Even though Sri Lanka seems better off than its beleaguered South Asian counterpart Afghanistan at this point in time, recent events in that country must surely strike a chord on what could be if the people continue to ignore their basic civic responsibility of demanding accountability from their elected leaders.
All it took was a matter of a few weeks for Afghanistan, which was considered a nation on the ascent with estimated foreign reserves triple that of Sri Lanka, at $ 9 billion as of last month, to disintegrate into shambles. One can blame the Americans for precipitating the crisis by withdrawing its troops stationed there since 2001, but that is only part of the problem. The rest of it lies with a people who have consistently failed to assert themselves.
The consequences of vacillating on that universally fundamental principle are likely to be profound for any country. We Sri Lankans rarely take ownership for our actions and inaction. By and large, the problems we face today are the result of years of civic irresponsibility. When things go right, everyone takes credit, but when it’s the opposite, it’s always someone else’s fault, usually the Government’s. The lesson that Afghanistan has taught the world is that your leaders must have your interest at heart. If not, you will be left destitute at some point.
In our part of the world, the relevant analogy would be, if our leaders are only concerned about the next election and not the next generation, our people will still be left destitute, economically at least. Allowing such an eventuality to come to pass in what passes off for a proper, thriving democracy, would point to an indication of civic negligence. That is the only cause that could be attributed for Sri Lanka’s stagnation for 70-odd years, while those around us continue to move forward.
With all its troubles, Afghanistan had $ 9 billion in foreign reserves when the current imbroglio unfolded. After years of uncertainty, Pakistan is racing forward under Imran Khan’s astute leadership; Bangladesh is now providing loans to Sri Lanka, while even the smallest nations like the Maldives, Nepal, and Bhutan are sitting pretty with just a fraction of the resources available to us in our country. The common thread that continues to drive these nations and their respective leaders is the no-nonsense attitude of the people who have not hesitated to display their disappointment whenever their leaders failed them.
Today, Sri Lanka is sitting on top of an economic volcano with the potential to drive away the younger generation, especially the Millennials, who have no appetite or tolerance for the mediocrity that is essentially the mainstay of Sri Lankan politics, in search of greener pastures. It is a never-ending cycle that has prevailed since the 1950s. It is not that the country lacks political leaders who have identified the problem, but the bigger issue is an electorate that refuses to see the problem that it has created for itself over the years by being partisan to parties rather than to the country.
Politicians who have comprehended the enormity of the problem at hand have been few and far between. One such was the late Mangala Samaraweera. Outspoken and rational to a point, he is being eulogised as the leader that Sri Lanka was destined to never have. No politician in recent memory, either living or dead, has received the kind of tributes showered on the late Samaraweera, yet another unfortunate victim of the pandemic. Ever since word of his demise hit the news, mainstream media in general and social media in particular have been flooded with accolades for a man who was never too far away from power, both in and out of government. Samaraweera certainly was no angel, having ridden roughshod over the media when he was an all-powerful minister in the late 90s, but with age, like a fine wine, the man not only mellowed, but was humble enough to learn from the errors of his ways and grow wiser.
The hallmark of Samaraweera’s political success going back three decades, was his ability to have his ear close to the ground. This quality of his enabled him to read a situation well in advance. He could hear the train approaching miles away while the great majority of his political colleagues were oblivious to the obvious. It is this ability that helped him to secure victory for three of the last four presidents. This ability also prompted him to prematurely retire from parliamentary politics, thereby sparing himself the ignominy of being a shareholder of his party's rout at the last poll.
Given these circumstances, the question that begs answer is if a politician in the mould of Samaraweera would find it challenging to secure 75,000 votes, while one with a criminal record will easily poll double that, what hope is there to put things right in this country? The problem is not with Samaraweera or the brand of politics he so masterfully practiced, but with a politically immature and illiterate electorate that is so easily sold on empty promises and not actual substance. The longer the status quo is maintained, the better the prospects for the criminals.
Samaraweera’s passing must necessarily lead to introspection across the political divide as to how far Sri Lanka can go on its current trajectory of self-defeatist, toxic politics which can only further sink this country into the cesspit it finds itself in. In Samaraweera's own words, we are a happy people; happy that we have grown to be big frogs, little realising that the well is running dry. We have failed to see the warning lights and repeatedly placed the destiny of this nation in the hands of opportunists and misfits alternating between the two main parties and their offshoots.
There was a time when the politicians came from the cream of society and spent their wealth on the poor and downtrodden; as a result, they themselves ended up as paupers. They lived in their own houses, travelled in their own vehicles, pumped their own fuel, and when they died, bequeathed their estate to the State. That is how we have a D.S. Senanayake College, a Kotelawala Defence Academy, a J.R. Jayewardene Centre, and a Sucharita Institution for the poor in Hulftsdorp, among many others. But somewhere down the line, things changed. Today, an entire generation has grown up looking up to thugs and hooligans as their representatives in Parliament and role models. The results are plain to see, with moral decline at every level of society.
Mangala Samaraweera was smart enough to identify where the problem lay and was preparing to launch a political movement from the other side of the arena, the peoples’ side. He was in the process of launching this campaign when destiny obviously had other plans for him. At the root of the problem is the politicisation of every sphere of governance and the resultant lack of accountability. It is not that the people have failed to identify the problem; they have, which is why there was a necessity for a movement called “Yahapalanaya” or good governance that they voted for. But as is usually the case, political expediency got the better of that lot and the people were let down yet again.
While the crimes perpetrated against the people keep on growing, there seems to be no one willing to grab the bull by the horns. One crime after another is being swept under the carpet while all that the people can do is grin and bear. No one seems bothered about bringing to justice the Central Bank robbers, those responsible for the Easter Sunday carnage, obtaining compensation for the X-Press Pearl disaster, investigating the sugar scam that has led to unheard of prices, importing toxic coconut oil, etc.
The system is crying for an overhaul. People seem to be running out of patience. The most logical way to stem the rot would be to purge the political ranks of the corrupt, at least the next time around. There can be no better way to do it than to eliminate the perks for politicians, and the best time to do it is now. It can be assumed that once the financial inducements are taken away, only those genuinely willing to serve the people will come forward, as in the good old days. But the million-dollar question is whether those milking the cow will agree to get rid of the cow.Stemming the rot
28 Aug 2021
Stemming the rot
28 Aug 2021
Even though Sri Lanka seems better off than its beleaguered South Asian counterpart Afghanistan at this point in time, recent events in that country must surely strike a chord on what could be if the people continue to ignore their basic civic responsibility of demanding accountability from their elected leaders.
All it took was a matter of a few weeks for Afghanistan, which was considered a nation on the ascent with estimated foreign reserves triple that of Sri Lanka, at $ 9 billion as of last month, to disintegrate into shambles. One can blame the Americans for precipitating the crisis by withdrawing its troops stationed there since 2001, but that is only part of the problem. The rest of it lies with a people who have consistently failed to assert themselves.
The consequences of vacillating on that universally fundamental principle are likely to be profound for any country. We Sri Lankans rarely take ownership for our actions and inaction. By and large, the problems we face today are the result of years of civic irresponsibility. When things go right, everyone takes credit, but when it’s the opposite, it’s always someone else’s fault, usually the Government’s. The lesson that Afghanistan has taught the world is that your leaders must have your interest at heart. If not, you will be left destitute at some point.
In our part of the world, the relevant analogy would be, if our leaders are only concerned about the next election and not the next generation, our people will still be left destitute, economically at least. Allowing such an eventuality to come to pass in what passes off for a proper, thriving democracy, would point to an indication of civic negligence. That is the only cause that could be attributed for Sri Lanka’s stagnation for 70-odd years, while those around us continue to move forward.
With all its troubles, Afghanistan had $ 9 billion in foreign reserves when the current imbroglio unfolded. After years of uncertainty, Pakistan is racing forward under Imran Khan’s astute leadership; Bangladesh is now providing loans to Sri Lanka, while even the smallest nations like the Maldives, Nepal, and Bhutan are sitting pretty with just a fraction of the resources available to us in our country. The common thread that continues to drive these nations and their respective leaders is the no-nonsense attitude of the people who have not hesitated to display their disappointment whenever their leaders failed them.
Today, Sri Lanka is sitting on top of an economic volcano with the potential to drive away the younger generation, especially the Millennials, who have no appetite or tolerance for the mediocrity that is essentially the mainstay of Sri Lankan politics, in search of greener pastures. It is a never-ending cycle that has prevailed since the 1950s. It is not that the country lacks political leaders who have identified the problem, but the bigger issue is an electorate that refuses to see the problem that it has created for itself over the years by being partisan to parties rather than to the country.
Politicians who have comprehended the enormity of the problem at hand have been few and far between. One such was the late Mangala Samaraweera. Outspoken and rational to a point, he is being eulogised as the leader that Sri Lanka was destined to never have. No politician in recent memory, either living or dead, has received the kind of tributes showered on the late Samaraweera, yet another unfortunate victim of the pandemic. Ever since word of his demise hit the news, mainstream media in general and social media in particular have been flooded with accolades for a man who was never too far away from power, both in and out of government. Samaraweera certainly was no angel, having ridden roughshod over the media when he was an all-powerful minister in the late 90s, but with age, like a fine wine, the man not only mellowed, but was humble enough to learn from the errors of his ways and grow wiser.
The hallmark of Samaraweera’s political success going back three decades, was his ability to have his ear close to the ground. This quality of his enabled him to read a situation well in advance. He could hear the train approaching miles away while the great majority of his political colleagues were oblivious to the obvious. It is this ability that helped him to secure victory for three of the last four presidents. This ability also prompted him to prematurely retire from parliamentary politics, thereby sparing himself the ignominy of being a shareholder of his party's rout at the last poll.
Given these circumstances, the question that begs answer is if a politician in the mould of Samaraweera would find it challenging to secure 75,000 votes, while one with a criminal record will easily poll double that, what hope is there to put things right in this country? The problem is not with Samaraweera or the brand of politics he so masterfully practiced, but with a politically immature and illiterate electorate that is so easily sold on empty promises and not actual substance. The longer the status quo is maintained, the better the prospects for the criminals.
Samaraweera’s passing must necessarily lead to introspection across the political divide as to how far Sri Lanka can go on its current trajectory of self-defeatist, toxic politics which can only further sink this country into the cesspit it finds itself in. In Samaraweera's own words, we are a happy people; happy that we have grown to be big frogs, little realising that the well is running dry. We have failed to see the warning lights and repeatedly placed the destiny of this nation in the hands of opportunists and misfits alternating between the two main parties and their offshoots.
There was a time when the politicians came from the cream of society and spent their wealth on the poor and downtrodden; as a result, they themselves ended up as paupers. They lived in their own houses, travelled in their own vehicles, pumped their own fuel, and when they died, bequeathed their estate to the State. That is how we have a D.S. Senanayake College, a Kotelawala Defence Academy, a J.R. Jayewardene Centre, and a Sucharita Institution for the poor in Hulftsdorp, among many others. But somewhere down the line, things changed. Today, an entire generation has grown up looking up to thugs and hooligans as their representatives in Parliament and role models. The results are plain to see, with moral decline at every level of society.
Mangala Samaraweera was smart enough to identify where the problem lay and was preparing to launch a political movement from the other side of the arena, the peoples’ side. He was in the process of launching this campaign when destiny obviously had other plans for him. At the root of the problem is the politicisation of every sphere of governance and the resultant lack of accountability. It is not that the people have failed to identify the problem; they have, which is why there was a necessity for a movement called “Yahapalanaya” or good governance that they voted for. But as is usually the case, political expediency got the better of that lot and the people were let down yet again.
While the crimes perpetrated against the people keep on growing, there seems to be no one willing to grab the bull by the horns. One crime after another is being swept under the carpet while all that the people can do is grin and bear. No one seems bothered about bringing to justice the Central Bank robbers, those responsible for the Easter Sunday carnage, obtaining compensation for the X-Press Pearl disaster, investigating the sugar scam that has led to unheard of prices, importing toxic coconut oil, etc.
The system is crying for an overhaul. People seem to be running out of patience. The most logical way to stem the rot would be to purge the political ranks of the corrupt, at least the next time around. There can be no better way to do it than to eliminate the perks for politicians, and the best time to do it is now. It can be assumed that once the financial inducements are taken away, only those genuinely willing to serve the people will come forward, as in the good old days. But the million-dollar question is whether those milking the cow will agree to get rid of the cow.Kapruka
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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!