Legend has it that the Queen of France during the French Revolution, Marie Antoinette said “let them eat cake” in response to news about people not having even bread to survive on.
Such insensitiveness, or ignorance, is not what the citizenry of any country expects from their leaders, especially during crisis situations, and at present, when most countries have elected leaders, such answers should not have any place in a civilised society. Despite Sri Lanka being a democratic country that should, technically, prioritise the citizens’ interests over all other interests, Sri Lankans have not received any better answers from the leaders they have elected during the past few decades with the hope that one day, someone they elect will change the country’s situation for the better.
Recently, a video of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa being confronted by citizens who wanted to talk about a matter pertaining to fertilisers went viral on social media platforms, begetting a discussion about the manner in which the President accepted the opinions and experiences of those who spoke with him. The part of the video that was circulated showed the President trying to defend himself and/or the Government, saying that fertilisers were provided free of charge for two years, and that there can be no decrease in harvest, while those who spoke with the President said that the harvest had in fact decreased.
The matter of the provision of fertilisers and the Government’s plans to go organic are matters that have evidently caused a decline in the yield, which even Agriculture Minister Mahindananda Aluthgamage has admitted has happened, while presenting statistics about the decline which are far lower than what farmers have claimed. However, the President’s argument with the said group shows a serious issue, i.e. governments and politicians’, including the President, unreceptive attitude towards the plight of citizens, and their defensiveness without a justifiable ground to be so.
The President’s denial of the issues the people who were seen in the video raised may mean two things, i.e. as most other politicians, the President may also have an inclination to defend himself and his Government at any cost even if it means rejecting what the people who voted for him have experienced, or he may be delusional which is a state of mind where it is highly likely to result in the denial of plain facts. Either way, the President’s meeting gives a strong, negative message to the people, especially the youth who generally play a rather active role on social media platforms.
What the President does not seem to understand or ignore is that, the people conveying their grievances to him is an opportunity he receives to restore the public’s faith he and/or his Government have lost. Recently, he stated, extremely confidently that, in what is remaining of his tenure, he will fulfil all the promises he made before becoming the President. Heeding the people’s grievances is the first step of proving that he is still capable of fulfilling his promises. In fact, he should be happy that after several obvious and grave failures on the part of the Government, which have led to the present situation of the country, the people still trust in him to resolve their issues. At the same time, the President seems to have forgotten the purpose of visiting his citizens, which is finding out what is happening at the grassroots level, in the everyday life of everyday people.
These are the people who voted for him during the 2019 Presidential Election, with the hope that he would address the issues the former United National Front-led Government did not address or allegedly created. Needless to say, losing the people’s trust is the beginning of the downfall of any government in a democratic country, and a government or leaders that are not open to the opinions and/or grievances of its voters has no future.
The million dollar question is, if the people’s grievances are not taken seriously even by the leader of the entire country and if the people cannot expect a genuine response, let alone a solution from that leader, what hope do the people have? Are the people supposed to continue to protest despite not seeing promising efforts by the Government, or wait until they get a chance to vote out the Government and/or politicians who have failed in the eyes of the people?
If the President is truly the leader he is continuing to claim to be, both he and his Government should stop being defensive, and be receptive.
Being receptive, not defensive
23 Feb 2022
Being receptive, not defensive
23 Feb 2022
Legend has it that the Queen of France during the French Revolution, Marie Antoinette said “let them eat cake” in response to news about people not having even bread to survive on.
Such insensitiveness, or ignorance, is not what the citizenry of any country expects from their leaders, especially during crisis situations, and at present, when most countries have elected leaders, such answers should not have any place in a civilised society. Despite Sri Lanka being a democratic country that should, technically, prioritise the citizens’ interests over all other interests, Sri Lankans have not received any better answers from the leaders they have elected during the past few decades with the hope that one day, someone they elect will change the country’s situation for the better.
Recently, a video of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa being confronted by citizens who wanted to talk about a matter pertaining to fertilisers went viral on social media platforms, begetting a discussion about the manner in which the President accepted the opinions and experiences of those who spoke with him. The part of the video that was circulated showed the President trying to defend himself and/or the Government, saying that fertilisers were provided free of charge for two years, and that there can be no decrease in harvest, while those who spoke with the President said that the harvest had in fact decreased.
The matter of the provision of fertilisers and the Government’s plans to go organic are matters that have evidently caused a decline in the yield, which even Agriculture Minister Mahindananda Aluthgamage has admitted has happened, while presenting statistics about the decline which are far lower than what farmers have claimed. However, the President’s argument with the said group shows a serious issue, i.e. governments and politicians’, including the President, unreceptive attitude towards the plight of citizens, and their defensiveness without a justifiable ground to be so.
The President’s denial of the issues the people who were seen in the video raised may mean two things, i.e. as most other politicians, the President may also have an inclination to defend himself and his Government at any cost even if it means rejecting what the people who voted for him have experienced, or he may be delusional which is a state of mind where it is highly likely to result in the denial of plain facts. Either way, the President’s meeting gives a strong, negative message to the people, especially the youth who generally play a rather active role on social media platforms.
What the President does not seem to understand or ignore is that, the people conveying their grievances to him is an opportunity he receives to restore the public’s faith he and/or his Government have lost. Recently, he stated, extremely confidently that, in what is remaining of his tenure, he will fulfil all the promises he made before becoming the President. Heeding the people’s grievances is the first step of proving that he is still capable of fulfilling his promises. In fact, he should be happy that after several obvious and grave failures on the part of the Government, which have led to the present situation of the country, the people still trust in him to resolve their issues. At the same time, the President seems to have forgotten the purpose of visiting his citizens, which is finding out what is happening at the grassroots level, in the everyday life of everyday people.
These are the people who voted for him during the 2019 Presidential Election, with the hope that he would address the issues the former United National Front-led Government did not address or allegedly created. Needless to say, losing the people’s trust is the beginning of the downfall of any government in a democratic country, and a government or leaders that are not open to the opinions and/or grievances of its voters has no future.
The million dollar question is, if the people’s grievances are not taken seriously even by the leader of the entire country and if the people cannot expect a genuine response, let alone a solution from that leader, what hope do the people have? Are the people supposed to continue to protest despite not seeing promising efforts by the Government, or wait until they get a chance to vote out the Government and/or politicians who have failed in the eyes of the people?
If the President is truly the leader he is continuing to claim to be, both he and his Government should stop being defensive, and be receptive.
Kapruka
Discover Kapruka, the leading online shopping platform in Sri Lanka, where you can conveniently send Gifts and Flowers to your loved ones for any event. Explore a wide range of popular Shopping Categories on Kapruka, including Toys, Groceries, Electronics, Birthday Cakes, Fruits, Chocolates, Automobile, Mother and Baby Products, Clothing, and Fashion. Additionally, Kapruka offers unique online services like Money Remittance, Astrology, Medicine Delivery, and access to over 700 Top Brands. Also If you’re interested in selling with Kapruka, Partner Central by Kapruka is the best solution to start with. Moreover, through Kapruka Global Shop, you can also enjoy the convenience of purchasing products from renowned platforms like Amazon and eBay and have them delivered to Sri Lanka.Send love straight to their heart this Valentine's with our thoughtful gifts!
Discover Kapruka, the leading online shopping platform in Sri Lanka, where you can conveniently send Gifts and Flowers to your loved ones for any event. Explore a wide range of popular Shopping Categories on Kapruka, including Toys, Groceries, Electronics, Birthday Cakes, Fruits, Chocolates, Automobile, Mother and Baby Products, Clothing, and Fashion. Additionally, Kapruka offers unique online services like Money Remittance, Astrology, Medicine Delivery, and access to over 700 Top Brands. Also If you’re interested in selling with Kapruka, Partner Central by Kapruka is the best solution to start with. Moreover, through Kapruka Global Shop, you can also enjoy the convenience of purchasing products from renowned platforms like Amazon and eBay and have them delivered to Sri Lanka.Send love straight to their heart this Valentine's with our thoughtful gifts!