Seize the moment for a better future - Sri Lanka!
 

BY AFREEHA Jawad

A book this writer read some time back entitled 'Civil Society' coming off India's Sage Publishers, persistently pursues the dire need for contemporary institutional replacement, for the purpose of better governance.

The failure of system drawn institutions to deliver the goods is not a baseless argument as is evident in the chaos and confusion from which modern humans do not even attempt to extricate themselves. What follows is passive acceptance.

Deliberately attempting to ignore the deep seatedness or rather deep-rootedness of world terror, super powers are into much surface skimming offering prescription such as eliminating terror for a better world. Widespread references to egalitarianism are only spoken of with nothing done into realisation of such.

Much light was thrown on this theme when this writer interviewed Colombo University's Senior Sociologist Dr. Subangi Herath for her views on egalitarianism.

Viewing the global political economy as the contributor to social inequity she quite rightly said, "the underlying principle of such economy is to increase profit for which large scale exploitation goes on."

Several different hierarchical structures of income creating more world poverty from which emerges crime was her strong point of delivery into widespread social unrest both inter and intra state.

Nearly over a decade of independence with nothing very much being done to increase GNP, the Sri Lankan euphoria of being connected globally to developed capitalist countries - a sort of 'make believe' mental state alone would not suffice.

"India is fast on the track to a rising GNP. She is becoming richer while we are becoming poorer. Once India achieves high development much depends on what measures they would take to narrow the social gap."

Adding to this mess is Sri Lanka's ailing public sector. Privatisation she viewed as not a solution in all instances. As for the problems of devolution she cited the Provincial Councils. The central government controlled resources don't reach the provinces.

Also the far too many levels of control makes effective management unattainable. Unless provincial management systems are strong more intense rural-urban migration will set in.

Colombo appears to be more lucrative, attracting even hundreds of thousands to live here not to forget a floating populace of equal or more numbers. Greater employment opportunities, supposedly good schools, health, transport and other amenities gives Colombo top placement in residential preference.

Abroad one finds a town every thousand miles which caters to the rural sector. Urbanisation in Sri Lanka is widespread. But are urban facilities like developed schools, hospitals and markets found there.

Hailing the Provincial Council concept she said it was good but the centre must push hard to move the council membership into electoral development.

Giving her reasons for it Dr. Herath said that earlier what took a single MP's responsibility for his electorate's well-being is now in the hands of a bunch of such. She said more than a mouthful for today's voter does not even know who represents him. She thus called for a system evaluation to detect and remedy errors arising thereof.

Dr. Herath was on track in suggesting to arrest whatever social insecurity emerging from a mismanaged political entity. Towards this end she also cited another example pertaining to building universities ad hoc. Ideally a university should be within half an hours drive from the closest town. The possibility of developing a university should be borne in mind.

"For instance, is the Sabaragamuwa University close to Ratnapura town? and is the one at Uva Wellassa close to Bandarawela town? Workers, staff and other organisations linked with that particular university would increase buying power when in favourable location. See for instance when Peradeniya University was set up, Kandy was a developed town".

Elaborating further on social inequity, Dr. Herath spoke of the need to provide equal opportunity in education. Education which was key to social status at one time is now no more. We think only in terms of English and Computer Science. These disciplines are important but not the total solution for our problems.

"What of people's creativity. We need people who can think to take right decisions. What of moral uplift. Can computers and science alone pave the way for moral integrity?" she asked and continued, "What of the country's agro/technological needs? What about marketing of produce? What of reasonable prices for what farmers grow? What of relieving them from fleecing middle men?

Can all this be done with Computer Science and English learning?

Obviously Dr. Herath was hinting at two major social segments - farmers and youth - along with other alienated groups whose disgruntled state arises out of inequity - far from the egalitarian cry of those that create such inequity itself.

Reiterating social inequity as a major contributor to even rising crime, she said. "Whatever the police measures to fight it, apparently is futile. When opportunities are less, society becomes irrational. Money takes centre stage. Respect for intellect ceases. Breakdown of norms follows."

"Involvement in crime is the easy away out to spin money. Criminals are protected by people at the top. Corruption is rampant in prison, courts, police and all else. Political personnel expected to be exemplary have not lived up to people's expectations. The whole system is collapsing."

Her reminiscences of 1956 when the 'Sinhala only' legislation came in and the '77 liberalised market reminded this writer of two significant landmarks in Sri Lankan history firstly of social inequity followed by both economic and social inequity.

She explained how the first sidelined minorities where they felt the non-recognition of existence on the basis of ignoring their language.

"We when in other countries feel second class citizens and you can just imagine what the Tamil people felt when they were excluded. To be socially excluded is so very terrible and certainly not the proper way to treat one's own people. Tamil was not even a medium of instruction in universities. You can now imagine what that community felt like," she said regretfully.

The high rate of what she called 'political rot' contributes to non-egalitarianism. "When the police, military, courts, prisons, schools and higher education is impacting negatively with decision taken by such 'rot' what positive results could one expect," she asked.

She even recalled the mutual exchange of visits by Tamils and Sinhalese to the North and South following the MoU.

There was also mutual acceptance of one another. If opportunities are there to respect each other's culture, ethnicity and religion people will respond. But when the top plants the 'hatred seed' provoking both parties, racial hatred ignites and egalitarianism ceases to be.

She unhesitantly added how Presidential candidates' need to put forward their vision clearly and precisely. "In other countries people vote for the candidate having the best agenda. But what happens here?" asked an indignant Dr. Herath.

The political set up certainly needs total cleaning up. They themselves come from a corrupt society but we can't keep corruption going.

"Civil society must be strengthened. At least a few politicians that are above board along with civil society and the media should take the lead in societal revival. The entire society is not corrupt which is why large numbers look forward to a better Sri Lanka. So time is running out. This is the moment. Otherwise even the little left of morality will extinguish".

This then brought the writer into reflecting on how ethical transformation and moral rejuvenation could be attained through the study of English and Computer Science only.