Coronavirus Diary- Part 2: Wanathamulla And Hobson's Choice

When I started writing this Coronavirus Diary, I had no idea how it was going to develop. We think one thing leads to the other. But Coronavirus is different. It always gets back to itself.

- Gamini Akmeemana

It’s not just one thing. It’s everything. You turn on the radio, and more likely than not, you will hear the dreaded word being spoken.

Don’t do this, don’t do that. Above all, stay home. Be safe. Be responsible.

I know, and I’ve been trying my best. I fear the dreaded virus as much as anyone else.

But I am a journalist, I have a media identity card, and that enables me to be mobile during the curfew. I have a responsibility to the public I serve, to show them what life in Colombo under the curfew, strictly on the force since Friday, March 22, is like.

After the brief excitement of that Friday morning, when the curfew was lifted till two p.m, I made brief forays into city streets on my scooter, photographing life.

The city is not deserted, there is simply less traffic and fewer people on the streets. No public transport and shops shuttered up, but you find roadside stalls and vehicles parked here and there, selling fish, meat, vegetables, eggs and milk.

After the initial forays, facing opposition from home, I decided to stay home and be safe.

It’s a Hobson’s Choice. You feel bad about playing it safe, but you also feel that social responsibility in this case also means reporting on what’s going on.

While in this confused state of mind, I got a call from a friend asking if I could accompany a female journalist from a Sinhala newspaper to Wanathamulla, the favelas of Colombo.