Eternal vigilance

The bomb explosion in Pettah on Saturday once again brings into focus the ruthless nature of terror. Fortunately, the blast did not result in the carnage that the perpetrators perhaps had in mind. But the result was that the relative tranquillity that we experienced in Colombo in a heightened security environment was shattered in a second.

While there are various theories as to the culprit(s), one thing is certain. Terror usually comes at a totally unexpected moment. The only answer is eternal vigilance. The terrorists have to be lucky only once while Governments and the people have to be lucky all the time.

One may argue that the Security Forces and the Police are primarily responsible for ensuring safety and security of the people, but they cannot be present everywhere, all the time. The cooperation of the public is essential to effectively discharge their duties. They have done and are doing a remarkable job keeping Colombo and other cities safe through a well-formulated security system. It is the public's duty to help them in this onerous task.

Although civilian vigilance reached a peak after the spate of bus bombings earlier this year, the enthusiasm seemed to have dissipated lately. In fact, civilian tip-offs helped avert several tragedies over the last few months.

We have observed that civilian vigilance rises to a crescendo following a major incident. Then collective amnesia sets in, rendering the earlier efforts useless.

The best course of action would be being alive to what goes in the surroundings. A parcel in a bus could be a bomb. A vehicle left unattended for long hours could be fitted with explosives. A person behaving in a suspicious manner could be a suicide terrorist.

This is where the Security Forces and the Police come in. It is the responsibility of the public to inform them through emergency numbers about such suspicious parcels, objects, vehicles and persons. Such timely action could save hundreds of lives.

The Tigers are hemmed in from all sides in the Wanni and are desperate to show especially to their funding sources that they can still strike in Colombo albeit at soft targets such as civilians. Another aim is to divert the attention of the Security Forces from the North to the South to gain some breathing space. This has always been the practice of the Tigers. It is our collective responsibility to thwart such attempts by being vigilant all the time.

Organic food

Organic food is a big business especially in the developed world, where consumers are increasingly shunning foods grown using chemical fertiliser and methods. Organic shops have sprung up everywhere to cater to health conscious shoppers. These products are usually a little more expensive, but consumers are happy to pay a premium due to the lack of any harmful chemical residues.

Here in Sri Lanka, this concept has not caught on widely despite an abundance of natural resources and solid waste which can be turned into organic fertiliser very easily with a minimal investment. It has ben revealed that more than 160,000 tons of organic fertiliser could be manufactured from the garbage collected around the country annually. Unfortunately, only around 15,000 tons of organic fertiliser are produced every year through this method.

Thus the Rs.500 million initiative by the Agriculture and Environment Ministries to popularise organic fertiliser is a timely move. They have also organised an organic fertiliser popularisation programme this week, titled Saru Pasin Saru Ratak (Prosperous country through fertile soil).

The aim of this programme is to cut own the use of chemical fertiliser by at least 25 per cent by 2010. It is our earnest hope that both large-scale farmers and home garden growers would take up this challenge. After all, making compost fertiliser at home is not difficult. Commercial compost bins are not very expensive and even if one cannot afford them, there are many alternative ways of making compost.

Farmers must be weaned away from the belief that only chemical fertiliser is effective. Agricultural research institutions must conduct research on varieties that are more receptive to home grown non-chemical fertiliser. The Government grants a 96 per cent subsidy for paddy farmers for chemical fertiliser and a substantial saving could be made in terms of foreign exchange if the use of chemical fertiliser is reduced. The same applies to all other imported fertiliser varieties.

The Government should also assist entrepreneurs to set up organic food stalls, where consumers can buy foods manufactured without using chemical fertilisers/hormones at reasonable prices.

This would encourage more farmers to enter the field of organic farming. It will encourage 'organic living' as everything that comes from the soil to the table will be 100 per cent healthy and safe.