Sri Lanka-Pakistan relations transcend cricket
The greatest thing in Sri Lanka Pakistan relations is that Theravada Buddhism originated in Taxila Pakistan and the revered Starving Buddha deity that is all over Sri Lanka nowadays, was built in Taxila in the 1st century BC.
The educated & civilized people in Sri Lanka are a world apart from the unruly people we have in Pakistan. Just landing there, I could feel that these people need to be talked to like equals and dislike uncivilized behavior. Even an old man would be able to speak rudimentary English and would follow rules.
Beautiful women in Sri Lanka are everywhere. What makes them beautiful is a humble, friendly attitude that does not judge others at first sight. The ladies would engage you, look you in the eye, talk to you like peers and dress up like they mean business. On top of that, they are not conscious of their dark complexion and wear it confidently.
The cleanliness in the streets all over the country was a sight for sore eyes. At last, there are one ethnic Indian people that have the basic sense to clean up their streets. Their roads, streets, sidewalks, bazaars, and even toilets are squeaky clean. They do not like littering and no one chases them not to litter, it comes from their grooming. They keep their cars and drains clean too.
The greenery and trees are all around. Although Buddhists revere trees as religious symbols, still, their forest cover must be at least 25% of the territory. Every house has a jungle all around, and you‘d barely see the construction. People love their coconut, mangoes, banana, and tropical trees. No one leaves a plot of land devoid of trees. That’s why the climate is a cool 28 degrees Celsius even in summers. Every home tries to grow its own fruit.
Western architecture right from colonial times to the latest day buildings is simple and effective. No unnecessary embellishments are used but the fittings are all there to work for a purpose. They even preserved their colonial building what to talk of the tourist sites that are well maintained and regulated by independent authorities that are functioning — not corrupt.
The whole country is a giant western tourist resort with beaches, water sports, booze, exotic animals, and Buddhist history behind them. They let the tourists frolic in their private space and don’t try to badger them. Everyone minds their own business. Tall, beautiful, green-eyed foreigners, the like we see in Hollywood roam the streets in decent dresses but no one tries to harass them. Here is our link to 10 places to see in Sri Lanka.
The government works. The government is small, effective, competent, responsive, and less corrupt. When they decided to kick out bad guys, they got together and wiped the slate clean. Now the money is going into infrastructure, education, and health, where it really matters. I got my e-visa in 24 hours and it has been 30 days that I applied for a USA visa from Pakistan which I still don’t have.
There is peace in society. The state has no religion. Every faith has the freedom to practice. Some Buddhist politicians did use religious fascism but generally, people are accommodating even to Muslims. Sri Lankan society is what Pakistan should look like in 25 years. No towers of opulence, no untouchable gods, no existential enemies, a peaceful educated, and non-racist society that protects women and minorities. Simple and effective.
The Muslims in Sri Lanka are doing quite well. Besides the recent bombing, which has brought uncertainty, Muslims have adjusted well in the society, unlike the ghettoized Muslims in India, living by Hindus’ leave.
The tour operators do not try to fleece the guests and guides everywhere are professional. Even the hotels have clean beds and sheets. There is no power outage. Noise level is very low generally. Water is clean and can be used after boiling. The cars are new and comfortable. The tour operators trust you enough to let you pay on arrival and sometimes after the tour. Here is a link to important information before traveling to Sri Lanka.
I saw Hambantota port and airport from a distance and it was empty-abandoned. Someone didn’t do their business plan right.
You cannot pee out in the open. It’s a big no-no. You cannot jaywalk across the street. You cannot honk unnecessarily. You have to get your facility inspected and car check-in time. Rules are Rules!
The airport was western styled where it was more of a mall than an airport. It makes perfect business sense.
Society is forgiving and kind. They have seen devastation like Pakistan where tens of thousands have died suddenly and still I didn’t see signs of frustration, hate, anger, and retribution. They are a total of 22 million and they lost 50,000 in one day of the 2014 Tsunami. They had the civil war which went on for decades and several were killed. I met several people that had lost their dear ones in these two incidents and not a hint of hate for the other.
Although Sri Lanka has gone through hell and back as far as insecurity is concerned I didn’t see major roadblocks, diversions, or no-go areas anywhere.
The openness of the Sri Lankan mind can be observed by looking at their standard constructions; there are no boundary walls at all. This implies that there is a rule of law and none can usurp the other land by force
I feel the only mistake Pakistan has made in its evolution is not spending enough on the education, health, and training of its people and its shows.