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| Sunday, 28 December 2003 |
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Features |  |
| News Business Features Editorial
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From Galle Face to Green Glory by Lucien Rajakarunanayake The leasing out of the Galle Face Green, done with no prior notice or consultation with the public, is yet another revelation of this government's total lack of transparency in its public affairs. Galle Face Green and promenade is not just any old ground in the city. It is one of the historic sites of Colombo, and in other countries that protect their heritage sites a place such as this would have been listed as a heritage site to be so protected. It is here that horse racing first took place in this country. It was also the first grounds where cricket the current national sport of the country - was played. In addition to it being a place where the colonial ladies came to walk and take in the air, to whom the Galle Face promenade was dedicated by Governor Henry Ward, it was also the place where public executions took place during British times. During the days of the British and was part of the struggle against colonialism and the demand for independence, with it gaining a name as the rallying place for the strong left movement of the day. It added to its historic importance being the place where Bracegirdle was proudly displayed, having emerged from hiding, in a major slap on the face of the British rulers. All this history was of little importance to the UNF and Minister M. H. Mohamed in leasing this out for place of entertainment and highly commercial activity. All they need is money to fill the empty coffers, that they know not how to fill but for the sale or lease of the assets and resources of the country and its people. With this mantra of privatization that is being chanted, as the magical charm to cure all our economic ills, there is no limit to the possibilities available, and possibly to be made use of by this government, in a demonstration of its corruption, lack of transparency and total lack of managerial capability that it boasted about so much. The question now is why stop with Galle Face Green. Swarnapitiya Edirivaahini, the lessees of Galle Face Green could also be offered the Vihara Maha Devi Park, Pedris Park, Elie House Park, Cooray Park, Hyde Park, de Mel Park and all other parks that make up the small air lungs we have left in the city for a grand circuit of Swarna Rasa or gilded entertainment. Of course the Royal Colombo Golf Course will be excluded because that is where all this great advocates of privatization and the "super managers' of the UNF exchange views over a round of golf, and identify what should be next on the list for privatization, who should get it dirt cheap and how. Why limit this to parks, whether of historical value of not. There is so much of water available for privatization in this country. Beginning from the Basawakkulama to the Tissa Wewa and Nuwara Wewa in Anuradhapura with their history of over two millennia, there is the Kalawewa, Balaluwewa, and other reservoirs that make up the great Parakrama Samudhra complex of reservoirs. The other historic reservoirs such as Minneriya, Giritale and so many more in the old Rajarata, down to the Tissawewa and Chandrika Wewa the South, all of which can contribute much to hide financial the mismanagement in the failure of VAT to bring in the required revenue to government. In putting on sale all these examples of our great hydraulic civilization, in keeping with the World Bank and IMF recommended panacea of privatization, it will be possible to throw in the Kandy Lake and the Beira Lake in Colombo as bonuses to whoever pays that for all those great storehouses of water. Water-Vultures Worldwide Inc. or a local member of the Wewjawaram Prethawansa, who will be their agent here, will show great interest in these offers. No doubt the Tourist Industry will develop rapidly with so much opportunity available for water sports with this abundance of controlled water at the disposal of so-called developers. As for the people to whom these great tanks were source of their livelihoods tied down to agriculture, the government could easily move them away to some other areas where they can be herded into some massive housing complexes, also developed on state land given free to private investors. The displaced people will be spared the sight of the cultural desecration of our historic reservoirs, but they need not worry about employment, even if the Government is bothered to produce any opportunities. Instead, the government can give them a monthly dole, even against the recommendations of the World Bank, from the income earned through sale or long lease of these reservoirs and lakes. While still on the subject of water, there are other opportunities aplenty in this hydro privatization programme. I already learn that many of the Jalarakusu Pelapatha, both from here and abroad, are already eyeing the four major rivers that could be privatized, all at once or in phases. The Mahaweli, for instance, could be privatized either as one whole river project, with rights of the new owner to the river basin, banks and their resources too. Or else, it could be privatized with different bidders getting the different irrigation and hydro power projects such as Victoria, Randenigala, and Maaduru Oya, and the Kotmale project when completed. They will develop these as further opportunities for water sports for tourists, and even as landing areas for sea-planes adding a new dimension to tourism. With agriculture not being a priority, in keeping with the advice of experts from the ADB and similar organizations, there will be much more water available to generate power, which will be a great boost to industry and exports. Once again the people who lose their traditional livelihood of rice growing, can live on a regular grant from the Government from all the development in tourism and the revenue from industries made profitable and competitive with cheap power available. As for rice, we will have new advertising campaigns to discourage people from eating rice, and go in for more fast-foods, all for the benefit of Kentucky Fried, Pizza Hut, Big Mac and the many other robber barons who will swoop on this captive market. For those traditional "buth maruvas" who insist on being old fashioned and insist on a rice diet, it could always be imported, with various rackets in the import procedure and little regard for the quality of rice that is supplied. Of course no would bother about the total destruction of whatever is left of our own traditional varieties of rice and the strains that were developed by local agricultural scientists particularly at Mahailuppallama. Don't forget that there is already a vulgar TV ad which says that Keells sausages is a national food, and that all our people have grown up strong and healthy purely by eating this. Just think of that for standards of advertising. It's difficult to get away from water and the many prospects it holds for those struck by or deliberately infected with the privatization bug. There are so many other waterways that await the secret hammer of the auctioneer. The Deduru Oya, Maha Oya, Malvatu Oya, Ekgal Oya and so many others only await the arrival of the right Minister of the UNF at the right time. If Ravi Karunanayake is given half a chance he will sell them off for less than the value of the song of a boatman, who plies these waterways. It's not that others are much better or are much less dangerous. Then there is that special prize, the Diyawanna Oya. Those who try to sell this off may seek to attach more value to it, because of that imposing building sitting upon it, that houses of herd of uncontrollable elephants gone wild with corruption, and others who make little sense with their chairs and bells, as well as, those who relay the Voice of Tigers inside it and others who portray the confused state of Muslim politics in the country. Although many in the privatization game believe the oft-stated august claims of this assembly would bring added value to the Diyawanna Oya, the impression is growing that any serious bidder would take it only if this talk shop is first demolished, leaving the stretch of water in the pristine grandeur of its historical links. The way that Galle Face Green was leased out in secret, it is always possible that those who make a great living by being temporary residents of this contentious building, may one day find that they, the representatives of the people, are not anymore its owners, and that it is possibly owned by an investor very keen to develop Sri Lanka. If it is sold with the talk shop standing, it will most likely be bought by Japanese, because it was Japan that funded its construction; the close influence of the Japanese style in its architecture; and the big Japanese bell that is found there. Now that the game of secret leasing out of national assets is out in the open, there are many more prospects that offer themselves as great opportunities for lease or sale. There are the mountain ranges, that could be sold, and all the timber left on them taken away (of ebony there will be nothing because Kaluwara Mahinda has already seen to that). The rocks quarried and rubble from these mountains such as the Knuckles Range and others could easily be used to fill up the wetlands in the low-lying areas that are an eyesore to property developers, keen to reach higher in the high-rise race. Then, there is the sacred mountain fastness of Adam's Peak, the source of our four main rivers, which with its unique history will be a great attraction to an investor, who will simply mint money by charging a toll from those who climb it. With all this gone into private hands, if those with such zeal for secretive privatization go on for long, one can only wonder as to what will happen to the Sri Maha Bodhi and the Dalada Maligawa. Wouldn't they be tempting prizes indeed? |
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