too is not appropriate enough to realize – the need of the hour.

      FACT – srilanka is caught by a PRESIDENCY – President being an adamant, heartless, stupid, uneducated bastard.This was public secret long before he illegally became presidential candidate.
      It will take years if he would ever realize the pulse of the people.

      • 3
        0

        Agree LM! But the sordid fact is even SIRASA had been playing with their crude agendas since their inception. I don’t like RW at all but the continuous attack on him was far from fairness. Ranil never got a fair deal from SIRASA as Kiley had a venomous vengeance on him. Is it any different to what Derana and Hiru doing? Not at all. The only difference is they all do boot licking on this fella or that fella. In Sri Lanka, so much so for the ‘4th estate’….my foot!!

    • 3
      0

      Jit,…..yes, so correct. And I can’t believe these politicians would actually brush aside the significance and sanctity of the mother & child relationship, so essential for human survival, in order to make up for the dollars they gambolled with. There was even one fellow whipping  the suffering and starving citizens by comparing them to the Ethiopians.

      • 2
        0

        Couldn’t agree more RTF, I have had a lot of concern about that torn relationship in our rural societies when the mother left for ‘Dubai’ as the only solution to rural unemployment issue. There were, probably still are, heaps of stories where fathers vanishing good portion of the money sent on alcohol and even raping their own daughters! It ruined our social fabric to bits! Well, all this is due to utter failures of our politicians to make policies to protect these families socially and economically. While they couldn’t create enough or sustainable level of employment opportunities in the rural sector, they failed in imposing rules and regulations to ban this sordid business. Because it was the second highest dollar remittance to the country for a long while which enabled these politicians to pay for the bills. Only exception was Premadasa who in the 90s tried hard to establish thousands of garment factories in the villages to stop women leaving their families, although I do not condone most of his politics.

  • 7
    1

    The author should advise Sinhalese men to go to places like Singapore where tens of thousands of Bangladeshi, Thai and Indian men are employed in construction work.

    This way they can let the women look after the children back home.

    Sinhalese men are like the Filipino men who send the women to work abroad as domestic maids, and stay home to enjoy life.

    What has happened to Sinhalese Buddhist pride?

    • 5
      1

      Thiru

      Can you find construction work in Singapore for 360,000, + 70,000 + 225 + 1 + 6,900,000 people, for the time being?

    • 3
      2

      T
      “Sinhalese men are like the Filipino men who send the women to work abroad as domestic maids, and stay home to enjoy life.”
      *
      “According to the 2012 Annual Statistics of the Sri Lanka Bureau of Foreign Employment, approximately 1.8 million Sri Lankans are working abroad of which 51% are men and 49% are women.”
      During the last 10 years, the share of females among migrant departures has declined from 52% in 2009 to 39% in 2018. (https://www.ips.lk/talkingeconomics/2019/12/18/the-gender-dimension-of-remittances-to-sri-lanka-who-remits-more/)
      That is a welcome change.
      More Hill Country Tamil women work abroad than Jaffna Tamil women— Is there a moral to this story?
      *
      Examine carefully why certain communities send more women abroad to work than other communities.
      *
      Do some homework before you shoot from the hip.

  • 6
    3

    Did this Vidyajyothi protest when tens of thousands of Tamils – old men , women and children were massacred en masse near the end of the war in Mullivaakkaal?

    Sinhalese intellectuals, politicians, and the society in general have compartmentalized ethics. If the society and the rulers for 74 years, and still ongoing, don’t consider ethics when it comes to Tamils, it is a matter of time the Sinhalese will face the music, as they do now.

  • 4
    3

    So true Dr. De Silva. Its time for Sri Lanka to dump the “exorbitantly privileged” US dollar!
    Lanka needs to buy oil from Russia in exchange for tea – or exchange Green Gold for Black Gold. The US dollar is Fiat money, not backed by gold or oil or anything of value and will crash soon. However , Sri Lankans are Guinea Pigs of the US backed soft Military Dictatorship of US citizen Gotabaya and US puppet Bondscam Ranil and the Great Game in the Indian Ocean Region. Lankans are also guinea pigs in the US proxy war on China and Russia in the Indian Ocean – and this is why the ships with Russian oil never come and Aeroflot Airlines flights are stopped!
    The Dollar shortage and petrol shortage is STAGED to turn Lanka into a QUAD military base to Fight Russia and China in the Indian Ocean.
    Meanwhile the IMF bails out the Vulture Funds and ISB traders!

  • 3
    1

    “Yes, dollars are important for our reserves!”


    What is important/required now …….. is not dollars ……. but violence.

    None of you understand the significance of ………. April 9th ……… and its aftermath.

    • 3
      1

      nimal fernando

      “What is important/required now …….. is not dollars ……. but violence.”

      By any chance you are VP’s right hand man and the executioner Pottu Amman or his reincarnation?
      We have no confirmation of Pottu Amman and VP’s wife Mthivathani.

      • 3
        1

        nimal fernando

        We have no confirmation of deaths of Pottu Amman and VP’s wife Mthivathani.

        • 2
          0

          “violence”

          Just checking if you were awake! :))

    • 1
      0

      NF,
      .
      Dollars are important for our reserves ! yes, we the expats see it like that, but do you seriously think that locals would see it like that ?
      :
      Whole lot of people stay mum yet today ? Not because they dont feel the gravity of the problems, but they are brainwashed by srilanken main stream media. The crime being made by MEDIA is not to underestimate. They are the ones who brought MEDAMULANA animals back to rule. Also Pingutththayas (not good monks but Ghanasara or the like fake monks) spearheaded Rajapakshe election campaign.
      :
      what goes around comes around !
      .
      May 9th is just another rioting day for them. Listen to those who join to voice cuts today. Most of them have the basic knowledge about the situation.
      :
      To me, if my eyes could believe, that Mahinda Rajapakshe be hung by his balls for his provocative speech made infront of those stupid crowds on the 9th May, then I would start respecting srilanken justic system.
      :

      • 2
        0

        LM,

        If I’m not mistaken, one time, there was a tax at the airport, on the money brought in by the middle-east workers …… 6% or so ……

        That’s how much our pols/government cared for these workers ……. now the government is in trouble, wants them to send their money at an artificially lowered rate ……..

        A lot of these scum of the earth pols need to be whipped ………. violence is the only language they understand ……. nothing else works.

        9th of April changed a lot of things …….. many still do not see it ……….

        • 1
          0

          9th of May.

  • 5
    0

    Dear Vidyajyothi Prof. Harendra de Silva
    My sincere thanks for your valuable article in support of our women & children. Not many in the highest social status in Sri Lanka have the heart to care. Politicians are not at all educated to care.
    Before sharing my thoughts on the matter, a rare note of thanks to US President Mr. Joe Biden for opening the eyes of misogynist rulers in Sri Lanka. Sri Lankan men, male rulers/politicians have an ingrained prejudice against women in Sri Lanka. At a time Sri Lankan women were regarded as a commodity that can easily be saleable for dollars, the US has allocated US$20 million in support of a school nutrition programme and a programme to issue food vouchers to pregnant and lactating women in Sri Lanka for the next 15 months. I am not talking about the money which is approximately SLRS. 7billion. I am talking about the kind gesture, the thought and concern that prompted them to allocate this money for our women & children. Since 2020, the misogynist rulers have printed more than 6 trillion = 6000 billion Rupees. They could have easily allocated Rs. 7 billion for women and children. But they didn’t.

    • 2
      0

      Champa,
      .
      how come you finally came with a good and timeworthy comment ? You are fully right about the women and children in our home country.
      Btw, Is there someone behind you help widening your eyes these days ?
      :
      It is srilanken media that can still change our society. If they did the job being unbiased, but close to the public, things would have worked positive for rebuilding the nation. Rajapakshes could start rebuilding the nation immediately after so called war victory was claimed, however, their interests were more into their selfish gains. Today entire nation has to suffer just becasue stupid 69 lacks of people were misled by FAKE monks and sinhala racists.
      .
      Hisaradheta kotte maaru kala wagei (හිසරදේට කොට්ටේ මාරුකලා වගෙයි) Like changing pillows to get rid of a head-ache. One should try to fix a problem by finding its actual cause.

      For some reasons, whole lot of educated professionals keep away from their long slumber. If not today, when ? That is why I too feel the current article of Prof. De silva is an excellent match.

  • 4
    0

    Professor Handinda de Silva has already pointed out the major psychological and social impact of the government decision to sell young women for dollars. The mass women migration was the main reason for the grand collapse of our society. The President and his government should be ashamed of even making this suggestion. As we all remember, in 2020 and 2021, this same President bluntly refused to bring down women migrant workers who were stranded in Middle Eastern countries due to Covid 19. Several Middle Eastern governments offered concessions to our workers and even arranged air passages for them. But not the Sri Lankan President. Instead, he allowed his buddy Nissanka Senadhipathy’s newly formed company to rip-off migrant workers. I remember one returning migrant worker cried that she had to pay Rs. 200K for a one-way ticket from the Middle East. Some other stranded women had to even sell their souls there to buy air tickets. The same President who ill-treated migrant women who sent dollars to Sri Lanka for decades now even changed protective migrant labour laws to sell another set of women for dollars.
    I want to see a future leader who would completely ban women slave trade.

  • 1
    1

    The children have also been AFFECTED by Drug and alcohol addiction of their parents. Because of collusion of politicians/security forces /drug barons illegal narcotic Business is THRIVING in SL…especialy in the North and East of the country..
    What is the opinion of the Professor on the above issue

  • 3
    1

    Thanks, Prof. Harendra de Silva, for focussing on this bit of callousness. We could argue that an adult woman can make decisions for herself; it is the timing of this talk that matters. Instead of handing over the running of the country to a credible government, Gota, Ranil and Dhammika Perera will tear apart the entire fabric of our society.
    .
    I’ve just made a comment below an article by another, younger, Professor, whom I have met once:
    .
    https://www.colombotelegraph.com/index.php/mission-impossible/
    .
    I had to stand an operation; the condition of my heart had to be checked. I was sure there was nothing wrong with it, but we have developed systems for treatment. So, I channeled Dr Constantine, and he, serious and busy as he was, got talking to me. Many wondrous things were done to me. I was given my report, but Dr NRC, called for some other papers, and scribbled something.
    .
    He then proceeded to reimburse some of the money that I had paid the cashier; his share of the channeling fee, not that of the hospital.
    .
    On this site, we usually say rude things about clergy, but isn’t this a perfect statement?
    .
    https://www.newsfirst.lk/2022/07/01/pass-22a-mahanayake-theros-send-10-point-letter-to-president/

  • 3
    1

    What a patriotic his siblings in USA (not from their metri but “vasanawa “program) he doesnt wants to loose his US citizenship he.knows very well the pending thugery cases he has no way he can touch in US so he he wants to retain his US passport.family built an air port for themselves and own jet too,what happened to the LTTE ships money gold etc
    Education gone now telling the young boys to go and work in Korea,Romania etc also ask the old and young women to go and work in the ME in terrible conditions.
    But meantime it may be good time to have car racing not nights though more perfect for days right now no congestion most of the vechials are not on the road they all along with 3whhles and 2 wheels on the pavement.need some entrainment why am saying this is we had it with air bombers shellings atrocities and we had bunkers of our own houses to protect of our own lives from our “Rajavirous “.
    We asked for separation “why”
    In Tamil saying “kurangu inda Kayila poomalai “(given garland to monkey’s hand)70 odd years with 2500…
    This creatures are very good under invaders Indiana kings along with shiny relegion then came ……De Silva, Collin Soloman …mix blood turn to be lion blood brought every one to strret regardless young and the elderly sadly people died on the queues

  • 4
    1

    Am not fan of Velu but he had the price he didn’t go alnoe he took thouasads with him same as these lot.

    People like HDML EE still exist in this mordern age and holding white man puss port and living on the comfortable pension regardless same RIGHT
    Burning the library the pasta factory Aluthgama….trumaside the Dr Shaffie he donated his dues not sueing what a great man.

  • 5
    0

    RAKSHAPAKSES have made sinhalas not better know for tea BUT for being toilet cleaners.

    • 2
      0

      GUS,
      .
      Not only Rajapakshes, but also TAMIL leaders too shared their part. Yet today that Dewananda or the like would not surive without Rajapakshes.
      Look at the other men from nothern soil – I mean KP, Pullean and the like your beloved men.
      :
      This is the reason why I dont want many to start pointing them at SRILANKENs.

      Btw if you would come to Zurich and several other places in Europe, not only Sinhalayas (you are right though sinhalayas are busy in that business in ME countries) but also whole lot of srilanken tamils keep busy as garbage collectors

  • 5
    0

    My view is that the RAKSHAPAKSES were merely a terrorist firm with a prime motive to defeat their competitors being the LTTE (similar to the LTTE defeating their competitors) and then control sinhala land and loot and destroy sinhala land themselves (which were not objectives of the LTTE). The RAKSHAPAKSES are greater terrorists than the LTTE because the RAKSHAPAKSES have no morals whatseover.

  • 2
    0

    why are people leaving sri lanka to do such menial jobs abroad?poverty i suppose.So how do we get rid of poverty?Make sri lanka into Ceylon again.In Ceylon there was no poverty.Why was there no poverty in Ceylon.We were governed by people who were born to rule.Now we are governed by people who are born to be ruled.Why on’t we get rid of the parliament,elections etc and just may an annual fee to the best abroad to come and govern us.We have shown that we are not capable of governing ourselves.

    • 1
      2

      “Make sri lanka into Ceylon again.”
      Bring back the British monarchy and the white sahebs to the plantations.
      *
      Check on what happened during the great depression in Ceylon.
      You can be more intelligent.

      • 0
        0

        sj

        not at all.Times have changed now but we can look at foreign human resources to manage and govern our country by using foreign advisors on contract basis to train our people in the latest systems of management.Get rid of your foreign phobia.

  • 2
    1

    oldcodger
    There was another video from the Ukraine side which is fake. What surprised me was the unusually large number of people in social media who came forward to point out the discrepancies on the story of the Ukraine side.
    Another development is, more people have now come to know the predicament of Donbass people under the Ukrainian government. Mr. Putin, his military, DPR forces and Kadyrov’s warriors who are known not only for their fighting spirit, but also their humanity, are trying their best to give Donbass citizens the good life they deserve. One woman said they don’t have males in their families any more as all were killed and asked Russian soldiers, crying, why they took so long to come.
    With all the sanctions, NATO’s unjustifiable eastward expansion and constant crisis created by the US and Britain between Russia and its good neighbouring countries, Mr. Putin’s mission to protect Russians on both sides is incredibly admirable.
    One strange thought came to my mind today. When everything is back to normal, I want Mr. Putin to have a religious mass in Donbass (and other places) for the spirits of ALL who were dead.
    I wish there was a better

    • 0
      2

      Oh, this has to be posted somewhere else. Sorry.

      • 0
        3

        C
        Do not worry
        You will not be missed.

        • 1
          0

          SJ,
          So supportive of you.

    • 2
      1

      Champa,
      .
      Here again, you would not stop praising your PUTIN. Btw what is the latest regarding the mission sent to Russia lately. There are rumours, that it was just another big lie. Not a single person has made an appointment with Putin for SLGO yet today.
      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eo_Xla4yO9g
      .

  • 3
    0

    The Dollar Myth: Selling Young Women & Sacrificing Children

    A product of my circumstances. The minister first announcement is to bring dollars and get the benefit the foreign workers have more grievance to address and no counter are opened to address the grievance and to set a procedure to solve. What is the working condition? How can you make sure the dollars that is sent whom will command them as done before the target bounce to benefit as done before. The mister said the shipment petrol comming and end he saying not coming when the promised date is approching visibile default

  • 3
    0

    The SILENCE of the so called EDUCATED Singhalese during the
    7 Decades following the INDEPENDENCE, when the GoSL actively targeted to deprive the minorities of their HUMAN RIGHTS
    has resulted in the current worsening situation. Getting out of it, REQUIRES a New Consultation that is suitable to the Tamil Speaking population in SL and abroad

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