Master Sir …

Renton de Alwis

Written in late April 2011, this column was a reminder of the nature of the neo-colonialism that nations the like us are subjected to in the annals of global power. I also was reminded of it, when I heard musician Nimal Mendis in a rare interview on television recently. He was the creator of the song, the title of which I borrowed herein.

I present it for your own critical evaluation of then, now and possible future scenarios …   

 

My title today is also the title of a song; an all time favourite of Sri Lankans from all walks of life. It depicts an appeal of a ‘subject’ to his/her colonial style ‘master’, for respect and dignity. I guess the song’s wide popularity can be, for it touched a chord on both sides of the fence; oppressed and the oppressor alike. Over the years I have heard this song being sung with equal gusto at political rallies, gatherings of university students, picnic sing-alongs and charged-up drinking sessions of the elite.

Most everyone, even cutting across language and racial barriers, appreciate this song and some even attempted to understand its meaning. Yet, others chose to ignore what those words meant and focused only on the song’s tantalising melody. Any which way, the song remains a favourite of mine and the yearning and hope it represents often help me better understand events unfolding around me.

 

Trojan-horses

That very much includes the treatment meted to us, while being touted as an independent member nation of the ‘unity’ of nations. I reflect on the manner in which the ‘dominant west’ is not allowing us to make our own choices for managing our affairs. They seem to ignore the many voices of ordinary Sri Lankans in preference to the voices, of those who have left our shores to become citizens of other lands, some of whom have even formed anti-Sri Lankan lobbies, still seeking a separate state of ‘Elam’.  

In the guise of protecting ‘democratic ideals’ and ‘human rights’ they profess to uphold, we often see moves to protect their own interests and a continuation of treating us as ‘subjects’ in a ‘master – subject’ relationship of a sort. Playing global policemen, for protecting pure economic and business interests, have dominated the agenda of policy-makers of the West. Donor funds and support often come in the form of Trojan-horses. The greater good of human-kind is placed in the back-burners and issues that impact all are weighed on a scale tilting to ‘what’s in it for us’. The likes of UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon are but mere actors in side-drama that unfolds in lab-theatres of the mega global theatre.

Business as usual

Research studies carried out at their own universities, have often being ignored, if they pointed to the greater good of humans as against those of the ‘masters’ of dominance. The recent expectations of the ‘Change one can believe in’ have fizzled to be ‘business as usual’ protecting self-interest and attempts at maintaining continued dominance. 

My objective is to demonstrate that what we see is no isolated phenomenon. It does not relate only to attempts at protecting interests of ‘freedom fighters’ who indeed were proven terrorists as in the case of Sri Lanka, to seeking ‘weapons of mass destruction’ where there were none, as was the case in the Iraqi invasion or the instigation of ‘democratic movements’ in other ‘naughty’ oil rich states. They are indeed about protecting short-term interests of money politics and of big business and the long-term objective of exercising dominance over ownership of and access to, what is left of the limited resource base of the world.

Remarkable individual

From 1973 - 76, I was on a scholarship to read for my post-graduate degree in resource economics at the University of Hawaii at Manoa, USA. Mine was an East West Centre (EWC) Open Grant. It included the added bonus of participation at the programmes offered by the EWC, in addition to my preparations for the Masters programme at the University. It is here that I had the opportunity to meet and interact with a most remarkable individual, Dr. Kenneth E. F. Watt, ecologist, futurist and research fellow, now professor emeritus in retirement.

He was spending time with us intermittently from his work at University of California at Davis, when he was conducting a one and half year workshop, where I was a participant. Its title was “Unsteady State: Problems of Growth, Culture and Environment”. Having authored an earlier work titled “The Titanic Effect: Planning for the Unthinkable”, predicting a possible future failing of the US economy, he had by then conducted over a decade of research on developing simulation models of how societies will behave in the future, in relation to nature, climate change, and operational socio-cultural and economic systems.

Challenging dogma

Second to my background in being taught the Buddhist teaching of ‘questioning all’, it was Prof. Watt, who introduced me to the need to challenge dogma, which he, within our workshop work, called “dominant cultural beliefs”. His explorations of dominance in beliefs stretched beyond limits of measurable dogmatic positions to simulations of what can be. To him ecology was a boundless science and sociology was very much a part of it. It was all about what human beings did and how harmful some of it could be to the very survival of the species and societies and nations they formed.

Challenging or taking to task dominant beliefs is indeed not easy. Even after spending US $ 2 million on funds allocated for such research by the Ford Foundation and its publication in the form of a book with the same title, Professor Watt wrote a guest editorial in the scientific journal ‘Simulation’ in its May 1976 issue, titled “Why won’t anyone believe us?”. He wrote about the project and its intended objective in getting changes caused to public policy to ensure that the world’s ecological, economic and social health will be in sound shape in the future. He almost lamented that it was all being ignored and the world was moving as if it was ‘business as usual’.

 

Dominant beliefs

In the work that was done by him, dominant cultural beliefs such as ‘growth is good’, ‘chemical fertilizer increases production’, ‘big is better’ and several others were tested with empirical evidence to observe how each withstood the test of time defined as the short, medium and long-terms. Interestingly, in all cases of tested dominant beliefs of the time, none held to be true in the long-term. Only some of it held in the medium-term, while almost all held true in the short term.

His contention was that public policy ought to look at the long-term and not focus on the short. The short-term was driven by business and commercial interests and the role of government and other global organisations was to look after the long-term health of Mother Earth and the living organisms within its spheres.      

The issue at hand in Sri Lanka is no different. What drivers of public policy the world over and leaders of global organisations ought to do, is to focus on the long-term efforts that Sri Lanka is undertaking to ensure reconciliation and repairing of the damage done to our wounded souls. They must indeed assist and support efforts of the government in helping affected people, ensuring that they will have equal and ample opportunities to rebuild their lives with dignity and honour.

Help rebuild

Within this context, I am at a loss to understand how a band of terrorists, who used manifold tactics for causing attacks on innocent civilians, with suicide bombings and indiscriminate use of weapons over several decades, were called ‘freedom fighters’ by some influential people and institutions. I also fail to understand how they can be considered to be representing the Tamil citizens of Sri Lanka, who indeed need to have their honour, dignity and ways of life restored after so many years of suffering they underwent, as a result of bad policies of opportunistic politicians on all sides.

Indecent hurry

I also fail to understand how any UN committee can forget the continued suffering the LTTE caused this nation and its people - Sinhalese, Tamils, Muslims, Burghers and all other races alike - when they unleashed indiscriminate terror on them for nearly three decades. I fail to understand where the proponents of these committees were on the many occasions such indiscriminate killings took place, like the 9/11 type Central Bank bombing in 1996. I also fail to understand the sense of urgency with which the UN Secretary General has resolved to release a report of his ‘advisory panel’, beating the report of Sri Lanka’s  own ‘Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Committee’ due in mid May, just three weeks away. 

Master Sir … the days when we took it all in, as ‘our Karma’ are long gone. When wronged, we get hurt and assert ourselves to do the right thing. For we need to have our opportunity to rebuild, learn from our past follies; not only of our own and but also those imposed on us. We know we have many failings and that all is still not well with us. Yet we know the way and need to have our space to build a sustainable future with our resources, be kind and caring towards Mother Nature and ensure that those to be born on this land, regardless of cast, creed or race will have what it takes to stay united, be in peace with each other and optimise on the many opportunities this wonderful Motherland of ours, offer us.

 

Lessons in floods, landslides and freedom

by Renton de Alwis

Written in February 2011, at a time when we had torrential rain and floods, the question that comes to my mind is if we have learnt lessons from the past. Let me leave it for your critical evaluation.


A second wave of floods and landslides has affected many of our brethren in 18 districts of Sri Lanka. Some are housed in shelters and more than 1.25 million are said to be among those needing help. Much effort, energy and resources are spent on the relief efforts and much of the development work done in the recent past, will be inundated and damaged by the ensuing flood waters.

Areas and people that were seeing rays of hope of rehabilitation with the ending of the conflict are also affected. Mannar, Vavniya as well as many areas of the East are under water. Anuradhapura, Pollonnaruwa and much of the Northeast is flooded and people have been evacuated to safety.  So is the situation in the hills. In Badulla, Welimada and several other areas land slides have damaged homes and other facilities. Public buildings the likes of universities, schools and hospitals have not been spared. Mother Nature has unleashed her wrath on us, not only in Sri Lanka but in many other places on this, our only planet earth.

Next wave

In many instances, it is when the impact of such devastation hit a people that we begin to think. I remember the mid 1970s. The energy crisis, with an unprecedented oil price hike hitting the world at large. Much talk and even some action were taken on developing alternative energy sources and on taking on austere living to cushion the impact. That was short lived. A few years later the world at large had once again settled into accepting the higher oil prices, forgotten much of the frugality and it was business as usual. Business as usual, until the next wave of the economic crisis hit us a few years ago and the impact of climate change brought us unprecedented waves of natural disasters and calamities.

It is a sad fact that most people only turn to seeking solace in religion when the going gets bad. There is no doubt that it is important for societies, nations and the world at large from time to time, to revisit the very basics of its ways and take stock. There is perhaps no better time to take a good look at the current state of our own doing on the development front, in the context of state of the world’s social, economic and environmental health. 

Good of many

We forgot that “Small is beautiful” and that it is a term used to describe the principles enumerated in ‘Buddhist Economics’ or the way to successful living as described in the many teachings of the Buddha.  The orthodox Christian, Hindu and Islamic ways are no different.  Regardless of what we have in our own belief systems and ethos in the East, the Western world’s predominant stance of ‘Big is better’ has been the driver of our greed-based lifestyle and business ethic through out the modern phase of what is today, touted as ‘development’. “Greed is Good” was in fact, a prominent signage I saw about a year ago, not in any big city in the US, Japan or Europe, but in India very near the ashram of the man who was the epitome of basic living, the Mahatma Ghandi. That was in front of a modern shopping mall in Hyderabad.

We have often ignored the good of the many in preference to those holding power and access to resources. Offering unlimited choice over need and necessity is a fundamental fault-line, we need to track in our social and economic system of today. 

Fault lines

Increased incidence of polarised behaviour driven by intolerance and greed has resulted in tensions never before seen. Terrorism is a phenomenon we see emerging as a result and waging wars on terror over the years have caused an enormous waste of resources both natural and financial. These could otherwise have served to minimise poverty, conserve water, other resources, mange causes for global warming, prevent incidence of pandemics and to build trust among peoples to eliminate causal factors that breed terrorism. 

I recall the eighties, when at Sri Lanka Association of the Advancement of Science (SLAAS) discussions on use of alternative lifestyles and sustainable sources of energy, how good men the likes of late John Diandas, the self-made transport specialist and chartered accountant called for the use of alternative energy sources and expansion of our public transport systems. We also had the likes of Ray Wijewardena who has shown us living proof of how lifestyles can be sustained through the harmonious blend of the elements of Extension (Patavi), Cohesion (Apo), Heat (Thejo) and Motion (Vayo) in a holistic organic farm he created in Kakapalliya, a little beyond Wennappuwa.  Our own Nobel laureate Prof. Mohan Munasinghe’s research points us to the negative impacts we will have on our tropical rural agriculture from climate change and it is a desperate call he makes for us to adopt sustainable practices.

True freedom

Disasters the likes of what we see around us are no cyclical phenomena as some would like to think. Climate science, though subdued by energy lobbies with vested interests is potent and present solid evidence that all is not well and that it can not be business as usual anymore.

Though small in size, relative to many other lands, Sri Lanka is richly endowed with natural, heritage, cultural and social resources. She indeed has the potential to develop to be an example and model to the rest of the world in simple but profound living. Such model will need to place values such as need, quality, productivity, frugality, conservation and equity, when freedom of choice will be sought through the strengths of self-sufficiency and sustainability of effort. That indeed can be a model of true economic, political and social freedom for all.

 

 

pix credit: Onlanka (Google image)

Where blind can see

By Renton de Alwis

Written in late 2010, this account is of real people I know. My friends Seelawathi, Austin Uncle and Jayantha Uncle, all left us, during the past two years. May they attain Nibbana!

 

Last month too we spent time with them, but without the music and song. Only the sweet lone voice of Muth Manike at the time of thankgiving.

Lessons are learnt at all times and in all places. They are everywhere for us to pick from; at home, in school, on the streets, in encounters, in the forests, in the sky and in the oceans. This is the story of lessons learnt over the years, at different times in different doses, from a group of caring friends whom I admire very much. The most recent of them were learnt on the morning of the 19^th November, 2010.

Back in time

Godawaya is the popular name for a tiny village near Ambalantota in the Deep South. Its historical name is Gotapabbatha or Gotapavatha, which a 2nd Century stone inscription registers, as the first ever customs-duty generating harbour in Sri Lanka.  King Gajabahu I, in this Brahmi scripted inscription, has declared that the customs duties generated there will be donated to the Buddhist Monastery located on the cliff of the port; the Godapavatha Vihara.  There is also archaeological evidence that the area had been inhabited for over 7,000 years. In August 2008, a human skeleton buried together with tools made of animal bone and stone, was discovered in an abandoned stone quarry at Godawaya by the German  archaeologist Oliver Kessler, working with a team of our own archaeologists. Believed to belong to the 3000-5000 BC period, carbon dating is now being carried out to determine the exact age of this find, from the pre-historic period.  

According to a Wikipedia account “until the 6th century AD, Godavaya was an important transit port. Ships carrying merchandise from the West exchanged commodities with ships from China carrying Silk. Hence, ships did not need to go further than Godavaya. Articles of trade on the Walawe river shipping route and on land routes were also swapped there. Godavaya was the seaport for the mediaeval (11th century) southern capital, Maha Nagakula which lay on the Walawe river”.  It is to be noted that the new Magampura Port, is located only a few kilo meters away from this historic site of the Godawaya Port.

The coastal area around Godawaya was declared a sanctuary in 2006, to protect its rich marine life consisting mainly of turtles. The area is considered one that is nesting ground for the most number of leatherback turtles in Sri Lanka.

One of its kind

My story is of a group of thirty one elderly blind people who have made their home on the cliff at Godawaya next to the Viharaya. When I first met them about seven years ago, they were a team of forty two. Several have left us now and the eldest I knew then was Hendrik uncle. He was 102 then and died of old age a year later. Then there were Suraweera uncle and Austin Silva uncle, who have all passed on.

Only one of its kind in Sri Lanka, the ‘Sarana Home for the Aged Blind’ was setup as an initiative of the Sri Lanka Federation of the Visually Handicapped in 1986, by its President Navaratne Banda. He found donors and well-wishers to establish, what is today, a fully operational facility standing out as a model for good governance and management practices. For several years running, the Sarana Home at Godawaya won the pinnacle award as the ‘Best Home for the Aged’ in the Southern Province for maintaining high standards of facilities, quality and conduct of its affairs. A proud achievement both its visually handicapped manager Gunadasa Senanayake and its manageress with vision ‘Latha miss’ (Dharmalatha Karadana) speak about with much passion. They are both leaders par-excellence of a team you would only rarely find.

Joy and Hope

When one imagines the looks of a home for the elderly, you often think of one that is filled with loneliness, despair and suffering and will look at its inmates with sorrowful pity. On the contrary, the Sarana Home is one where you could return upon a visit, with much joy and hope. The sense of camaraderie, caring and sharing among them and their dedication to their adopted home, is a visibly moving encounter. 

On about my fifteenth visit to the Home last week, like each time before that, I was witness to the bee-hive like activity that goes on; sweeping of the garden, cleaning of the Budhu Madura (shrine room) and the Bo-Maluwa (dais of the Bodhi tree), all by touch, feel and repeated practice by the blind elders. They are of different religious beliefs, coming from different parts of the country. There is mutual respect and tolerance of each other, seen at all times. 

Entering the main activity cum dinning hall of the Home, the neatly laid tables each with a bunch of plastic flowers in a vase adorning it, await you. In each placement on each table is a neatly arranged aluminum plate, a cup and saucer. The arrangement is uniform and you later learn that it is the work of each person herself or himself. The only guides they have to some of the facilities within the premises, such as the washing area, is a railing they touch when moving about. It is especially helpful to guide them on the steps down about thirty meters to the fenced bathing area on the Walawe River below. The fence, I was told was protection from crocodiles which appear from time to time on the river.

Why not us

The discipline, cleanliness and the order among the aged-blind of the Sarana Home is out of this world and makes you wonder, why we do not see it on our roads and public places or practiced in most of our own homes. They have a routine associated with each meal, mostly a Dhana or offering by a well-wisher. Prayers first, offering at the shrine room, return to each place assigned on a table, serving of the meal, waiting to be told that all have been served to begin the meal and the partaking of the meal with much care. There is virtually no waste. Each tells you what they need. Two hoppers, five string hoppers, vegetarian, no fish please etc. Latha miss said that they loved the days when herbal soup (Kola Kanda) and some kitul hakuru were served.

Upon completion of the meal, Muthu Manike makes a speech offering merit in return to the well-wishers. It’s succinct, clear and filled with sincere feeling. Then Seelawathi, (I call her Nanada Malini Akka), takes over for a most moving rendering of thanks-giving in song. Her voice and the song sung is to me, better than any I have heard on reality shows on television. She feels and means each word, not for some award or reward, but to say thank you to those who cared to come to see them.

Of human bondage

Several years ago, there was a quartet of a harmonium, a violin, tabla and a pair of spoons, to make music to entertain visitors. Sudharman uncle (I call him Sunil Santha) is now aged and is not his usual vibrant self. Jayantha uncle is in hospital taking treatment for diabetes and Austin uncle who played the harmonium is no more. Seelawathi and Esther Soma, continue to sing but without musical accompaniment. Yet, there is joy and hope written all over their faces. They light up when they hear familiar voices and feel familiar touch. Pandith Amaradeva, once visited them. They still talk about that visit with deep emotion. They sang songs together with tears in each others’ eyes.           

 

They do not want anything in excess or have anything in excess. They have what they need and are so content, which is one of the key lessons one, learns. I remember the first instance, when I met them and spoke with managers Senanayake and ‘Latha Miss’. He held my hand and felt it thoroughly several times. He never forgot that touch, for each time I met him thereafter, when I spoke and he touched and felt my hand, he recognized who I was.

With such human bondage we know that the blind can indeed see and are able to teach us valuable lessons for life and for living.   

Pandith Amaradeva on a visit to the home

  

There is more to it than the eye can see

By Renton de Alwis

 Written in May 2010, this column is my effort at understanding what happens around me. Shunning the cobwebs I had gathered along the way in living my life and questioning the myths, I believed in as well….

It is amazing how what happens around us is woven like a web. Everything connects with the other, like a functional ecosystem. It’s a social web, much like the web of life that defines the interactions of humans with nature and its related dynamics.

Social webs

Here everyone has a role to play. Everyone’s bit counts. This is true, regardless of it being for the good of the society and communities around, as much as it is, when what it yields is bad and ugly. It’s all interwoven, interconnected and interdependent.

Within these social webs there are spiders weaving their own webs too. In these cases the concept of entropy, much like in physical and natural systems must prevail if communities, societies and as its summation; the nation, is to develop in a sound and harmonious way.

State of disequilibrium

In a rural environment like a village, unlike in an urban setting, the elements that form the web have been clearer and somewhat better defined. Within the context of our ancient heritage, they were broadly identified to be the Wewai, Dagabai, Gamai, Pansalai (Source of water, built-heritage defining our ways of the past, people as a community and the spiritual centre). In today’s context, with a self-centered brand of ‘more is better’ and ‘make money before all else’ type commercialization acting as predominant agents of change, these institutions rarely exist in states of functional equilibrium as they did in the past.

In most instances, now the school sits disconnected from the spiritual centre, except at ‘function’ time. Both political and moral authority stands above society and the communities that created it. Maintenance of law and order remain under-defined, often left to the state of the will, integrity and determination to act, of the incumbent persons in charge. Deep indebtedness, excessive use of toxic substances for seeking escape, taking on easy ways-out and the inability to breakaway from such cycles of poverty, often are manifestations of this state of disequilibrium.

Right fundamentals    

You may wonder why I have taken on an exposition of fundamentals or the ‘back to basics’ of sociology here. It is in fact my preamble to let you in, on my understanding of how the systems work in a rural village in the Deep South of Sri Lanka, where I now live in retirement.

During the Sinhala and Hindu New Year season, a teacher from a nearby junior school came to visit us with her family. On our casual inquiry as to how things were at her school, she related a sad tale of how, about one third of the school’s student population came to school without a square meal. She also related instances of children subject to such neglect who faint during school sessions. We must not get her wrong, the school is a beneficiary of the grades 1-5 free meal programme provided by the government, but the ones’ affected here are mostly in grades 6-11, where such facility is unavailable.

Seeking easy riches

This, by no means is a poverty stricken village. Most of the village folk are farmers, fishermen or extract seashells from the resource rich top soil of the area. On a cursory look, one sees no reason whatsoever, for people of this village to be sending their children to school without access to a reasonable meal. It is a village visibly green with rich vegetation, most of which was rebuilt in the aftermath of the tsunami of 2004, where new adobes in a new model village, tools for fishing; boats and nets and cash compensation were received through caring donors and the State, for them to rebuild their lives.

Most villagers were cash rich and found an even easier way to riches, through investing in an informal high interest yielding money lending system that was operated by a person who was popularly known as “Daduwam Mudalali”. Whatever riches they had were turned into cash and deposited, to make a fast buck. This operation after running well for a few years crashed and in an instant, majority of villagers lost their ‘unreal’ interest incomes and incomes from other thriving businesses built around this activity. Attempts at recovering from that shock, has indeed contributed to some of the negatives we witness, manifest in over-indulgence in alcohol, betting on horses, and domestic conflict and violence leading to neglect of children. 

Focus on nutrition

According to several caring teachers of the school’s health committee, this is a social phenomenon that needs urgent attention. They are of the view that the only way up for these children in social mobility will be achievement in education and /or skills development. The success of that will depend, not merely on attempts made by teachers at school, but on the stability and caring in their home environments, the resultant state of mind and of course on the right levels of food and nutrition they get.

No cures for all

The lesson to be learnt by this situation is a realization that the ‘village’ we seek to develop, needs to be looked beyond the infrastructure to be provided and the production centers each of them can potentially become. The complex play of the social webs of each of our villages needs to be understood well, before seeking ways to develop them. The ground reality is that no ‘single’ recipe or a ‘cure for all’ type solution is available. With the proposed ‘Janasabha’ system in the offing, our academics, researchers, bankers, members of business chambers, protectors of law and order; all will do well soon, to step down from macro domains to the micro, to support and assist our villagers carve out a bright future for them and their children.      

 

Lest we forget; ten reasons to be happy

By Renton de Alwis

In the last week of February 2010, I outlined these ten reasons why, we Sri Lankans can be happy. While some of them still hold nearly two years since, I now weep for the several that we did not make. Leaving you to critically view what they are, my call is for us to make these reasons for my/our happiness then, to be made alive again ….  

Just under a year ago, we were still worried about a bomb here or a bomb there. Threats of terror attacks were still a stark reality. Mother and father of the same family went to work by different modes of transport or at different times, to ensure that their children will have at least one parent left to care for them, in case the life of one was taken away in a bloody incident. Mothers were loosing their sons, wives husbands, children their parents, those in love their loved ones, soldiers and LTTE cadres lost their lives in active combat, while others died in most unexpected circumstances. Today, thankfully that is over. That to me is reason number one, we could be happy.

Rebuilding lives

Over 400,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs); our own brethren stamped with a label, had to be looked after and cared for under most trying conditions. That was less than ten months ago. Most of them are back in their own areas now, slowly but surely rebuilding their lives once again. 50,000 of them are still awaiting better conditions. Although they are free to leave the temporary shelters at their will, they continue to remain for want of a more solid and hopeful future. What we should be happy about, is that all this happened under the supervision of the very armed forces that ended the suffering and pain caused by the LTTE. Most of these people had earlier been in a state of captivity.

Working together with several key civil society organisations, INGOs and individuals giving their time, energy and resources, an end to their suffering was brought about. We should be happy that this happened without politicians being allowed to make opportunistic visits to the IDP camps to make ‘hay while the sun shone’ or give empty promises, that would have never being honoured.

Irresistible lure

The fighting was over and the calm set in. European winters were unusually severe and tourists began to arrive on our shores again, showing double digit growth. They demonstrated that the slogans sung of accusations of violations of rights, could not hold the lure of the sun, sand, green and the smiles of the Sri Lankans they knew. Presidential elections or the politics of vengeance that were on did not bother them. Except for the few stung by hornets (believed to be incarnations of the keepers of Sigiriya), the rest of them returned with fond memories of time and money well-spent. To me, that would be reason number three to make us happy.

Reaching out

Reason number four, relates directly to our head of state, who had by now become quite a fluent speaker of the Tamil language. The example set by him, even had the most ardent of his critics dumbfounded at times. Some even went on to suggest, he was using tele-prompters to make an impression. But now we know that it was hard work done with tutors that made him in the least, be able to reach out to his Tamil speaking constituency.

The fact that they did not vote for him en-mass is not the issue here. It is the effort made and the honest intention, while some other leaders, after long years in politics struggle even today, to communicate in their own mother tongue. ‘Learn and speak English your way’ campaign and the ‘IT for all’ programme through the ‘Nane Sala’ centres need be seen also as attempts at national unification. Needless to say, that what make us all truly happy, will be when we see those words spoken transform into solid action, to make our nation entirely prejudice-free, where all communities will be able to live in harmony, celebrating our diversity to the fullest.

Due legal process

We get to the halfway mark on our reasons to be happy list, with assurances made to the leader of the opposition, by the head of state that due legal process will take effect, in dealing with any alleged misdeeds committed by the former Commander of the Army. We saw how convinced and confident, the Leader of the opposition was of the validity of that assurance, when he spoke about it to the media upon his returning from the meeting. It even made us wonder if there was more on the discussion agenda, on that day. Whatever may have been, when political opponents meet for cordial discussion that must make us happy, for when they agree to work together, that indeed would be a ‘win-win’ situation for all Sri Lankans.

Independent supervision

We should be happy that our election commissioner is performing his duties without fear or favour, in very difficult circumstances. We should not hold anything against him, when in extreme stressful conditions he confessed that he wished he had taken on early retirement. We must be thankful and happy that he has agreed to remain in office to see another election happen under his independent supervision. We should be happy that conditions for that to happen has been facilitated by the powers that be, contrary to the statements made by the ‘katakatha’ (rumour mongering) brigade just after the completion of the last election.

Wisdom of rural folk

For my seventh reason to be happy, I choose to salute the wisdom of our rural folk. In spite of wide-spread electronic media coverage, short message systems (SMS), the ‘katakatha’ and door to door campaigning, they have remained loyal and grateful and supported the cause of taking on future development of the country based on a region centred approach. They had seen through much of the ‘noise’ we urbanites hear, read and even believe to be true. Our rural folk have chosen to vote, not for rhetoric but for substance. While that should make us happy, we will be elated, if they choose to weed out the bad and elect only the good as our representatives at the upcoming general election.       

Good governance

Pledges made to end nepotism, placing full-stops on bribery and corruption, drug dealing, consumption of alcoholic beverages, taking on mechanisms to establish transparent ways of running government business, ending the waste and raping of our natural resources, bringing discipline on our roads and making the rule of law prevail, together make the eighth reason for us to be happy. But these may remain only pipe-dreams if our executive, legislator, the judiciary and right action by our civil society leaders, do not all gel to make the right commitments. We know that there will be a way, if there is a will. Getting that will solidly behind the intent will not only make us happy, but also make us proud to be sons and daughters of Mother Lanka.

Without givers no takers

The ninth reason touches on our business community. The day they realise that seeking devious ways of beating tender procedures, applications for allocation of land, logging permits, privileges based on who knows whom and old school ties etc. not to be the right way forward for us, that should give us ample reason to be happy. The dictum of ‘without a giver, there can not be takers’ must prevail at all times and that should help clean up much of the mess, we see around us.

Waste not

Last but not least, there is cause for happiness in the fact, that there is realisation that much is wrong in our midst. The leadership has openly acknowledged that there is wasteful use of resources in carrying a burdensome cabinet of ministers and the hoard of privileges and facilities bestowed on those who are supposed to serve us. Expressions of power, pomp and pageantry without adequate hard-work to show for it, has been the hallmark of many. The day these end, we can be happy for we may see a restoration of public confidence re-emerging on our system of governance.

The list can not be more exhaustive, for there is much weight on the ‘what makes us unhappy‘, side of the scale.  But then, we all know that, focusing on the positives can to a greater extent also help mitigate the negatives. What we need to venture to do is to collectively lend our hearts and our hands, in whatever way we can, to make it happen. For such effort is not for the benefit of anyone or for any particular group, but for the wellbeing of all of us; sons and daughters of Mother Sri Lanka.

 

Exercising the Power of One

By Renton de Alwis

Written in January 2010, just prior to the Presidential elections held that year, this column examined then of the need for our electorate/ each of us to exercise our own initiative in ensuring that we get what we desire as citizens. It may well serve as a baseline to critically evaluate, if indeed we have been able to achieve success on that front given where we currently are.

At the time of my filing this column, there is an uneasy calm all around us. It is almost as if a storm has blown over and a soft morning sun has risen, with a few dark clouds yet to disappear. Campaigning for what seemed like one of the most hotly contested (at least it was positioned to be so) Presidential elections is over. The 48 hour period before polling begins, is now in effect. Except perhaps for backstage preparations, and attempts to peep at the audience by some actors before the next act begins, the screen in front remain closed. Never before seen media advertising spends and other resources had been used to woo us: the voters. Never before seen gimmicks have been used to convince us, and a never before felt heat had been generated all round. While some of this aptly exposed the levels of depravity in our midst, it also reminded us of the ‘power’ that each citizen posses in a democracy. Inside that polling booth, standing alone casting one’s ballot, one would feel a momentary power, that is unique and unparallel to any other.

Calm and restraint

At the time you read this, you would have exercised your ‘power of one’, if you had what was needed to be part of the electorate. You may even have been part of the official process of the conduct of the election and have that feeling of relief ‘thank God it’s all over’. Those, who were part of the campaigning trail must with their tired limbs and hoarse throats in the least, have got some sleep, to muster enough energy to prepare for the next steps in the process, be it celebration, getting on with issues of governance or take on the blame game. Appeals have been made by those that matter from among the political and civil society leadership, for continued calm. The clarion call is for all to refrain from deeds that hurt others and to exercise self-restrain to the fullest in the aftermath of this drama.   

Closest we get

At a Presidential election, you vote for a single person, and not for several as at a general election. This perhaps is the closest we get to the original form of democratic representation which began in the coliseum of the Greek city state, where each person had the power to elect representatives and leaders of their choice by being present to directly exercise his or her preference. I know you will cry foul at my drawing a parallel, as there are too many flaws we can find in the system we have designed for ourselves, from that of the original form of direct democracy. In that system, they had safeguards such as disqualifying citizens who lived close to the city walls, from voting on issues to do with, declaring war. This was for they would have a vested interest to protect their own homes and may subjugate the interest of the city state, when voting on such issues.

It all began around 500 BC with the Athenian concept of direct democracy, where all adult male citizens of the city state gathered in the arena, to participate and vote on issues. The power of one in decision making at the time was so significant that there was even a word, which is now used as a strong negative coined to describe a person who chose not to participate. The word is ‘idiot’ that is derived from that early Greek usage of the word idiōtēs, meaning a private person, a person who is not actively interested in politics; such characters were talked about with contempt and the word eventually acquired its modern meaning. Today, in our context of representative democracy its meaning also fits those who over-indulge themselves in the process of electoral representation.

Elector and the elected

Exercising the power of one that began then in the direct form, withered away with the sheer unmanageability of the process with population and size of the ‘electorate’ growing. In a majority of democracies around the world, a shift was made, with elected representatives mandated to represent group interests. Often called the electoral representation system, the individual citizen delegated his or her power to decide or influence over governance issues, to another individual who then became his or her elected representative functioning on behalf of all those who elected him or her. And thus the ‘Power of one’ was subjugated to a secondary status with reliance on the goodness and the effectiveness of the representative, in whose charge each individual’s power to influence or decide on issues was placed. In the real domain there are still some semblances of direct democratic representation seen in governance such as the Swiss system of Canton-based decision making, the African tribal systems and the Gandhian concept of the ‘Panchayat’ or ‘Gram Swaraj’.

What is indeed sad in our current system of governance is that we have to let go of the ‘the power of one’ which we exercised inside the confines of that polling booth, upon deciding that election’s final outcome and await another opportunity to do so after the expiration of a specified period of time. We then count on the forth estate or the media, the elected themselves or other public and/or civil society leaders and/or organisations to protect that power of ours, on our behalf. Sadly, we have seen how over the years these agents of ours’ have failed us.

Solid good governance

Now that we have voted to elect the President to lead us and will be voting hence to elect more to support him subsequently, what we must do in earnest is to keep a strong vigil, be aware, study, understand and be on top of issues to our best of ability, so we could make a strong call at all times to protect ‘our power of one’. We must not only exercise our ‘power of one’ and call for solid good governance from our elected representatives. We must also expect it from our media and public sector organisations, corporate and business sector institutions and all other civil society organisations and its leaders.

This is not only our right but also our responsibility in exercising our ‘power of one’ for the betterment of our society and our nation.     

 

Not for Him, But for Us

By Renton de Alwis

Written in early January 2010, just before the Presidential election, when the incumbent sought a second term, I expressed hope of better focus on the real issues during a second term, when there will be more stability. My hopes of then, placed in the current context of happenings in our socio-political tapestry, may serve as a base for critical evaluation ….

‘Kade Yaama’ is an idiomatic expression that is now added to popular Sinhala parlance. It literally means ‘going to the market on behalf of someone or action taken to please someone’. It also can mean to be uncritically following another’s way. I recently heard a few well-known and respected Sinhala music, theatre and film personalities say “Api katawath kade giyeth ne, yanneth ne. Api kade yanne ape rata wenuwen vitharai” This was on telecasts of election rallies, where they rallied in support of the incumbent President and it means “We have never before spoken and will not speak up at anyone’s instigation, but will only do it in support of our motherland”.  

Once victims

Never before have I seen such wide spectrum of personalities, some of whom I personally know and believe are very independent in their thinking, take on the role of speaking on behalf of a single political leader. The last, I remember of a somewhat similar instance is the support a section of the artistic community had for Late President Premadasa and the various good deeds he performed for the benefit of this otherwise neglected ‘elite’ of our society. The Tower Hall Foundation, special housing schemes and old-age support programmes were among them. 

Hearts and minds

What I witness today is seen as an even more significant movement by the artistic community, ignited not merely by deeds performed on their behalf but through a genuine concern for our Motherland, its indigenous cultural values and her future wellbeing. Today, there is genuine effort to provide state-sponsorship for the development of artistic creativity, which was glaringly absent during some earlier regimes of governance. More so, there is an understanding and appreciation by the leadership of the power of the arts in nation-building, especially in bringing hearts and minds of various communities together.

In focussing on the support of the artistic community, I am here not referring to the campaign on TV unleashed by “Tarunayata Hetak” (A tomorrow for youth) where a cross-section of popular idols and personalities, also call on us citizens, under that programme banner, to vote for a leader with proven experience and capability to ensure a better future for the country, without specific reference to any individual candidate.

What I refer to are voluntary deeds of artists and creative personalities, who were known for their independent stances, now venturing to speak directly to the hearts and minds of the people at election rallies in support of President Rajapaksha. We also see several of those who on earlier occasions had supported political parties in the opposing alliance, now campaigning for the incumbent President as well.

Much in touch

Creative people and the intelligentsia of a nation are usually known to be elite groups in society that stretch their critical faculties most. They are also much in touch with society at large and strongly feel its pulse. We have seen how plays such as ‘Hunuwataye Kathawa’ (an adaptation by Late Henry Jayasena of Betolt Brecht’s ‘The Caucasian Chalk Circle’); ‘Apata Puthe Magak Nathe’ (Son, we have no way out) of Late Sugathapala de Silva; ‘Eka Adipathy’ (Him the Dictator) of Dharmasiri Bandaranayake; and films such as Gamini Fonseka’s ‘Koti Valigaya’; Dharmasena Pathiraja’s ‘Soldadu Unnahe’; Prasanna Vithanage’s ‘Pura Handa Kaluwara’, Sunil Ariyaratne’s  ‘Sarungale’ and other works on the national question and song lyrics calling for social justice, the Late Master Premasiri Kemadasa/Nanda Malini symphonic presentation of ‘Sathyaye Geethaya’(Song of Truth), Jayantha Chandrasiri’s ‘Guerrilla Marketing’,  Late G.K. Hatthotuwegama’s Street Theatre group plays and many other land mark presentations in several other forms of art, had brought out artistically analytical and immensely creative presentations of burning issues, in the past.

Tight-rope walking

I got thinking as to why, these mature and thinking change-agents among our creative community are not convinced by moves calling for a ‘change’, with corruption and nepotism as the central theme? Were they, if at all doubting the validity of these claims, where both sides seem to accuse each other, some with evidence and others without to substantiate them? Were they, like most of us, of the thought that rumours we hear are stating the obvious, for there has been corruption in governance during all regimes in Sri Lanka since the 1980’s, which has grown like a potent cancer that needs to be removed altogether? Are they like most, not directly attributing it to the incumbent President who with years of service in politics has not been accused of such acts before? Are they of the belief that he had his hands full, performing an act of political tight-rope walking during his first term, while also maintaining focus on fighting a difficult war? Do they hold the view that the President, with proven management prowess he displayed in overcoming the challenge of defeating the LTTE, has what it takes to also take on a change process, to set in place a regime of good governance during the second term he is seeking? Do they have faith in the clarion call he is making for sustainable and equitable development for the future of our country, in a new unified environment of governance, where all Sri Lankans will be able to live with dignity and honour?  

Cut and paste

We all know that there is so much to be desired about our structures and people in governance. It also extends to the non-partisan nature and quality of vigilance exercised by our civil society as well.  In the most recent communiqué issued as a policy statement, by the main opposing camp, American President Obama’s election campaign theme of a year ago of “Change we can believe in” has been cut and pasted as the title, translated verbatim as “Visvansaneeya Venasak”. Although, most of the youth and the creative community in the USA did support President Obama in this campaign and the campaign theme was relevant to what was happening in the US at the time, we need to pay greater attention to the contextual differences we have in the two situations, before we can talk of “Change we can believe in”.  

Our call now

What is the change that is called for, that we as Sri Lankans have not seen happen this far? Is it that we have not seen an end to a near thirty years of a reign of terror, where people of a single nation could not live as brothers and sisters in unity with dignity? Is it because, there is an attempt at developing a sustainable economy with special focus on affected and neglected regions, so we could not be entirely dependent on global market fluctuations? Is it because there is a revival of an inclusive nationalism with a sense of pride in being Sri Lankan, starkly in contrast to indulging blindly in negative pursuits of the lumpen elements of the dominant global culture?

Have we not as a nation, had enough in long and short spells of instability and mayhem? For almost thirty years, we lived in constant fear, under LTTE’s reign of terror. Young lives with promising futures were lost in misguided rebellion at different times in our recent history. We have seen our leaders and members of the media slain in vain. The challenge before us now, as right thinking citizens, is to rally together to rebuild our nation with the Rule of Law prevailing at all times.

A leader with proven skills and experience is making a call on us, to give him a mandate just to do that. He does not claim he is perfect or all has been well in the past. From most of what he says and does, like the artistic community we also feel, that he means well. It is up to us now to determine if we heed that call or get back again to an era of uncertainty, instability and insecurity.
We must indeed do the right thing, not for him, but for us and for the future of our nation.   


  

A Silent Sri Lankan Hero ....

Excepts from and article published in the Sunday Times of Sri Lanka on 25^th October 2009 of a silent Sri Lankan hero ….

A Global Glow
by Dhananjani Silva

Dr. Wijaya Godakumbura demonstrating the safe bottle lamp

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 “The Safe Bottle Lamp Foundation founded by Lankan Consultant Surgeon Dr. Wijaya Godakumbura was launched as a burns prevention campaign in 1992. Since then it has reached thousands of households, reducing the number of burn injuries/deaths that occur among the poorest of poor; especially those in rural areas due to the use of makeshift unsafe kerosene oil lamps. Both children and adults alike become victims of these devastating accidents”.

“Up to now, over 750,000 such safe lamps have been manufactured and distributed free of charge in all parts of the island except in the north, the doctor says adding that they encounter difficulties like transportation issues and lack of sales outlets when trying to reach rural areas.”

“Now in recognition of the quantum of work carried out over the years, the Safe Bottle Lamp Project has been picked as one of 12 finalists in the global contest - ‘The World Challenge – 09’ conducted by BBC, Newsweek and Shell. In the running for this prestigious prize this year are projects from countries like the USA, India, Indonesia, Thailand etc. (The Safe Bottle Lamp Project was the winner) In 2006, it was a winner from Sri Lanka as Maximus, the elephant paper project took the prize.”

The words of (late) Sir Arthur C. Clarke who acclaimed the genuine efforts of an individual who invented a ‘safe’ bottle lamp to replace the makeshift kerosene bottle lamp best described why this tiny object has received international recognition.

“I consider it a great humanitarian effort that has benefited thousands and saved many lives.”

The full article can be read at:
http://www.sundaytimes.lk/091025/Plus/plus_02.html
 

Enough Politicking… More Leadership Needed

By Renton de Alwis

Written and published in January 2010, the column was an attempt to address an issue that is of all time significance to the body socio-polity of not only in Sri Lanka, but in many other nations that profess they uphold civil rights and democracy. It also touches on issues that are most relevant in the present political scenario of Sri Lanka. Re presented just a few days before the end of the Mayan Calendar for reflection....

During my professional career from which I am now retired, I was once called to work as an advisor to a Minister and placed in charge of a specific project. Closer to an election, I was requested to carry out a task which I believed served his personal political objectives, completely outside the purview of what I was assigned to do. I therefore refused to comply and said “Sir, you are now acting like a politician and not as a leader”. The Minister quipped back with “Now look… Renton, you know that I have to get re-elected first, before I can become a leader”. I still stayed my refusal and did not carry out the task. But I also rested my case at that point, in pushing my argument any further with him. 
 
Can be changed

This was only one of many instances where I have had to disagree with political bosses who had signed my letters of appointment. It was always on the basis of upholding principles that I held dear to my heart like meritocracy, fair play and good of the many, as against gains by a few. Most of my colleagues thought that I was out of sync with the system and did not know how to get along with politicians. In order to get things done, one needed to find an acceptable level of tolerance of what was going on, they said.

I then held and still hold on to the position that this must change. I also believe that we have what it takes to change it. A preamble of that change we saw in the management of the war on terrorism. What it will now take is non-self-serving leadership with a benevolent outlook to governance, a strong mandate from the people for changing the bad elements within the system and a critical mass of right thinking people with influence on the political leadership’s decision making process with the courage and conviction to seek such change, supporting the leadership to actively pursue it. It will in my mind certainly not happen, if we go on the basis of ‘ceteris paribus’ or the thinking that “It is the way it is, and will always be that way”. More importantly, there is so much ‘looking in the mirror’ that we need to do ourselves to ‘make our own talk, walk’. Anything short of this will for sure, lead us to more uncertainty and perhaps, even to a future full of chaos.

Leadership positions

I have heard more than once, statements of the President, such as; “For me, my country comes before everything else, it is my first, second and third priority”, “I am not the owner of this country, only its caretaker”, “I am not a king, but only your servant”, “We now need to build a nation where fair play and justice will reign” and “The challenge before this nation now is to seek true unity and to give it meaning we need, solid and equitable social and economic development”. Another significant statement I have heard during the current election campaign is “we must get away from politics driven by revenge and create a new political culture in this country”.

Ingrained faults

Despite the high ideals expressed, we see violations of law and order by some politicians that damage the image of the leader, whom they seemingly support. Then there is the question as to why the leadership is not acting assertively to put an end to such acts and ensure that the Rule of Law prevails over all else.

Could it be the ingrained faults in the political system we have in place? I remember the days when late President JR, also the architect of this current system, called for and held signed letters of resignation from all elected members of parliament on his government to ensure that he had their loyalty in tact.

I remember the days only a few decades ago, when public servants were operating without any undue pressure from what is now, inappropriately termed the ‘political authority’. Authority then rested on the people who were paid to serve the public, operating under the hawk -eyed supervision of a public services commission. The job of the politician was to make policy and statues and allow others to implement them without fear or favour.

I also remember a statement of a not so significant politician during the recent war era. Responding in lighter vein to an inquiry as to why we did not see much of him in public as before, he said “My security has advised me not to be exposed, not for the fear of coming under an LTTE attack, but because I may need to guard myself from the actions of my colleague whose name appears after mine on the proportional representation list”. What he was referring to is a systemic threat that a faulty electoral process had brought in, setting one against the other, even though they were in the same team.

Strong focus

There is no doubt that what we achieved as an end of LTTE terrorism, was a well-managed team effort of a leader, who maintained a strong focus on a singular objective, without wavering under pressure. In the past, we often assigned the success of nation-builders such as Lee Kuan Yew of Singapore and Mahathir Mohamed of Malaysia to their ability to take on singular objective driven tasks and maintaining strong focus in achieving them while rallying their people around them.

Similarly, I like to believe that the deeds and statements made by our President to be those of a leader and not of one, who seeks petty political gain. I am also yet to see the President, shoot any below the belt punches at his opponents or make negative or revengeful statements during this campaign of his for a second and final term in office. His focus thus far has been on the positives and not on any negative. Thus, I would like to believe that he has what it takes, to be that leader of this nation, to see us through to a new future in this post-war era.

All is not well

But then, we all are witness to the fact that all is not well in our midst. We see waste of resources to support a larger than ‘necessary’ structure of governance. We see misleading data presented as indicators of the performance of the economy by our bureaucrats, sometimes even echoing them through speeches of the President. We are witness to how some politicians and their henchmen take the law into their own hands to carry out high-handed acts and the spoken and ‘unspoken’ instances of bribery and corruption at various levels of our society.    

Looking in the mirror

Then there are the likes of us, who belong to the civil society that form this body socio-polity. I remember the case of a prominent business person who once approached me with a complaint that a politician had sought twenty million rupees as a consideration in return for the allocation of a parcel of land. On my insisting that he puts this down in writing, he backed-out but said “had he asked for a reasonable amount like two million rupees, I would have agreed to sort it out”. These are the likes of people among our elite, who hold the position that the likes of me, do not have the ability to operate within this system. These are also the likes of people, who at cocktail circuits go on complaining about bribery and corruption and point fingers at everyone else but at themselves. The position I hold on bribery and corruption, is that ‘without a giver, there can not be a taker and the giver is guiltier than the one that takes’. I also hold the elitist ‘old school network’ based considerations and funding the lobbying of thought processes for business gain as also being in the league of bribery and corruption.

Let not the rot spread

It is true that the rot has spread everywhere within our body society like a bad cancer. What we need is to not let it spread further and deeper. We need to be able to sieve away the empty promises from solid actions of our leaders. We need to understand the causes and the effects at play in our body politics. We need to do away the belief we have, that what is wrong with this system can not be changed. We need to have hope of a better tomorrow for our Motherland. We need to strengthen the hand of persons with proven ability to make that happen.

Given the prevalent system, I believe that seeking such change and leadership initiatives will come easier on a second term of a President, than during the first. I want to hope and do my bit in my own small way, to see that my belief will prevail.