The public furore that Sri Lanka witnessed since the last week of March to date has gained a name as a “leaderless movement” due to the anti-Government/anti-President movement not being led by one person or group’s agenda. Even though it was joined by those with vested interests such as politicians, political activists, civil society activists and religious leaders, they all had a common objective, leading this movement to be dubbed a “people’s movement”.
Pointing out this unity, recently, Opposition MP Mano Ganesan noted that the protests were a struggle of Sri Lankans, not of any particular religion, and that the country should become a secular country that upholds a “Sri Lankan” identity.
The importance of barriers based on religions, ethnicities, or other identities not hindering unity among the people has been discussed for a long time, and received more attention following the end of the war in 2009. However, they are now more relevant than ever before, given the state of the country.
People of different religious beliefs, ethnic identities, social strata, and political opinions acting as one is in fact one of the highlights of these protests, and it emphasised the fact that the country’s future depends on all people, not people of any particular identity. It was a reminder that giving equal or an equitable place for diverse identities, not just on paper but in real life, can be beneficial and decisive when it comes to taking decisions that concern the country’s future.
It is in this context that we are looking at this old but essential step of making Sri Lanka a secular nation, mainly through the Constitution, but more importantly through social reforms led by awareness-raising efforts.
The close relationship between religion and governance, or the State, is not limited to Sri Lanka. However, as many other countries, Sri Lanka has achieved extremely little when it comes to separating the two. On the one hand, it is because of the value that has been traditionally assigned to the religious leaders’ role in society, and on the other hand, because of the relationship between religious leaders and politicians, which is essentially more political than religious. However, the world has now realised that giving the same value assigned to religion in social and cultural contexts in governance and politics and related contexts also, is unwise, and that keeping the two separate or connected only when relevant is the right thing to do.
To benefit from this relationship, there should be a clear understanding about each party’s contribution and expectations. This understanding should start with religious leaders stopping the practice of influencing politicians to take paths the former has no expertise in, and politicians stopping the practice of mistaking religious interests for national interests and trying to take political advantages through religious sentiments. The two parties’ relationship should be based on informed decisions, not on mere politics or religion.
However, we cannot disregard the fact that religious leaders are entitled to any right that all other citizens are entitled to, and that therefore, their right to engage in politics should be respected. However, their opinion being blindly accepted in contexts in which they have no knowledge is not a good practice for a country to follow.
Perhaps, as part of the ongoing Constitutional amendment processes, the country’s leaders should look into stop giving priority to any particular religion. That is not only necessary at this point in time, it would also be easier than before, as far as the people’s response is concerned. For the most part, thus far, there was significant opposition from the Sinhala-Buddhist majority in this regard. However, the country’s situation is such that the people have come to the understanding that even a Sinhala-Buddhist leader – in this case, President Gotabaya Rajapaksa (who is yet to officially announce his resignation at the time of the writing of this editorial) – may not be the ideal leader for the so called Sinhala-Buddhist nation, and that the people’s unity with regard to individual identities is what can bring about the change that they need.
In this context, the majority of citizens are less likely to oppose such Constitutional amendments, even though politicians are more likely to refrain from taking the initiative, because it hinders the disgraceful act of dividing the people based on religions and ethnicities for their own benefit, which has become a main element in Sri Lanka’s political culture. However, in a context where the people have started demanding the changes that they need, they should also take a stance for these types of Constitutional amendments that kept people divided and the State biased for a long time.The virtues of secularism
14 Jul 2022
The virtues of secularism
14 Jul 2022
The public furore that Sri Lanka witnessed since the last week of March to date has gained a name as a “leaderless movement” due to the anti-Government/anti-President movement not being led by one person or group’s agenda. Even though it was joined by those with vested interests such as politicians, political activists, civil society activists and religious leaders, they all had a common objective, leading this movement to be dubbed a “people’s movement”.
Pointing out this unity, recently, Opposition MP Mano Ganesan noted that the protests were a struggle of Sri Lankans, not of any particular religion, and that the country should become a secular country that upholds a “Sri Lankan” identity.
The importance of barriers based on religions, ethnicities, or other identities not hindering unity among the people has been discussed for a long time, and received more attention following the end of the war in 2009. However, they are now more relevant than ever before, given the state of the country.
People of different religious beliefs, ethnic identities, social strata, and political opinions acting as one is in fact one of the highlights of these protests, and it emphasised the fact that the country’s future depends on all people, not people of any particular identity. It was a reminder that giving equal or an equitable place for diverse identities, not just on paper but in real life, can be beneficial and decisive when it comes to taking decisions that concern the country’s future.
It is in this context that we are looking at this old but essential step of making Sri Lanka a secular nation, mainly through the Constitution, but more importantly through social reforms led by awareness-raising efforts.
The close relationship between religion and governance, or the State, is not limited to Sri Lanka. However, as many other countries, Sri Lanka has achieved extremely little when it comes to separating the two. On the one hand, it is because of the value that has been traditionally assigned to the religious leaders’ role in society, and on the other hand, because of the relationship between religious leaders and politicians, which is essentially more political than religious. However, the world has now realised that giving the same value assigned to religion in social and cultural contexts in governance and politics and related contexts also, is unwise, and that keeping the two separate or connected only when relevant is the right thing to do.
To benefit from this relationship, there should be a clear understanding about each party’s contribution and expectations. This understanding should start with religious leaders stopping the practice of influencing politicians to take paths the former has no expertise in, and politicians stopping the practice of mistaking religious interests for national interests and trying to take political advantages through religious sentiments. The two parties’ relationship should be based on informed decisions, not on mere politics or religion.
However, we cannot disregard the fact that religious leaders are entitled to any right that all other citizens are entitled to, and that therefore, their right to engage in politics should be respected. However, their opinion being blindly accepted in contexts in which they have no knowledge is not a good practice for a country to follow.
Perhaps, as part of the ongoing Constitutional amendment processes, the country’s leaders should look into stop giving priority to any particular religion. That is not only necessary at this point in time, it would also be easier than before, as far as the people’s response is concerned. For the most part, thus far, there was significant opposition from the Sinhala-Buddhist majority in this regard. However, the country’s situation is such that the people have come to the understanding that even a Sinhala-Buddhist leader – in this case, President Gotabaya Rajapaksa (who is yet to officially announce his resignation at the time of the writing of this editorial) – may not be the ideal leader for the so called Sinhala-Buddhist nation, and that the people’s unity with regard to individual identities is what can bring about the change that they need.
In this context, the majority of citizens are less likely to oppose such Constitutional amendments, even though politicians are more likely to refrain from taking the initiative, because it hinders the disgraceful act of dividing the people based on religions and ethnicities for their own benefit, which has become a main element in Sri Lanka’s political culture. However, in a context where the people have started demanding the changes that they need, they should also take a stance for these types of Constitutional amendments that kept people divided and the State biased for a long time.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!