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by Afreeha Jawad

Lanka’s aborigines - living on the margins

Whoever masterminded the current social system - so 'well' engineered and neatly tailored with its remarkable 'lay out' - was not unaware of the eruption of conflict and chaos that was to follow, much to the benefit of the initiators of the system.

Hence, we observe the careful imposition of the armed services as a buffer state against a collapse of the system. What led to the crime or offence, therefore, is no one's concern except the great interest to bring to book the offender - something akin to a wound's surface treatment instead of the removal of its root cause, which incidentally in what Western medical treatment is all about as against Ayurveda's 'root consciousness' in disease cure.

Total cure is anathema to Western medicine for the system earns out of disease and societal mayhem. Not surprising, then, the emergence of multinational pharmaceutical giants, arms manufacturers and dealers - all of whom sustain the system.

All social malaises, supposedly emanating from the 'criminal' and his subsequent arrest, are dubbed as offences - what cure has it brought in ending crime? The system's architects have done a 'remarkable' job in surface playing while the intelligentsia moans and bemoans what they see as society going the wrong way."

Interestingly, the system's protagonists are not unmindful in fostering scholarship as well.

The intense consumerising that annuls creativity makes the vast number of humans intellectually deprived.

Depending on circumstances, the critics of the system are also dubbed terrorists, insurgents (a majority based differentiation), disobedient and all other marginalising labels.

In fact the ones that took the system to task like the religious teachers were even dubbed mad men. What's worse is the parroting of such words carefully and successfully handed over from one generation to another.

In our own country's historical records are King Sri Sangabo, on whose head was a princely sum for anyone who brought it before the king at that time who saw Sri Sangabo as a threat. The saintly king's offering made a poor man rich.

There was also King Vessantara who gave away his two children to Jujaka - a subject of much criticism even among Buddhists. Noteworthy is that they both challenged the system and its social constructs by reaching out to the highest good of 'self'-extinction.

A glaring example of recent times - the DJVP's late Nihal Perera, an executive at Bogala Graphite, who joined the miners in their strike against discrimination. "Executives do not strike", his friends told him. Nihal replied, "Of what use is my executive post when I can see injustice right under my nose."

Interestingly, the standing order that executives must keep off strikes and picketing is itself a status quo upholding exercise. The elite/protelariat dichotomy thereby is strictly maintained if not for which the system itself is at stake.

The armed forces resort to similar upholding as they affirm their loyalty to whatever government in power and any inaction invites the 'traitor' label followed by dismissal.

The police steps in only when peace is breached but conflict prevention is not considered part of their duty. Only when issues are heightened does the army takes over when the crisis escalates into war. The absence of any conflict prevention mechanism itself justifies the system's thirst for chaos.

The system's bureaucratic layout in the form of a chain of command and the authority's claim of 'non challengability' also keeps the corrupt system going. 'We've often heard people say, "What's to be done. These are orders from the top" - an unquestionable acceptance of conformation and compliance, however unpalatable the decision.

Discrimination against women and gender - both twin associates in system fostering - reveals how even the judiciary, the organ of 'justice', resorts to upholding gender discrimination. Constitutional jurisprudence in many countries has also been inadequate in legislative and administrative reform to realise gender equality.

Structured divisiveness, social stratification, gender, class differentiation and the life of such no doubt enhance the social system's effectiveness. Yet, a deep analysis of such is avoided in a very subtle way, an outstanding example being the avoidance of Sociology as a subject in the school curriculum of many countries for its widely known ability to develop, sharpen and heighten man's critical faculty.

Despite numerous endevours towards consolidating the system of recent origin are the cracks appearing on the layout. One such instance is the debunking of collective responsibility in the Cabinet.

Clare Short is a glaring example in the British Cabinet who fell into disagreement with her Prime Minister Tony Blair over war declaration in Iraq. She resigned but internationally such stories abound - not necessarily followed by resignations. These dissenting members continue in the cabinet even after disagreement with their power apex. Whatever be the outcome - the feature has come to stay - of challenging one's own political parties decisions.

With the birth of nation states was the introduction of 'majority rules' giving numerals more importance than dispensing justice which has now led minorities to taking majorities to task. Ethnic strife is rampant worldwide.

The idea behind in giving the majority importance was to uphold the system internationally so that local elites in majorities worldwide would liaise with the system's elite architects outside and continue ruling a world in which both power elite's find favour.

Effacing indigenous communities intensifying and enhancing the worldwide corporate network, the insistence on a common language - English, a common medical system, culture, mannerisms and outlook are among the endeavours in establishing a homogenous global system.The media itself is vehemently used as a powerful communication mechanism towards such good attainment.

The gender-based socialisation process itself, be it in home or school, whips up masculinity, so essential to override women's rights and views. Existing, biological differences are further aggravated, weakening women already weak. Gender based gifts, games, colours and behaviour patterns highlight masculinity and project women as soft, helpless and submissive.

Toy cars and rifles for boys, dolls, pots and pans for girls, billiards and snooker for boys and netball for girls, blue apparel for infant boys and pink for infant girls, to name a few, keep alive widespread differences culminating in increasing rape and violence against women.

Thus on indepth examination, one could observe in all spheres that the social system's layout is not without a facade, so 'neatly' planned, to keep in place a biased world political economy - the springboard to world chaos.

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