Sri Lanka: Will we ever grow up?
By Dr.Rajasingham Narendran
The impending presidential election has brought critical issues relating to the ethnic or majority-
minority conflict back again to the fore. The JVP and the JHU have in their own inimitable way
focused attention on these issues and have forced the SLFP and UNP to confront these issues
and unequivocally define their positions. A national debate on these issues- which should have
been the foremost in our national agenda, and which was long overdue may be finally with us
thanks to the JVP and JHU. The SLFP and the UNP cannot dodge these critical issues any more
and prevaricate opportunistically as has been their usual practice. They cannot run with the foxes
and hunt with the dogs any more. As the JHU has rightly said the presidential election will be a
referendum on possible solutions to the Sinhala- Tamil / Majority-Minority conflict and the economic
direction the country has to take. All right thinking people in Sri Lanka have to be thankful to the
JVP and JHU for their role, irrespective of whether we agree with their politics. The JVP and JHU
may represent a new phenomenon in Sri Lankan politics- honesty. The Sri Lankan voters-
Sinhalese, Tamil, Muslim and other groupings, are being asked in no unmistakable terms by the
JVP and JHU to indicate their preferences on these matters and it is essential that we do so in a
responsible, mature and civilized manner. The 21st century world is moving fast and is
accelerating by the day. If we do not want to be left too far behind, we as a nation have to identify
issues that are holding us back and work intensely to resolve them fast. This would give us the
time, space and concentration to deal with the economic and social issues that matter to our future
as a nation and people.
It is also opportune to examine the key words that are in the title of the influential political entities
on the national scene, to understand their general political orientation, past performance and
future relevance. As much as the title of a book, an article or a poem summarizes the contents,
the titles of political parties define their founding principles, although there may have been some
drift with time. The English equivalents of key words in the titles of some political entities in Sri
Lanka are listed below, with the original Sinhala / Tamil words in parenthesis and their meanings as
in the Longman’s dictionary:
Freedom (Nidhahas/ Suthanthiram):
-The power to do, say, think, or write as one pleases.
- The condition of being without something harmful or unpleasant.
Liberation (Vimukthi/ Viduthalai):
- Setting free or being set free.
National (Jathika/ Thesiya):
- Being or concerning a nation, especially, as opposed to any of its parts.
United (Eksath/ Kootu)
- To join together in to one.
- With everyone concerned having the same aim.
The SLFP (Sri Lanka Freedom Party/ Sri Lanka Nidhahas Pakshaya), UNP (United National Party/
Eksath Jathika Pakshaya), JVP (National Liberation Front/ Jathika Vimukthi Peramuna), JHU
(National Hela Rights Party/ Jathika Hela Urumaya), TNA (Tamil National Alliance/ Thamil Thesiya
Kootani) and the LTTE (Liberation Tigers of Tamil Ealam/ Thamil Eala Viduthalai Puligal) are the
entities that dominate the Sri Lankan political scene today. The JHU stands for the rights of the
Hela people nationally and the LTTE claims to be fighting to liberate the Ela land (Ealam) of the
Tamils. Hela or Ela people of old are presumed to be the progenitors of the Sinhala (Si-hela) and
Tamil (Dem-ela) people by many anthropologists and historians. SLFP stands for the freedom of
Sri Lanka. The UNP stands for a united Sri Lanka, encompassing its diverse population as one
national entity. The JVP stands for national liberation. The TNA does not represent any concept
except that it is a grouping of Tamil political formations that have come together to represent the
Tamils as a nationality.
During their existence have any of these parties been true to their names and founding
principles? What sort of unity did the UNP achieve for Sri Lanka during the many years it was in
power? Did it lay the foundations for the current disunity? Did it make use of the many
opportunities fortuitously provided to it to solve national problems? What sort of Freedom did the
SLFP achieve for Sri Lanka during its years in power? Have we achieved freedom from fear,
poverty, ignorance, inhumanity and injustice during its rule? Were the freedoms envisaged only for
the Sinhalese or for all Sri Lankans? What sort of national liberation did the JVP intend to bring to
Sri Lanka through its agenda and activities since the 1970s? What are they trying to liberate us
from? Does the JVP intend liberating the Tamil people as well, since it calls itself a national
liberation front? What sort of rights does the JHU composed of mainly Buddhist monks want to
achieve for the Hela people in a national context? Does the JHU intend fighting for the rights of the
Ela people too? What sort of liberation does the LTTE want to achieve for Tamil Ealam (the land)
when it has imposed the worst kind of dictatorship on the Tamils (the people)? What sort of
alliance is the TNA when it is only a mouthpiece (His Masters Voice) of the LTTE and does not
have the freedom to talk freely on behalf of Tamils, without fear or favour? An educated Tamil
close to the LTTE leadership recently expressed the profound thought that the Tamils have to
temporarily give up their freedom, in order to achieve their liberation! This is similar to the choice
being offered to a woman about to be raped under the threat of death- chastity or life! What do we
call the demand to give up our freedom for the sake of liberation- political rape? Such
contradictions, abound in the Sri Lankan political scene with regard to all political entities, whether
Sinhala or Tamil. Is it a reflection of the lunacy that afflicts us as a nation or is it a reflection of a
permanent state of political immaturity that is in-built?
The people of Sri Lanka have to ponder these issues and many others seriously and pray for
divine wisdom, before casting their valuable vote at the presidential elections. We should force our
politicians to answer questions as posed above and several others. This is our democratic right.
What do we want? We have to know this clearly before we are subject to the cacophony of
meaningless words (like Mahinda Rajapakse walking the extra mile for peace and Ranil
Wickremasinghe taking us back to the Parakramabahu era !) , barrage of emotionalism aimed at
our basest instincts and dire threats of imminently being overwhelmed or destroyed as Sinhalese,
Tamils or Muslims, that will precede the election. Once we are clear on what we want and express
them, a national consensus will emerge, which will force the politicians to define their agenda
clearly, without trying to pull wool over our eyes, as has been the practice since independence.
This will be a true democracy, where every vote will be cast with a meaning and purpose. It is
unfortunate that in a politicized nation such as ours, where most conversations are dominated by
politics, we have permitted our politicians to confuse and confound us at the expense of national
progress and prosperity. The media in Sri Lanka has also failed the people miserably, by failing to
be an effective forum and conduit for this national debate.
The specific issues of national significance that have to be considered in depth prior to our vote at
the presidential election are:
1. United versus a unitary state.
2. Federalized versus centralized governance.
3. Strengthened provincial system governance with extensive devolution, under a unitary
constitution, as originally envisaged with Indian mediation.
4. Executive presidency versus a parliamentary (Westminster style) government.
5. An executive cabinet of qualified and experienced professionals who are non-parliamentarians.
6. Proportional representation coupled with representative and accountable governance.
7. The state and religion
8. A national constitutional commission to draft a new constitution.
9. Tamils and Tigers (LTTE) – two linked but separate entities that have to be dealt with as such.
10. The need to revise the ceasefire agreement and identify what needs to be revised.
11. Who will represent the Tamils in political discussions? The need to include entities and
individuals other than the LTTE.
12. Democracy in the pre- dominantly Tamil areas.
13. Rights of the religious minorities and constitutional protection.
14. Rights of the Tamils and Muslims and constitutional protection
15. Taming of the Tigers.
16. Concept of Tamil Ealam and its validity.
17. A national development program , viable programs to alleviate rural and urban poverty and
role of the private sector.
18. Utilization of aid and Post-Tsunami reconstruction- an apolitical and pragmatic approach.
19. Rampant crime and police reform.
20. Bribery and corruption- the extent and remedies.
21. Failure of the public services and reform of the public services sector.
22. Modernization and rationalization of the Educational system – primary, secondary and tertiary.
23. Role of English in the education system.
24. State controlled media and their future.
25. Minimizing the role of politicians in national life.
26. Meritocracy versus political /parochial favouritism.
27. Environment and development.
28. Public transport system and efficient energy utilization.
29. Urban sprawl, rural migration and quality of life.
30. National resources and exploitation.
31. Land utilization policy with reference to conservation of agricultural and forest lands.
The political parties should be forced to state their policies clearly on the above critical issues that
concern our future, well ahead of the presidential elections. Their vision for our future should be
presented for our preview and our consent obtained at this election. I hope the media will play a
historical, meaningful and mature role in the forthcoming elections to educate the public, question
the politicians, lead the debate, forge a national consensus and catalyze a national resurgence.
Lets try to grow up as a nation at least now and lay the foundations for a better future. Will we
ever grow up? This question will be answered at the coming elections.