While the proposed burqa ban threatens to take away the fundamental rights of some Muslim women, the true victim of this debate has been women’s rights activists. By actively supporting this ban it has become obvious that these activists are hypocrites whose sole purpose is to oppress non-western women, and impose foreign sensibilities on them through any means possible, even if that means becoming a hypocrite to the very principles of freedom that they so passionately keep blabbing about in the media.

By actively supporting this ban it has become obvious that these [women's rights] activists are hypocrites whose sole purpose is to oppress non-western women...

Excuses such as difficulty in communicating, and security concerns are weak at best, and the Covid-19 pandemic with its compulsory face mask requirement has further shown that the reasons presented to ban the burqa are without a shred of merit. It is no wonder that many believe the pandemic is an act of God, that has rendered the case against the burqa, completely void. Many non-Muslims have now come to the conclusion that face coverings of any kind are not the “great barrier” that these women’s rights activists claim it to be. The article that appears here, discusses this to great merit.

...the Covid-19 pandemic with its compulsory face mask requirement has further shown that the reasons presented to ban the burqa are without a shred of merit.

The burqa maybe worn by only a few women, but defending their right to do so is the responsibility of our entire community and the greater country. If we fail to secure the rights of these women, the threat to our rights in the future will be overwhelming. In addition, we must consider the threat posed to women by these women’s rights groups, and ensure that these groups respect the opinion of the women they claim to represent without allowing them to hijack the voice of the women folk to further their agenda.

If we fail to secure the rights of these women, the threat to our rights in the future will be overwhelming.

Sri Lanka imports almost all of its Turmeric from India. It’s a spice that is high in demand in the country. In 2019 the Sri Lankan government temporarily halted import of Turmeric, to allow local agricultural development. Since this spice is widely used in the country, it seems sensible to try and produce it locally. 

However, Sri Lankan Turmeric production still falls short of island-wide demand. Without Indian imports to make up for the deficit, Turmeric is now increasing in price within the market. These high prices are good for farmers who are starting to grow Turmeric. Early income will allow them to develop their crop and increase their supply.

High demand for Turmeric not only attracts farmers, it also attracting smugglers. High market price has made smuggling Turmeric into the country very profitable. Therefore, quite unsurprisingly criminal organizations, and ambitious importers have risked getting caught by law enforcement to smuggle this spice into the country. Poverty caused by the COVID-19 pandemic is also pushing people into these illegal and risky ventures.

Turmeric has ready demand in Sri Lanka. It is a spice used in every Sri Lankan kitchen. It is used as an anti-microbial in preparing food items. The Tamil community have several traditional uses for this spice apart from food preparation. It is widely used in cleansing the home and the body and as such this community is a large consumer of Turmeric.

If you are interested in starting Turmeric production of your own, visit this page from the Department of Export Agriculture for some helpful information about the crop.