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Presidential eye-opener

In one of the most memorable messages to come off the desk of a Head of State of this country on Poson Poya Day, President Kumaratunga expresses the hope that the people of Sri Lanka will have the courage, strength and wisdom to "defeat extremist forces that have emerged in various guises in this country." She also rightly says that such forces are "likely to lead to the destruction of Buddhism."

This is because peace and loving-kindness occupy a central position in the Buddhist doctrine. It is impossible to claim adherence to the gentle philosophy of Buddhism and to also promote division and hatred among the people. This would be a mockery of Buddhism and, as pointed out by the President, lead to its destruction.

However, in the topsy-turvy times we live in, even the essential substance of some of our religions is grossly misinterpreted by interested persons and made to serve divisive purposes. Some of the forces of greed, hatred and division are currently hiding behind the cloak of religion in an effort to pit one social group and community against the other.

They figure out that division is one of the easiest means of social control. Therefore, the President's message comes as a timely eye-opener. The people need to be always wary of those who are aiming to drive them apart on racial and religious lines.

So, the public would do well to reject the fiery demagoguery and misleading persuasive skills of these agents of division, some of whom have acquired for themselves a political voice. It is the same forces which kept the country in the throes of ethnic turmoil for over twenty long years. Now they seem to be sowing the seeds of religious friction.

At this juncture, one would need to remember that a religion of peace and reconciliation is its own defender and sustainer. It does not need the services of marauding mobs and demented minds which act on the misleading belief that extremist actions could help preserve a culture and a way of life which have their roots in goodness and virtue.

Nothing could be farther from the truth. The religions of this country have been co-existing in peace and harmony for centuries and they are not in need of any propping-up by extra spiritual means.

Certainly, they are not in need of murderous mobs which have been in the employ of those forces which are craving to monopolise political power in Sri Lanka and turn it into a grazing ground and vehicle of self-aggrandizement.

All this provides an ideal recipe for self-destruction. For, division and war would be the end results of such designs for power consolidation. However, world religions such as Buddhism, provide the answers for individual and social peace. The time couldn't be more appropriate to practise its essential values.

Ending child labour

Child labour is a scourge that the world can do without. Millions of children around the world are engaged in menial jobs for a pittance. Worse, some children are recruited as soldiers by various armed organisations.

Although child labour is a worldwide phenomenon, it is more prevalent in developing countries in Asia and Africa. Guiding them off work and getting them back to school is a priority for governments and multilateral organisations such as the International Labour Organisation and the UNICEF.

This is not as easy as it sounds, because the core issue at the heart of child labour is abject poverty. Most parents are compelled to send their children to work to supplement their meagre income. Tackling poverty is thus essential for any plan aimed at minimising the exploitation of children.

According to latest reports, a project to eradicate child labour in the impoverished southern African country of Malawi has paid off through a combination of increased access to water and food and the renovation of schools.

Started less than two years ago in the central region of Ngala, the programme has clearly impacted on the lives of Malawian children. The project encompasses several villages in the tobacco-growing region, where children worked in the tobacco fields instead of attending school.

As one of the protagonists of the programme says, "if there is food security, you delegitimise the reasons for not going to school". They have grown fruits and vegetables which are freely available to villagers. They also repair school buildings to create a conducive environment for students.

"Schools have been constructed or renovated, the water is not very far from their home, food is not a problem as before and children are going to school in large numbers," he has said. The number of schoolgoers had risen by 32 per cent in 18 months.

Other countries must closely study the Malawi experiment with a view to adopting similar 'back to school' programmes that also address the issue of child labour.

In this process, close attention should be paid to girl children who are either kept at home or sent to work by parents who prefer to send their sons to school.

Sri Lanka is an exception to this trend, but thousands of children are employed as domestics and labourers here, not to mention child soldiers. The authorities must take urgent steps to erase this black mark.

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