‘Tolerance’ in a nation ruled by the powerful

Buddhist monks staging a protest near the Parakrama Samudraya where the government plans to build a ‘walking path’ which critics fear will harm the bund of the reservoir

Is it a bad time to strike? Why? Opportunists will say that this is not the time to strike because the regime is ‘poor’ and cash strapped

One good recent example was musician Yohani de Silva hitting it high in India; probably because she encountered so many challenges here in her own country

Sri Lanka is a predominantly Buddhist country; hence its people are expected to be tolerant of other’s ideas. But practising this trait seems to be increasingly difficult in a country where the regime is failing to provide the people their basic needs. Cost of living is high and essential goods like rice, gas and milk powder are scarce in a market where supply no longer meets demand. 

It’s always a tricky challenge for any government when the saffron robed monks back protestors in the latter’s demand for rights and basic necessities. A regime must take into mind or recall that a political party or alliance was voted into power to serve the people; not to serve themselves.  

Sri Lankan voters in the past initially considered family background first and later lawmakers who could be worshipped as heroes and finally an apolitical leader like the present incumbent present. Sadly all of them failed to live up to expectations. Whenever materials were acquired the result was the government’s total debt rising; at present the debts to be serviced being in the range of Rs 16.75 trillion. Apart from that the regime has leased out assets to foreign entities and borrowed much money, with no apparent proven and tested method existing of paying all those loans back. The Governor of the Central Bank has a hot proposal though to pull the country out of the woods. He plans to raise the monthly export earnings to US $ 1 billion, allow import of vehicles on the condition that taxes for such goods are paid for through foreign currency, providing capital investments to prop financial institutes that are struggling to survive apart from other initiatives.  

We had our eyes soaked in tears when we saw the money wasted on luxury vehicles, night races and just now the constructing of walking paths in Polonnaruwa; the latter threatening the bund that protects the ancient Parakrama Samudraya

It is at a time like this where nurses, health workers and teachers are demanding a pay hike. Is it a bad time to strike? Why? Opportunists will say that this is not the time to strike because the regime is ‘poor’ and cash strapped. The other aspect to consider is that this is a ‘me’ era and everyone is focused on looking for ways of progressing individually. Gone are the days when we saw the majority of leaders-in the state and private sectors-rallying their teams around and working towards a common goal. When individuals encounter too many obstacles obstructing their paths they migrate abroad. One good recent example was musician Yohani de Silva hitting it high in India; probably because she encountered so many challenges here in her own country. As much as Yohani has the ability to work in the music industry she also has something which all Sri Lankans must cultivate; tolerance.   
But on the other hand this tolerance also can work against the people of this country when politicians are allowed to make personal gains at the expense of benefits meant for the people. 

The citizens of this country have tolerated far too much rubbish from politicians during the past several decades. We had our eyes soaked in tears when we saw the money wasted on luxury vehicles, night races and just now the constructing of walking paths in Polonnaruwa; the latter threatening the bund that protects the ancient Parakrama Samudraya.

The other ‘explosion’ that would be seen soon is when parents of schoolchildren get on to the streets protesting against the long lull their offspring have endured at home and the education activities that are moving at snail space. Online education proved to be a tried and tested failure because that method served the bright students and those coming from affluent families. The majority of students didn’t have access to communication equipment and mobile data being expensive also didn’t help the cause of online education. Parents too have been patient, but for how long can they continue to watch passively like this when the ‘childhood’ of their sons and daughters is racing to a finish pretty fast. It’s good to know that in this environment the government plans to provide schoolchildren with the Covid vaccine and commence study activities in schools where there is a student population under 200. 

Over the years the Government of Sri Lanka has allowed for a liberal economy with the private sector being empowered to move in and provide goods and services to the consumer. But some markets are highly politically influenced and are manipulated to such extents to bring down or inconvenience a government. People have enough statistics and information to browse through and realise that it’s time that the production of essential goods like rice, gas and milk powder and other essentials must come under the purview of the government eliminating the private sector’s role in them totally. 

Tolerance is a good tool to work with in taking the individual on a spiritual journey, but whether it would serve to make this a better nation seems to have provided us with so little to brag about.