Tackling poverty is tackling crime

Suraj A. Bandara

The green island with golden beaches bewitches the onlooker. The serene and peaceful villages wear a misty film of dew early morning. As the sun breaks in it’s a sight to behold. Yet, in a society where one hears pirith chanting every morning noon and night, isn’t it shocking to find headlines screaming brutal murder?

In a society where religious teachings flourish at the forefront of the society brutal crimes don’t seem to fit in well as in other non-religious societies. A growing wave of crime seems to waft over town and village without distinction; now, more than ever. The writer made an attempt to make a survey by interviewing several experts to find some insight. According to psychologist lecturer in Psychology, University of Kelaniya Ven. Kambukandana Revatha Thera, crime is ‘prevalent in all its forms in Sri Lanka’.

Facets of crime

According to police reports organized crime includes drug trafficking, money laundering, extortion, contract killing, fraud, human trafficking, and poaching. Other common crimes are homicide, robbery, assault, rape, theft of property including motor vehicle theft and arson. Corruption is another significant problem in the Sri Lankan society. Each and every segment of crime attempt to dig its own grave by intensifying the rate it happens.

A spokesman for the Police crime division told the Daily News that incidents of crime against women in Sri Lanka are on the rise. The Crime Records Bureau of the police reported that the growth rate of crimes against women is higher this year than the last. Earlier, many cases were not registered with the police due to the social stigma particularly attached to rape, molestation and sexual abuses. Official statistics show that there has been a dramatic increase in the number of reported crimes against women.

Domestic violence

In Sri Lanka, according to the police reports the incidents of domestic violence are higher especially among the lower socio-economic classes and supra social layer showing an extremist bent. Middle class is trying to adjust to the social requirements and find its way in dealing with the day to day matters. It touches one to note that after all, the middle path is the just way forward. The majority of crimes are reported from the lowest social strata. Like anywhere else in the world, the poorest of the poor are the first to get exposed to rapid development around them and therefore face the temptation to get swept in to the wave of corruption for survival.

According to Ven. Revatha Thera, this happens due to several reasons. The main cause could be identified as poverty and ignorance of the law. There are numerous instances in rural areas where intoxication leads to wife-beating resulting in severe injuries. Almost 80 percent of sexual harassments specifically, child abuse, have been reported from households in Sri Lanka.

In Sri Lanka, sexual molestation is a complex phenomenon with multiple causes. The Police reports state that approximately 15 percent to 25 percent of women and 5 percent to 15 percent of men have been sexually abused when they were children. It is interesting to note, that most sexual abuse offenders are closely acquainted with their victims; approximately 30 percent are relatives of the child, most often brothers, fathers, mothers, uncles or cousins. Around 60 percent are other acquaintances such as friends of the family, babysitters, or neighbours. Strangely enough strangers, account for approximately, a mere 10 percent, when it comes to child sexual abuse cases. In a land where there is a temple at many a street corner, a church for every small town, a kovil every ten kilometers and a Muslim church nestled at every junction with their precepts discouraging wrong doing, people have adopted rigid indifference to the preaching of their great religious masters. Today inhumanity reigns supreme.

The tactics of perpetration

The recent crimes in Sri Lanka reflect the image of the violent thoughts of people. The way the crimes are created is appalling. Setting fire to people alive, hacking to death with knives, assault with iron bars are gruesome examples. All these homicides happen due to sudden temper. Most crimes are horrendous even to listen to. Their anger culminates in victimizing even little children, who unfortunately happen to be born to such parents. Many of these crimes were ruthless multiple murder cases where parents, without a second thought, murdered their own offspring!

Virtue and crime

A social researcher of the University of Peradeniya Dr. Wimalasena told that after the open economy was introduced in 1977, there seem to be an increase in crime in Sri Lanka. Researchers in Sri Lanka have classified crime into categories, such as property crime, public order crime and violent crime. There was a time people adhered to religious teachings. Self discipline should be the order of the day, again. Where the flower offering is auctioned as a temple proceeding, dragging commercialization in to the sacred compound it is not strange to find the social fabric in a state of collapse. The respect of the society for its religious leaders has declined for many reasons.

He further said, formerly Buddhists came to the temple to solve their day to day problems with the help of Buddhist reconciliation methods.

Political motivations

The political administration of both ruling and opposition has contributed, more or less, to this violent society. When people are suppressed with the present day household problems, even a slightest provocation is enough for them to react violently. The depression and frustration drive them to this situation. When politically they are armed they have freedom to do violence. A widespread mechanism is needed to prevent these violent social orientations.

If we need to prevent all these crimes there must be, first and foremost, an attitudinal change among the people. An attempt should be to reduce victimization and to deter crime and criminals. It is applied specifically to efforts made by governments to reduce crime, enforce the law and maintain criminal justice.

Law enforcement bodies should impress upon society that whoever does a crime would be punished. Religious institutions must adhere to religious teachings to win the hearts of devotees and should make them aware that crimes are an obvious way to destruction. If people are strictly regulated by the law and order, the rise of crime could be easily checked. All segments of the society must be equally responsible for these emotional changes. Law is critical in preventing crime and building a just society.

Sri Lanka has suffered enough; Sri Lankans have had enough. Now is the time to ease their burden and wipe off poverty and destitution. Poverty is a major stimulant for crime. If the heavy curtain of poverty can be lifted, one decimal point at a time, crime will have no room to hide, tomorrow. All must unite and do their might to work towards a peaceful society where justice, equality and sanity thrive.