The Concerned Citizen Act
We were on the train to Hikkaduwa last weekend. One of those fancy new trains, all squeaky clean still, blue and white. On a Friday evening, it was the worst possible time to be on a train down south. We were packed like sardines into it, nose to nose. Of course everyone stares at us, maybe as we are dressed differently, maybe because we are speaking in English, maybe because there are quite a few of us. Who knows.
After awhile, we notice that all the baggage racks are empty, and this is a part of the reason why it feels so crowded…because everyone and their baggage doesn’t leave one very much room to have both feet planted firmly on the ground. I stood like this for awhile, and then, in desperation, I hoisted my bag up onto the baggage rack. The empty baggage rack. Now, there was a notice pasted onto the wall of the train that said (in Sinhalese only, of course, in a country where not only do we have a multi-lingual community, but one in which we frequently entertain tourists) to please avoid placing your baggage on the baggage racks as far as possible, for security reasons. And they don’t mean security reasons like the bag may fall on the head of the person seated beneath it and kill them. No. They mean security reasons like the bag could be contain a bomb. Anyhow, the notice clearly said ‘avoid as far as possible’ and it did not state that this was forbidden.
First of all, I really don’t see why you would have baggage racks and then tell people not to place their baggage on it. What is for then, your children? Secondly, I really don’t see how not putting your baggage there, you could avoid a bomb exploding. A bomb in a bag, whether it is on the ground or on the rack, will explode and thereby kill or harm everyone in the near vicinity. I don’t see how placing the bag on the rack is going to increase it’s chances of killing everyone or make it more dangerous. This seems to me like a pretty inefficient and futile way of handling the problem, and just another way to scare people and make them more paranoid than they already are (and they are militantly paranoid, aren’t they?).
As I proceeded to do this, the woman and the man who were sitting beneath my bag, now on the rack, flipped out. Especially the woman. They started shouting, and told me, in English, that this was forbidden, and just because I speak English don’t get off thinking that I am above the law of this country. And I’m like WTF? What has that got to do with anything?
So I tell them very kindly, in Sinhalese, that as they are happily seated and I am standing, I don’t expect them to understand my plight, but I really do not have any room in which to even out both my feet down, and therefore, my bag was going to stay on the rack. They continued to hoo and haa and discuss us avidly in loud whispers (in Sinhalese) as if we weren’t there, or as if we wouldn’t understand.
Meanwhile, in our compartment, there was a group of loud, boisterous boys who were singing baila and banging away on the sides of the train, with no regard for the hundred other people who had no choice but to be deafened by this unpleasant and loud ruckus. Of course, this was completely harmless, I understand that. But it seemed strange to me that of course no one complains about that. It’s not like that’s annoying or anything. But I get the concerned citizen number for putting my bag on the baggage rack.
So, basically, if you dress normally but do weird stuff, it’s OK. But if you’re dressed weird and do normal stuff, like put your bag on the baggage rack, you’re a freak.
I’m always tickled by the irony: the people of this country care so passionately about all the stupidest rules, and yet disregard the truly important ones as if they were a joke. This may sound far fetched and conspiracy theory-like, but this incident was just another in the list of incident that, to me, display the growing nationalism amongst even the most average Sri Lankans. People have an even stronger sense of a particular code of behaviour that is ’socially acceptable’ and ‘Sri Lankan’. In another incident, one not so actively putting-off, at a recent meeting on Citizen Journalism, one gentleman kept saying that while it was great that we all have blogs, how does one call this true citizen journalism as it is not the voice of the true Sri Lankan citizen that is heard through our blogs. I am a true Sri Lankan citizen! All of you are!
So our train journey continued, punctuated by stares and whispered conversations about us. And the boy band continued almost right to the end, as loud and as annoying as they were when they began.
The main reason for not permitting bags to be put on the racks is that its easier to place a bag / parcel and then slip away. Whereas if you had to hold the bomb in your hands and set it off, you need to be really committed to the cause.
Hope that sorta makes sense.
Comment by thekillromeoproject — April 8, 2009 @ 1:21 pm
What thekillromeoproject said. People are more vigilant these days about these things; a few such bombs had been detected by passengers, conductors and such sometime back.
As for why they have baggage racks must be because the baggage rack came before the rule/suggestion.
Comment by SpectralCentroid — April 8, 2009 @ 3:08 pm
hi ,
I’m a sri lankan working in malaysia for a IT company. Above you have explained the hassles our sri lankans have everyday life. I think you have only experience it once. And we all know this is because of this bloody war we all have very bad time.I also was angry for these things but after I came here (this is my first time in a other country) I realized how people in developed counties live (though malaysia is not a fully developed country) what are facilites they have . Generally most of the people live happly. So whats the problem with our country , once we were ahead to singopore. We all have to suffer untill this war ends and develop out country .But dont know will able to do that or when will, but we can.
Comment by Pubudu — April 8, 2009 @ 3:40 pm
I understand, and I’m not whining about whatever security measures we have to take. I try to cooperate as much as I can, at checkpoints etc. I always try to be helpful and nice (as long as I am treated with respect). I get that we need to live with certain ridiculous inconveniences because of the war and that’s it’s the least we can do given that some others are suffering a hell of a lot more. So I don’t mean to complain.
I guess this post was more focused on the fact that their attack on me was kind of based on the way I was dressed and the language I spoke. It’s a kind of blatant discrimination against anyone whose not ‘Sri Lankan’ or more specifically ‘Sinhalese’ as far as they are concerned. This post was more about that in general, using this train incident as just an example.
Comment by electra — April 8, 2009 @ 3:40 pm
Pubudu: Don’t get me wrong, as I said before. I didn’t mean to complain. This train incident was merely an example of the phenomena that I am trying to describe. I don’t think we are ’suffering’ by having to put up with these small things: some people are really suffering. Our problems are minor in relation to what our fellow citizens in the North are going through right now.
Comment by electra — April 8, 2009 @ 3:44 pm
If the bomb was placed in the baggage rack instead of the floor of the train, more carnage can take place due to the higher blast radius where the shrapnel can injure people. I’m just saying that for the sake of information, I don’t in any way agree with the woman who was complaining about you just coz you were speaking English. It’s this kind of discrimination which makes the ethnic conflict here that much more complicated. I’ve gone through the same experience in a bus (I was talking with a Tamil friend of mine in English, since I cannot speak Tamil, and if we were speaking in Tamil we’d probably landed in jail or something… lol) and the woman seated near us whispered loudly to the other one “hithan inne apita therenne naa kiyala” or “they think that we can’t understand english”… I have never ever talked in any language other than Sinhala in a bus ever since that incident…
Comment by Anon — April 9, 2009 @ 6:15 am
1/
do you think ( you seem to imply this) that the type of cultural barrier you are describing is peculiar to sri lanka? it is in fact present all over the world. once you go beyond so called cosmopolitan niches in urban areas .
to make a point, those cosmopolitan niches are rather empty and devoid of authenticity . you wont find what is usually described as ’sri lankan’, ‘american’, ‘british’, ‘chinese’ ‘indian’ etc ( and of course sub categories of these ) in those niches. once you go beyond niches you find something similar to your experience everywhere. some find this repellent ( as you seem to) and there is a bit of nasty chauvinism. but this exclusion of casual (note “casual”)outsiders comes with lot of positives (in every culture in their own ways ). and it is authentic. . no matter how you imitate the positives of a culture ( if you can comprehend and recognize them at all ) it wont be authentic . you cannot have one( positives and authenticity) without the other ( exclusion and bit of chauvinism)
if you don’t like this obvious ( by definition almost ) truth, stay in the niche you are comfortable with . (your loss).
btw you have a perfect right to claim your legal nationality while being a politically correct global citizen or whatever ( i am being polite here)
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2/
you seem to be oblivious to the fact that ppl “commenting” (or as you imply showing distaste and and contempt etc “rudely”) about you is doing no more than what you are doing here about them. at least they did it to face, sort of
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3/
as for ‘ridiculous” security and being “paranoid’.
do forgive the natives . i mean they probably had some experiences first hand . the train you were traveling out of colombo to south was almost certainly targeted before. and they probably seen ppl they know get killed by the hundreds. actual ppl you were referring to probably saw some of that with their own eyes . regulars in these train are ….well regulars. even i, who travel only occasionally by train have seen stuff ( in the way of mangling of bodies and trains )
so do forgive the natives their fear and absurdity . they don’t have the luxury of being brave and level headed from a distance at second hand.
4/
i may have gone too native to realize that above is perhaps insulting and rude etc to you and god forbid, confrontational . if so my apologies
Comment by sittingnut — April 9, 2009 @ 5:37 pm
I’m glad to see that despite the fact he masquerades as an American on twitter http://twitter.com/sittingnut , Sittingnut still takes it upon himself to represent “real Sri Lankans”.
Comment by Anon — April 10, 2009 @ 2:48 am
is that your response ( a link to my twitter and my alleged masquerade about being american)? typical and pitiful.
i love it when these obsessive haters of my poor self make such silly ( and unoriginal to boot ) comments.
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for the record,:-
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i hardly ever base my arguments on my patriotism. or my “representing real Sri Lankans”. and i did no such thing above. i made factual observations about ppl who have authenticity everywhere. did not claim i have it.( i may have, or may not have it .but it doesn’t invalidate the observation and argument i made above.)
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i like a capitalist usa, and libertarianism, hate terrorists ,and racists ( including sl peacniks who invariably are racists ) and don’t like obama and socialists etc . and i say same in twitter as in my blog. always have. check. so where is the masquerade?
i call myself a sri lankan because well i am, same as electra here and i have pointed this out in twitter. and i have tweeted when interesting news occurs relating to sl as well as about cricket. so where is the masquerade?
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just read ( above comment, twitter, blog, etc )carefully next time before responding. otherwise your inherent stupidity and irrationality will show as did in your comment above
Comment by sittingnut — April 11, 2009 @ 8:33 am
hope my comment in reply to anons attack above do get published .
Comment by sittingnut — April 11, 2009 @ 8:34 am
is that your response ( a link to my twitter and my alleged masquerade about being american)? typical and pitiful.
i love it when these obsessive haters of my poor self make such silly ( and unoriginal to boot ) comments.
—
for the record,:-
-
i hardly ever base my arguments on my patriotism. or my “representing real Sri Lankans”. and i did no such thing above. i made factual observations about ppl who have authenticity everywhere. did not claim i have it.( i may have, or may not have it .but it doesn’t invalidate the observation and argument i made above.)
-
i like a capitalist usa, and libertarianism, hate terrorists ,and racists ( including sl peacniks who invariably are racists ) and don’t like obama and socialists etc . and i say same in twitter as in my blog. always have. check. so where is the masquerade?
i call myself a sri lankan because well i am, same as electra here and i have pointed this out in twitter. and i have tweeted when interesting news occurs relating to sl as well as about cricket. so where is the masquerade?
—
just read ( above comment, twitter, blog, etc )carefully next time before responding. otherwise your inherent stupidity and irrationality will show as did in your comment above
Comment by sittingnut — April 11, 2009 @ 8:35 am
anon at April 10, 2009 2:48 am
is that your response ( a link to my twitter and my alleged masquerade about being american)? typical and pitiful.
i love it when these obsessive haters of my poor self make such silly ( and unoriginal to boot ) comments.
for the record,
i hardly ever base my arguments on my patriotism. or my “representing real Sri Lankans”. and i did no such thing above. i made factual observations about ppl who have authenticity everywhere. did not claim i have it.( i may have, or may not have it .but it doesn’t invalidate the observation and argument i made above.)
i like a capitalist usa, and libertarianism, hate terrorists ,and racists ( including sl peacniks who invariably are racists ) and don’t like obama and socialists etc . and i say same in twitter as in my blog. always have. check. so where is the masquerade?
i call myself a sri lankan because well i am, same as electra here and i have pointed this out in twitter. and i have tweeted when interesting news occurs relating to sl as well as about cricket. so where is the masquerade?
just read ( above comment, twitter, blog, etc )carefully next time before responding. otherwise your inherent stupidity and irrationality will show as did in your comment above
sittingnut
Comment by snut — April 11, 2009 @ 8:52 am
The comments made by various parties were more insightfull than the original post.
Sittingnut made the comment “those cosmopolitan niches are rather empty and devoid of authenticity”. What exactly do you mean by authenticity? Do you mean to say that village life in Sri Lanka has come down unchanged from the time of the Sinhalese Kings. You should go to a Sinhalese village and get to know the people. They make Jack the Ripper look like Father Christmas. They are not little innocents, as you suppose them to be. The point that Subha seems to trying to make is, not that they are in any way bad, but that the present trend in Sri Lanka seems to be that the Mahajanayas are trying to coerce everyone into being carbon copies of themselves. Heil Hitler.
Something I positively hate is when people like Sittingnut sit in America and make comments about how Sri Lankans should live their lives. He should be stripped on his American Citizenship and sent back to the most cultured land on earth, that he seems to love.
Comment by prasad — April 12, 2009 @ 2:20 am
i see my reply comment got published at last (thrice) after not appearing at all and after prompting ( prompting comment appeared right away). why the delay? where is original btw? tech problems? i hope. hope this will appear without prompting or attempts to repost
prasad,
read my comment first before assuming falsehoods . i don’t think “village life in Sri Lanka has come down unchanged from the time of the Sinhalese Kings” why do you think that?. bc you don’t have anything to say against what i actually did say? don’t argue with ghosts in your dreams .if you want, argue with me.
“Mahajanayas “, who are they btw? you admit they are real and identifiable ? and the majority? and different from you ? so why do you object to calling them authentic sri lankans , as there are similar identifications in other countries ?
i did not say they were ” innocent” etc? they are no more innocent than you or me or electra. .or guilty. nor did i say that you should be one of them. they exist as you do .and act as all ppl do. they favor what is like them and show contempt for what unlike them .as you and electra do.
you do not have any support for you interpretation of electa ( with a silly aside about hitler ) on her words already written than your silly assumption about what i said .
on the other hand if you think “Mahajanayas ” is trying to “coerce” you to be a copy , why not give proof of that in your own words. what is the “coercion” involved ? showing contempt for your attitudes? is that it ? are they doing anything more than what ppl in all countries do? or what you and electra do here?
“sit in America and make comments about how Sri Lankans” , “stripped on his American Citizenship”? ?
how pathetic are these silly statements? typical irrational response from ppl who have lost the argument and don’t want to admit it.
btw, as anyone who actually read me ( on blog, twitter, etc )knows i live in sri lanka.and is a sri lanka citizen. i do visit america occasionally and love that country too for its individualistic ( and what is generally called american )mindset ( and hope it will remain so inspite of obama etc).
btw it is “so called cosmopolitan niches” you cannot be really cosmopolitan when you have low tolerance for certain cultures and not others.
Comment by sittingnut — April 15, 2009 @ 5:36 pm
Sittingnut: I am sorry your comments was not published earlier. Comments that exceed a certain wordcount are sent for ‘moderation’ and do not get published automatically as comments on this blog usually do. As my modem was fried by lightening and only recently reinstalled I was able to get online only yesterday. I saw your comment had been stored and gave it the approval it needed to be published. And it only got published thrice because I think you had submitted it thrice.
Thank you for your comments. I do not deliberately moderate or hold back comments on this blog, but as I said, some long comments get stored for moderation purely automatically.
Comment by electra — April 16, 2009 @ 11:40 am
As for America being individualistic, really?
I can’t think of another country that has a more ‘follow the trend’ culture than America.
Comment by electra — April 16, 2009 @ 11:44 am
thanks for the explanation about comment. you are perfectly within your rights as blog owner even if you choose a more active moderation policy. i do appreciate your not doing that.
as for individualism in america. you make a good point .
but following a cultural trend is not anti individualistic as long as one freely choose and do not make it the dominant force in life
anyway i was talking more about acceptance of free market capitalism which is highly individualistic and not looking for gov etc to help them out as most ppl in other countries do, and these traits were there in alexis de tocqueville’s time, they are still there. though the dependence culture is spreading ( eg recent bailouts, obama election with his redistribution and big gov schemes, which are more or less identical to platforms of many third world or european politician’s) .
Comment by sittingnut — April 16, 2009 @ 12:43 pm
Sittingnut: Also, one more thing. Earlier you had said that the woman on the train and I were no different, because we were both commenting on someone that is different to ourselves. You said: ‘you seem to be oblivious to the fact that ppl “commenting” (or as you imply showing distaste and and contempt etc “rudely”) about you is doing no more than what you are doing here about them. at least they did it to face, sort of’.
I beg to differ. I only made these ‘comments’ in the form of this post, this complaint, once I had already been provoked by her attitude towards me. I only made these ‘comments’ about her as a response to how she treated me, for no apparent reason. I do not go around staring and pointing and being rude to people who are different by default. If I were that sort of person, well then I would have ample opportunity to show my distaste. As you know, all I would need to do is walk on any street in Colombo and I would come across plenty of people who are dressed differently and who are speaking in Sinhalese. I have never and will never do this, as I am not uncomfortable around or threatened by those who are different. And actually, I don’t feel they are as different from me as she seemed to feel we were from them. This ‘difference’ you speak of is mostly created in their minds. People here seem to think it is OK to be openly rude like this to others; their attitude is justified as this is the attitude that seems to get rewarded in the current climate. And of course there is that nasty habit most Sri Lankans seem to think is socially acceptable behaviour, especially the men: staring. I don’t stare at people. I don’t point at people and talk about them in loud stage whispers. I don’t antagonise people. I would certainly not have handled that situation in the train like she did. If I saw someone doing something I thought is forbidden, I would tell them politely, ‘I don’t think you’re allowed to do that. There’s a notice there that says so’. I am generally polite and friendly and helpful. So therefore I am not going to be made to feel bad that I speak English or dress differently by some stranger with a problem on the train. I am not going to be made to feel guilty for this. I’m frankly quite sick of having to prove that I am Sri Lankan.
By the way, the train security guard walked right past me and my incriminating bag on the baggage rack and didn’t say a thing. If he had told me to take my bag down, of course I would have.
Comment by electra — April 17, 2009 @ 8:11 am
oh god woman… get off ur bloody high horse! if u have such a effin problem with Sri Lankans then just leave the country or don’t use public transport! either way ur being uber snob-like.
Comment by Annon — April 24, 2009 @ 9:10 pm
Is Eletra stupid, fucking stupid or pretending to be stupid in order to get some action on her blog ?
Folks , you do know that this level of stupidity has only been displayed by MIA recently.
Christ, does this chick live in Sri Lanka at all ?
Comment by Anna — May 7, 2009 @ 11:02 am