When Halloween comes around in the West and when it is Hungry Ghosts Festival in the East, non-sentient beings of the netherworld are said to take a short trip to our world.
Who will not like a jolly good party?
Ghouls, monsters and zombies get resurrected on the night before November 1st. They literally hide behind the merchandise of scary cloaks and chilling Frankenstein masks.
Lowly pumpkins get mercilessly carved into Jack O Lanterns, perhaps to the utter envy of that knife wielding TV brat called ‘Annoying Orange’, while an estimated 41 million of children in the USA alone, will go trick–or- treating, as they collect candies by the bagful.
The beneficiaries of course are the shopkeepers of superstores and dollar stores who go laughing all the way to the bank.
Back in Asia hungry ghosts spawn activities similar to that of Halloween. It’s all deadly commercial to say the least. Now we don’t have any qualms about that. But something that took me long to comprehend is how and why people burn money to appease the dead. But it is quite ok as long the money is fake, printed to look like cash.
The dearly departed would not mind it, for they themselves may have practiced the ritual when they were among the living.
Phantasmal shenanigans aside, a Halloween party in the wrong place could also raise eyebrows and diplomatic tensions.
That is if one were to cite the “ghost-written” claims in the now infamous WikiLeaks. Among many peccadillos it ratted on was one about a rather risqué but clandestine Halloween party in a Middle Eastern country.
I may have taken the word ‘ghost -writing’ quite out of context here. It is not a deliberate malice aforethought, but an excuse to say a few words about the journalistic prerogatives that come to the surface with ghost-writing, pen-names, pseudonyms, noms de plume and all that alter egos or doppelgangers that may come to mind.
Origins of the honorable tradition of Ghost writing are rather obscure. But it is widely practiced, mainly by celebrities and these days of the Internet by the netizens of social media and micro bloggers.
The use of fictitious names by writers in these digital media has generated wide concern due to alleged dissemination of misleading facts, libel, defamation, deceit and such with criminal intent.
Now US Department of Justice is reportedly contemplating in tightening current laws on website terms of service to deal with such duplicitous matters.
Just as much as there is bane, there is also an element of boon in being Pseudonymous.
The buck stops with the editors and service providers who could be the gate keepers of free speech. It’s not an easy task though. Sometimes it is inherently risky and perilous as you walk the fine line.
Few years ago the editor of a leading local newspaper in South East Asia had to face the wrath of the Special Branch the equivalent of the FBI when its operatives demanded the real names of Opinion writers who used pen-names to sign off for some obvious reasons.
The editor stood his ground making the frustrated sleuths fade away into the oblivion after series of futile attempts. That saved the paper’s independence and integrity.
In another more comical episode elsewhere in an Indian sub continental nation a former President failed in an attempt to ban the use of Pseudonyms in newspapers, when one writer calling himself Ignoramus wrote critically of his regime.
Public opinion and the independent media did not let that plan get a ghost of a chance to survive.
Of Vanishing Toads and Gentle Giants
The endangered Coastal Leopard Frog of Pennsylvania it appears is having some hope for survival.
Such optimism springs from a little billboard “Saving Frogs and Toads’, I noticed on a visit last weekend to the John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge located about one mile from the Philadelphia International Airport. Provoking thought the notice also stated: “Frogs and Toads around the world are in decline due to habitat loss, pollution, disease and invasive species.”
They wish not to let these creatures go the way of the Dodo.
Surfing the Sunday Times Online news from Sri Lanka I read about frogs, for the second time this weekend.
Particularly about a rather rare Tree Frog called Polypedates Ranwella, endemic to Sri Lanka but fast going extinct.
That amphibian may not be as lucky as the Coastal Leopard Frog of USA, unless something is done to mitigate its oncoming doom.
Environmentalists and the extreme science community in Sri Lanka are truly concerned.
But theirs seem to be a collective voice in the wilderness. Until and unless the powers that be open their eyes, keep their ears to the ground and speak out, little or nothing will be done to reverse the current downhill environmental rollercoaster trend.
And, I am not referring only to the frogs and toads if you get my drift.
We know too well the gentle giants like the elephant and the blue whale that we pride ourselves in showing the world and earn tourist dollars, are under serious threat.
The authorities we understand are doing their best to resolve the so called human-elephant conflict. But so far their best has not been good enough.
Isn’t it a crying shame to see a hungry wild elephant standing forlorn at an electrified fence close to the Udawalawe highway while a group of visitors treat them with bananas and left over croissants?
At least these morsels may be safer to consume, than getting blown up with explosives stuffed inside melons or pumpkins. Some distraught villagers are also blamed for using incendiaries locally known as Haka Patas against elephantine encroachers. Now that sounds like WMD.
These electrified fences seemingly have limited potential in resolving the conflict. That is why we need to seek other alternatives.
Karnataka reportedly mulls setting up elephant-human zones as proposed by a special task force to find a way out of the crisis while Tamilnadu is setting up Green Fodder Banks to entice the elephants away from rural farms.
We need to seek ways and means aimed at co-existence. There is no point corralling the pachyderms to translocate them as it is called. Experts believe that they generally return to their native grounds.
We need to soul search and ponder over critical conservation issues before it is too late for remedies. The clock is ticking.
If a highly industrialized nation like USA could set up the world’s most comprehensive wildlife management program the John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge slap bang in the very heart of commercial Philadelphia for the sake of conservation, one wonders why Sri Lanka should not look at doable possibilities.
In retrospect I do remember a laudable move by a former Cabinet minister who was instrumental in setting up a bird sanctuary not too far away from the Parliament. It was a good idea alright but lasted not for long when land grabbers moved in for the sake of filthy lucre.
Don’t get me wrong here. I do not overlook some excellent conservation programs that Sri Lanka can boast of, like the Sinharaja rainforest reserve, the Knuckles range, Kumana Bird Sanctuary which are the homes to a myriad of species of fauna and flora. They are relatively sustainable for the time being and hopefully for posterity.
These rather ‘Doubting Thomas’ remarks stem from what one sees at the Yala Reserve these days. The veritable traffic snarls off the beaten track are horrendous. Recently a video clip of elephants charging at two SUVs which came close to a baby elephant went viral on the Internet.
Perhaps we may soon need safari traffic cops to maintain order in the wildlife parks.
Fortunately more often than not most animals take cover leaving visitors to gaze at a few monkeys and monitor lizards, or a pixilated peahen if they are lucky enough that is.
Sri Lanka is currently in the process of tapping the potentials of whale watching which has turned out to be a $1 billion global industry. Well and good as long as we adhere to ethics of conservation. The Blue Whale the largest creature to inhabit planet earth seems to favor Sri Lankan waters that have an abundance of krill which they consume in tons.
It’s heartening to note that the country is planning to put some order in whale watching industry. Sooner the better to have regulatory guidelines and codes of behavior for commercial and recreational whale watchers.
Perhaps we should emulate laws and regulations that are well in place elsewhere, like in the Pacific North West where boats are kept at a safe distance away from the whales for safety reasons both for whales and watchers.
We may consider working with the International Whaling Commission too, lest some avaricious whale hunters lay covetous eyes on these magnificent creatures ostensibly for scientific research.
Being a signatory to the Law of the Sea regime Sri Lanka should also look into the possibility of regulating and fixing safer maritime lanes to protect these whales from being casualties of big ships.
It was only a few weeks ago that two dead whales, one a fifty foot long, were washed ashore off Matara beach in southern Sri Lanka. Experts think that they were hit by ships.
History has shown that human activity, mainly in excess cause extinction of valuable species that inhabit the earth.
Fretting over past misdemeanor is futile, mitigating the present cataclysm is critical while saving nature for the future is a sacred obligation to humankind’s own destiny.
This I believe is a simple but a plausible hypothesis.
IMAGES: Conflict Elephant behind an electrified fence and Signboard at John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge
Such optimism springs from a little billboard “Saving Frogs and Toads’, I noticed on a visit last weekend to the John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge located about one mile from the Philadelphia International Airport. Provoking thought the notice also stated: “Frogs and Toads around the world are in decline due to habitat loss, pollution, disease and invasive species.”
They wish not to let these creatures go the way of the Dodo.
Surfing the Sunday Times Online news from Sri Lanka I read about frogs, for the second time this weekend.
Particularly about a rather rare Tree Frog called Polypedates Ranwella, endemic to Sri Lanka but fast going extinct.
That amphibian may not be as lucky as the Coastal Leopard Frog of USA, unless something is done to mitigate its oncoming doom.
Environmentalists and the extreme science community in Sri Lanka are truly concerned.
But theirs seem to be a collective voice in the wilderness. Until and unless the powers that be open their eyes, keep their ears to the ground and speak out, little or nothing will be done to reverse the current downhill environmental rollercoaster trend.
And, I am not referring only to the frogs and toads if you get my drift.
We know too well the gentle giants like the elephant and the blue whale that we pride ourselves in showing the world and earn tourist dollars, are under serious threat.
The authorities we understand are doing their best to resolve the so called human-elephant conflict. But so far their best has not been good enough.
Isn’t it a crying shame to see a hungry wild elephant standing forlorn at an electrified fence close to the Udawalawe highway while a group of visitors treat them with bananas and left over croissants?
At least these morsels may be safer to consume, than getting blown up with explosives stuffed inside melons or pumpkins. Some distraught villagers are also blamed for using incendiaries locally known as Haka Patas against elephantine encroachers. Now that sounds like WMD.
These electrified fences seemingly have limited potential in resolving the conflict. That is why we need to seek other alternatives.
Karnataka reportedly mulls setting up elephant-human zones as proposed by a special task force to find a way out of the crisis while Tamilnadu is setting up Green Fodder Banks to entice the elephants away from rural farms.
We need to seek ways and means aimed at co-existence. There is no point corralling the pachyderms to translocate them as it is called. Experts believe that they generally return to their native grounds.
We need to soul search and ponder over critical conservation issues before it is too late for remedies. The clock is ticking.
If a highly industrialized nation like USA could set up the world’s most comprehensive wildlife management program the John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge slap bang in the very heart of commercial Philadelphia for the sake of conservation, one wonders why Sri Lanka should not look at doable possibilities.
In retrospect I do remember a laudable move by a former Cabinet minister who was instrumental in setting up a bird sanctuary not too far away from the Parliament. It was a good idea alright but lasted not for long when land grabbers moved in for the sake of filthy lucre.
Don’t get me wrong here. I do not overlook some excellent conservation programs that Sri Lanka can boast of, like the Sinharaja rainforest reserve, the Knuckles range, Kumana Bird Sanctuary which are the homes to a myriad of species of fauna and flora. They are relatively sustainable for the time being and hopefully for posterity.
These rather ‘Doubting Thomas’ remarks stem from what one sees at the Yala Reserve these days. The veritable traffic snarls off the beaten track are horrendous. Recently a video clip of elephants charging at two SUVs which came close to a baby elephant went viral on the Internet.
Perhaps we may soon need safari traffic cops to maintain order in the wildlife parks.
Fortunately more often than not most animals take cover leaving visitors to gaze at a few monkeys and monitor lizards, or a pixilated peahen if they are lucky enough that is.
Sri Lanka is currently in the process of tapping the potentials of whale watching which has turned out to be a $1 billion global industry. Well and good as long as we adhere to ethics of conservation. The Blue Whale the largest creature to inhabit planet earth seems to favor Sri Lankan waters that have an abundance of krill which they consume in tons.
It’s heartening to note that the country is planning to put some order in whale watching industry. Sooner the better to have regulatory guidelines and codes of behavior for commercial and recreational whale watchers.
Perhaps we should emulate laws and regulations that are well in place elsewhere, like in the Pacific North West where boats are kept at a safe distance away from the whales for safety reasons both for whales and watchers.
We may consider working with the International Whaling Commission too, lest some avaricious whale hunters lay covetous eyes on these magnificent creatures ostensibly for scientific research.
Being a signatory to the Law of the Sea regime Sri Lanka should also look into the possibility of regulating and fixing safer maritime lanes to protect these whales from being casualties of big ships.
It was only a few weeks ago that two dead whales, one a fifty foot long, were washed ashore off Matara beach in southern Sri Lanka. Experts think that they were hit by ships.
History has shown that human activity, mainly in excess cause extinction of valuable species that inhabit the earth.
Fretting over past misdemeanor is futile, mitigating the present cataclysm is critical while saving nature for the future is a sacred obligation to humankind’s own destiny.
This I believe is a simple but a plausible hypothesis.
IMAGES: Conflict Elephant behind an electrified fence and Signboard at John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge
The Author
DonMithuna is one of the pen-names used by Charles Rex de Silva, a Sri Lankan journalist now in semi-retirement having had under his belt over four decades of active journalism in South and South East Asia.
Don Mithuna 