The news of school students’ lives being lost to the dangerous and illegal practice termed a “Big Match vehicle parade” in Badulla has once again shone a spotlight on the culture of impunity and risks that follow key events of the local cricketing calendar. One has to ask if these are the “traditions” we want our younger generations to carry forward?

While some view this incident as a “tragic accident”, some opine that it is a “lesson learnt the hard way”. Video footage of the incident shows how the jeep, in which the two youngsters were travelling along with a number of schoolmates, navigated carelessly through the Badulla town, and later, toppled while behaving like hooligans in a nearby playground. The vehicle which faced the accident, and several others could be seen travelling with little regard for passengers’ safety, weaving through traffic while police officers watched on.  Authorities must inquire into how permission for such activities was given by the school in question and why the police was complacent in enforcing the law?

Time and again concern raised by many regarding the risks and recklessness that are often promoted by the “Big Match culture”.

The so-called “Big Match culture”, which has prevailed over decades, has become an inseparable part of annual Big Matches between leading schools for decades, including not only vehicle parades, but also various other activities such as harassing pedestrians, and collecting donations from the public. The misuse of loudspeakers, “raiding” girls’ schools have also become a “cherished tradition” of the culture. While these activities are welcomed and often disregarded as a harmless tradition by the proponents of the “Big Match culture” who claim that they only come once a year, the general public who are unconvinced and at times abused at the hands of such student hoards find such behaviour anything but “harmless”. There has been opposition against such vehicle parades, the like that claimed two lives last week, as they clearly pose a risk to the general public and the students who partake. However, such illegal activities continue unabated, which is a clear indication of the culture of impunity that prevails in Sri Lanka. And it is this culture, which students, mostly teenage boys, are taught is the “norm” by their schools, parents and past students.  

The deaths of the two students are a reminder that the possibility of risks should not be underestimated or ignored, because the damage such an attitude could lead to is not always minor. It is time to think seriously about the “responsibility” aspect of Big Match events, which should be a concern of not only school students but also school administrators, parents, the powerful past pupils associations, law enforcement agencies, policy makers, and most importantly, the political authority.

School students who engage in Big Match events, most of whom are usually teenagers, are easily impressionable. Encouraging such reckless and dangerous behaviour, especially when motor vehicles are involved, does little to inculcate a sense of responsibility and promotes lawlessness. Students should not be encouraged to think they are above the law, even for one day. They should also be taught about taking theirs and others’ safety seriously. Sri Lanka already suffers a significant number of road traffic related deaths each year. Will giving an exception to break road rules and behave recklessly help improve the situation?

It is the duty of the national leadership, administrators and the educators to set an example for the next generation. It is also the responsibility of parents to ensure that their children are taught what is right and not place themselves and others at risk. Building safety awareness, raising and setting limits to Big Match related activities is a responsibility both school and education authorities and policy makers share. There is now a need to pay more attention to Big Match related activities, and these accidents should prompt them to ensure that any and all such activities do not jeopardise anyone’s safety or do not result in a violation of the general law.

We cannot ignore the “examples” aspect of this situation, because the type of examples adults set has a great influence on what teenagers think is right or acceptable. During the past decades, it could be observed that Big Match parades care very little about road safety and traffic laws, as the notion that it is acceptable or pardonable to violate traffic laws in special circumstances is widespread in the society.

The understanding that such impunity can be expected in situations that could be labelled “special” is a harmful example Sri Lanka has set for a long time. It is a lesson that students carry with them to adulthood, and many go on to normalise it to fit everyday functions, leading to lawlessness. The ideal lesson that needs to be learned, at least after the tragedy the country witnessed in Badulla, is that actions have consequences and that impunity is not something that should be fostered.

It is tragic that it took two deaths for Sri Lanka to pay attention to understand that enjoying a special day should not cost anyone’s safety. Sri Lanka has a long way to go when it comes to getting teenagers to adhere to laws everyone else in society is expected to follow, especially when they see that policy makers, administrators and even their own schools do not adhere to them. How and what we teach our young will shape our future.