Ramblings on long weekends and short days

When one is in retirement and living in a village, one forgets long weekends, for all weekends are long and the days somehow begin to get shorter. Weekends are long because there is so much one can do during those two days and especially so, when they become even longer like the one that just came and went. Most I know had added an extra day to it, by taking a day’s leave of absence from official work on Monday.

During a weekend, people in the village do not have to attend to the usual chores of preparing and taking their kids to school, to rush to the fields to care for the crops or to sieve off the sand from the ‘sippi’ shells they collect from the surrounds of the Kalametiya sanctuary to be ground and sold to middle-persons who take it elsewhere to sell as poultry feed. When it is Sunday or Poya day, it is a day off for the fishermen with nets and boats staying neatly arranged on the beach.

On Sundays, the village Daham Pasala (Dhamma School) is active and the kids in white sarongs and lama sari walk the roads making a pretty sight in the early hours of the morning. On each Poya day, the evening pahan pooja (offer of light) lights up the temple grounds with busy children running around with flowers they had picked and bottles of coconut oil; adding to the excitement.

World at large

On satellite television newscasts I watch, I learn of the UN’s failed attempt to condemn the Syrian government and the continued ‘induced’ violence that goes on in that country. I also watched the Russian foreign minister accusing the UN of taking sides in that civil unrest. The US has been disappointed that Russia and China vetoed the UN resolution of condemnation of Syria at the Security Council. In Cairo, Egypt in the aftermath of the mayhem on the soccer field, a new round of civil unrest has broken out. Greece is still to adopt controversial austerity measures to avert having to declare bankruptcy as a nation. In Europe, just like the financial crisis, the winters are severe and are causing hardship to many causing the deaths of several. Flooding in Australia’s Queensland is creating havoc with thousands being evacuated from their homes.

Unity in diversity

I learnt that a child a few days old had frozen to death in a refugee camp in Afghanistan and that the Indian Police are about to round up those responsible for shameful trading of little babies for money.

A Sri Lankan mother was seen yearning, advising all young people to be careful and responsible when driving their vehicles, so valuable lives in the prime of youth, the likes of her son could be saved. She lost her young son on the first fatal accident that happened on our expressway. He had been driving recklessly in the wee hours of the morning, without caring to wear his seat-belt.

What unfolds on that television screen often shakes me up and it serves as a reality check of what happens in the wider world around me.

When weekends are long the village routine takes a different form. Most eagerly await their loved ones, who work and live away from them in the big cities to come back home. Special meals are cooked and there is a general festive atmosphere in most village homes during long weekends.

Days become shorter for the likes of me now, for I spend more time focusing on what happens around me than to me. That I must confess is a very different experience to what one goes through when one is in active work. There is no dictum of what must be done, when or to go on running to keep one’s place in the rat-race.

Last Saturday, the 64th Independence Day of Sri Lanka, the morning was spent watching the proceedings of the celebrations held in Anuradhapura on the television screen. The highlights for me were the scintillating chants of Jayamangala Gatha and the blessings in song by school kids and the simplicity of the cultural pageant that was an integral part of the parade. The cultural ministry’s district centres were responsible for bringing each unit together. For once, it was without the frills of stage-craft like those we see on television shows and displayed a sense of authenticity in reflecting the various aspects of Sri Lankan like. They were not well-trained professional troupes of dancers but true representatives of Sri Lankans from different regions. As for me, I appreciate the austerity practiced and the symbolic representations of the unity of our cultural and racial diversity.

Focus and resolve

Our Head of State in his address to the nation on that occasion emphasized that there is so much more we still have to achieve together as a nation. Indeed, we need to work in unity towards achieving lasting peace and there is no doubt that can only happen, if all Sri Lankans chipped in with a singular focus and resolve to make our motherland a better place. It is true that there is much that needs correction and definitive action i.e. unruliness, corruption, unwarranted use of power by some and the inflexible and uncompromising attitudes and positions taken on the national question are some among these. Indeed, the bickering that goes on in the ‘international’ arena driven by those who thrive in living in the past must also end. The Tamil Diaspora must venture to serve the interests of their brethren here in Sri Lanka and not there own out their in their lands of adoption.

Caring ways

A few of my friends and I spent the afternoon of Independence Day with about 80 special children and their parents at a two and half days ‘Ape Pattuw Residential Camp for Special Children and Parents of the District’ organized by a dedicated volunteer group of youths who for purposes of recognition call themselves, the ‘Southern Youth Development Foundation.’

At the camp we had the opportunity to meet a group of 12 third year Speech Therapy students and their teachers from the Keleniya University's Department of Disability Studies of the Medical Faculty. They as volunteers had come all the way from Colombo, paying their own way, to interact with the children and the parents and that calls for a salute of gratitude to them. Such deep sense of commitment from our youths and their caring ways goes to prove that we indeed have hope for our nation’s future.

Measure of greatness

The sad stories we heard at the camp were many and the needs of the special children, their mentors and their parents had, were also very many. We learnt that there were more than 4.,500 children with disabilities within the Hambantota district and most needed attention beyond what is given now.

We heard from the parents and the mentors that the children needed more protection and care, more support for their development with better schools equipped to serve their needs, specialized services for the development of their skills to prepare them for leading ‘normal’ lives. More focused support systems they said were needed for the mentors and parents as well, so they could be better equipped to provide better care in preparing the children to be useful and productive within our society.

“A nation’s greatness is measured by how it treats its weakest and most vulnerable members”, is a quote attributed to Mahatma Gandhi. During this long weekend I realized how valid that thought could be, both in the cases of resolving our national question and in addressing issues related to our children with special needs.

[email protected]