I recollected a chat I had sometime back. It eventually remembered me of Galle Face. I was told Galle face is a beautiful place to shed tears.
 |
| Pic by David Blacker |
Haven’t been to Galle Face for some time. That’s because Law College is on holidays these days. Not that the College is closed, just that I am on study leave. I take walks often as a habit. Being a usual visitor to Pettah, at times I will take the road to World Trade Center. On the other side it’s the Dutch Hospital. As you walk straight and turn to the left, you will find Galle Face. We’ve paid a heavy toll for both North and South. We still do. And in return things are getting better for Colombo too. Parks, walkways and shopping centers everywhere now.
I wish Hulftsdorp was taken to Galle Face. Right next to where the old Parliament stands. Because it looks celebrated and spectacular. Galle face is beautiful than before. The sea salt, sea spray and everything around still looks historic except for the upcoming hotels. The neat pavements, grass and tall buildings transform it into a little ‘Singapore’. When projects to beautify Colombo came up, I thought it will be some crap and what is even left will be gone. But to think of it, they have done something better. Better than I thought. Despite the making of lot of bucks and commissions by contractors.
Anyway, I’m not sure about one thing. I still think whether these so called ‘sustainable’ development projects are really going to sustain all people.
Governance and Politics is a hunger game. Hungry for every rock and stone. And so they think they can have things the way they want. This is what happens when you are in power. Satisfaction never ends. Those who are in power thinks they have a free reign to pollute encroach and steal resources as they wish.
And that is how we were going to lose Galle Face. Somewhere in 2005 when some authorities wanted to turn it into a mega entertainment and leisure park with food stalls in hawker – street style theme.
About half past 5’o clock, Galle face in Colombo wears an animated appearance. Having many vehicles in motion you will see Soldiers on horse backs too. Even in the mornings if you reach the Telecom Building, you will see them. Galle Face is the lung of Colombo. It’s one of the hot spots for Colombo people to have an evening drink or to hang out with friends , relax or to fly kites. Galle Face has no holiday. The street vendors, merrymakers, lovers and everyone else is busy over there making their own time happier . Sundays are a testimony for that.
Galle Face isn’t only for Colombo people. I’ve seen families and even school children away from Colombo coming down to enjoy its vibrancy. Especially to taste the succulent ‘isso wade ‘, ‘samosa ‘and all kinds of ‘achcharu’. If you get to Galle face around 6.30 in the evening, you’ll see how the city turns into a deep shade of crimson like pastel color. Sunsets thrill us. And this is why Galle Face is loved by many, I think.
Sometimes Galle face is just a place to gaze at the strolling waves. To see the sea wave kissing the shore again and again, tirelessly. Times have changed. With the upcoming developments the vast area has reduced into 18 acres, fenced in streamline position. But still, I doubt whether there is a better place than Galle Face to cap off a busy day in Colombo.
Even Galle face has history. There is a rock tablet and a plaque, found at the sea-ward edge and at the Galle Road end which are noteworthy. The rock tablet well preserved up to date says that Sir.Henry Ward recommends Galle Face to his successors in the interest of the Ladies and Children of Colombo.
Luckily the lease didn’t take place. If Galle Face was turned into a mega theme park, isso wade and achcharu kada would have gone by now. Small time traders won’t be there and instead there will be big businesses to eat peoples’ money. And free access would have surely been a thing of the past.
Politicians and Ministers were going to make money out of the lease and make Galle Face a place of entertainment for those who can only afford large amounts of money. Common good of the public would have been breached by then.
I am remembered of Arahat Mahinda. When Arahat Mahinda meets king Devanampiyatissa, he says the king this way;
‘O great king, the birds of the air and the beasts have as equal a right to live and move almost in any part of the island as thou. The land belongs to people and all living beings; thou art only a guardian of it. ‘
0 comments:
Post a Comment