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Sri
Lanka Journal:
Entry Number 7
Helpers and a visit to the Speaker of the House
A quick political history
A primary part of my mission here is to obtain a first hand knowledge
of the needs of Sri Lanka in this tsunami disaster to see what further
help can be provided. Of course, Sri Lanka is an ancient culture. Sri
Lanka's first settlers were the nomadic Veddahs. Legend relates them to
the Yakkhas, demons conquered by the Sinhalese around the 5th or 6th
century BC. A number of Sinhalese kingdoms, including Anuradhapura in
the north, took root across the island during the 4th century BC.
Buddhism was introduced by Mahinda, son of the Indian Mauryan emperor
Ashoka, in the 3rd century BC, and it quickly became the established
religion and the focus of a strong nationalism.
The Portuguese arrived in Colombo in 1505 and gained a monopoly on the
spice trade. By 1597, the colonizers had taken formal control of the
island. However, they failed to dislodge the Sinhalese kingdom in Kandy
which, in 1658, enlisted Dutch help to expel the Portuguese. The Dutch
were more interested in trade and profits than religion or land, and
only half-heartedly resisted when the British arrived in 1796. The
British wore down Kandy's sovereignty and in 1815 became the first
European power to rule the entire island.
Of course, independence arrived in 1948 but there have been a series of
unrests especially with the Northern Tamils. Oddly enough, the War on
Terrorism has brought the Tamils to the negotiating table and there may
be an end to that civil war. The President's House which is near my
hotel in Colombo is heavily armed and there are sandbags and machine
guns manned by the army. Many of the disaster areas are not exactly
unsafe but it is something people think about.
First Responders
Because the tsunami hit essentially a beautiful coastal region, some of
the first helpers were tourists staying at the beautiful hotels along
the coast. Many of these buildings were not damaged since they are
built high above the beach. Even two months later, tourists are
essentially arriving at these luxury hotels and then volunteering their
time clearing debris. There is some controversy about this since there
is a feeling volunteer labor is replacing Sri Lankans who might be paid
to do this.
The culture here is very unique. Sri Lankans are always saying people
think of them as an extension of India. Nothing could be further from
the truth. Although the sari is often a dress of choice, the men often
wear sarongs which are not traditional wear in India. Th food is also
unique. Curry is definitely a common ingredient but other spices are
used with great finesse. I would, in fact, saw there is a unique
cuisine here and it is delicious. Every day, I cannot resist the fresh
vegetables and fruit. The organic foods craze here is the status quo.
A visit to the
Speaker of
the House
So I have discovered a unique country with a real cultural identity. I
had the honor of being taken to the Parliament buildings (built on a
site outside of Colombo) to have tea with W.J.M. Lokubandara, the
Speaker of the House of Parliament. He wields a position of tremendous
power and influence even though his party is currently not in power. He
literally makes the legislative process work and presides over it in a
chair made from a fallen beam from the British House of Parliament.
Rifky, his daughter and I drove out to the site where the "new"
parliament was built circa 1970's. The place is surrounded by an
artificial lake and a big fence with guards all around. We had to stop
the car, be searched, have the car searched and then proceed up the
drive, where the whole process happened again. The security is very
tight.
We went up to the closed floor occupied by the Speaker and were ushered
into a small reception room. A servant came in gave each one of us a
napkin. Tea soon followed and then the Speaker came in wearing a pale
beige silk sarong and matching top. He sat next to me on the small
couch and encouraged me to eat the tea sandwiches, some sort of fish
balls and small cakes. He was incredibly gracious and thanked me many
times for coming to his country. Later he led me to the secret door
through which he enters parliament. I stood on his raised platform next
to the chair made from the wood from the British House of Commons while
he told me no one except him was allowed through that door. I expressed
appropriate awe.
This is a unique culture but has no problems using political, cultural
and religious customs from other places. After all, the main export of
tea was made possible by the British obsession for it. So, there is a
great receptivity to foreigners such as me. And there is no apology
about allowing “outsiders” to help in the tsunami. I had expected a
number of restrictions about visiting tsunami sights but the only thing
I was told was to be careful. The Speaker himself gave me his personal
card and cell phone number. The cell phone here seems to be an
appendage. Even the Speaker's cell phone was brought to him a couple
times during our meeting.
The Rotary
I never knew much about Rotary in the U.S. but it is a very active
organization here. Many Rotary members have volunteered their time
outside of their ordinary jobs to help with the tsunami. Mr. Kudachchi
had his own business but never turned down requests to show others who
might help the tsunami areas. Gerd Gregor worked as a consultant in
Austria but he was here on his own time and money to represent his
Rotary chapter in Austria to see what could be done. Without Rotary
connections, Rifky and I would have had to scramble to find others who
could guide us.
Hospitality
Just as I had been shown tremendous hospitality in Colombo by many
entities led my Rifky himself, at the end of a very long day of
visiting many victims in tents and back roads, Mr. Kudachchi invited us
back to his house for tea. We drove down one of those tiny side
roadways into thick vegetation and there was his house. We went in. By
this time, I understood about sitting down. A complete tea was served
and both Gerd and I felt very well taken care of. When we got up to
leave for our respective hotels, Mr. Kudachchi gave all three of us
large bags of local tea. I was overwhelmed by how very open and
genuinely hospitable these people were and how grateful they are to
those who travel this long distance to help them in this time of need.
That, in and of itself, is a precious gift to share with others when I
return home.
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