In defence of Yohani

Wednesday, 22 December 2021 00:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Media reports that singing sensation Yohani de Silva is set to receive a plot of land, purported to be around nine perches, from the Government has seen many take to social media pleading the young star not to take the offer.

In a climate in which the Government has arguably failed its people, with a fuel crisis now piling on top of a forex crisis, the rupee depreciating at an alarming rate, and the cost of living rising well beyond the income levels of a majority of Sri Lankans, a young, well-to-do talent, who is making strides on a global scale – taking a Government handout/gift is not a good look.

That said, seeing things from Yohani’s view, it is incredibly unfair that she has been put in this situation, having worked so hard to build her career to the level it is at.

She is now stuck in a place, where she either has to decline what will most certainly be seen from pro-Rajapaksa quarters as a generous gift and show of appreciation for her work in putting Sri Lanka on the global map, or accept the gift and be lambasted in other quarters for showing insensitivity towards the plight of her fellow Sri Lankans.

Indeed, some have already drawn parallels between Yohani receiving land and all those in the North seeking reparations for the land lost in the war – some of which are in the possession of the Sri Lankan Government.

This may be a plea falling on deaf ears, certainly taking into account the polarising nature of social media, but maybe we should all try and give Yohani the benefit of the doubt, whatever her end decision might be.

Regardless of how well her career is going, in the current economic climate the benefit of owning land cannot be understated – alongside gold and foreign currency, land is among the safest investments you can make at present. Whichever way you look at it, this is a very enticing option.

If she ends up turning down the offer, that too should be taken in the spirit that it is meant, without disreputable actors attempting to manoeuvre it to fit their narratives and push their agendas.

The reality is, despite Yohani being at the centre of this social media storm, it really has very little to do with her. She is simply a talented artist, who has been dragged towards the flame by the wanton lack of empathy apparent in this Government.

All this incident shows is that this Government merely sees the country as its fiefdom, where they are free to do as they please. Just the fact that the Cabinet itself saw no issue with this decision, when Sri Lankans all over the country are struggling to put food on the table, shows that they have no sense or understanding of what the people in this country are currently going through.

All of the ire and hot takes being directed in Yohani’s direction should instead be aimed squarely at the Government. The country is bleeding, yet those that have been elected to run it seem to have no sense of how to stop the haemorrhaging.

The move to offer this gift to Yohani at worst is transparent pandering, and at best, pure and utter lack of sense – neither are traits anyone should tolerate in those elected to run the country.