Sri Lankan citizen’s view of their country differs widely but there is little doubt that many believe we can do better. We could have, can, and must do better in the future to ensure Sri Lanka remains an economically, socially and politically stable nation. There is little doubt in that. If Sri Lanka remains fragmented, weak and distracted it will not recover and reach the desired place it can stand in the world.
Last weekend, President Wickremesinghe, as the Chief Guest at a Commissioning Parade at the Sri Lanka Military Academy, Diyatalawa called on the armed forces to safeguard people’s sovereignty and the distinctive identity of Sri Lanka. One wonder’s which distinctive Sri Lankan identity he speaks of? Sri Lanka’s many fault lines, manipulated by politicians for generations, stretched and twisted by poor policies and foreign interventions, has caused many divisions, which today, make it difficult to forge a Sri Lankan identity. Therefore, the Sri Lankans are today united in enduring a crisis of long-term poor governance, with its youth no longer being able to figure out an identity of their own. The identity crisis, which comes along with lack of confidence in an unstable economic future, is one reason many youth have decided to leave the island.
“The President reaffirmed Sri Lanka's status as a sovereign state, emphasising the nation's history of independence since 1948. He underscored that the sovereignty of the country belongs to its people, with governments elected through popular vote. The President emphasised the foundational importance of the Sri Lankan identity, urging all citizens, irrespective of ethnicity, Sinhala, Tamil and Muslim, to work collectively to safeguard and preserve the national identity,” the Presidential Media Unit stated.
Wickremesinghe had also spoken about equal treatment to all. The President’s sentiments are noble. However, action speaks louder than words. Despite many pledges, to the Sinhala, Tamil, Muslim and other communities in Sri Lanka about reconciliation, justice and equality, he is yet to uphold them.
The dark reality is that there is inequality in Sri Lanka, and little has been done about it. Farmers in Ampara or Hambantota Districts who have failed to honour their loan commitments to banks will be hard-pressed for any relief. Such a farmer, and there are hundreds of thousands like them, get no respite from loan repayment. However, state banks will be pushed to the brink of collapse, while unable to collect on loans they have issued to mega industrialist friends of the political elite. The Inland Revenue Department (IRD), has waited years, without collecting tax that is due from major businesses and industries. However, the high-street debtors can easily refinance, or find new sources to borrow from. What options, which source the average Joe can reach to get such relief? There is none.
The economic ground realities in Sri Lanka are such that nearly 20,000 members of the armed forces have gone absent without leave (AWOL) over the last two years, and this figure includes over 150 officers. As such, how Wickremesinghe expects the military, which is overstaffed, and under-equipped, to safeguard the sovereignty of Sri Lanka is questionable.
Wickremesinghe went on to state that no external interference or restriction shall be tolerated. Perhaps the altitude got to the President.
Sri Lanka is in a weak position; her internal cohesion strained, distrust in governance and the state establishment growing, and economically struggling to claw back to “recovery”. The events and governance choices made since 2021 to this year are a clear indication on how much external interference Sri Lanka will stomach. While the situation, economically speaking, has improved from what it was before, the ground realities faced by a wide cross section of Sri Lankans have not changed significantly, and are unlikely to do so in the next year as well.