Yesterday, many in Sri Lanka paid tribute to former Minister Mangala Samaraweera upon his sudden passing, another victim of the Covid-19 pandemic raging through this country at alarming speed and with devastating impact. In his 30-year political career, Samaraweera carved a unique position for himself, as a man with the courage of his convictions who was not afraid of calling a spade a spade and offending a few people along the way.
Undoubtedly his greatest political achievement would be the political leadership he provided to the reform process of the telecommunication sector in the 1990s, and in particular the privatisation of Sri Lanka Telecom, which collectively ushered in greater competition into the telecommunication industry and led to a better service and greater choice for consumers. He was also known as somewhat of a kingmaker, having been part of several successful presidential election campaigns where he is known to have worked behind the scenes to ensure the victory of the winning candidate.
However, it is as a political personality that he truly made his mark, being a maverick who was unafraid of differing with the popular or safer view, particularly in terms of social and cultural matters. He was an idealist, who perhaps did not realise how ingrained in Sri Lankan society the things he was advocating against were, and therefore the time it would take to effect significant change. The vision of Samaraweera was a Sri Lanka not so divided by race, religion, cast or sexual orientation with a tolerant population respectful of others’ personal freedoms and choices.
Most notably, in a nation where same-sex sexual relations are still criminalised, he did not deny his sexual orientation despite personal attacks on him from political opponents and segments of society throughout his political career. He was also seen as sacrilegious in the latter stages of his political career for stating that there are monks in Sri Lanka who hide their sins behind the saffron robe, thereby ensuring they are beyond scrutiny or criticism. In a majority Buddhist country in which the philosophy of Buddha is practiced more as a religion with intense passion, this made him a rather unpopular figure and cost him many votes in his electorate in Matara.
Perhaps realising that he had a slim chance of being elected to Parliament and disillusioned with party politics, he pulled out of the General Election in 2020 and set his sights on founding a new liberal movement. It was a refreshing sight to see the fashion designer cum politician moving away from politics and living a more relaxed and carefree life away from the spotlight. Subsequently, holding the inaugural discussion of this movement called “True Patriots” in July 2021, he stressed on the importance of embracing liberal democratic values and maintaining a “radical” middle path. He also blamed the country’s current “failed” state on Sinhala Buddhist majoritarian politics, fueled by a false sense of patriotism, and said that the future he envisions is one in which everybody takes up their responsibility for the country, instead of adhering merely to party politics.
It is as this ultra-liberal political personality that he really leaves his mark, in a way that very few politicians post-independence have. However, his vision for a more open, tolerant and free Sri Lanka is still many, many years away from being realised and racism, bigotry and classism seem to be rampant in society. It is possible that his legacy will be inspiring a new generation of liberal politicians to work for unpopular yet important causes which traditional politicians have ignored all these years for fear of losing popularity or backlash from conservative segments of society. As Frank Sinatra said ‘I did it my way’, Samaraweera certainly did it the Mangala way, and young liberal politicians of the future may follow that path illuminated by him.
The Mangala way
25 Aug 2021
The Mangala way
25 Aug 2021
Yesterday, many in Sri Lanka paid tribute to former Minister Mangala Samaraweera upon his sudden passing, another victim of the Covid-19 pandemic raging through this country at alarming speed and with devastating impact. In his 30-year political career, Samaraweera carved a unique position for himself, as a man with the courage of his convictions who was not afraid of calling a spade a spade and offending a few people along the way.
Undoubtedly his greatest political achievement would be the political leadership he provided to the reform process of the telecommunication sector in the 1990s, and in particular the privatisation of Sri Lanka Telecom, which collectively ushered in greater competition into the telecommunication industry and led to a better service and greater choice for consumers. He was also known as somewhat of a kingmaker, having been part of several successful presidential election campaigns where he is known to have worked behind the scenes to ensure the victory of the winning candidate.
However, it is as a political personality that he truly made his mark, being a maverick who was unafraid of differing with the popular or safer view, particularly in terms of social and cultural matters. He was an idealist, who perhaps did not realise how ingrained in Sri Lankan society the things he was advocating against were, and therefore the time it would take to effect significant change. The vision of Samaraweera was a Sri Lanka not so divided by race, religion, cast or sexual orientation with a tolerant population respectful of others’ personal freedoms and choices.
Most notably, in a nation where same-sex sexual relations are still criminalised, he did not deny his sexual orientation despite personal attacks on him from political opponents and segments of society throughout his political career. He was also seen as sacrilegious in the latter stages of his political career for stating that there are monks in Sri Lanka who hide their sins behind the saffron robe, thereby ensuring they are beyond scrutiny or criticism. In a majority Buddhist country in which the philosophy of Buddha is practiced more as a religion with intense passion, this made him a rather unpopular figure and cost him many votes in his electorate in Matara.
Perhaps realising that he had a slim chance of being elected to Parliament and disillusioned with party politics, he pulled out of the General Election in 2020 and set his sights on founding a new liberal movement. It was a refreshing sight to see the fashion designer cum politician moving away from politics and living a more relaxed and carefree life away from the spotlight. Subsequently, holding the inaugural discussion of this movement called “True Patriots” in July 2021, he stressed on the importance of embracing liberal democratic values and maintaining a “radical” middle path. He also blamed the country’s current “failed” state on Sinhala Buddhist majoritarian politics, fueled by a false sense of patriotism, and said that the future he envisions is one in which everybody takes up their responsibility for the country, instead of adhering merely to party politics.
It is as this ultra-liberal political personality that he really leaves his mark, in a way that very few politicians post-independence have. However, his vision for a more open, tolerant and free Sri Lanka is still many, many years away from being realised and racism, bigotry and classism seem to be rampant in society. It is possible that his legacy will be inspiring a new generation of liberal politicians to work for unpopular yet important causes which traditional politicians have ignored all these years for fear of losing popularity or backlash from conservative segments of society. As Frank Sinatra said ‘I did it my way’, Samaraweera certainly did it the Mangala way, and young liberal politicians of the future may follow that path illuminated by him.
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!