As the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka celebrates its 76th anniversary of ‘independence’ with a tamasha it can barely afford, the country stands at a decisive juncture where, prior to the 77th anniversary, the people will be entrusted with the onerous task of sealing its fate, for better or worse. While there is no discounting the critical importance of 22 million Sri Lankans making the right decisions for their own sake, this Independence Day will hopefully turn out to be the turning point for this nation, which for the longest time has suffered the consequences of poor leadership.
Should the question be asked as to what caused Sri Lanka to be in this plight today, the answer must necessarily point to the deteriorating quality of leadership and the attendant lack of accountability that traverses the entire governance structure from the lowest to the highest. It is food for thought, if not downright alarm, that over the course of Independence Day No. 74 to 76, the nation’s poverty rate has doubled to the point that one in three persons are now classified as poor, per capita income has shrunk, Gross Domestic Product has shrunk, austerity faced by the people is unlike ever before, and external debt repayments are still on hold, but apparently, there is yet cause for celebration.
However, the ultimate indictment of the state of the nation is that if people are given the choice of returning to the status quo ante of 4 February 1948, there is every likelihood of an overwhelming yes – indication of massive system failure. As one social media activist summed it up, the youth of Sri Lanka spend one day of the year celebrating independence and the remaining 364 days searching for some other country to live in. Given this status quo and the general state of apathy in all things governance, it is indeed gratifying that there is yet hope for redemption.
The 4th of February is probably the best possible time for Sri Lankans to reflect on and compare what was and what is. If one were to compare four basic aspects – rule of law, state of the economy, quality of life, and quality of leadership – that have an overarching impact on the overall well-being of the country, one cannot help but admit that this nation has seen better days. However, the most severe indictment of governance failure is that 76 years after independence, the country’s economic policy formulation has been outsourced to a foreign entity, the International Monetary Fund, with the Government reduced to the role of merely implementing those policies, without regard for the well-being of the people.
How did things go so wrong and why is it that those in high places yet fail to see the rot that surrounds them? It appears that somewhere down the line over the course of the past 76 years, personal greed and party politics obscured national interests. However, all is not lost. A new, more enlightened generation of young Sri Lankans determined to once again put the nation first is a positive sign of hope. It has led to an awakening of the rest of the people who are increasingly less hesitant to challenge a system that they see as one that has failed them.
It is said that justice delayed is justice denied, but the better-late-than-never arrest of a high-profile Cabinet Minister, unprecedented in recent times, goes to show the impact of this new awakening – slowly but surely forcing the regime to fall in line with the people’s aspirations. It can therefore be argued that had there been no pressure from the masses, the investigation into the former Health Minister’s corruption allegations would have gone the same way as the Easter Sunday investigations – nowhere.
It is for this reason that Independence Day No. 76 offers greater hope for Sri Lanka than No. 75 and with this year most likely turning out to be a watershed year as far as its governance is concerned with a Presidential Election due in seven months, the people of this nation will become the authors of their own fate.
Old tactics of the old guard, such as being economical with the truth, making alluring promises, or deliberately keep people in the dark on matters of public importance – such as contents of the Free Trade Agreement signed with the Chief Guest of the Independence Day celebration today, the Thai Prime Minister – are outdated and consigned to history.
Today, people see the irony of their Government busting hard-earned tax rupees on ‘celebrating’ independence while keeping them out of the heart of the city. They see the irony of the extent to which it went to stifle freedom of expression through the Online Safety Act while celebrating freedom day. They see the irony of talking about economic revival when a crucial window for it was shut tight by the new Online Safety Act, leading all of the tech giants and even the US Ambassador to term the legislation as “unworkable” and bad for business.
They see the irony of freedom celebrations while their fundamental right to protest is being brutally thwarted by a Police force that is fast becoming a law unto itself. They see the irony of the Executive’s continuing attempts to intimidate and usurp the powers of the Constitutional Council while preaching about good governance and constitutional checks and balances. The irony of Police using expensive tear gas purchased at taxpayer expense on taxpayers themselves is also not lost on the people.
Just last week the country’s main Opposition found out that freedom is restricted to official celebrations at Galle Face while their protest rally in Colombo was attacked with tear gas and water cannons. The excuse for the crackdown was that roads were being blocked, but the irony of shutting down half the city for days on end, inconveniencing thousands of office workers as well as thousands of hapless tourists occupying hotels in the vicinity of Galle Face for Independence Day rehearsals, appears to be lost on the Police.
Shrinking space for dissent is usually associated with diminishing popularity of a regime. History has shown that there is only so far that a regime can go by restricting and gagging the people. Such an approach in a matured democracy is not without consequence either. One such has been the creation of greater awareness among the people of their constitutional rights and the right to seek recourse through the legal system in case of infringement. The Police, which proceeded to arbitrarily arrest a group of civil activists protesting outside the CID calling for the arrest of the former Health Minister, will now most likely have to trudge to court themselves in order to face allegations of Fundamental Rights violations.
Independence Day No. 76 in 2024 will be noted for one very significant reason: as the year in which the people of Sri Lanka finally came of age and signalled readiness to hold their leaders accountable for their actions. It will also be the year in which the old tactics of the old guard will prove to be ineffective and redundant.
Increasing exposure to the internet and cable TV has brought the world closer to millions of Sri Lankans, who are now able to see what’s taking place in the rest of the world and the inevitable comparisons are surely taking place. With this enlightened worldview and youth at the forefront in the quest for change, people will surely take charge of their future when they are consulted later this year, making this Independence Day pregnant with hope for a better Sri Lanka.