SEEING RED IN GREENER PASTURES

Two hours to midnight January 13,2014.

Colombo bound  ‘Red-eye’ flight from a Gulf state is on the runway.

Among the full compliment of international passengers were many Sri Lankan female migrant workers.

The plane was readied for take off, belts buckled up, cell phones, ipads and laptops powered off, seats held upright, lights dimmed and cabin doors closed.

The pregnant silence that ensued was suddenly broken with an ear-splitting shriek in Sinhala:

“ Take me off this plane. I want to get off. I don’t wish to fly “ screamed a young woman in her mid-twenties. She stood at the middle of the aisle in animated exasperation.

Fellow workers identified her as a compatriot returning home after a stint in Beirut.

Concerned cabin crew rushed to calm her down, but in vain.  She went ballistic, blurting out disjointed sentences: ‘ I want .Money , Money, …. Salary…..” etc.

When the hyperventilating lady entreated other passengers also to get off the plane thus causing a slight panic, the airport security staff moved in politely to escort her out of the aircraft.

The flight took off and landed in Colombo safely, one hour behind schedule.

The vexatious episode initially reminded me of Mr. T  of the eighties Telly drama ‘ A-team ‘ who had to be sedated into an aircraft due to his fear of flying.

But Pteromerhanophobia (fear of flying that is) may not have been the case here as the lady had already flown out when she went for employment abroad.

Understandably like many migrant workers in the Middle East she may have been a victim of a stress, depression and anguish, which could have triggered off a confused state of fright.

Sadly, she is one of the precious migrants who help earn billions of dollars to boost Sri Lanka’s coffers.

At the last count wasn’t it US$ 7 billion in 2013?

 It is a paradox.

This rather disquieting little interlude on that night flight sheds light on a much larger syndrome.

The plight of domestic workers in the Middle East is nothing new. Nobody is unaware about it.

For instance thirty years and one week to the day the once dominant but now defunct SUN newspaper editorialized their plight under the headline “ Arabian Nightmares’. (See Flashback clip).

The editorial followed the death of Chandrawathi a domestic worker who leapt to her death from a multi story complex in Kuwait.

Citing a plethora of horrifying incidents of violence, trafficking and abuse the SUN urged the authorities to set things right and seek resolution to this detestable situation.

Needless to say, successive regimes have taken some praiseworthy steps down the years. But their best has not been good enough.

If laws and regulations as well as enforcement were in good stead, underaged worker Rizana Nafeek would not have been beheaded. The crooked traffickers who fudged her real age must hang their heads in shame.

If labour agreements enshrining worker rights were mutually negotiated with host countries, L.P. Ariyawathie would not have had 24 steel nails skewered to into her body by a ruthless employer who makes Marquis De Sade look a mere naughty novice.

While Sri Lanka reaps benefits by way of remittances that help boost its GDP,  host countries are bigger beneficiaries with the cheap labour.

Domestic migrant workers are typically poor and economically destitute. Lured by fancy promises they seek greener pastures. They are innocently oblivious to the horrendous conditions that await them. Some come unscathed and some are lucky too with ethical, decent and honest employers. But they are just handful. Others grin and bear the suffering for a pittance they earn that is still better that what they could get back home.

They are ready to forego their dignity, leave alone access to justice. Except for a few concerned groups of rights advocates, the political will to make decisive changes in the migrant labour market and improve the lot of workers during the past three decades have been lackluster if not gossamer thin.

Poor women in quest of illusive fortunes while escaping poverty at home, invariably fall easy prey to traffickers posing off as local agents who operate hand in glove with crooked foreigners.

These workers are absolutely ignorant of rules and regulations that await them in host countries. There have been instances in the past when vulnerable women were lured into jobs that never existed. Some were forced into veritable slavery. Regular reports in the local media have cited instances of physical, mental and sexual abuse  they suffer.

In recent times the Foreign Employment Bureau has stepped in to educate, advise and train prospective workers in a bid to minimize exploitation. That is a step in the right direction. But it would also be good if the workers and their families they leave behind were closely monitored at village level to eliminate the various social ills and deprivations that follow migration.

The recently concluded labour agreement with Saudi Arabia is timely and laudable as it could provide certain important safeguards to migrant workers.

One of the main sources that facilitate worker exploitation in the Middle East is what is known as ‘Kafala’ system that exists in the Middle East.  It’s a legal  ‘sponsorship’ facility whereby the sponsor could  ‘own’ the worker; being responsible for visas and every legal status of the employee including her wages.

The sponsor could also transfer the worker to anyone under this scheme. Arguably it facilitates human trafficking.

It is globally decried as being ultra vires international labour laws, and against a pertinent provision in the Universal Human Rights Declaration.

Two years ago Bahrain was liberal enough to get rid of this system while Kuwait is reportedly contemplating in doing so. Hopefully others will follow suit.

Yet, with an age-old psyche and culture of enslavement that  prevails, change seems to be rather slow in coming.

Beyond the reef…lies doom

The many splendoured coral reefs are under serious threat.

Already over half of the earth’s fabled reefs indisputably known as the ‘rainforests of the ocean’ have been destroyed . In the the past three decades that is.

The risk of losing this most bio-diverse ecosystem that took  millions of years to evolve is imminent.

The miserably loud sound of silence, politically charged denials and deliberate inertia over this clear and present danger have contributed to the fait accompli.

Al Gore was spot on about the ‘Inconvenient Truth’.

Concerned scientists and avowed environmentalists continue to encounter commercial buccaneers, political spin doctors and other sundry skeptics of vested interests in world fora to stem the rot.

The naysayers, ‘ Doubting Thomases’ and blatant denialists  confront the greens arguing that global warming is hardly man-made, scientific proof notwithstanding.

It appears to be an obvious excuse to continue the status quo.

Meanwhile scientists warn that coral reefs are in an unprecedented state of decline due to climate change and a multitude of other man-made adversities like pollution, acidification and incidence of over-harvesting.

These warnings get literally lost at sea , simply because the crisis looms underwater, beyond visibility.

 Presumably only one percent of humankind are able see coral reefs in their lifetime.

 ‘Out of sight, out of mind’ could be the reason for subdued responses. Yet, the real dangers loom beyond the reef.

General apathy, inertia and indifference to environmental protection have already led to disastrous consequences.

Take for instance the horrendous impact of the Tsunami 2004 had on coastal southern Sri Lanka.

Collateral damage by strip mining coral reefs down the years was singled out by experts as one of the main reasons that the Tsunami left behind such aggravated damage to life and property.

Prior to that very little or almost nothing was done to stop the rot when coral harvesters carried on with their crowbars and shovels to rake in quick riches as they pulverized the protective reefs.

Studies indicate that Sri Lanka’s construction industry accounts for not less than 90 percent of limestone mostly using corals as raw material.

About two decades ago   alongside the southern stretch of the Galle Road close to the tourist belt in Akurala and Hikkaduwa one could see rows of coral kilns burning coral for limestone while spewing out noxious fumes.

Despite laws enacted in recent times, coral mining is still a lucrative pastime in that area.

The kilns have been moved further inland. Yet business seems to be as usual.

Nothing has changed. Monsoonal storms spawning rough seas bereft of a natural reef continue to eat up the ever-dwindling coastline. Roughly six feet of coastline is lost each year by way of erosion.

To remedy the crisis, local authorities dump in boulders and blocks into the sea. Very often these cement blocks may have been  made with the very same corals .

To call this an irony would be an understatement.

Almost twenty years before the Tsunami of 2004, Ibson published an editorial cartoon in the SUN newspaper about the ruthless coral trade in the South making a veritable ‘cri de coeur.’ (See image).

Now that large chunks of the reef have been lost, it is time to save what is left, before it is too late for regrets.

Harvesting coral is only a part of the looming crisis.

Rising ocean temperature, pollution and acidity in water cause corals to bleach. Beautiful coral reefs turn into bizarre greying cemeteries.

The Domino Effect set off by   Carbon Dioxide from fossil fuel emissions and resultant warming of oceans besides acidification ultimately heralds the death knell to corals.

According to modest estimates an average of eight pounds of Carbon Dioxide per person is emitted to the air each day. The gas then finds its way to the ocean with adverse repercussions to corals.

Efforts at global level to turn the tide are still at an embryonic stage. The Kyoto Protocol remains high and dry embroiled in contention.

Unless humankind wakes up from the slumber of vacillation and denial, this glorious parallel universe undersea may be lost forever.

With modern technology at our fingertip these days one can get a quick look at the state of world’s the coral reefs without having to dive underwater.

Coral Reefs are some of the oldest and most diverse super ecosystems that can rival the world’s rainforest systems. Reefs provide the habitat for over 25 percent marine life that comprise over 2 million varied species.

Coral reefs are imperiled, not only because of warming conditions like El Nino which arguably compounds bleaching, but also due to havoc wrought by human predators looking for easy fortunes. Overfishing using unethical methods like blasting with dynamite and cyanide poisoning are other adversities.

Reports have claimed that at least 100 million sharks are killed each year mainly for their fins for the lucrative cuisine industry.

Sharks are said to be a vital part of the food chain that keeps corals alive.

Tiny resource – rich Brunei is the first country in Asia to ban shark fishing. This move in the right direction deserves emulation especially by the nations of the Coral Triangle where three quarters of world’s coral reefs are located.

Candidly referred to as the Amazon of the Sea the Coral Triangle runs across Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines, Timor, Papua New Guinea and Solomon Islands.

The Association of South East Asian Nations  ( Asean) which is playing a crucial role in maritime conservation and protection set up what is called the Coral Triangle Initiative  (CTI) four years ago. This collaborative partnership is being reviewed each year.

Reefs in this Triangle and in the Indian Ocean region are also at the mercy of elements that harvest corals and ornamental fish for the profitable aquarium trade.

Incidents of using cyanide to stun the fish are rampant according to reports. Unless tough local and global measures are initiated, Finding Nemo could well soon be a mission impossible.

Coral reefs provide a surfeit of benefits.  Millions of coastal people depend on it for food and their livelihood. The reef acts as a credible buffer against sea erosion. In recent times corals supply bio-chemicals vital for medicine.

The importance of saving coral reefs from extinction is humankind’s responsibility.

While international entities are still debating over the causes and effects of coral degradation, small nations that value their importance have lost no time in taking bold steps in bringing coral back from the brink.

Seychelles and Dominican Republic have reportedly set up coral nurseries.

With support from the UNDP, a Wildlife Research Trust and the Maalu Maalu resort hotel in Passikudah eastern Sri Lanka initiated an innovative “plant a coral’ program.

Such little efforts could  go a long way in averting an impending doom.

Ibson Cartoon in SUN of 4 July 1985

Exotic corals and fish end up in Aquaria

SPIES, SCRIBES AND SQUEALERS

A few days ago the ubiquitous CIA, keeper of global secrets spilled the beans about that highly classified Area 51.

It was no big deal that sounded more like a damp squib.

Conspiracy theorists down the years may feel truly disappointed.

For, Area 51 was nothing more than a testing ground for Cold War surveillance systems like the U2 Spy program.

No hidden green aliens from Mars in the guarded terrain located in the proximity of the casino wonderland of Las Vegas.

The declassification of Area 51 came at a time when spies and whistleblowers, not to mention snooping scribes were on network headlines. But, for various other contentious reasons.

Wiki-leaks whistleblower   Private Bradley (turned Chelsea the other day) Manning was sent to 35 years in jail convicted under the provisions of the Espionage Act circa 1917.

Another American super-leaker of National Security Agency secrets, Edward Snowden continues to play a sort of bizarre Russian roulette in Moscow making various threats of disclosure despite dire consequences that may follow under the very same law.

Caught in the same cauldron of cloak and dagger are journalists who dared using their constitutional right to publish   secret information leaked by these whistleblowers thus igniting a multitude of controversy over who is right and what is wrong.

Only history will have the answers.

Daniel Ellsberg’s Pentagon Papers that helped end the Vietnam War and Deep Throat a.k.a Mark Felt an ex-FBI agent who was instrumental in exposing the Watergate scandal are still fresh in our memory.

Espionage is nothing new to humankind. It is regarded as the second oldest profession in the world. It was a priceless weapon of choice during the cold war.

Sun Tzu, the ancient Chinese philosopher and a great military strategist in his epic Art of War has said that all warfare is based on deception.

Its relevancy has hardly vanished.  Today cyber-hackers and other digital denizens have replaced cipher coders of a bygone era.

Moles and snitchers of today are unlike dapper 007 with a license to kill. They are geeks in Tees with pen-drives with self-imposed license to squeal.

Tools of cold-war spy craft are currently on show till October 4, at the prestigious Franklin Institute in Philadelphia.

Titled  ‘ SPY – The Secret World of Espionage” provides a vivid cameo of the chilling deception and intrigue linked to the double lives of spies in the recent past.

The exhibits include the ice axe that was used to assassinate Leon Trotsky, Enigma the secret code machine disguised as a typewriter by the communists and the replica of the umbrella used as a ricin gun by a Soviet agent to kill BBC journalist George Markov. (See montage below)

The KGB and its rivals used deceptive weapons and secret eavesdropping devices extensively during the cold war that ended two decades ago  supposedly with the fall of the Berlin Wall. Interestingly one can see a piece of that infamous wall at the Spy exhibition.

Spies have often posed off as journalists, though some scribes have by their own volition worked as spies or double agents.

A classic example is Kim Philby , a highly placed British Intelligence officer who worked as a reporter but was found to be a double agent. He defected to Moscow when things got too hot for him after he was exposed.

Historical claims also point to Ernest Hemingway as a failed Soviet spy when he worked as a foreign correspondent.

Master spy story-teller John Le Carr whose latest thriller  ‘A Delicate Truth”. that also deals with deception and whistle-blowing  once reputedly said;  “ It is easy to forget what intelligence consists of: luck and speculation. Here and there a windfall. Here and there a scoop.”

Journalists sometimes get trapped in the web of deception, where the line between espionage and truth is rather blurred.

The people’s rights to know against authority’s right to conceal, tend to confound them in making editorial decisions.

Ironically the world of secret agents have proliferated a coterie of celluloid heroes in the ilk of James Bond. There seems to be kind of love hate relationship with spies, especially in the field of entertainment, death and destruction at the hands of real life spies notwithstanding.

The current outcry in India among certain sections of the community over the Bollywood movie  “Madras Café” brings into the forefront inherent political intrigue and deceptions that existed in Sri Lanka when Tamil Tiger rebels waged war for a separate state.

Though the filmmakers have denied any close resemblance to events depicted in this political spy thriller, the sequences are said to be too close for comfort.

Bond style spy Vikram Singh played by the producer actor John Abraham is a secret agent from Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), India’s equivalent to CIA.

During the height of ethnic battles in Sri Lanka, the media reported extensively on the involvement of RAW in covert operations.

Reports suggestive of RAW assisting Tigers in guerrilla training have appeared in the local and foreign media.

Just as much as the denials were made about such reports, there were whistle blowers who made credible assertions to journalists.

The RAW connections in Sri Lanka are well documented in international terrorism expert Professor Rohan Gunaratna’s book “Indian Intervention in Sri Lanka”.

Some of the old artifacts on show at the SPY exhibition

Entrance of Franklin Institute Philadelphia the venue of SPY exhibit

John Abraham as RAW secret agent in Madras Cafe with Nargis Fakri as war correspondent

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BETTER LATE THAN NEVER…

Do Not Mess with Nature

Twenty years ago Erin Brokovich an ordinary yet courageous woman with no formal law education fought a relentless legal battle to bring down a powerful California power company accused of polluting the water supply.

It was an epic victory honored later by a series of books and a blockbuster movie.

Fifty years ago Rachel Carson, another valiant woman who grew up in rural Springdale, Pennsylvania opened the eyes of the world to the dangers of indiscriminate use of pesticides in her best seller classic ‘Silent Spring”.

Her veritable voice in the wilderness about the death of songbirds by DDT sprouted  the global environment movement, as we know today.

Moved by her thoughts President John F Kennedy set up a presidential committee to study the adverse effects of DDT. It was later banned.

Taking an obvious cue President Richard Nixon set up the highly prestigious and effective Environment Protection Agency (EPA).

The global green movement, led by its advocates and activists is making headway in saving planet earth from an impending doom.

Many are winners in the North, though some not that lucky in the South, mostly in the developing world where the green message seems to have fallen on deaf ears.

With rather faulty fast-forward politically charged goals on food security and craving for export dollars, the cost by way of death and destruction that follows chemical contamination gets sadly overlooked.

The so called rice belt in North Central Sri Lanka, where the use of agro chemicals have been the order of the day down several decades bears testimony to a calamity needing urgent remedy.

Published data indicates that during the past 20 years, there have been 22,000 fatalities in the farming community with another 400,000 critically ill.

A mysterious Chronic Kidney Disease of uncertain aetiology (CKDu) has been linked to indiscriminate use of pesticides and agro-chemicals.

Denials and rebuttals from the highly exploitative industry, its recalcitrant lobbyists, commercial promoters and hidden persuaders continue to echo supportive hosannas while the toll rises almost overnight.

Political will to deal with chemical evils has been rather lackadaisical in the past.

Last week however one saw the emergence of a silver lining when the current   Sri Lankan Agriculture Minister planned to ban the use of some letha agrochemicals as well as prohibit their promotion through advertisements. Plans are also afoot to take legal action against violations.

As reported in the Sunday Times, Sri Lanka intends to set up a Technological Council to promote environment-friendly agriculture.

This is a laudable effort in its very essence.

Better late than never.

Hopefully these robust plans will see the light of day soonest with the rest of the lawmakers approving them.

A panel of Sri Lankan experts who studied the syndrome afflicting the farm workers has officially linked the CKD to excessive and indiscriminate use of agro-chemicals.

Independent observers claimed that two lives on the average are lost on a daily basis to CKDu in the affected areas where inadequate medical attention compounds the crisis. Insufficient dialysis systems and overcrowding in hospitals have been cited.

The incidence of disease is quite high in one farming area in Ampara that village folk reportedly nicknamed a street there as ‘ Wakugadu Mawatha’ or Kidney Lane.

The World Health Organization  (WHO) is doing its best to combat this disease that afflicts many countries in the Third Word, notably India, Nicaragua and El Salvador.

The world body has identified multiple causes for the malady. Among these are exposure to arsenic and cadmium and water with heavy metal toxins.

One of the most popular and potent agro-chemicals to eliminate weeds is said to contain Glyphosate salt.

During the Vietnam war it was one of the active ingredients used as a defoliant in the infamous Agent Orange which killed and maimed nearly half a million people.

A similar number of children were born with birth defects in that country.

During the past couple of decades weedicides containing Glyphosate were widely used in Sri Lanka thus leading to the current tragedy.

Under supposedly safe brand names aided with subsidies, transnational companies and their cohorts made a kill with the largesse they were able to make.

The projected ban is a step in the right direction.

Agent Orange was a weapon of mass destruction in the same way the pesticide Malathion was, used by Nazis as a nerve gas.

How they came to be used for the greater good of humankind sounds ironic if not outrageous.

Currently hitting the breaking news hotspots, political fora and citizen demos in Sri Lanka is the Weliweriya fiasco over alleged water contamination.

Political and military ramifications of the crisis aside, the core issue seems to be the cry for clean water.

Whatever the outcome of the official investigation would be, the crisis is a wake-up call about pollution in general terms.

Safety precautions and ecological disciplines are foremost.

Horrific tragedies in Bopal and Chernobyl are still fresh in our memory.

One particular area that we should be mindful is about our booming textile industry.

Every precaution should be in place regarding possible groundwater contamination.

According to the World Bank the global textile industry is one of the largest polluters.

More than 20 percent of world’s water pollution is attributable to treatment and dying of textiles.

With stringent regulatory enforcement and supervision, mainly by the Board of Investment (BOI) Sri Lanka’s textile industry seems to be doing well and remaining environmentally clean.

Yet we need to be vigilant against any lapses that could poison the earth.

For, Water is one of Mother Nature’s most valuable gifts to humankind.

FUTILITY OF CAPTIVITY

WildLife behind bars

A thirteen foot long  African Rock Python escapes from its enclosure at a pet-store in New Brunswick Canada, slithers along a ventilator shaft, enters a  bedroom upstairs and strangles to death two little boys who were spending a sleep-over at their friend’s home.

A 12,000 pound Killer Whale plunges into the deep inextricably shoving a highly acclaimed trainer and killing her in a horrific act at a world renowned theme park in USA.

The two bizarre incidents are not connected, though one would not fail to see a perceptible common streak.

That is the catastrophe which follows the despair or vendetta of captive wildlife.

These are not isolated incidents.  Captive Wild animals have killed before. And the toll keeps rising.

Just to recall, a few years ago a woman was mauled by a Polar Bear at the Berlin zoo, while early this year at the Bronx Zoo in the US  a man who wanted  to ‘be one with  a tiger’ inside its enclosure was severely mauled. But in Singapore a zoo cleaner was not that lucky when a Bengal Tiger attacked him in 2008. In the previous year a Siberian Tiger escaped from a zoo in San Francisco and mauled three children killing one of them. Last year at a zoo in Copenhagen an Afghan who was in the proximity of a Siberian tiger was fatally injured.

The list of casualties down the years is formidable.

Inadequate security or safety precautions could not be the only reasons.

The age old theory based on cause and effect is one possible way to reason out this horrendous fait accompli.

Wildlife should be left in the wild. That is the message that is been heard loud and clear these days.

Environmental warriors like the Born Free Foundation, RSPCA, and People for Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) as well as the UNEP are relentless in pursuit of this objective.

But the multibillion dollar captive animal industry seems to remain conveniently deaf.

The protagonists seem to think it is the done thing to keep wildlife in captivity for reasons best known to them. Just like it was acceptable to have human slaves less than two centuries ago.

Making an eye-opening and cogent case against captive animals is the chilling advocacy documentary “Blackfish” currently making waves on the global film circuits.

It highlights the effects of captive Orcas based on Tilicum the killer whale.

It not only underscores the dangers of keeping Orcas in captivity but also shows how intelligent and sensitive these cetaceans are.

One cannot tame nature with cages or enclosures.

It would be inherently cruel if not morally unethical.

Animals have feelings too.

They also suffer trauma and may become violent in desperation especially when confined to prison like conditions in the zoos, not to mention some of the abusive training methods.

Studies have shown that inevitable stress, boredom and loneliness in cramped up and impoverished confinements fuel psychological damage on captive fauna.

Bill Travers, an ardent conservationist and a star in the epic movie Born Free, coined the word “Zoochosis” to describe the psychosis of artificial environments encountered by captive animals.

A good example to be cited is the plight of Mali a Sri Lankan elephant leading a lonely and depressive life for three decades at a zoo in Manila, Philippines.

She was a gift from Sri Lanka to former first lady Imelda Marcos.

Despite protests, some PETA women who even went naked to drive a strong message and several calls by celebrities including the famous Beatle Sir Paul McCartney that Mali be trans-located to a sanctuary, she continues to suffer in silence at the zoo.

Down the ages humans have held wild animals in captivity. According to available data the captive animal trade that includes animals for zoos, entertainment, medicine, costumes, jewelry and as pets among others nets in a whopping $ 10-20 billion annually.

This figure is considered modest when one looks intensely at the illegal trafficking of wildlife.

Wild species are not only kept for show at zoos, but also in private homes.

According to estimates there are some 10,000 tigers or lions kept as pets in USA.

Things could go awfully wrong too, as it happened in Zainesville Ohio just two years ago.

A man who kept around 50 wild animals including tigers, lions, wolves and bears in a private menagerie set them free into his neighborhood and shot himself to death.  His body was partly eaten by a tiger. The police were compelled to kill 48 roaming animals before they could exacerbate the tragedy, and for no fault of their own.

People love their wild pets; some overlook the inherent harms and risks. They hardly wish to part with them.

One nightclub dancer in Colombo braved the law courts to get her king cobra back from confiscation. She also made an incredible claim that her mother was once a snake. It shows one’s level of reverent dedication to a poisonous reptile.

Many especially in South Asia make a livelihood as snake charmers, living dangerously by choice and need.

Yet exploiting wildlife for amusement and entertainment purposes is understandably generating negativism among ethical thinkers the world over.

This invariably is a refreshingly positive paradigm shift.

Few weeks ago PETA protested against plans in Colorado to set up a pseudo-sanctuary to breed wildlife in captivity.

Recently India banned dolphins to be kept in captivity and their use in amusement parks.

Most significantly Costa Rica has decided to close down its main zoos in 2014 and liberate the wild animals to their natural habitat.

That simply is a great example worthy of emulation.

Those who want wildlife in captivity will always cite education and entertainment as probable defenses.

How credible the spin is plain to see when one visits a zoo. Besides the oohs and the aahs, does anyone spend more than ten minutes studying a caged animal during an educational tour to a zoo?

Spinmeisters also argue that if not for zoos the future generation may not know about these animals as natural habitats are being destroyed.

Perhaps they may have a point. But then one wonders how we have come to know about Dinosaurs like T. Rex and other prehistoric species?

As long as there is demand for legal and illegal wildlife, traffickers in quest of filthy lucre will continue to have a field day with supplies.

Reports from Colombo claims smugglers have made Sri Lanka a veritable hot spot of reptile and amphibian trafficking.

International efforts are getting fortified these days against the marauding wildlife traffickers.

Last month US President Barack Obama signed an Executive Order to set up a Presidential Task Force against Wildlife poaching and trafficking to curb transnational organized crime. Few days ago the Task force convened its first meeting thus kicking off a new regime to combat trafficking and poaching of wild life.

Sri Lanka along with seven South Asian nations has set up SAWEN (South Asian Wildlife Enforcement Network) mainly to share information on combating wildlife crime. All that is good news.

But what is paramount is a change in our mindset about leaving wildlife where it belongs- in the wilds and to refrain from resorting to unethical captive habits either in our zoos or in our homes.

Orcas need no enclosures

Don’t fence me in!

Charmers in harm’s way

Right to Protect Rock-solid Evidence

Bewildering Mahayana Rock images of Buduruvagala

History seems to be making news in Sri Lanka these days.

‘Protect Our Jurassic Park’ screams a headline in the Sunday Times this week

The call to revamp Archeological laws to preserve the past is pertinent if not urgent.

The report based on concerns expressed by experts suggests some of the pre-historic fossils are endangered in the absence of proper protection.

Their entreaty is laudable.

But what the brigands of horrendous Tomb Raiders are doing to plunder and destroy the nation’s heritage is most condemnable.

Hundreds of renegade ‘ Indiana Jones’ types have been caught with their hi-tech backhoes, electronic  locators, metal detectors and dynamite ferreting mainly into places of worship in search of buried treasure.

The country apparently has laws to deal with these despicable rodents among whom are some sundry politicos , uniformed personnel and even sinister monks.

But with relatively low incidence of enforcement and negligible deterrent punitive action our ancient temples face predictable doom.

Seriously, is it not time to reinforce heritage protection laws and consider having special task forces to deal with the vultures of culture?

Needless to say Sri Lanka is endowed with colossal evidence of inspirational works of a glorious millennia.

We take pride just to gaze in awe at the magnificent stupas, legendary murals of Sigiriya and the stunning carved- in- rock tributes to the Noble One that our creative ancients have contributed for posterity.

Arguably the Cultural Triangle administration is doing whatever it can to care for most of the important heritage sites. What about many other places that bear testimony to our great cultural heritage?

Much needs to be done before the rot sets in.

Much could be done to promote awareness among visitors both local and global about the rich history that is hidden behind these beautiful works of ancient art.

Just to mention a couple of historic places that needs attention are the many splendored Buduruvagala edifice off Wellawaya and the mystic Kustarajagala near Weligama.

Both belong to the Mahayanist style of Buddhist architecture that prevailed during the time of their creation.

Fifty One foot high standing Buddha hewn into solid rock over one thousand years ago at Buduruvagala is said to be the tallest of its kind in the world today.

That is after Taliban senselessly destroyed the once tallest Bamyan Buddha twelve years ago.

Flanking the majestic Buddha image are six other intricately carved figures said to be that of Bodhisattvas , foremost among them  Avaloketsivara and Tara Devi.

Hidden in a village hamlet off the beaten track, Buduruvagala is hardly a tourist hot spot. Nor many pilgrims are seen as one may expect there.

Yet this Mahayana monolith has continued to generate interest among scholars and historians here and abroad.

For several years between 1962 and 1977. Professor Hans Braker a Dean at the prestigious University of Trier in the Federal Republic of Germany made many visits to the site while studying Sri Lanka’s Mahayana links.

Dr. Braker a specialist in Asian affairs at this university , the alma mater of Karl Marx , spoke to me in 1976 about his intensive research into Buduruvagala while searching for  connections in the Indian subcontinent. He even sought relevant  information in the Himalayan regions of Nepal, Ladakh and Bhutan.

For some inexplicable reason the Mahayanist influence on some of Sri Lanka’s splendid works of ancient art is rather meagre, albeit the significance.

One reason could well be due to the majority and overwhelming Theravada tradition in the country.

Mahayana concepts that originated in the Gandhara region is said to have come to Sri Lanka   long after Theravada had taken steady root.

They came and they went, but not before leaving formidable timeless rock-solid telltales.

Creative Mahayanists provided undeniable proof by way of art and architecture.

It was also when Mahayana practitioners  enjoyed royal patronage especially during the reign of King Mahasen while monks of both schools lived side by side in monasteries. Sometimes in harmony.

Contemporary archaeologists believe that the much beloved Aukana Buddha image belongs to Mahayanist by way of style.

Adding further credence to this is the very name Aukana.  The Buddha image destroyed by Taliban stood in Bamyan region in present Afghanistan that used to be called Vokkana or Vakona.

Both images depicted Buddha in what is known as the ‘Asisa Mudra.’

It is heartening to note that Aukana image is still being reproduced at various temples and prominent places of Buddhist worship in the country.

A gigantic replica was erected recently at the Devinuwara Vishnu temple.

The presence of the Bodhisattva pantheon is several ancient works of art in Sri Lanka have been recorded in recent times.

Further research in this regard will be invaluable in their very essence.

According to historical data the vibrant Silk Road activity during that time would have inevitably contributed to the cross-cultural influences like Mahayana-Theravada interaction.

Chinese pilgrim monk Fa Xian (412-414 AD) is said to have carried with him Sanskrit Mahayana Sutras from the Abhayagiri monastery after spending few years in Sri Lanka.

Providing ample Mahayanist evidence are magnificent monuments like Buduruvagala, Aukana, Gal Vihara, Sanchi, Angkor Wat, Borobudur, and a myriad of cultural artifacts of North, South and South East where Buddhism continues to thrive.

Frescos and murals in caves like Ajanta , Ellora and also Sigiriya depict art that have decidedly Mahayana influence. Some claim,  contentiously though, that the famous Apsaras are depiction of Tara the consort of Bodhisattva Avaloketisvara.

So is Bodhisattva Samanthabadra rock carving standing forlorn by the roadside off Weligama crying out for better protection from the elements. Popularly known as Kustarajagala it bears testimony to a Mahayana past.

A solid gilt bronze cast statue of Bodhisattva Avaloketisvara belonging to the late Anuradhapura period (8-9 Century) was discovered in the late sixties at Sri Sangabo Vihara at Veragala.

Just as much as it is regarded acceptable   to use this image in Sri Lanka’s tourism promotion material as they do now, it would certainly be the responsibility of those relevant  to fortify protection to whatever is left of our ancient works of art and architecture.

As tomb-raiders in quest of filthy lucre eye these to make a quick fortune, countermeasures should be the order of the day.

Yesterday!!!

1976 article on Dr Hans Braker

Intricate Bodhisattva images at Buduruvagala

Stunning GalVihara Buddha image

Bodhisattva Avaloketisvara image found at Veragala

Fresco at Sigiriya

Replica of Aukana Buddha at Devinuwara

Cartoon Therapy for Political Hubris

PRINT MEDIA SINKING IN  A DIGITAL FLOOD ?

Newspapers as we used to know are slowly but surely going extinct.

That’s old news in the West though it may not be breaking news in the East. Not as yet.

When print makes way to pixels, not necessarily by choice, its denizens too join the endangered lot.

Akin to the plight of Penguins and Polar Bears sitting despondently on melting icebergs as global warming takes its toll.

Among the first victims of this inevitable transformation are Editorial Cartoonists.

Some get laid off as their presses fold up, while others are compelled to seek refuge either in the Internet for a pittance or flip burgers for their daily bread.

It will be a crying shame to see them go the way of the Dino and the Dodo.

Down the years cartoonists in the print media have provided the ultimate acid test for the level of freedom that prevails in a given country. Cartoons they create act as barometers of democracy.

The enduring power of political cartoons helps to impact public opinion, expose hypocrisy and deflate the hubris of the powers that be.

The pitfalls are numerous too as the sinister and the powerful view the cartoonist as bête noire. According to   popular American humorist the late Art Buchwald, dictators both Right and Left fear political cartoonists more than they do the Atom Bomb.

During the Second World War, the dreaded Gestapo had  London based cartoonist David Low on their hit list for lampooning Adolf Hitler.

Some have paid with their life. Among them Palestinian cartoonist Naji Salim killed outside his London office two decades ago.

Quite recently a Syrian cartoonist Ali Ferzat got his arms broken allegedly by the militia while in India cartoonist Aseen Trivedi, who frequently exposed corruption in public life, faced legal action. Meanwhile a Sri Lankan cartoonist Eknaligoda is reportedly ‘missing’ for well over two years.

The vital place editorial cartoonists enjoyed in the print media is fast disappearing.  Not only due to shut downs preceded by shrinking readership, but also due to censorship, draconian press laws and deceptive action of spin doctors and code-peddlers.

Gone are the days when cartoonists could skewer the arrogant and ridicule the unjust with caricatures when words were too risky and open for legal vulnerabilities.

Cartoonists and their editors should know when and where to draw the line as they use this confrontational yet persuasive art form to mold public opinion.

It could therefore be a daunting challenge to walk the fine line so as to promote social justice while upholding freedom of expression.

I have had my fair share of “cartoon capers “in the print media: Some of it hilarious in their own right whiles others decidedly not.

During my first year as the expatriate Editor of Brunei’s leading newspaper Borneo Bulletin, the former Chief of Police demanded explanation why we ran a canine looking caricature depicting the traffic policemen. He demanded an explanation pronto with a letter hand delivered to my office by two officers.

The ‘offensive’ cartoon depicted a policeman with a long nose akin to a snout inspecting motorists. This apparently infuriated some top brass where dogs are considered unclean in local culture.

To my utter dismay the cartoonist held his ground insisting that the drawing was aptly depicted in the way it was.

But when I asked if that snouty cop could also look like a crocodile the cartoonist responded in the affirmative.

So as the officers waited impatiently, I wrote in to the Chief to say that the face resembled that of a croc and not a dog.

It was not the end of the story though the Chief did not pursue the matter further.

Calling a man a crocodile there is a grievous insult which I did not know at the time, though the cheeky local cartoonist was fully cognizant of.

In the early seventies I got away with a fine, escaping jail time in Sri Lanka for publishing a cartoon in the now defunct Weekend when cartoonist Janaka drew some policemen giving the third degree chili bag treatment to a suspect.

The Criminal Justice Commission (CJC) set up to try suspects of JVP revolt  found the cartoon to be in contempt of court.

The cartoonist missed out 3 words that made the publication culpable. Instead of writing CJC Act and all that he missed out the word “Act” which made the then Justice Minister angry prompting legal action.

One funny yet engaging episode deals with the distinctive ire of former Sri Lankan President JR Jayewardene who threatened to close our newspaper down when our cartoonist Gerreyn caricatured him holding the tail of the devil dousing the fires of Tamil Tiger terror.

The cartoonist based the humor on an interview JR gave on his decision to obtain Israeli military help to fight the Tigers. He reportedly said he would even get the devil’s help to fight terrorism.

But what made the President angry was when his Information Chief pointed out that Satan was drawn to look nicer than JR in that cartoon.

The ‘old fox’ as he was popularly called, later cooled down.

Instead following up his initial threat he introduced laws that required cartoons also to be censored under Emergency Regulations. Before that episode cartoonists enjoyed media’s indispensable freedom to lampoon.

Few years later when our cartoonist Amitha was enticed join another rival newspaper, leaving a hole in the page3 of the SUN I stepped in to create Ibson’s Choice. (BELOW: Few Ibson cartoons from my Archives)

When Britain handed over HongKong

EcoTourism amidst Borneo forest fires

Asia’s economic crisis

Super Earths & StarGates

Celluloid hero, the invincible Superman from the fictional planet Krypton had another incarnation at a world première a fortnight ago.

While this swashbuckling alien either wowed or bored movie fans, serious planet watchers announced a breakthrough discovery about what they called ‘ Super Earths’ that may have an answer to humankind’s ceaseless quest for intelligent life in the cosmos.

In a headline grabbing announcement astronomers at Germany’s Gottingen University revealed that the new planets were found orbiting about 22 light years away near exoplanet Gliese 667c, a habitable zone that could support life.

Scientists also endearingly refer to this area as the “Goldilocks Zone’. They contend that it is an ideal place for water. One of the SuperEarths is strikingly similar to that of ours.

This exciting news invariably sparked various theories and even hints  at possible missions to these planets.

For instance the prestigious Smithsonian Institution in a blog titled

‘Surprising Science’ spelt out variables of powering such expeditions.

Besides conventional rockets it mentioned other fuel sources like anti-matter, solar cells, nuclear power and ion energy.

The late great Sir Arthur C Clarke who convincingly upheld the theory of  life in other galaxies envisaged the so-called Space Elevator in his 1979 best seller ‘Fountains of Paradise.’

Understandably, a space elevator could facilitate interstellar travel sans any spacecraft.

Sir Arthur, who first envisioned geostationary satellite communications that eventually became world phenomena, also wrote about wormhole physics, which allows intergalactic travel.

In his classic 2001 – A Space Odyssey, Sir Arthur propounded the metaphysics of Stargate (a word first coined by him)as  an open cosmic portal between two separate points in space.

Since then the very idea of Stargate is being pursued in  arenas of science fiction and science fact, Hollywood blockbusterists notwithstanding.

Also referred to as the Einstein Rosen Bridge by scientists, these wormholes may already have had some galactic influence on earth.

Unresolved mysteries that surround the origins of the Pyramids of Egypt, Chichen Itza of the Mayan, and Peruvian Machu Pichu some believe may have had some sort of alien input or influence.

Did any extra-terrestrial intelligence have a hand in the creation of these great edifices and the inherent scientific marvels?

Did ancient Sri Lankan ruler Ravana who is credited with superhuman powers have any alien support?  If so was such help rendered through a stargate wormhole?

Sounds incredible. But one unique stone inscription on a boulder at Isurumuniya in North Central Sri Lanka may shed some light on this mystery.

Known in Sinhala as a Sakwala Chakra this petroglyph is claimed to have been created at least 5000 years ago, around the same time Ravana ruled Lanka.

This rock inscribed boulder is located at Ran Masu Uyana about 500 meters away from the famous Isurumuniya Vihara at Anuradhapura.

Hitherto no rational explanation has been made about what this stone inscription means. A caretaker at the site however claimed that this may have been a rock carving  by ancient Buddhist monks where they meditated.

Meanwhile it remains shrouded in mystery, yet plain to see if one were to visit the RanMasu Uyana, which was once a royal pleasure garden over a thousand years ago.

It was here that Crown Prince Saliya met and fell in love with fair maiden Asokamala a commoner. He sacrificed the throne by marrying her and went down into history as a romantic epic.

Some believe Sakwala Chakra to symbolize a stargate with inter-dimensional potential. Such claims have however been rebuffed as illogical by certain local architects and archeologists. Whatever the case may be the Sakwala Chakra stone inscription is regarded as one of the clearest indication of a stargate in the world.

This inscription is quite precise denoting Zen like squares, rectangles and lines plus various hieroglyphs and seven circled chakra.

Similar inscriptions are reportedly found at Abu Ghurab close to the Pyramid of Giza in Egypt and as star codes in Chichen Itza in Mexico.

Until someone steps in with a plausible explanation, I choose to remain somewhat intrigued as any other by this message on a rock.

Petroglyph of the stargate symbol at RanMasu Uyana

Close up showing the seven-ringed Chakra

Zen like carvings on the rock showing various hieroglyphs

Sakwala Chakra carvings on a rock behind this boulder

As one enters the Ran Masu Uyana at Isurumuniya North Central Sri Lanka

Review of Mihipedia.lk Travel feature on Jaffna

 

 

   A CHANGED LANDSCAPE – Revisiting Jaffna

 

                In her inimitable journalese, accomplished travel writer Mihiri has delivered this wonderful feature on Jaffna that I find to be one of the best published so far in post-war Sri Lanka.

 

           While all roads seem to lead to the once ravaged North these days, this travel piece is highly researched with genuine originality and packed with practical and useful information for any would be traveller.

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            Its multifarious perspectives that cover transport, accommodation, food and places of interest are helpful in getting an idea of what awaits one in ‘back to the future’ Jaffna today.


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.             In this superbly crafted piece, Mihiri provides an evocatively presented insight into the glorious heritage, the agonizing not –too- distant past and the positively optimistic present and future of the North.

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The journalist in her hardly allows her to mince words in this lucid interest-provoking travel article. 
Yet, the positivity it generates and which Jaffna truly deserves will leave a lasting impression with yearning to those who have hitherto not visited post-war Jaffna.

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I found this deftly rendered feature ,wonderfully illustrated with pertinent images to be very exhilarating and totally relevant in this time and age when peace and reconciliation are paramount elements in contemporary Sri Lanka.




 

–Charles Rex deSilva

 

 

 

 

BOOK REVIEW: Sun Tzu’s Art of War Unveiled

BOOK REVIEW: “SUN TZU’S ART OF WAR UNVEILED”

“Over 2500 years ago the great Chinese military strategist Sun Tzu handed down to posterity his inimitable treatise ‘The Art of War.’

Among his many pearls of wisdom, is how one could successfully defeat an adversary with the inherent power of one’s mind. Down the years his thoughts continue to inspire and just as much mystify the world.

Geneviève Tan Shu Thung, a mindful seeker in her own right, takes a bold ‘ fourth dimensional’  approach in this book to shed insightful light in elaborating some of the salient yet elusive gems found in that  timeless classic. In lucid terms with scholarly presentation Geneviève explains how Sun Tzu’s strategic philosophy has become increasingly pertinent to modern times.

Her unique prose delivered succinctly in a compelling style helps the reader to comprehend and appreciate the very thoughts of Sun Tzu in a meaningful manner. She provides a gentle interpretation of the esoteric concepts envisaged by the illustrious sage. As she unveils the true aspects of the soul-searching masterpiece of Sun Tzu one fails not to see how the original strategy meant to gain victory on the battlefield could transcend into a win-win fait accompli for anyone living in contemporary times.

Whether it is a corporate warrior or a harried housewife, Genevieve’s book shows the way to a panacea that is already within one’s Mind’s Eye.”

– Charles Rex de Silva: Independent Editorial Consultant, Former Editor-in-Chief for the Borneo Bulletin Newspaper & Former Journalist for the German Press Agency (dpa)

(Courtesy: http://www.holisticlivingannex.com)