The Sinhala-Tamil New Year is fast approaching and people are having mixed thoughts about how much they should spend on purchases. This is the time to buy garments because by the time April dawns (Which is Saturday by the way) it could be a tad too late. If one doesn’t buy garments now one will be left with the riff-raff; or the ones that are slow movers in terms of sales. 

In fact as a nation we citizens have been slow movers. We’ve moved slowly when those who think fast and are ambitious have immigrated abroad. Those who have remained here in the island have no such luxury. 

They have to live with the reality of being stuck in an island which has crashed economically. There are few success stories of a selected few, but the majority really isn’t bothered to hear these stories. This is the tragedy of this nation. 
People are focusing more on the negativities around. Just the other day we saw on national television how an entrepreneur is engaged in exporting seahorse and bringing in the dollars to Sri Lanka.

 There are other entrepreneurs who are engaged in profitable ventures and helping Sri Lanka to raise its head from the dumps. It’s in this environment that some individuals are carrying out strikes. 
The Head of State recently was quoted in the media stating that it is the same faces that are seen at protest sites. 

This is not the time for trade union action. If one scrutinises the state sector a good number of its employees have got used to obtaining perks in a very unethical manner. 
There was a time when people found only the government or all past governments at fault. Now we see how greedy or overly ambitious some people are. There is little thought given to ethics, fair play and decency when one gets into the mood of winning in life at any cost. 

This is the time when unnecessary expenses need to be slashed and people need to save for the future. Will the New Year celebrations go into a can wait list? Certainly not!
But we sure can have a much simpler menu on the table when the auspicious time arrives to the partaking of meals. This will sure take us back to the good old days when the breakfast table during the April New Year festive season comprised just a few traditional sweetmeats made with products turned out of produce that didn’t contain chemical substances. In a way this is where we should be heading towards; in terms of direction. 

Sri Lanka as a whole needs to get back on to the drawing board.  We need to focus on old lessons on surviving, producing, living and leading happier lives. Our ancient people ate little and worked a lot. Those ways of life ensured our sustenance and lengthened the work life of people. Open heart surgery was unheard of; not forgetting that people were quote happy with two meals a day!

Now when economic hardships force us to consider dropping our third meal for the day we start complaining. We’re a nation of complainers. We’re complaining against a president who was not elected by the people, but we are not appreciating the fact that there is gas and petrol available without having to join queues.
 If one wishes to join the bandwagon that’s loaded with economists who are not giving Sri Lankan a chance to beat the blues consider the fact that Sri Lanka just received the 1st Tranche of US$ 330 million of the IMF bailout programme. 

More success stories will come, but only if Sri Lankans have the will to survive. The old people of this country who don’t have health on their side have the will to stare uncertainty in the face and keep breathing for a few more days. The problem is with the young ones who don’t have faith in themselves and the much desired will; something that if nurtured properly will ensure that the unthinkable is achieved.