Be the change you seek

In 2004, I wrote a regular column in a Sunday journal. One among them was titled “Time to make our child-minds work”. It was a call made to our top political leadership at the time, to put their child-minds to work. All attempts had failed to bring them together to work in unison, to end the terrorist threat and bring sanity and peace back to our fold.

Power of the child-mind

I wrote then “remember when we were children. We fought. We made up. We forgot. We got up each morning to a new day. We carried no baggage from the past.

The child-mind is amazing. It is non-dogmatic, is caring, is immensely creative, is innocent and most of all, devoid of lasting hate and is full of love and the capacity to love”.

I went on to say “when all else fails, what we need in times of crisis, such as the one we have between the executive and the legislature in our wonderful little country is to appeal to our leaders to put their child-minds to work”. I was referring to the then President and the Prime Minister who have, reportedly been childhood mates.

That call like of many others at the time, fell on deaf ears for they were no more willing to put their child-minds to work. We lost out once again, on an opportunity we had for a unified effort to get our nation ahead, and watched in vain, as our political ‘leaders’ failed us miserably.

Learning from mistakes

Today I write this again, with much pain and despair. I venture to make this call even at the expense of being called naive or be labelled an incurable optimist.

I, together with most Sri Lankans was elated, the war we waged on terrorism ended. The LTTE as an outfit that used terror as a way to gain what it believed to be just, had caused the loss of many lives, inflicted deep damage to our nation’s collective psyche, caused pain and suffering to so many, as did the measures that needed to be taken to counter it.

With an end to its fighting capability, and its network of financial support, there was a sense of relief all around. We, as members of the majority race had learned bitter lessons on why we should end our imprudent handling of the minorities.

Hope for a brighter future for this ‘land like no other’ rose again. No one was to be a looser, we were to learn from the mistakes we made in the past and move on to seek that future so we could become the ‘wonder of Asia’. Reconciliation, unity, amity, honour, equality, love, compassion and equanimity were terms we heard most.

New vistas, new challenges

Except for those who had made a business of the war, active cadres and supporters of the LTTE, and an opportunistic few in our own midst, most around the world were happy for us and joined in with us and cheered us in that moment of achievement. Many had given their lives to seek what was deemed the impossible. The world’s most powerful and determined terrorist outfit had been wiped out. A new vista was open for us to unify as one nation and one people.

The key concerns now were the welfare and the rapid resettlement of the IDPs enabling them to once again live lives of normalty. Mine-fields needed to be de-mined to enable resettlement, infrastructure and basic facilities in the affected areas needed to be re-built, hearts and minds of the Tamil people had to be won and an honest and genuine reconciliation effort needed to be taken on. The development of nation Sri Lanka had to be the focus, so we could institute lasting peace on this land, once called paradise where serendipity found its meaning.

But then came, the shocks and the treachery, as has been throughout most of our history. It was election time; also perceived as time to settle scores. We witnessed the fall outs; the grown-up egos were at work where licking of old wounds and inflicting new ones, was the name of the game.

Accusations, counter-accusations, mud-slinging and bitter rivalry yet again, took away much of the hope. Strange alliances, comradeships and expressions of solidarity on the streets and at media events became the order of the day.

As children we also fought hard, but at play. At the end of the day all dirty and dishevelled we went home to our parents. Most of the time wise counsel prevailed and a few days later we were together playing again. It is time now our leaders also listened to wise counsel, and put an end to the bitter battles they fight.

Smell opportunity

The leader of the Opposition took time out from the stream of protests last weekend, and made a personal appeal on behalf of the former General now in military custody and had cordial discussions with the President. He also reported to the media that a rational discussion had prevailed and the President had assured that proper legal procedures will be followed.

When I wear my optimistic hat, I smell an opportunity here for them to put their child-minds to work, to forgive and forget? Is it not time they, demonstrated to us, that there are better and more civilized ways to settle issues than taking on to streets or engage in devious confrontation? You don’t have to be a grown-up to realize, that such actions regardless of its origin, gives our nation a bad image in the eyes of the world. That needless to say, will only result in negative and harmful outcomes for the country, its economy, our people and our nation’s future-well being.

Wise counsel

Given the child-mind like premise, that all our leaders are committed to work towards our well being and to take this nation towards a better future, it should now not be impossible for our leadership to agree on a common program of action to seek change. That program at the core will be about building a better system of governance where the Rule of Law will prevail over all else and meritocracy and fair-play will reign.

Towards the end of the past week, the Citizens’ Movement for Good Governance (CIMOGG), an organization consisting mostly of senior or retired professionals, had come up with a request to the Opposition parties to agree on a common program as outlined by its President Dr. A.C. Visvalingam.

On examining the proposed program elements, it was evident that all of it epitomized the aspirations, expectations and hope that our nation has of our leaders. That to me was indeed, a solid manifesto of the change, we as citizens would seek for our nation. Interestingly, it also reflects in spirit, much of the elements already presented by the President in the ‘Mahinda Chinthana: Vision for the Future’.

Only way forward

To my child mind, it seems logical for both the Government and the Opposition to agree on its implementation as the common program of action they will follow upon the conclusion of the forthcoming general election. This can be regardless of which party, which coalition or which alliance gets what majority or what the final outcome of the election will be.

That seems the only rational way forward our political leadership have, to ensure that they deliver on my optimistic assumption that they all work towards our wellbeing to bring Mother Sri Lanka, a better future.

My adult-mind tells me that this may be a pipe-dream. But my child-mind is willing to believe that our leaders have what it takes to deliver the change we want. My yearning for them is to be the change, they themselves seek, so it can be a win-win for all and our nation can become the true wonder of Asia.