Democracy under scrutiny

We all as concerned citizens bemoan and cry over the current plight of our dear motherland. What has become of your beautiful country, many a foreigner is asking. The fact is that we are down in the dumps. The present democracy has become veritably a sign of contradiction and no way out for the people who are under siege politically and economically. National politics are truly in disarray and the economy still in tatters. 

There are no national resources which will help resurrect an economy that has been ruined with bribery, corruption, maladministration, mishandling and utterly irresponsible management absolutely lackadaisical with no accountability and transparency. Those whom people entrusted with the reins of office have let the country down as is evident from the daily so-far unheard of revelations of fraud that are shocking and incredible. Yet, they remain hard-core and painful realities for which the people have now to pay through a litany of inconveniences and suffering. Politics on the one hand that has exploited the ignorance of the masses and the people themselves who so often sadly failed to realize the astute games that our politicians have played with them for the last seven decades are both equally responsible for this national tragedy of greedy politics and the ruined economy.

 However, there had been in the recent times the dissatisfaction of the people as aired by the “Aragalaya” youth who dared despite state control to launch a consistent protest airing the frustrations of the people, especially the poor, making themselves thereby the cry of the nation’s oppressed classes. Those in the realms of governance seem to have apparently failed to capture the significance and message of the “Aragalaya” revolution. 

Nature has blessed us with fertile soil, vast oceans, rain forest and blessings of rain that come down cascading in torrents that have to be tapped so that there would never be the fear of a food shortage and of an impending starvation, menacing the farmers and ruining agriculture

 
We pride ourselves so much about democracy and this is the one issue that has been played upon and abused by the politicians making national politics a sheer comedy of errors right through all the various types of elections and infamous referendums that have wasted the nations finances and the poor tax-payers money. Elections fought on false promises and pledges that were never kept and the investiture of absolute powers in certain higher seats of governance have ruined, wounded and stained our democratic way of life. The mush-rooming of political and pseudo-political parties and factions keep fueling this national destruction of the noble spirit, meaning and ideals of democracy, a system hallowed even today as universally acceptable for self-governance by the people, of the people and for the people. But the aching question props up: what is the crucial role played by the people, the hoi polloi, who are often the ploy of electioneering propaganda? They are being turned and twisted by the crafty who engage in the despicable game of party politics. Just think about the hilarious size of our cabinet with the added portfolios of state-ministers! And the enormously large phalanx of members sitting in one of the biggest parliaments of the world in a country of just 22 million people with nine electoral districts? A nation that lives on borrowed money can never justify such odd political caricatures. Politicians do not serve but instead are fattening themselves of national assets with the people who put them to power left in the lurch and crying for the daily needs of their sustenance like health and medicines, food, energy and power, fuel and employment. Apart from the voice of university youth there is a general and unequivocal demand for a “system change” that will bring in to the governance machine men of integrity, of learning, honest, reliable, not guilty of bribery and corruptive practices, not having squandered national assets, accumulated wealth, robbed banks and given false pledges that mesmerized the masses with an illusory picture of prosperity. When will the common citizen ever realize that his false choices will spell doom on the country even in the future. When would Sri Lanka be able to boast of a mature and enlightened electorate that will never ever be swayed by dishonest politicians and their leadership that scramble only to grab power and hibernate in it the longer possible, even daring to change and amend the sacred constitution to fit their surreptitiously concealed hidden agendas? Already, the constitution has been tampered with a scandalous number of times thus destabilizing the political situation.

 Even at this uncertain moment when attention is to be paid to the immediate response to the hard-core needs of the people, much time is wasted in parliamentary debates engrossed in constitutional changes. The ordinary civil population has suffered immense stress under these oft-occurring changes. It is very easy to see the false changes that have been made by the legislature, for which the whole country had to pay dearly. We have democracy, but it is a travesty of a system that is otherwise honored as noble, well proven and safeguarded by mature democracies throughout the world.   

Sri Lanka by now should learn from its faulty exercise of franchise and party politics never ever to allow these fallacies and social evils to invade the country. There should be a better country that should be ready for the future generations to live, work and enjoy the fruit of their labors. It is high time that a social revolution, peaceful and committed to induce change be launched. The spirit of the “Aragalaya” struggle must not be allowed to be quenched. It must fan to flame the embers that are still hidden in people who are looking for liberation from all oppressive forces, lying, cheating, social injustices, and human rights violations under the pretext of laws enacted against terrorism. Peaceful demonstrations and protests are quite in line with popular democracy where people yoked under pain have the right to express their displeasure and desires publicly. The day must quickly dawn when we can jettison the begging bowl from our gnarled hands as well as crying for help at whatever sources we appeal to. The credit line and aid from financial institutions are only a short-term and an instant remedy, but they are no permanent solutions. Sri Lanka must pick up her traditional exports, improve the apparel and textile industries and revamp programmes for international tourism which hold promising dividends if executed well for the country and its economy. The agricultural sector and the water-management are areas that are still to be seen to. Nature has blessed us with fertile soil, vast oceans, rain forest and blessings of rain that come down cascading in torrents that have to be tapped so that there would never be the fear of a food shortage and of an impending starvation, menacing the farmers and ruining agriculture. Our foreign policy must be such that we enjoy cordiality of all countries bearing in mind that we are a member of the United Nations and are linked with many South-East Asian countries by common ties that are historical, religious and cultural. We must begin again being a culture with no extremisms of any kind that can bring wreck and ruin to the social fabric of the nation.   

A complete and comprehensive review and reappraisal of the above areas of concern will help us rediscover the national potential needed to rise from the sad plight to which we have been led by unscrupulous, so-called national leaders and pseudo-patriots. In fact, the reverse has dramatically happened, they have become traitors to all national causes that you can well imagine. The nation and its multi-cultural, multi-religious people must rediscover centers of unity, brotherhood and participation that will galvanize the country to its pristine glory and prosperity.

National unity, clean statesman-like politics and a strong economy are the sure ingredients of any future dream that we may dare entertain of a prosperous and a united country: this country needs to be born again. There is no other alternative path, but that of a much-needed rebirth.