Sri Lanka, April 3 -- Long queues seen at pharmacies on Thursday (April 2) reminded us that life is short and could become terribly shorter. We've learned discipline and honouring private space; now when we stand in queues we have to maintain a 'distance' of one metre from the person who is standing in front of us. The COVID -19 pandemic is teaching us painful lessons. One of the best lessons is about living with a lot less.

The number of coconuts used in Sri Lankan homes during a day and how much of each nut is wasted opens a window to allow critics to judge how wasteful we are. We're guilty of plundering the country's wealth. This was a key feature which was seen in the past from top to bottom in the regime's order of hierarchy.

We sa...