THE CEYLON SCENE IMPULSES TO SELF HELP IN NATION FINDING ITS FEET

Press, Volume CV, Issue 30960, 17 January 1966, Page 10

THE CEYLON SCENE IMPULSES TO SELF HELP IN NATION FINDING ITS FEET

IBU a special correspondent of ‘'The Times I (Reprinted from '‘The Times >

The crowds who spill out from the passenger liner for a day’s sightdid when Colombo received passengers moie graciously.

The decay is obvious, especially in these florid, high, Edwardian classical piles of the imperial apogee, scrawled over and scarred by monsoon rains, the pavements spattered with betel nut juice, the smell of coconuts infusing everything. Give it another 10 years or so and the nostalgic connoisseur of decay might think it will nicely mature. If anything were ever left to decay quietly: if cities were ever deserted in the twentieth century to be discovered again centuries later, this would do to represent the caravanserai of an imperial maritime power. Like the other staging posts for military purposes for which the Indian Ocean is being scanned, Colombo’s position assures it a future for merchant shipping.

Beauty Contests But it not sea travel that matters now that Ceylon turning its attention once more to its own modernisation; nor would it be fair to judge Ceylon by the whiff of decomposition that strikes the sea traveller. After 18 years of independence Ceylon has come through its teething troubles and elected its sixth government—this time a shift to the right that promises to heal communal breaches and let the hot air of reactionary nationalism dissipate. Like other near neighbours of India in the British imperial era that were made to feel somewhat outposts or appendages of the central diadem, Ceylon has taken some time to find its own independent feet. For one thing, it is much more a south-east Asian than a south Asian country. It has a split Communist Party: even a split Trotskyist party; but it also has beauty contests. Perhaps in a vague attempt to marry these discordant strains in the national life the latest contest was held to choose Ceylon’s most beautiful teaplucker. In electing its new Government last March—a coalition gathered round Mr Dudley Senanayake’s United National Party—Ceylon seems to have realised that it was time for action. As a Government with a right-wing label, the newcomers have been accused of lifting up their begging bowls for all western eyes to see—there is a danger that trading on respectability could go too far. But there are also impulses to self-help. The top of Ceylon’s earnings chart

shows tea. rubber, coconuts and tourism in that order, and it scarcely needs more than scribbles and totting up of figures on a scrap of paper to show that tourism offers the best chance of speedy development

Hotel Plans This gives Air Ceylon a chance, with its newly acquired VClOs, of attracting ever more numerous tourists who nowadays dip into Asia with a few days in each country, hopping by air between each. Placidly assuring you of their neutrality in the IndiaPakistan warfare, the Ceylonese add with a glint of pleasure that the fighting disrupted the regular international air services farther north to Ceylon’s benefit. Ceylon will have to run its own services along more effective tourist routes, linking for example, with a flourishing tourist junction like Bangkok if the Americans are to be attracted in any number. But, of course, the island’s pleasing prospects will not be enough without hotels that have at least a postwar look about them. Fortunately, a Hilton hotel is almost in preparation, and other international chains are sniffing at the possibilities. Once the Hilton flag goes up, so one is assured, the flow of Americans ready to salute this mark of security begins.

Along with plans for hotels, some refurbishing of cuisine is in progress. Like the architecture, the western cuisine of once British-ruled Asia has about it an unchanged stamp of the Edwardian era. Less apparent at luncheon or dinner perhaps, it is the breakfast menu that still carries this echo of a substantial and leisurely age: Woodapple cream/Sago Porridge/Salmon Vinaigrette/Cheese omelette and bacon, plus the usual trimmings, was a normal morning offering.

Training Chefs Here the United Nations operates one of its lesserknown departments of technical aid. It has as chief subversive agent Herr Wymann, of Wengen, “chief instructor on hotellery and gastronomy.” Herr Wymann has already sown the good seeds of better cuisine in Bangkok, Tokyo, Djakarata and Brasil.a, and is now launching an hotel and restaurant school in Colombo, where a British chef will shortly arrive to take charge. A dedicated man, Herr

Wymann will allow a year and a half under urgent pressure to produce tolerable chefs and waiters for developing Asian countries, but thinks three years for a waiter and four for a chef is needed to meet his Swiss standards in these matters.

Comfort for tourists in the hotel needs reassurance outside, too. Tourists are notoriously touchy about riots and coups that they have read about. Far too many American and British libraries have gone up in flames, or had their windows smashed by anti-imperialist gangs, for tourists not to look a little closely at the political complexion of the country they are visiting. Hence the comforting smile from those developing Ceylon's tourist industry. “We’ve got rid of that lot,” they tell you in the brisk accent of a home counties Tory, recalling the leftish lurches of the Bandaranaike decade.

Ceylon did have its riots when Mr Bandargnaike’s policy touched off the trouble between Ceylon Tamils and Sinhalese; but certainly does not deserve a continuing reputation for violence. Six general elections conducted peacefully, with shifts from right to left and back again —what other country in Asia can match this? Besides, Ceylon’s politics, though well covered by the mantle laid over Asian nationalism in the thirties by the London School of Economics, is not now affected by other countries: insularity has its usual concomitant of security.

Reading Public A glance at the newspapers will also show that the politics have not got too sharp a cutting edge. “Dudley.” “J.R.," "Felix,” “Wicks" (a Communist), “Philip” the characters in the drama are cosily cherished by an electorate that has taken politics to heart. And not just in the towns. Ceylon boasts something close to 90 per cent literacy. Where one Sinhalese language newspaper had a circulation of 40,000 in 1948, now there are seven dailies with a circulation of more than 300,000. Could this high standard of literacy explain the signboard "typewriters repaired” seen on a tumbledown shack among the coconut palms near nothing but a scraggy village? The new Government has burst out in some colourful gestures like holding a public raffle of the MercedesBenz cars plentifully acquired by the previous Administration. But there are those who say that a scrutiny of the new Government’s appointments suggests that it is still best to have an uncle or cousin in the Ministry if you want a good job. The retort to all criticisms tends to be: “Look what a mess we were left by the old government it will take time before our measures take effect.” Perhaps it will. In any case the touris who are including countries such as Cambodia and Tb’iland in their world tour will not be coming as connoisseurs of

newly independent governments. For tourism at least Ceylon’s prospects look good.