A bread vendor rides on a vehicle along a street in Colombo on November 1, 2020, after a three-day curfew was announced to contain the spread of the Coronavirus. (Photo AFP)

This America bashing is sadly serving as a escape route for the government which is now forced to give away vital groceries to people in curfew imposed areas

Also we must realise that the law that the police talks about when its spokesperson appears on television and what applies on the road are perplexing. 

Leave the dangers of COVID-19 alone the mentality of Sri Lankans in how they set about dealing with this pandemic isn’t very healthy.

Right now many places are forced into observing a quarantine curfew. But it’s hard to keep people glued to their homes. We’ve heard of some people having travelled out of Western Province before curfew was imposed at 12 midnight on October 29 (Thursday); this was when prior warnings were given by health experts that Western Province was declared a COVID-19 hub and travelling outside this province wasn’t encouraged. And the purpose behind most of these travels was more to do with’seeking pleasure’ rather than attending to matters of importance. 

Despite the warnings people still travelled. When there were severe concerns about having a parliamentary election this year, due to the coronavirus, the government went ahead with plans of having polls to strengthen its resolve at the expense of people’s health. The 19th Amendment to the Constitution was seen as more harmful to the country than COVID-19. 

All this was done to pass the 20th Amendment to the Constitution and make the ruling alliance (Sri Lanka People Freedom Alliance) invincible. The Sri Lanka People Freedom Alliance (SLPFA) plays to the gallery. From repatriating stranded Sri Lankans from abroad and bashing USA, regarding the proposed MCC agreement, this government knows how to take people’s minds away from problems which otherwise could lead to protests. For example we’ve read in leadings Sunday newspapers that after Gotabaya Rajapaksa had talks with visiting US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo the Sri Lankan President had assured his ministers that Sri Lanka would under any circumstance not sign the much talked about MCC agreement with USA. This America bashing is sadly serving as an escape route for the government which is now forced to give away vital groceries to people in curfew imposed areas. Sri Lanka’s economy is wobbling due to mounting debts and the state can’t afford to give away stipends to people nor shut down economic centres.  

But this regime is happily showcasing America as an ‘enemy’ of the islanders and very craftily avoids talking about the fact that ‘the USA is Sri Lanka’s principal market for exports and in 2019 made America purchase goods worth $ 3.1 billion. 

But this regime is happily showcasing America as an ‘enemy’ of the islanders and very craftily avoids talking about the fact that ‘the USA is Sri Lanka’s principal market for exports and in 2019 made America purchase goods worth $ 3.1 billion. 

Still President Rajapaksa is a hero to 6,924,255 people who helped him earn 52.25 % of the votes at last year’s presidential elections. Right now he is initiating plans to bring back as many as 150 Sri Lankans stranded in Saudi Arabia. We only wish that these Sri Lankans would be subject to a proper quarantine process once they arrive on the shores of Sri Lanka. 

Most of the voters who backed a change in administration are people who have to work hard to survive the 30 days of the month. We know of areas which have been ‘isolated’ following the detection of a COVID-19 patient. Imagine what happens to the livelihoods of less affluent people when they are forced to go into isolation. 

Also we must realise that the law that the police talks about when its spokesperson appears on television and what applies on the road are perplexing. For example students sitting for the Advanced Level Examination have the greenlight to travel in any vehicle to reach examination centres in areas affected by the pandemic. Students hiring tuk tuks have easy passages to such centres. But the driver of the tuk tuk experiences much difficulty staying undetected by the police till the student arrives for the return hire because the schoolboy or girl in uniform serves as the curfew pass for the tuk tuk driver. The welfare of tuk tuk drivers doing yeoman service during exam times has never been considered by the regime. 

While the medics are hard at work finding solutions to ensure the sick get well soon and don’t fall victim to the pandemic there is a large percentage of citizens in this country who’ll place their trust in unseen forces. For the record Premier Mahinda Rajapaksa the other day urged mainstream religious leaders to pray for the ending of the pandemic. Sri Lankans also have the practice of distributing pirith pan (holy water) during a crisis to ease people of trouble. We as a nation can quite easily move away from science and reasoning in the face of adversity and lean on black magic and voodoo.  

Sri Lankans are a bunch of people who are hard to understand. We hate China, but want their cheap mobile phones. We hate America’s proposed MCC agreement, but want USA’s export market. And last, but not least these islanders want the control measures adopted by the Pohottuwa Government which controlled the first wave of the COVID-19, but resist calls made by the government to act as responsible citizens when there is a threat to the community due to  a second wave of the virus. 

The Western Province has been subject to a curfew since last Thursday night. But despite the curfew we see people taking to the street in the night to gain their daily exercise through jogging or walking. On the jogging track behind parliament we hardly see any board warning of people to maintain social distancing and to wear face masks. But there is one prominent board which states, ‘Be aware of crocodiles’. We Sri Lankans have our lists of fears. Sadly COVID-19 is not on top of those lists.