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| Wednesday, 26 March 2003 |
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Ducking reality, Lankan style by Afreeha Jawad Why do Sri Lankans hurry past reality. Why do we shy away from the guilt of shared sin? Now, let's examine all this vis a vis the Sri Lankan psyche. People eat flesh and rest quite content in believing he/she was not party to the killing and thus justify their eating. Isn't it the demand for flesh that floods the market? So then, can we be guilt free of indirect participation or aiding and abetting slaughter? Many scream their souls out downing animal slaughter but would unhesitantly and brazenly taste a fish patty. Is it that sympathy varies accordingly? I mean in keeping with size, form and shape or is it that the cow deserves more sympathy due to its usefulness and the fish none for its otherwise state.People also pray 'Siyalu Sathwayo Niduk Wewaa, Nirogi Wewaa' and before one could say Jack Johnson, there they are, eating into some fried or devilled fish or tearing apart chicken breasts and legs which in contemporary jargon is chicken parts, drumsticks, gizzard and so on. This is also an attempt of dissociation with reality - of one's involvement in the crude act of taste buds titillation at an innocent animal's expense. Just imagine the pain and sorrow it goes through to present itself on the gourmet's table. At table perhaps its 'much nicer' to hear one say 'Please pass me those drumsticks' than 'Please pass me those chicken legs.' 'Gizzard' sounds more 'elegant' and 'fashionable' than liver. Certainly, all this is a conscience escape exercise. Who coins these words is another story altogether. Whoever it may be, certainly its an attempt to keep feelings untampered for market preservation. Not living up to reality is also reflected in how people creep and crawl before insolent might for promotions and post installation - all this is done back stage while at front stage they maintain it was thrust upon them despite repeated refusal - "What nonsense, I didn't want this post but so and so insisted that I take it up" - Pah! Come sickness, Sri Lankans feel falling ill is social disaster. Its culturally accepted that ill health is an outcome of one's own misdoings and you've got to 'pay' for whatever sins you've committed. Cleverly putting on a facade of good health they get about crowing of their 'fit as a fiddle' anatomy while the face 'tells it all.' When hair turns grey and betrays scull, scalp and all - hair dyes and wigs - a safe haven indeed! Once again reality in default. Heavily painted faces galore while regrets aplenty over nothing that could be done for sagging facial muscles. All in all dye and wig manufacturers along with cosmetic industrialists 'have a ball' over chronological fragility. In politics some politicians feel all very smug over their victory while how they 'got there' is anybody's guess. Both private and State media houses project news in keeping with what they feel is 'real' - often undermining reality itself. And so it goes on and on - the great drama of deception each in his/her own cocoon of hidden agendas. |
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