Kitchen Lament and Farming Fridays

The ‘Kitchen Lament’ is a recent protest where people clattered saucepans and pots to make noise against the Government, who they blame for causing the severe food shortage.

This protest at the Thunmulla junction in Colombo 04 photographed on 17 June, was one of the many ways in which citizens have taken to the road in a show of dissent. 

The food shortage is yet another effect of the economic crisis the country is currently facing due to economic mismanagement and eventually, the country’s bankruptcy. Last week the United Nations warned Sri Lanka was facing a “dire humanitarian crisis”, and said four out of five people in the nation of 22 million were forced to skip meals.

The Government of Sri Lanka has declared a three-day weekend for civil servants to grow crops in their backyards, to forestall the food shortage. 

‘Farming Fridays’, as many have to call it now, will be active for all 1.5 million public employees for the next three months without a pay cut. However, the arrangement will not apply to essential services staff.