The Green and clement

Badulla is a big town with hustle and bustle. It has a busy commercial district with a maze of road and the rackety of venders, which would easily intimidate a new tourist. The city only goes silent at night. But when you are out of the city limits, within few minutes you’d start to see a lot of green and a lot of mountains. And you would experience a significant change of the climate too. The air become balmier and the breeze become cooler. Once again you realize that you are riding through the Uva mountain ranges.

I’m back on my bike and on the way to Kandana. It was my friend’s Grama Sewa division and yesterday was her last day there as the Grama Sewa officer of Kandana. This trip would give me a chance to meet her and her successor as well as to enjoy the endless green and clement breeze once again.

In ancient Ceylon, a wayside rest was a common site almost in every city. And I’m in front of a wayside rest situated in a small countryside town between several mountain villages. Describing this junction as a town would be an overestimation since it was nothing but few houses and a small boutique shop or two. But I got to learn that this wayside rest is the residence for an elaborate weekly market. According to the kind uncle who was chatting with me, almost everything in the weekly market comes from the home gardens. Every fruits and vegetables coming to the weekly market are fresh and almost organic. The market is held twice a week now and it seems people are trying to expand the concept to cater a wider consumer base as it has gained much popularity.

Again I’m in an ascending through a mountain road and the scenery with green vista paved with far away mountain range is back. But there’s a difference in the air than my experience in Ettampitiya area. I could see more parakeet and emerald green around and the climate is much balmier and clement.

“Kandana is a huge division consists of seven villages and two plantation divisions. And more than 600 families live in this division. Understandable there are many communal societies are functioning created for many different purposes but kandana Isuru Praja Mandala has the cream of the members. Most of them are in 50-60 of age and they have an expert knowledge of the village. The youth also participate.” I remembered the picture my friend Miss. Chandani gave me prior my visit.

And finally I have arrived to my destination. A small office in the far corner of the village play ground with a beautiful view.

“We started the Praka Mandala in 2016. Total 62 from the village came to that meeting as far as I can remember. And in the inaugural day we passed a project to start a weekly market for villagers. And after one month we initiated that weekly market with the support of many others including the divisional secretory. The weekly market is still functioning successfully and we take an assembly in every two months to discuss further plans.” That was the president of Kandana Praja Mandala.

“We were the first Praja Mandala of this division to create the village development plan. That helped us greatly to determine the issues that need to be fixed in the village and the developments much needed to the village. And it helped us to prioritize the needs and work accordingly. For an example, we realized that lands without deeds are a substantial problem and we worked to resolve it. Now before the end of this year, those land owners who didn’t possess legal deeds would get the papers. I could give you another example. We thought of a scheme to help our housewives to earn an extra income through self-employment. And we thought of introducing export agriculture and floriculture. We already accomplished an introductory program. Now we are to participate to training workshops. And we could connect with an institution that could provide necessary equipment, plants, fertilizer and the training. And we are expecting to work through it under the patronage of the Ministry of economic development. This would give our housewives a much needed financial edge I believe.” He added.

My friend Chandani introduced me to the new Grama Sewa officer of the division, her successor – M.K. Firdausia. And they explained me about the dreams and hopes they have for Kandana in details. I could see the excitement and the passion they have. I could see how they take pleasure in working for the betterment of the village.  

“We have people in every religion and every ethnic group here. Praja Mandalaya became the ground for people to meet without divisions of politics or ethnicity or religion. Isn’t that something we need as a country?” He asked before I leave. It was indeed a nice sentiment, a much needed sentiment given our history of ethnic conflicts over the course of the history.

I started my journey back to the city but the calmness of the milieu, the clement climate and the warmth of the people I just met will be with me for some time. That I knew for sure.