Neo-colonisation

by Imali Weerasinghe

Visitation of MARA

The dark blue Mercedes Benz which glided through the cart track of the village came to a halt in front of Aron Mudalali's Bangalawa. Mudalali inquisitively watched the two handsomely dressed gentlemen getting down from the car.

They were young and dynamic with a marvellous personality. They reminded him of the British rulers. The two gentlemen wore warm smiles which made Aron Mudalali feel that he knew them from his last birth.

He placed the glass of 'Kola Kenda' he was drinking, on the arm rest of his chair and returned a timid smile. Even before he could think of anything to say the two gentlemen settled themselves on the old couch and began the conversation with the words "Oh it's a very warm day. Isn't it?" Mudalali felt at ease.

It was after finishing the two glasses of king coconut, the two gentlemen introduced themselves as agents of a multinational corporation called MARA which stood for Multinational Association of Regional Arts.

Mudalali couldn't understand most of their words, nor did he try any interrogation or respond. But when the two gentlemen told how they had heard about Mudalali's handicraft business and the reputation of the high quality of his products; he started to smile with nods of appreciation and agreement.

It was during lunch, after having investigated the poor status of Mudalali's reed ware industry, the two gentlemen mentioned the real purpose of their visit. They tried to convince Mudalali of his luck to get assistance from MARA. They told him how their help would increase the production. And of all the luxuries Mudalali would enjoy and the development that would take place in the village.

Spread of MARA

The villagers, who were impressed by the first Mercedes Benz in the village, soon grew used to see numerous luxury vehicles moving in and out of the village. After Mudalali agreed to get help from MARA, the Association took pains in providing the infrastructure to the village and then developing it.

The village soon lost its identity, the traditional lifestyle; and later, even its name. It was called MARA GAMA. The youth of the village were taught to use the machinery and their labour was divided efficiently.

The younger generation never exhausted like their parents. Moreover they specialised in individual fields of production. Thus the industry, as well as MARA, spread all over the village, holding to the ground tight with its growing roots and nestling the village under its massive branches.

The parents were proud of the idea that their children got a better education at the college put up by MARA. For generations the village engaged in reed industry and people had not viewed a better future for their children in this feudal system.

Even those who feared, that the labour of their children would have no value due to heavy use of machinery, made no complaints, once they saw their children getting educated in different fields, as doctors and managers and even getting employed in MARA subsidiaries such as food catering and lodging.

Yet the new generation never realised that they were losing a heritage; a skill known for ages. They did not get the chance to learn the art of reed craft as a single manufacture.

Instead they only specialised in different fields of the production. All they learned was to look forward for the salary which was paid for their labour.

The village, which was once self-sufficient and independent soon had to depend on MARA for everything. Food, shelter and even for the raw reed which was now imported to meet the increasing international demand.

Villagers could not even breathe without MARA. Once MARA was certain it had crushed the backbone of the village and no young man knew the entire procedure, it stared influencing the village adversely and monopolizing the market.

One particular call from the head office, in fact kept the whole village awake for weeks, until they met with the required production quota. It's true that people earned more. The more they earned, the more they spent to purchase the other productions of MARA subsidiaries, which were imported from various parts of the world.

People developed an interest for luxury, easy money and business, and they encouraged their children to take up business as their career. They were not concerned about the poor standard of their children's education. In fact the parents didn't have the time to look after their children.

After a hard day's work they came home in time to go to bed. Parents didn't complain much about their children going to a discotheque, a gift by MARA. This was the best place MARA dealt with their drugs, which funded most of its welfare projects.

Soon, the 'family' started to fail as an institution. When pregnancy affected production, MARA decided that spouses should work in different shifts. Husbands came home to find wives already left for work.

Their communication was often limited to a piece of paper which often read as 'Get some hoppers for dinner' or 'I've ordered pizza for dinner.' Soon the village morally degraded to such an extent; that wives had sex at work and husbands slept with prostitutes. It was at this stage that MARA decided to put up their hospitals in which specialised foreign doctors cured venereal deceases.

Worse, people had no time for gatherings. Even on holidays people either hid themselves behind a publication of MARA or sat staring at the television networks of MARA.

Each member of the family had their own TV set, and they locked themselves in their rooms even when they were watching the same channel. Mothers hardly cooked on holidays. People went out to dine at one of MARA's hotels or ordered a MARA Food Hut to deliver some snacks.

To get rid of the monotony of life, fathers fled to the pubs, but they found no companions with common interests. Even the colleagues were aliens as each didn't know the scope of other's work.

The women hardly gathered to gossip and even when they did, they didn't know of whom they were talking about. Children didn't like to invite their friends to their homes as most of the times their homes were a mess and the fridges were empty as no one had time to fill them up. This alienation and lack of unity enabled the tree of MARA to grow wild.

Victory of MARA

Soon the villagers realised, how thick its branches had grown. It had covered the light and prevented the warmth of sun.

They realised that the village was in darkness. They realised how the roots had spread all over and had virtually become the ground on which they stood. They realised that they are too late now and cannot cut the big tree down. They had no choice but to live on the fruits the tree alone provided. They learnt to turn a blind eye to the creepers which invaded their homes.

They even feared to propose to groom the tree in a way it would provide more fruits and flowers. And thus they learned to accept this wild growth as natural; the way, MARA expected it to be seen.