Gajalakshmi Paramasivam

18 July   2021

 

Is the Tourist less valuable than the Citizen?

 

A Tamil coordinator shared with us the clip regarding a 75 year old man in Northern Sri Lanka chopping wood for a living. At - https://youtu.be/okPHjdoTufY  One response went as follows:

[I am also one of the vintage tribe now at the age of 75 when i go to the estate. My two permanent employees are having scooters, to me legs are my Lexus. Thank god i am able to pedal my push bicycle, in the alternative a rickety rusty ramshackle simply a bone shaker, as my property abuts a sea on one side and a lagoon on the other side with a narrow constriction, an estuary with sand dune that gets inundated during rainy season completely cut off from the mainland and i access through the boat. I make 3 trips annually and spend 3 months there in a year and Covid has clipped my wings. Very sad to say so. ]

My response included the following:

[I am also gradually structuring to link my Sri Lankan investment to my Australian heritage which is largely our children and our home unit. Over on the other side there are a few souls – who confirm my heritage there – especially in terms of my work structures. I do not focus too much about physical visits that are not my current reality. Our shipment for the Opportunity shop cannot be cleared because our staff cannot travel to Colombo from Jaffna to clear the goods. I have asked for extended time. These however make me feel part of the Sri Lankan experience . They can be frustrating – but worse comes to the worst – I am thinking of asking the cargo guys to use them. ]

Then I read the Sunday Observer report ‘Sri Lanka’s borders to be reopened’ which included the following:

[Tourism Minister Prasanna Ranatunga said the Tourism Ministry will launch a global promotion campaign to reopen Sri Lanka’s borders for large-scale tourism during the course of this year.

It has also been proposed to introduce a promotion scheme for airlines and hotels as well.

Discussions are under way with stakeholders of the tourism industry and various airlines regarding this. The Ministry plans to implement the promotional campaigns until the end of this year to attract foreign tourists to Sri Lanka, the Minister told the Sunday Observer yesterday.

Following the reopening of the airport for tourists, over 17,000 tourists had arrived in Sri Lanka during the past few months.]

 

If the risk of citizens contracting the virus is high then the government needs to confirm that risk through every arm of the government – including the Tourism minister who is also part Foreign Affairs minister through external tourism. Truth is needed to protect us from the virus or poverty. When Sri Lankans living overseas return to Sri Lanka – we make those in our respective home environments feel  valued. This is far more valuable than the value a tourist shares. But towards this, we also need to feel Sri Lankan. Hence if our folks are not allowed to travel – then we also should not travel within Sri Lanka. That is the way we share Energies.

When we truly care – we have the person/s we care about in us – as part of us. Then empowerment happens automatically. That caring is an Energy that binds and protects both sides exponentially. Whether we live or die – it happens to both and hence it is binding including in death. Hence – the following in Hail Mary :

‘Holy Mary, Mother of God,
pray for us sinners,
now and at the hour of our death.’

Each time we dwell on truth – we invoke its exponential powers including as natural protection.

The karma from Easter Bombings is yet to become Protection. Given that 46 (17%) of the 269 who died in the Easter Bombings were visitors – and given that we are yet to find the truth that is acceptable to the victims – we have to expect  that karma in waiting to add itself  to the current risk through Covid attack. Had we gone deep and found the truth – that would have the effect of diluting the risk and pain from Covid which is not directly under our control. The exponential spread confirms that the virus has its own mind. Hence its name. Due care for the other as if we were one – is also exponential due to the oneness. When we feel for the tourist as he s/he were part of us – that becomes globally exponential. That is needed by Sri Lankans of different ethnicities. The sacrifices we make towards this would protect us from external attacks. That is when we would be ready to serve tourists and reap exponential returns.