Laksiri Warnakula  

Quite a few writers, even doctors among them, have expressed their  concerns with regard to the spread of the virus.

The large numbers of people gathered around shops and places of worship during the ‘Avurudhu’ period, casting caution to the wind, was a recipe for disaster.

And I fear that what is turning out to be now is how they said it (or to that effect): A massive number of infections that is now recorded, on a daily basis, which is almost thousand a day. Needless to say, the actual numbers could be much higher than this.

Sadly, many people still don’t seem to care about the extremely grave consequences that we will most certainly be facing, if the irresponsible behaviour of the public at large and some religious personalities/politicians is not going to change now and with immediate effect?

And it looks like many people still do so, not even giving two hoots about adhering to ‘rules’ established/imposed by the authorities to curb the rate of propagation of the viral infections that could sweep across the country like a viral tsunami.

Now kawum, kokis, kiribath, nakath and several other customs/rituals made people forget how close we would be, to the precipice, if the warnings were ignored.

Well, in a way how could they? ‘Sinhala/Dhamila aluth avurudhdha’ has a long history of ceremony and celebration, and nothing can possibly stop people from following those long-standing customs/rituals/traditions. Even something like ‘Covid’ cannot possibly do much to change their mindset in this regard.

Yet extraordinary circumstances demand extraordinary discipline from the people as well as the ones, who govern them, and we are now facing such circumstances. The government should have done a lot more than it apparently did to control the crowds during the ‘avurudhu’ period. They quite possibly didn’t want to lose their popularity or whatever is left of it by taking such measures that would have made many unhappy, if not angry. 

I pray to god that the pursuers will be able to catch up with  the runaway virus before it gains such a lead making it beyond reach and then goes on to create a mega-health crisis in the country.

‘Alarm bells are ringing, non-stop and red lights are flashing. Let’s all do the right thing, to save the country’.