The View From India
Right now I’m in Chennai, waiting for a train. Chennai seems well developed but it also smells like pee, at least around here, and I kinda want to go. No, I’m not on the run or anything, I just wanted to have a look around, get some perspective. The elections have defined this country and I’ve been too close to focus. So I’ve come here to see.
idyllic in aerial view
For one thing, I miss Sri Lanka already. India is so big the mind boggles. Sri Lanka somehow fits quite handily into the mind, and the heart. Even to children you can point out places on the palm of your hand. It’s a bodily attachment and one misses the place in a visceral way.
No politicians
That said, I don’t miss the politics. Personally, I think the government is going well when you don’t notice it. In Canada I had only the vaguest idea who the prime minister was and everything ran fine. Politicians, like plumbers, only tend to be prominent when things are going wrong.
One of the hardest things about Sri Lanka is how much political influence is required for anything. From getting your kids into school to getting out of jail. From holding a prize giving to running a business. When you’re in it seems ludicrously easy, but when you’re out it’s ludicrously hard. Not that India is any different, but at least I’m unaware. And it’s nice to get that out of my head for a minute. As much as I respect our President, it’ll be nice to go a day without seeing his face.
No politics
Another welcome change is to get away from the toxic parts of the debate. I spend as much time as possible in the ocean just to clear my head, but sometimes it doesn’t work. Things have gotten to the point where being UNP or even opposition is traitorous, and it’s really not. On the other hand, many people I know make out SLFP supporters to be murderous idiots, and it’s not that either.
There are so many people yelling absolute nonsense and so little media to sort it out that we end up imbibing raw filth. I write online and the comments I get from both sides are often, frankly, insane. From one side I hear that I’m a slave to NGO money and from the other that I support genocide. It’s like it’s become completely implausible that a person might have an opinion.
From the sea
Things have become so deeply politicised that I think we’ve forgotten some human courtesy. We are kind to tourists, but slice and dice each other based on party, race, language and belief. In elections it comes out as violence, cheating and brute intimidation, but this venom pervades our conversations as well. Politicians encourage it, but a lot of it comes from us. It’s like we have no perspective.
So, in a way, that’s what I’m trying to get. I was recently out in the ocean, and our island looks so peaceful from far away. But it was mainly tourists on the boat, Sri Lankans don’t often get to see ourselves like that. We see the same bricks, the same concrete, the same sociopathic traffic and the same biased nonsense on TV. Yet viewed from outside, as an island, this is the most amazing place on Earth.
Swimming out of sight of land and you realise that then you need people as well. Otherwise I would be freaking out. You realise that it’s a small place and we’re all in it together and that maybe we should chill out for 15 minutes and have tea. There was too much violence and hate during the election and there’s too much anger and retribution after. It’s really not necessary.
I’m glad the war is over and I don’t have to worry about losing my life on the road, but it would also be nice if I didn’t have to worry about losing my mind. The view from India is a magical island with every hope and possibility in the world. Yet the view from inside is a royal cacophony of dissent and consent, both rude. Me personally, I’m trying to sort out the two. Plus they have Avatar in 3D.
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well written, simple, but echo’s a different perspective. its time they all get together and sort out the mess before we lose our minds.
The politicians that we get reflects the society in general. First I thought that people like Mervin Silva are not the norm and that these politicians are crude, rude, and no class. Then I started reading various comments that are posted on various articles by “normal” Sri Lankans. Holy molly, the language was the same. The same filth, same intransigence, same lack of class, absolutely no respect to other peoples ideas, are allover the web, displayed for whole world to see. So why are we complaining about when our politicians get out of control? Because they are acting the way they think that they should act and they act the way they have seen others – so called “normal” people act. So stop blaming just the politicians – take a hard look at your self next time you look in the mirror.
Hey Srilankans, be vigilent, foolish MR just want to be in power because he knows if he lost power he will go to jail for the crimes he already commited.Another pearson who wants to take chance of this is India.We can remember in 1983 how India backed by Gandi`s ,made LTTE and trained in Tamilnadu and simply push them to Srilanka, and when JR wanted to kill them and finish the LTTE with General Kobbakaduwa`s plan and how Indira Gandi openely dropped food and medicine to LTTE and questioned “Why you guys are trying to kill Tamils”.I believe some of today politicians can remember this incident.My question is why India is trying to keep touch Srilankan Internal Problem either Good or Bad way.Keep in your mind India is a country manufacturing” Atomic Wepeons” but they have no place to tryout those wepons.India once tryout “Maldivus” and ” Malasia” but totaly unsuccessful, then what is the next. May be Srilanka.Present atmostpher in Srilanka is very good chance for India, because President is corrupted, country is not united,government was ejected by developed western countries like U.S.A., U.K., Australia.Foolish president is making connection with Markist, Communist Countries like Russia, Libiya,Vietnam,Cambodia, Nepal,Iran and Cuba.Non of these countries having “Democracy” ,all those countries people are living hunger, poverty under a “Dicttator”.They like any foolish “President” come to join with their “Union”.India is wolf in sheep clothing.Sometimes very soon North and East of Srilanka will be an Indian teritory control by the Indian government.Rajapaksa family will get the underhand comis and live like real “DonJuwan Darmapalas” people who voted to this group have to suffer.and I believe very soon India will use Srilanka as a base for their “Neuclier Testing Base”.Thanks for the SinhaleseVotters .Do it for the upcoming ” Parliment Election” too then foolish Sinhalese you guys can peacefully die saying “Appe Elankewa”
, Feb 8. COIMBATORE: The World Tamils Protection Conference has threatened to send one lakh youth from Tamil Nadu to Sri Lanka to agitate if the island nation fails to resettle the 3.50 lakh Lankan Tamils from Mulveli camp at their respective villages within 100 days…
Srilankan this is before the election.
Even now use your vote against this “Foolish One Sited Government”.Every vote you vote to MR and Group, make Srilanka an Indian Teritory.There may be no Sarath Fonsekas any more to lead the militery against “Newly Born LittleTigers back by strong country like India.That day you all guys say “Anne Budu General,Apitasamawenna, Api Ellankewa.Rajapaksaya api kewa”