BROMLEY, UK, Jul 19 (IPS) – Sri Lanka is formally bankrupt and a failed state in all however identify. How did a rustic of twenty-two million folks with a stage of literacy on par with a lot of the developed world find yourself in such a dire place the place the state coffers didn’t have the measly sum of 20 million {dollars} to buy gasoline to maintain the nation functioning past the following working day?
While the overwhelming majority of the inhabitants have concluded that the blame for this financial armageddon is because of the gluttony of corruption and greed, instigated and enabled by the Rajapaksa household , its acolytes and sycophantic nodding canine, my very own evaluation is completely different.
It’s a proven fact that huge sums , amounting to billions of {dollars}, had been certainly stolen and moved abroad via numerous unlawful networks by the Rajapaksa clan and their accomplices.
Many billions had been additionally squandered on gargantuan white elephant vainness initiatives so as to glorify the Rajapaksa legacy. Nevertheless, the seeds for the chapter had been sown when the nation attained its independence from Nice Britain in 1948.
Sri Lanka proudly proclaims itself as one of many oldest democracies in Asia which has had a functioning democracy since 1948. The democratic course of has functioned prefer it ought to do and parliamentarians elected as they need to be and the leaders who signify the aspirations and values of the folks appointed as they need to be.
Why then has the nation reached this abyss?
For democracy to complement the lives of the folks and produce about financial prosperity, two important and basic standards must be glad. The election of people based mostly on benefit and the adherence to a common justice system.
Within the absence of meritocracy and a common justice system, democracy turns into meaningless – an totally futile course of which won’t obtain what it’s supposed for.
Meritocracy is nonetheless an alien idea in Sri Lanka!
A common justice system doesn’t exist in Sri Lanka!
Meritocracy doesn’t exist in Sri Lanka as a result of the cultural DNA is that of a feudal society. Sri Lankan tradition promotes race, faith, nepotism, old fashioned connections, social connections, social influences, political influences and servitude (the place one class of individuals are held in perpetual bondage or servants for all times ) over and above the attributes and qualities of the person.
That could be a primitive mindset and a recipe for catastrophe.
In Sri Lanka, individuals are judged not by the content material of their character however by their race, their faith, their socio-economic background, their household connections, the faculties they attended, the place they stay, and who they know. (with apologies to the Rev Martin Luther King for utilizing his phrases in a way he didn’t intend)
When a society capabilities in such a feudal method, such values permeate all through and has a direct correlation with the workings of the justice system. The justice system replicates the tradition and in the end finally ends up being not match for goal.
If a justice system is unable to operate based mostly on info and objectivity, the material of society slowly begins to tear aside as a result of the checks and balances wanted for a society to progress and for nations to develop, slowly begin to dissipate.
Since 1948, Sri Lankan democracy has existed on the idea of nepotism, feudal, racial and non secular standards.
The feudal tradition masquerading as democracy has elected the Senanayake household, the Bandaranaike household, the Premadasa household and the Rajapaksa household into the best workplaces of the land.
The singular qualification that Prime Minister Dudley Senanayake had was that he was the son of the daddy.
The singular qualification Prime Minister Mrs Bandaranaike had was that she was the spouse of the husband
The singular qualification President Chandrika B had was that she was the daughter of the daddy and the mom
The singular qualification that Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe (now appearing President) has is that he’s the nephew of President JR Jayewardene.
The singular qualification that Sajith Premadasa has is that he’s the son of the daddy
The singular qualification Gotabaya Rajapaksa has is that he’s the brother of Mahinda
The singular qualification Namal has is that he’s the son of the daddy
The singular qualification Basil has is that he’s the brother of Mahinda and Gotabaya.
The singular qualification Thondaman had was that that he was the son of the daddy.
And that is known as Democracy?
It is a banana republic in all however identify the place Nepotism is the last word passport to success – and all performed via the poll field !
It is a tradition of entitlement masquerading as democracy , which in flip has given beginning to a nation whose leaders are elected not by the content material of their character however by their identify and affiliation.
It’s the equal of loss of life by a thousand cuts for what has been spawned is a society the place high quality has been outmoded by mediocrity at greatest and incompetence at worst.
The tip result’s the financial armageddon that has destroyed the nation.
When leaders of a nation are elected in such a way, those that serve them and the very material of society itself replicates the structural fault line that promotes feudal nepotistic values. It turns into self-fulfilling, promotes mediocrity, encourages malpractice, and creates a tradition of corruption.
The authorized system, which on paper is there to supervise the rule of regulation, sadly turns into an extension of the structural fault line which then ensures that impunity and immunity towards corruption , theft and even homicide, turns into customary working process.
Einstein’s definition of “madness” is the place he states that if we do the identical factor over and over, we find yourself with the identical outcome. Sri Lanka’s sham democracy since 1948 has been precisely that. A tradition based mostly on feudal nepotistic values which allows the identical outcomes over and over.
The folks of Sri Lanka should break this vicious cycle if they’re ever to flee from the loss of life spiral they’ve created for themselves.
The essential mass of people that have lately demonstrated for structural change and the entire transformation of presidency and governance, have achieved extra in the previous few months than a lot of the corrupt incompetent deluded half-wits in parliament ever will.
A basic new strategy to governance based mostly on competence and the rule of regulation is a pre-requisite to cease Sri Lanka disintegrating into anarchy and chaos.
Does actual democracy exist in Sri Lanka ? No !
Actual democracy in Sri Lanka doesn’t exist as a result of the tradition prevents these with actual means and competence from being elected on benefit alone. The overwhelming majority of the citizens merely doesn’t perceive that actual democracy that gives a constructive end result relies on benefit, first, second and final.
It’s also unlikely that almost all of the citizens will perceive this any time quickly.
Can the nation discover a chief that replicates Singapore’s Lee Kuan Yew ? It’s crucial that it does discover such a frontrunner who leads by instance and who creates a structural transformation of society itself the place honesty, integrity and the adherence to the rule of regulation turns into sacrosanct .
Nevertheless, does such a frontrunner exists throughout the present crop of parliamentarians? If not inside in parliament , then the place ?
A frontrunner who may even be sure that all those that have been culpable on this bringing about this disaster are compelled to alter their methods in addition to bringing to justice those that have systematically looted and stolen the international locations’ wealth – politicians and non-politicians .
Does a common justice system exist in Sri Lanka – No !
A justice system in a secular democracy must be impartial of parliament. The justice system is supposed to be impartial of state equipment and shouldn’t be influenced by state operatives.
Nevertheless, in Sri Lanka the parliament overrules and successfully instructs how the justice system ought to act which in flip makes the entire system corrupt and never match for goal.
The nation has enormous numbers of authorized eagles with extra {qualifications} than they’ve had sizzling dinners and who know the finer factors of the regulation higher than most on the planet.
Nevertheless, they’re rendered impotent and toothless as a result of they’re beholden to the political masters they serve – both via selection or in any other case.
The corrosive and poisonous nature of a feudal tradition which promotes false values over benefit and the rule of regulation ensures even the best minds of the land are diminished to deprave sycophantic nodding ponies.
The authorized system in Sri Lanka can also be an organised cash printing racket the place the abnormal citizen or shopper is completely on the mercy of the corrupt and dysfunctional forms.
Those that function throughout the system make the equal of monopoly cash by successfully fleecing the unsuspecting and manipulating a system that isn’t match for goal.
As I write this , the elected chief of the nation whose insurance policies and incompetence had been the catalyst for the financial meltdown, has fled abroad – the last word ” runner viruwa ” !
The person appointed because the appearing chief of the nation is one whose celebration has a single seat in parliament – his personal ! And that too not attributable to electoral votes however attributable to a corrupt system which allows ” grace and favour ” appointments to parliament.
Such is the abyss that Sri Lanka is in.
What really beggars perception is that there are thousands and thousands within the nation who nonetheless consider that this corrupt rotten s–t present of a system can nonetheless be tweaked right here and there and made to work.
It can’t and the saddest actuality of all that is that thousands and thousands of Sri Lankans will nonetheless cling to their delusional sense of self-importance and righteousness and even at this level the place mass hunger is an actual risk, keep on repeating the identical errors over and over.
A rustic whose majority inhabitants follows the teachings of one of many best philosophers the world has recognized, is just incapable of understanding a number of the most elementary classes the good sage from Lumbini taught – honesty, integrity, introspection, reflection and reality !
If nonetheless, a NEW set of leaders with competence, honesty and integrity, whose main goal is to serve the folks, may be discovered inside parliament, throughout the Aragalaya motion , throughout the industrial sector or a mix of people from all three , there’s nonetheless hope for Sri Lanka.
If nonetheless the identical corrupt incompetent rotten thieves who nonetheless occupy positions of big powers are allowed to take care of the established order , the failed state that’s Sri Lanka will descent into full anarchy and bloodshed.
On the finish of all that, arising out of the ashes, there might be a breakaway a part of the nation ………known as Eelam !!!!!!!!
Charles Seevali Abeysekera, a semi-retired gross sales and advertising skilled, has labored within the UK mailing business for over 35 years. He additionally scribes a weblog on present affairs in addition to reflections and ideas on his personal life journey “
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