Our rotten pillars, politicians and bureaucrats

A cyclone of unusual strength has sent the nation reeling

- By Ravi Perera

IN a good part of the island, violent winds and gushing waters left a scene of utter destruction.

Bridges were blown away, roads damaged, buildings brought down, rail lines swept aside, houses destroyed and much of the farmland left in ruins. Many a family have lost a dear one while many more are left destitute. A poor nation sees its hopes and aspirations receding further into the horizon.

We are inclined to see the earth as bountiful, custom-made for human needs. Occasionally we are given a sobering reminder that an evolved primate, undeniably versatile as he is, is yet a tiny creature in the larger scheme of things. A creature who has entered the stage only recently relative to other species of much longer histories on earth, but whose activities have impacted the planet like no other. Nature is indifferent to the tragicomedy enacted on her stage. Natural calamities hit virtually every country in the world

His capabilities have enabled man to assault our life sustaining earth with a savagery no other creature can match. As their numbers multiply, humans continually claim more land, jungles are cleared, other animals inhabiting the earth are pushed into small reservations to live only as a tourist attraction, resources are tapped relentlessly, water is polluted and the globe is dangerously heated.

Man will reap the whirlwind for what he sows

After the 2004 tsunami we on this island were told that living near the shoreline was not wise. Now we learn that living above a certain elevation can be injurious to your well-being as well. Thus restricted, the twenty something million humans in Sri Lanka must make their homes in the balance part of the land. What a relief that we have toy homes in the form of condominiums now!