A forward-thinking nation always identifies and acknowledges its roots, and sees to it that in moving forward, it does not leave behind who and what formed its foundations.
To reiterate one vital aspect of this duty, every year on 9 August, the world celebrates the International Day of Indigenous Peoples, in a context where their rights and value are being forgotten in modernisation and politics. This day was dedicated for indigenous peoples in 1994 at the United Nations (UN) General Assembly, predominantly to discuss the protection of their rights and raise awareness of the same. This year’s theme is: “Leaving no one behind: Indigenous peoples and the call for a new social contact”, which, according to the UN, calls for the inclusion of indigenous people in social contracts – unwritten agreements mostly formed by dominant populations to co-operate for social and economic benefits.
Globally, around 47% of all formally employed indigenous people have no education, compared to 17% of their non-indigenous counterparts, while they are nearly three times as likely to be living in extreme poverty, according to the UN. However, when it comes to Sri Lanka, there is insufficient data about our indigenous people, known as the “Vedda community”.
Whether Sri Lanka is treating its indigenous people right is a question activists discussing the plight of this community have raised for years; however, those discussions and the demands they entailed did not adequately reach the ears of mainstream Sri Lankan society, and a majority of their issues remain unaddressed.
In the recent past, Sri Lanka’s indigenous people have faced pressing issues that directly affect their traditions, the ability to promote and preserve their cultures, to keep and utilise their traditional lands in accordance with the practices they have inherited, and pass on their knowledge to the next generation, mainly due to new laws, commercialisation, land-grabbing, environmental destruction, and most importantly, the need to adapt to modern lifestyles to survive in the modern world.
According to the Veddah community, among other issues, new laws that hinder their traditional activities are a pressing issue, and they claim that laws have restricted them from hunting and freely ranging in forests especially to collect bee’s honey and traditional medicine. A good example for environmental degradation and land-related issues is the recent incident where the Central Environment Authority (CEA) had granted permission to the Mahaweli Authority to cultivate maize in some lands in the Rambakan Oya Reservoir area, near the Pollebedda village, which also happened to be lands traditionally owned by the Veddah community.
We must also understand that this community’s issues are not new, and have remained unaddressed and worsening for decades. According to the Veddah community, these issues started as far back as 1983, when various regulations that restricted their freedoms started affecting them and a large number of their families were compelled to abandon their traditional lands including hunting lands as a result of the Mahaweli Development Scheme. That was perhaps one of the turning points that affected their traditions, cultures, and lifestyles. Not only have these issues remained unaddressed to a significant extent thus far, they beget more issues. For example, one of the main reasons that forced a large number of indigenous youths to assimilate into general society was the loss of their traditional lands and freedoms.
As a matter of fact, our lack of sensitivity towards this community’s issues is also an underlying reason why we have failed to see the gravity of their situation. Therefore, perhaps it is time for us to come to terms with the fact that teaching society, especially children, that indigenous people were once an integral part of our nation, is crucial. Only then would we be able to hope for a better future for this community, and ensure their inclusion, participation, and approval in the constitution of a system with social and economic benefits for all, as the UN has urged countries to implement.
Learning to respect our roots
08 Aug 2021
Learning to respect our roots
08 Aug 2021
A forward-thinking nation always identifies and acknowledges its roots, and sees to it that in moving forward, it does not leave behind who and what formed its foundations.
To reiterate one vital aspect of this duty, every year on 9 August, the world celebrates the International Day of Indigenous Peoples, in a context where their rights and value are being forgotten in modernisation and politics. This day was dedicated for indigenous peoples in 1994 at the United Nations (UN) General Assembly, predominantly to discuss the protection of their rights and raise awareness of the same. This year’s theme is: “Leaving no one behind: Indigenous peoples and the call for a new social contact”, which, according to the UN, calls for the inclusion of indigenous people in social contracts – unwritten agreements mostly formed by dominant populations to co-operate for social and economic benefits.
Globally, around 47% of all formally employed indigenous people have no education, compared to 17% of their non-indigenous counterparts, while they are nearly three times as likely to be living in extreme poverty, according to the UN. However, when it comes to Sri Lanka, there is insufficient data about our indigenous people, known as the “Vedda community”.
Whether Sri Lanka is treating its indigenous people right is a question activists discussing the plight of this community have raised for years; however, those discussions and the demands they entailed did not adequately reach the ears of mainstream Sri Lankan society, and a majority of their issues remain unaddressed.
In the recent past, Sri Lanka’s indigenous people have faced pressing issues that directly affect their traditions, the ability to promote and preserve their cultures, to keep and utilise their traditional lands in accordance with the practices they have inherited, and pass on their knowledge to the next generation, mainly due to new laws, commercialisation, land-grabbing, environmental destruction, and most importantly, the need to adapt to modern lifestyles to survive in the modern world.
According to the Veddah community, among other issues, new laws that hinder their traditional activities are a pressing issue, and they claim that laws have restricted them from hunting and freely ranging in forests especially to collect bee’s honey and traditional medicine. A good example for environmental degradation and land-related issues is the recent incident where the Central Environment Authority (CEA) had granted permission to the Mahaweli Authority to cultivate maize in some lands in the Rambakan Oya Reservoir area, near the Pollebedda village, which also happened to be lands traditionally owned by the Veddah community.
We must also understand that this community’s issues are not new, and have remained unaddressed and worsening for decades. According to the Veddah community, these issues started as far back as 1983, when various regulations that restricted their freedoms started affecting them and a large number of their families were compelled to abandon their traditional lands including hunting lands as a result of the Mahaweli Development Scheme. That was perhaps one of the turning points that affected their traditions, cultures, and lifestyles. Not only have these issues remained unaddressed to a significant extent thus far, they beget more issues. For example, one of the main reasons that forced a large number of indigenous youths to assimilate into general society was the loss of their traditional lands and freedoms.
As a matter of fact, our lack of sensitivity towards this community’s issues is also an underlying reason why we have failed to see the gravity of their situation. Therefore, perhaps it is time for us to come to terms with the fact that teaching society, especially children, that indigenous people were once an integral part of our nation, is crucial. Only then would we be able to hope for a better future for this community, and ensure their inclusion, participation, and approval in the constitution of a system with social and economic benefits for all, as the UN has urged countries to implement.
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!