All Blacks; No Whites!

A doubting Thomas sent an email about last week’s piece; “A minister and IGP stuck in traffic!!!” he exclaimed. “In Sri Lanka?” another heaped sarcasm. Ok, I made that bit up! IGP called this morning; said that he would fix it.

I made that up too.

Here’s a cracker! The first ‘Ball Guard’ was used in cricket back in 1874. The helmet didn’t arrive until 1974. So it took men 100 years to realise that their brains could be as important as their balls.

It took me 20 years to travel the 30km distance from Batticaloa to Passekudah. Even though I’d made the perilous journey to the land of the singing fish earlier, the short distance from there to idyllic Passekudah was just not possible due to the intensity of the war, back then.

In the exalted bay, a multi-cultural swimwear contest was in full swing. Participants arrived by the bus-load and were vying for attention. Men and women in sarees, sarongs, girls in shalwars and abhayas were an all too common sight. The prize went to the women in ‘diya redda,’ the flimsy garb accepted by our culture and worn by women around the island, especially in public bathing spots.

The carnival-like atmosphere was smack in the middle of the resorts coming up to attract high-spending international tourists and the government would do well to establish clear boundaries which allow locals to enjoy their rightful heritage in typical calypso style, without chasing away the green bucks.

The intense heat and humidity drove me out of Passekudah and I couldn’t help but think that a new Ministry may be in order to educate islanders on appropriate dress codes for diverse social calls. Sri Lanka needs something nice in between the saree and the diya redda, especially when water is involved.

It’s not every day that people in every village along highways and byways let you pass without being treated to their hospitality.

The cost to the economy too looked staggering as traffic was reduced to a crawl so motorists could enjoy a bit of dansal hospitality, for the locals, from the locals!

However, one stop in Polonnaruwa, at the entrance to the historic ruins, was an unnerving exemption to the day’s benevolent mood. ‘One place, two prices’ is a topic which will be debated forever. The paltry sums charged from locals don’t cover even a part of the maintenance costs of the country’s tourist attractions. So a premium fee for international tourists is not contested even by most foreigners.

But when my good friend Hiran Karunaratne and his young son Gihan were allowed to drive on but not his Russian-born wife, the mood cut a sombre and embarrassing tone. She was directed to drive back to another office and buy a ticket for US$ 25.

It isn’t the money, but the despair for a close-knit family to helplessly witness the treatment meted out to one of its members for embracing our country over hers.

That too diabolically in a country that preaches familial values. Sri Lankan tourism needs a more humane face. Yet another episode of colour over criterion.

Did you notice that roads get better the further you get away from Colombo? Gamata kiri, Colambata kekiri.

A short week and it felt like the wheels were moving slow, on and off the road!