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Anti-Government protests: Staged anarchy or vital pressure?

21 Mar 2022

  • Citizens discuss the use and abuse of protests in the face of mounting crises
BY Sumudu Chamara Despite promises by the Government and the authorities, every day, the people’s struggles appear to be worsening. Criticism against the Government is on the rise, and many want the Government to either find solutions to the prevailing crises or give up power.  To show the people’s frustration and to demand solutions, during the past few weeks, a number of protests were held in Colombo and in the suburbs. While most of these protests had been organised by either political parties or various organisations,they had many common demands with regard to the economic crisis. However, the general public is not convinced that the spate of protests they witnessed since the beginning of this year will result in anything useful in order to alleviate the economic crisis. According to what they told The Morning, not only results, they are also sceptical about the intentions of and the methods adopted to hold these protests. Results of protests Shanthi Amarawadu, a 44-year-old private sector worker, was one of the persons who questioned the actual or expected results of protests. She raised concerns that apart from a few nationwide protests, most protests have not achieved anything in favour of the protestors or the people.  She opined: “I really hope that these protests make some difference, even though my personal opinion is that only a handful of politicians are sensitive to the people’s plight, and what the authorities who work under politicians can do is very limited if they do not receive the politicians’ support. In fact, that is the most dangerous and alarming aspect of this crisis too. Despite countless protests and requests, and in the face of an economy that is plunging deeper and deeper into a crisis, there seems to be no hope. If these protests actually had some impact, politicians should take responsibility for their failures and do what needs to be done and that would then be a relief for us and also a good lesson for our children. However, these protests do not seem to be receiving the necessary attention. Most of the time, they are condemned and underestimated as protests against the ruling party. But, they are against the Government – against the Government’s sheer incompetency and lack of humbleness to accept its failures, to be precise.” She also spoke about how children may perceive protests, noting: “The fact that the people are in a desperate situation where they have to protest demanding the most basic needs for their families gives an extremely negative message to our children. Instead of a country that is reviving from the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, what they see is protests, endless queues, people dying on the road, waiting for electricity to come back in order to have dinner, and politicians trying to take advantage of the situation while also worsening it.” Politics and protests V.N. Kannangara, a 32-year-old businessman, meanwhile, spoke about the concept of protests and the adverse effects of protests being heavily influenced by political interests. He opined that today, protests have lost their meaning. “From what I heard from my father, there was a time when protests were for a good reason and were a noble struggle than they are now. There had been a time when protests were far stronger than they are now, and were taken seriously by governments. However, now, most protests are either a campaign by a political party, or events funded by non-governmental organisations. Those who organise these have different agendas.” Speaking of recent protests, he questioned the intentions of the protests held by political parties, stating: “For example, the protest held by the Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) near the Presidential Secretariat was meant to be an act of fulfilling the duties of the main Opposition party, on behalf of the people’s survival and future. But, it was filled with slogans about gaining power and overthrowing the Government. Getting rid of an incompetent Government should be a priority. However, using this kind of situation, which cannot be taken lightly in any way, should not be about gaining power, but about forcing the Government to do what needs to be done or leave. Turning this situation into one where they can form a new Government should be based on the necessity of ending the people’s suffering, and merely overthrowing the Government is not going to do any good. The main Opposition party should come up with a plan, and then the people themselves will overthrow the Government. They protest with the people, and then go and have cocktail parties with those they ask the people to protest against. What is more, they do not hesitate to form Governments with politicians they asked the people to protest against if those politicians offered them power.” The most detrimental outcome of this situation, according to Kannangara, is that it gives the Government an opportunity to easily ignore the real issues that were the basis of these protests, citing political interests. “As a result, these issues will remain unaddressed for decades,” he said, adding that Sri Lanka needs not only a new and better political culture, but also a protesting culture, urgently, that forces Governments to address the issues faced by the people rather than exploiting the people or those issues. Protesting amidst crises Meanwhile, Ananda*, a 49-year-old public sector employee who has been a supporter of protests, spoke about the effectiveness of protests given the authorities’ lethargy in paying attention to the people’s issues. “I myself have engaged in a number of protests last year and this year. I am beginning to reconsider my decision to be a part of these protests, because thus far, the protests I took part in have not resulted in any tangible results. We protest as long as we can, and the authorities keep arranging and postponing discussions, and a part of what we demand. Even though some are determined to continue protests indefinitely, not everyone can afford to do that.” Another concern he pointed out was the people’s inability to protest like before, because of what they have to struggle with, which is the daily worsening living conditions. “In the current context, the people’s need to protest has increased drastically. The ability to protest, however, has waned. How many people can protest against politicians who turn a blind eye to our struggles, demands, and rights, while our families are waiting for us to get some rice, milk powder, and enough money to manage the expenses? As the breadwinners, in this dire situation, we have had to postpone long-term struggles such as protests and focus on managing day-to-day expenses and needs.” A right and a responsibility Amaranatha*, a 67-year-old retired banker, expressed a different opinion about the importance of protests and the need to demand what the people deserve. When questioned about the aforementioned opinions about protests, he expressed that even though protests may not have helped the people gain everything they wanted throughout Sri Lanka’s history, a lot of significant changes Sri Lanka has seen were the results of various types of protests. “It is true that Governments and politicians undermine the people’s needs and have become insensitive to genuine demands and protests. However, if they do not pay attention to protests, what must be done is strengthen the magnitude of the protests, not stop the protests.” Amaranatha pointed out the recent teacher-principal protests as an example. He noted that when the Government did not pay adequate attention to small protests and requests, the teachers and principals launched islandwide, large-scale, indefinite protests, which eventually helped them get what they demanded. However, he expressed disapproval of the spate of protests carried out by certain health sector trade unions, which he said were unorganised, lacking a proper aim, and oppressing the people. “Protests by the health sector are different. There are a large number of trade unions who seem to be wanting different things at different times, sometimes even things that should not concern them. My concern is that even though it is fine to have different demands because the circumstances under which they work are diverse, it is always important and beneficial to unite and fight together. When one trade union launches a protest, there is another trade union opposing it. I do not know what to think of doctors’ trade unions. They are politicised, and I do not think that these big trade unions actually speak for their sector’s interests unless it has a political aspect. They have also forgotten that it is the Government and the authorities that they should exert pressure on, not the taxpaying citizens.” He stressed: “If the Government does not pay attention to protests, it will not pay any attention at all when there are no protests. If there were no demands or protests, which is a method of guiding governments, the situation can actually be worse. Therefore, it is crucial to keep protesting, even on a small scale. The people should be serious about this. They should have genuine intentions. Those who attend protests for money or liquor are there only for what they get on that day, not for long-term changes.” No government or authority should disregard the people’s struggles, because of the simple reason that they were appointed to those places to serve the public. While how many of the people’s demands the Government can fulfil is a much more complex discussion, taking protests seriously does not require any special effort; it only requires sensitivity to the people’s issues. At the same time, as was said by those who spoke with The Morning, protests ought to be more systematic and stronger, in order for them to bring about actual change. 


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