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The State that failed its people
By D.B.S. Jeyaraj
Tilak Ranaviraja's shocking confession last week made headlines in the media.
The Commissioner General of Essential Services who is also Public Security
and Law and Order Ministry Secretary admitted that 70% of the tsunami victims
- even after five weeks - were yet to receive government aid. Moreover, this
figure applied only to 960,000 people living in the government controlled
areas. The position regarding an estimated 160,000 tsunami victims living in
Tiger territory was not known. It is logical to presume that if the situation was so
bad in government areas, then the position in Tiger controlled areas could be
even worse.
The Essential Services Commissar made an announcementÿat the press
conference that President Chandrika Kumaratunga had instructed him to
ensure that at least 75% of the people would get the government aid by
February 7. The state machinery will be working overtime to implement that
order, he promised. Ranaviraja made it sound as if the President was totally
unaware of the situation so far and that she was acting promptly as soon as
she learnt of the problem. It was almost as if her excellency had nothing to do
with tsunami relief activity so far and that someone else had bungled.
Different reality
The ground reality was harshly different. The Executive President claims credit
for having rushed back to Sri Lanka after the tsunami and taking over. She has
brought all tsunami related relief activity under her control. She has boasted
that if not for her, there were few people capable of giving leadership at this
critical juncture. Moreover, she centralised all relief activity under her and set
up a special task force under one of her confidantes Dr. Tara de Mel to
coordinate and oversee such efforts. Until Ranaviraja made the admission the
state media was full of glowing reports about everything being hunky-dory.
If only 30% of affected people were getting state aid after five weeks then that
blame or responsibility has to be borne by none other than the President who
was in overall charge of the relief work and is also head of government. Former
US President Harry Truman had a sign plaque on his table in the White House
oval office "The buck stops here." If the game of deflecting blame or passing
the buck stopped with the White House in Washington the situation in Colombo
is the reverse. 'The buck starts here' is more appropriate at Janadhipathy
Mandhiraya.
In what was perhaps a related yet unacknowledged development there was a
news report within 24 hours of the Ranaviraja press conference that Dr. Tara
de Mel had tendered her resignation as tsunami relief 'commissar' to focus her
energies and undivided attention to the Education Ministry. There were also
reports that the task force was being dissolved as it had accomplished its
mission. Future relief and rehabilitation work would be performed and
supervised by the commissioner of essential services and relevant line
ministries. Even if not admitted to openly there seems to be some attempt at
least to take responsibility for a grave and inhuman failure in providing state
succour to affected people.
If the stateÿgovernment comprising the political classes and the politicised
bureaucracy had failed miserably in the duty of providing relief to tsunami
victims, the US$ 3. 8 billion dollar question would be how on earth (literally and
metaphorically) did the affected people survive all these days? The answer to
that is - thanks to the people! The state may have failed in its responsibility
towards the people, but thank God for the 'people.' The hackneyed phrase
about people rising to the occasion came true in Sri Lanka after the rising
tsunami killer waves. The bulk of tsunami victims survive to this day because of
the generosity of the people.
Civil society in the form of people, NGOs, charitable organisations and religious
groups, etc., have been the saviours of fellow human beings. The greatest
thing about this concern and care is that it was genuinely spontaneous, cutting
across all man made barriers of race, religion, caste and creed. It has been
observed that a crisis brings out the worst and best in humankind. In conflict
ridden Sri Lanka the tsunami brought about great devastation. This has been
recorded. What it also brought out was an unprecedented upsurge of humane
fellowship and humanitarian generosity. This unfortunately has not received
the publicity it ought to have.
I have been talking over the telephone with people living in Batticaloa and
Amparai Districts duringÿthe last few weeks. I have also got several e-mails and
even a few letters from people in the east. With a few exceptions, this
interaction has been with Tamils. This has provided a great insight into what
had happened and what is now happening in the tsunami aftermath. Death,
devastation and displacement - their experience is terrible indeed. But along
with their tales of woe many had one uplifting message to relate with gratitude -
man's humanity to fellowman!
past we cannot forget their help or be ungrateful. I am ashamed of myself when
I recollect applauding and cheering our leaders like Kasi Anandan who
mouthed utter hate against the Sinhala people."
mouthed utter hate against the Sinhala people."
Humanism
The Batticaloa-Amparai demography is such the Tamils and Muslims live
densely in interspersed but separate villages along the littoral. This region is
called "Eluvankarai" or "shore of the rising sun." This is largely between the
sea and lagoon. The hinterland to the west of the lagoon is called
"Paduvaankarai" or "shore of the setting sun." Lands close to the lagoon are
Tamil inhabited. The Sinhalese, most of them settled under state sponsored
colonisation schemes, are for the most part living in the rural hinterland.
Mercifully Sinhala victims of the tsunami were comparatively few as they were
not living along the coast in the east. This was a blessing because whatever
the ethno-centric politics of the region, the Sinhala people rose magnanimously
to the aid of their afflicted Tamil and Muslim brethren.
They came with food, clothes, medicine, etc., to help the victims. They helped
set up camps. Many Tamils went into Sinhala areas as refugees. The bloody
legacy of the past was overwhelmed by this blooming humanism. The media
has spotlighted the refugee camp run by Buddhist priests in the vicinity of the
1987 Arantalawa massacre by the LTTE. Many Tamils are now refugees there.
Many of the Sinhala medical staff in eastern hospitals too worked round the
clock to treat predominantly Tamil and Muslim patients. Some of these people
were from the south and their families had been affected too. Yet they toiled on
regardless here.
Apart from Sinhala residents of the east, unaffected Tamils and Muslims too
rushed to help victims. Again much of this concern cut across ethnic barriers.
Many victims of Hindu and Christian faiths were buried along with Muslims in
accordance with Islamic tenets. With Tamil and Muslim villages being
interspersed like the "flour and coconut in a pittu bamboo" the lashing waves
had victimised both simultaneously and similarly. Help to the victims from fellow
ethnics extended to others also. When food was given to Muslims by Tamils
care was taken to ensure that the meat was 'halal.' Likewise, Muslims giving
food on Tuesdays and Fridays to Tamils made sure everything was vegetarian.
Sinhala assistance too was to both communities.
In addition to Eastern Sinhalese, others from outside districts too came with
help. The North-Central Provincial Chief Minister may have refused to "loan"
provincial vehicles to be used for tsunami relief work in the north-east, but
ordinary Sinhala people from that province shamed the communal politicians
by rushing in to help. People of Anuradhapura and Polonnaruwa came to the
east with food and provisions. Batticaloa town areas and Batticaloa North was
indebted to Polonnaruwa people for many, many days. Many Sinhala people
were seen carrying aid and walking for miles to reach inaccessible areas in the
east.
This was not all. People from other provinces - Sinhala, Muslim and Up Country
Tamils also rushed to the north-east with help. They were prepared to go to
Jaffna, Mullaithivu and the east. The security conscious LTTE did not oblige.
They refused to let in these people into their controlled areas. People were
asked to leave the things they brought with the LTTE and return. Some did so.
But many refused and turned towards the east. What is commendable about
this Sinhala munificence is that it could have been directed towards the
tsunami affected Sinhala majority districts of the south and south-west alone on
the basis of kindred ethnicity. Yet it was an indicator of the large-heartedness
of the ordinary Sinhala people that they chose not to do so. In that context it
must be noted that much help from Up Country Tamils went to the south too.
Total failure
With state machinery failing miserably it would not be an exaggeration to say
that it was the overwhelming generosity of the ordinary people and the
concerted efforts of NGOs and relief organisations that fed, sheltered and
clothed the victims in the initial stages. The abysmal failure of the government
to get its act together extended this state of dependency further. Even now
many affected people in the east fear that they will starve if the help from
people and NGOs diminish. Their confidence in the state and its bureaucrats is
very low.
Another noteworthy phenomenon in this crisis was the role of both the armed
forces and LTTE during the tsunami tragedy and its immediate aftermath. The
STF, army and navy stationed in the north-east rescued many people from the
raging torrents. Some lost their lives trying to save civilians. The forces have
even helped Tigers. Likewise, the LTTE too has helped save affected security
personnel. For one great moment spanning a few days all animosity and
enmity was forgotten in the face of common adversity. Alas! That blissful state
is now fast diminishing.
The armed forces were of tremendous help towards affected people too. They
provided food and other stuff. It was a welcome sight to see Tamils in refugee
camps flocking around security personnel without any fear. The spirit of
bonhomie that prevailed between the security forces and the Tamil people in
the early days after the tsunami was truly uplifting. This was when the trappings
of the state had withered away due to the tsunami. Acting as human beings
instead of the war dogs of the state, the predominantly Sinhala armed forces
transcended their ethnicity. The humanity that shone brightly then is slowly
losing its lustre after the government began asserting its authority.
Encroaching Tamil areas
In a bid to reestablish its eroded authority the government brought the armed
forces into the running of refugee camps. This was resented by the LTTE.
Already the Tigers were feeling threatened by the new spirit of camaraderie
between the armed forces and the people. Now with this changed official status
vis a vis the refugees, the LTTE began its customary undermining campaign
against the armed forces. People are being forced to sever links with the
armed forces. Hostility is increasing between the armed forces and the Tigers
in a bid to assert their sway over the people. Using the armed forces as an
instrument of the state to prevent affected people returning to their former
homes is causing friction too.
The state's belated intervention in the lives of the tsunami affected people is
slowly reducing ethnic amity too. The restriction on rebuilding houses along the
coast and the avowed decision to relocate the people to the interior carries the
seeds of potential ethnic tensions. The ivory tower planners in Colombo are
either ignorant or cynically calculating in their designs about eastern reality.
The Muslims live mostly near the coast that are densely populated. There is an
acute land scarcity here. If people are prevented from settling in their old
habitat and are to be relocated elsewhere, vacant state land is available only in
the deep interior. This would not be suitable for the fisherfolk who make up
75% of the victims.
The other alternative is to encroach into Tamil areas. This could create new
tensions and revive old animosities again. Muslim 'expansion' into Tamil areas
is a longstanding grievance of Eastern Tamils. So unless Colombo decides to
revise this stance the chances of communal disharmony are very much there.
Already the Muslim politicians with or close to the government are bending the
system to favour their 'people' as opposed to others. The pro-Tiger TNA
parliamentarians are nowhere near the scene to look after their voters. So the
inter-ethnic amity that prevailed in the aftermath of the tsunami when the state
was absent is now giving way after the state began making its presence felt.
Expatriates both Sinhala and Tamil continue to live in their 'ghettoised' states
of mind engaging in the politics of hate. The pro-Tiger Tamil media has been
spotlighting only those instances where aid lorries to the north-east were
blocked or turned away or hijacked by undesirable elements. The
overwhelming and spontaneous assistance rendered by ordinary members of
Sinhala civil society is blacked out. It seems an impossible task for these
elements to acknowledge the inherent goodness and humanism in the "other."
Besides the propaganda theme in fund raising that Tamils have to give lavishly
because the Sinhalese are wilfully depriving will not carry weight if these facts
are publicised.
State's failure
I do not know much about what Sinhala expatriate circles are saying. But some
websites demonstrate that many hardliners under the pretext of opposing the
Tigers are trying to restrict aid reaching the affected Tamil people. Worse still
was the revelation made by former Indian Additional Secretary B. Raman in an
enlightening article on the tsunami and Sri Lanka. Raman observes thus.
"At this hour of national and regional tragedy, one could detect among sections
of the Sinhalese signs of malign glee not only over the damage suffered by the
LTTE, but also over the fatalities suffered by the Tamil civilians. One only has
to visit the internet chat rooms of many Sinhalese groups to have an idea of
their mind-set. I am giving below random examples of the comments of the
Sinhalese: "If we let them alone, disease will wipe them out. Sounds like the
seven plagues in Egypt to me. Let God do what man has been unwilling to do,"
"Nothing like a giant tsunami to ruin a good rebellion;" "Those kids (children
who were killed by the tsunami) would have ended up as child soldiers of the
LTTE anyway;" "Let them (the Tamils) rot. Perfect opportunity to go in and wipe
out what's left of them;" "Have their leaders strap on MEGA-bomb vests, then
explode themselves. I'm sure they'll leave behind a crater large enough to bury
quite a few bodies."
"One finds it difficult not to form an impression that many Sinhalese feel that
the tsunami has had a brighter side in that it has taught a lesson to the Tamils
and the LTTE. Even Chandrika Kumaratunga and her colleagues seem to feel
that the tsunami has brought the LTTE to its knees and this is the time to teach
it a lesson."
Raman's observations do not seem to have elicited any response among
expatriate Sinhala circles so far. One could assume therefore that his
observations are accurate and incontrovertible. But the Sinhala people should
not be given a bad name for the actions of a few. For that matter neither
Tamils nor any ethnic group should be tarnished for the actions of a few
constituents. In this case the expatriates both Sinhala and Tamil seem
completely cut off from the reality in Sri Lanka. The people living in Lanka have
risen above race and ethnicity to help one another. But those living abroad are
prisoners still of the unsavoury past.
The actions of the politicians and the majoritarian government too is disgusting
at times. The ordinary Sinhala people rushed to help those in the Tamil and
Muslim areas on a need oriented basis. They did not let ethnic considerations
determine their solidarity with the affected children of Sri Lanka. The
government was a passive spectator in the initial stages. But now in the
post-tsunami phase what does the government do? Despite lofty rhetoric it is
playing shameful majoritarian politics. According to preliminary needs
assessments by the World Bank the damage incurred provincially is roughly
40% in the east; 30% in the south; 20% in the north and 10% in the west.
The north-east therefore has incurred 60% destruction. But the government
focus is on the south and west. Most plans are for south-west reconstruction.
Few assessments have been done in the north-east. Even symbolism is for the
south. Theÿfirst reconstruction project is for Hambantota. The President goes
there personally.
The greatest tsunami damage was done to Amparai District (90% of it
particularly the affected coastal regions are under government control). Yet the
President of the "whole country and all its people" has not gone there still.
Colombo does not even think of the 'tokenism' of a project there at least. This
kind of sensibility and sensitivity is totally absent in this majoritarian regime. But
to their eternal credit the Sinhala people have shamed their rulers by acting
magnanimously above ethnic considerations.
On the one hand we see the state failing to address even the immediate needs
of 70% tsunami affected people. This percentage will become 85% if the
population in Tiger controlled areas is taken into account. On the other hand,
we see the government rushing to produce elaborate reconstruction plans.
The government that is yet to supply immediate relief to a large majority of
victims and has not even properly counted the dead is rushing with obscene
haste to formulate reconstruction. Obviously the objective is to get hold of
money. The disgraceful tussle among politicians to reconstruct the Galle bus
stand is a worthy example. While one agency is prepared to do it for just five
lakhs two powerful politicos with bids of Rs. 4.1 million and Rs. 5.1 million are
obstructing it.
Man-made tsunami
It is saddening and maddening to see all the inter-ethnic goodwill created in the
aftermath of the tsunami being frittered away by the governing politicians. A
noble and worthy government would have built on that climate of amity. But this
government continues to blunder. The Sri Lankan people rose to the occasion
magnificently at a time when the state let down its people very badly. Now that
failed state is creeping back, sowing seeds of friction among the people. The
future seems bleak unless the people take charge.
The people of Sri Lanka who displayed commendable inter-ethnic solidarity
amidst the tsunami tragedy must realise that this government and the
politicians running it will ruin things once again. Inter-ethnic dissension will be
promoted to divide the people so that the 'corrupt' ones can have a field day
as usual. The state that failed its people at their hour of need must not be
allowed to disrupt the climate of amity again. The people who did not fail their
fellow people must come forward as one nation and prevent the evil
machinations of the state. Otherwise, Sri Lanka will be in the throes of a
permanent man-made tsunami. [Sunday Leader]
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