Ven. Bebalagama Rathanapala Thera, the Chief Incumbent of Sri Sakkyasinharamaya, an ancient Buddhist temple at Hettipola, Kurunegala and a senior school teacher of Kuli/ Hettipola Mahindodaya National School of the Panduwasnuwara Educational Division who has been serving in government schools for over 34 years was interviewed by The Sunday Observer to seek his views on the current economic crisis and solutions to it.
Excerpts
Q: The country is facing a grave economic crisis. What are the factors that led to the crisis that has made people to suffer so much?
A: The unfavourable trend has already ruined the peaceful existence of all citizens. There seems to be no solution within the near future. Due to the current crisis, people are greatly exploited by money –minded leading company owners while the Government seems helpless due to the lack of dollars to provide the daily basic needs of people such as fuel and gas.
I am of the view that the present unfavourable economic crisis is not an immediate one and President Gotabaya Rajapaksa cannot be held totally responsible for the disaster. All the previous Governments that came into power after 1977 are responsible for the crisis and the respective leaders in the past had been borrowing foreign loans at higher interest rates for projects that brought no economic benefit to the country. The leaders then did not have a proper vision as they had utilized those foreign loans in non- productive development projects to promote their political images while embezzling public funds as they wished.
Even then, the people of this country have been paying back those loans by way of taxes imposed on them, with interest to the foreign lenders for several years. On the other hand, all the Government- owned firms and Statutory Boards have been wasting and misusing public funds in billions for over decades. COPE Chairman Prof. Charitha Herath has specifically highlighted and revealed to the media that the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) has been exploiting and abusing its resources and public funds in billions during the past several years.
Thefts of large-scale have come into light by now by the top authorities of the CEB, according to the recent comments of COPE Chairman Prof. Charitha Herath. Unfortunately, the Government and the relevant Cabinet Ministers have failed so far to sue the errant officials of the CEB although the culprits and their dishonest dealings are revealed with valid evidence by now. Now, the CEB is once again demanding the Government to increase the electricity bill of the consumers. Laws are not implemented properly and immediately for the top authorities of the Government due to political influences.
It has become an open secret by now here in Sri Lanka. Law has to be equal to all on this land despite political preferences. The confidence of the common people in the implementation of the law seems to be deteriorating tragically. I am expressing these views from the viewpoint of the common voters of this country.
Q: As a senior school teacher of Government schools for over three decades, what are your views on the national educational system and the national school curriculum of Government schools?
A: This is an important topic that has to be discussed extensively. Actually, Sri Lankan students pass out from State-owned Universities annually as graduates but they start organising protest campaigns along main streets immediately after their passing out against the Government by demanding jobs. This has been a common phenomenon in our country for decades. Really, our rulers and intellectuals have failed so far to realise the real facts to this plight and seek viable solutions or remedies to overcome that type of youth unrest. School syllabuses are designed to produce youth of extensive theories and not practically-capable future citizens.
Therefore, our school curriculum has to be updated to suit the needs of the modern world and the local and global job market, giving priority to producing skilled and vocationally–capable youth. University graduates should be equipped with vocational skills as per their personal choices targeting the global job market.
No skilled persons seem to have been produced either in schools or Universities in the recent past. That means, students have no positive goals to be achieved after the formal education period is over, to succeed in the life of their future. No vocational skills development programs or career guidance programs are conducted systematically or properly for the student population by now in schools. Administrators of the Educational field and curriculum designers have not still identified the real needs and aspirations of the modern youth generation. It is a national tragedy.
Our youngsters are creative and talented and that is why they had invented even very useful medical tools and equipment several years ago to treat the Covid-19 infected patients utilizing very simple techniques. But their admirable efforts were not appreciated at all by concerned authorities.
Q: A food crisis in the country is imminen. How could we overcome the crisis?
A: The entire world is now facing negative economic effects due to the ongoing Russian-Ukraine war. Instead of holding peace talks the West is supplying sophisticated firearms worth billions of Dollars to Ukraine to fight Russia. Responsible international organisations which are bound to stand for peace are silent. The tragic war has affected us badly. Urgent steps have to be taken the rulers to save the country from a food crisis. Our country is blessed with all-natural resources to grow food crops. If people are encouraged and educated on cultivating food crops, even by now, this predicted food shortage can be surmounted easily.
All available arable lands have to be utilised for growing food crops. President Gotabaya Rajapaksa wanted to introduce organic farming in this country. His concept was very genuine, far-sighted and productive in every respect. Thousands of patients of kidney- disorders, heart failures and cancer could have been saved if organic farming had been popularised countrywide by now.
About two million farmers in the Anuradhapura and Polonnaruwa districts of the North Central Province had died of kidney, cancer and heart disorders during past 12 years due to the over-use of chemical fertilizers and insecticides on food crops and by drinking chemically –polluted waters by residents of these administrative Districts. Long- term benefits of organic farming were not communicated properly to the common people of this country by the relevant authorities. But unfortunately, the Parliamentarians of Opposition political parties criticised and condemned the noble concept. They are not sensitive towards the good health of people and farmers of this country. They try to gain political advantage by misleading the masses. Farmers were provoked against the Government to show that it was an impossible project to be implemented.
Majority of the Cabinet Ministers and parliamentarians of the then parliament didn’t support the President to implement the project. Multi- national companies manufacturing chemical fertilizers got the support of opposition party politicians to condemn the productive project. Even the Government officials of the Agricultural Ministry neglected their duties and responsibilities in implementing the project intentionally to cripple the organic farming move in Sri Lanka.
If all get together to develop the country, it can be done easily. All have to be genuine and patriotic towards achieving that target. Despite mere political ideologies, all Sri Lankans have to be united to overcome future challenges for the next generation.
Our forefathers were great and talented farmers and they had even exported rice those days.
The Government should not import food items that can be grown here at any cost. It is true that we have to suffer a lot for the time being. But our future would be bright if we could endure it. Local manufacturers and our own farmers have to be encouraged to produce more to save foreign exchange. Local products of high quality can be exported bringing in the much needed forex to the country.