Letters to the Editor A collection of selected letters by M.R. Pathirage

By Sunil Theheragoda 

A collection of selected letters covering a diverse range of topics pertaining to social, political and economic issues and crises that prevailed in our country which ultimately affected adversely the majority of citizens, as never before, during a specific period from 2020 to 2024, has been compiled well into a book and aptly titled “Letters To The Editor” by its author M. R. Pathirage.

By the way, Pathirage is a senior citizen who is enjoying his well-earned retirement, having served in both consumer and pharmaceutical divisions of a leading multinational company in Sri Lanka.

It should be noted here that all the letters that are included in his book, published recently, had previously appeared on a regular basis, mostly in the editorial page of the popular Daily Mirror and some in the well-read Sunday Times under the letters to the editor page, as well.

The dreadful COVID-19 pandemic that we all experienced from late 2019 onwards along with curfews, lock downs, quarantines, vaccinations and whatnot, all of which forced us to live in fear and gloom, had nevertheless offered ample free time specially for senior citizens—mostly confined to indoors due to their pronounced vulnerability for disease—to indulge much more in their favourite pastimes like reading, writing, watching TV, listening to music, playing board games etc.

According to the preface of his book, it was this COVID opportunity that he had made good use of to test his writing abilities. His maiden letter titled FINANCE COMPANIES AND CENTRAL BANK appeared in the Daily Mirror on June 22, 2020, which gave him much-needed impetus and interest to continue his writing thereafter, highlighting his thoughts and concerns on various pressing issues facing Sri Lanka and its citizens in general and senior citizens in particular.

Well, this short memoir of the five years commencing from 2024 and going down to 2020, as arranged in the book, describes quite succinctly a plethora of events and incidents, under many striking and startling headlines such as; 

Economic Recovery On The Citizens’ Shoulders, Time To Weed Out The Corrupt, IMF Panacea Or Trauma?, Senior Citizens Pushed From Frying Pan To Fire, Do Away With AIT For Senior Citizens, Ruses And Reasons To Hold On To Executive Power, Politicians Continue To Bluff And Bluster, Bursting The Drug Menace,  Austerity For Citizens, Prosperity For Rulers, Expected Economic Recovery Only An Illusive Dream, COPE, COPA Waste Of Public Funds?, Corruption Even During Crises!, Grant Some Relief For Senior Citizens, Health Sector In Turmoil, Citizens Tighten Belts; Politicians Loosen Theirs!, Corruption - Bane Of Sri Lanka, Corrupt Practices Continue Unabated, Looming Covid And Vaccine Myths, Mafias at work..?, All Talk No Action, Fiddle And Swindle!, Parliamentarians Like No Other!, and many more of such precisely written short accounts.

Furthermore, the author has also included some pertinent letters on Environmental Issues, Brain Drain, Education, Health, and narcotics, relating to their adverse effects on society at large.

Although most letters are critical towards politicians, political leaders and their policies, due appreciation has also been placed on record for their good deeds by the author, confined to this particular period.

With Letters To The Editor, one is reminisced of an unprecedented and unforgettable five years in the annals of post independent Sri Lanka during which all citizens had to go through many turmoils in the wake of Covid, Bankruptcy, Aragalaya, Abdication of the presidency, Pronounced IMF intervention, Mounting taxes, Rising Cost of Living, Increasing Poverty and so forth.

This book offers its readers a concise summary and a compelling re-examination of those very unfortunate and unforgettable circumstances faced by the majority of hapless citizens, and worse still, for no fault of theirs, but mostly due to political blunders and bluster.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR is currently available at M/S, Vijitha Yapa and
Sarasavi Bookshops.