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 individuals with a degree 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 incontrovertible fact that huge sums , amounting to billions of {dollars}, have been certainly stolen and moved abroad by means of numerous unlawful networks by the Rajapaksa clan and their accomplices.
Many billions have been additionally squandered on gargantuan white elephant vainness tasks with a view to glorify the Rajapaksa legacy. Nonetheless, the seeds for the chapter have 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 individuals appointed as they need to be.
Why then has the nation reached this abyss?
For democracy to counterpoint the lives of the individuals and convey about financial prosperity, two important and elementary standards should be glad. The election of people primarily based 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 completely futile course of which won’t obtain what it’s supposed for.
Meritocracy is nevertheless 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 may 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 colleges they attended, the place they stay, and who they know. (with apologies to the Rev Martin Luther King for utilizing his phrases in a fashion he didn’t intend)
When a society features 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 objective.
If a justice system is unable to operate primarily based on details 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 premise 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 referred to as Democracy?
It is a banana republic in all however identify the place Nepotism is the last word passport to success – and all completed by means of the poll field !
It is a tradition of entitlement masquerading as democracy , which in flip has given start 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 demise by a thousand cuts for what has been spawned is a society the place high quality has been outmoded by mediocrity at finest 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 fashion, those that serve them and the very cloth 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 legislation, sadly turns into an extension of the structural fault line which then ensures that impunity and immunity in opposition to corruption , theft and even homicide, turns into normal working process.
Einstein’s definition of “madness” is the place he states that if we do the identical factor again and again, we find yourself with the identical outcome. Sri Lanka’s sham democracy since 1948 has been precisely that. A tradition primarily based on feudal nepotistic values which permits the identical outcomes again and again.
The individuals of Sri Lanka should break this vicious cycle if they’re ever to flee from the demise spiral they’ve created for themselves.
The vital mass of people that have not too long ago demonstrated for structural change and the whole transformation of presidency and governance, have achieved extra in the previous couple of months than a lot of the corrupt incompetent deluded half-wits in parliament ever will.
A elementary new method to governance primarily based on competence and the rule of legislation 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 potential and competence from being elected on benefit alone. The overwhelming majority of the voters merely doesn’t perceive that actual democracy that gives a optimistic final result is predicated on benefit, first, second and final.
It is usually unlikely that almost all of the voters 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 pacesetter who leads by instance and who creates a structural transformation of society itself the place honesty, integrity and the adherence to the rule of legislation turns into sacrosanct .
Nonetheless, does such a pacesetter exists inside the present crop of parliamentarians? If not inside in parliament , then the place ?
A pacesetter who may also be certain that all those that have been culpable on this bringing about this disaster are pressured to alter their methods in addition to bringing to justice those that have systematically looted and stolen the nations’ wealth – politicians and non-politicians .
Does a common justice system exist in Sri Lanka – No !
A justice system in a secular democracy must be unbiased of parliament. The justice system is supposed to be unbiased of state equipment and shouldn’t be influenced by state operatives.
Nonetheless, 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 objective.
The nation has enormous numbers of authorized eagles with extra {qualifications} than they’ve had scorching dinners and who know the finer factors of the legislation higher than most on this planet.
Nonetheless, they’re rendered impotent and toothless as a result of they’re beholden to the political masters they serve – both by means of 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 legislation ensures even the best minds of the land are decreased to deprave sycophantic nodding ponies.
The authorized system in Sri Lanka can be an organised cash printing racket the place the abnormal citizen or shopper is fully on the mercy of the corrupt and dysfunctional paperwork.
Those that function inside the system make the equal of monopoly cash by successfully fleecing the unsuspecting and manipulating a system that isn’t match for objective.
As I write this , the elected chief of the nation whose insurance policies and incompetence have 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 social gathering has a single seat in parliament – his personal ! And that too not on account of electoral votes however on account of a corrupt system which permits ” grace and favour ” appointments to parliament.
Such is the abyss that Sri Lanka is in.
What really beggars perception is that there are tens of millions 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 tens of millions 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 it up repeating the identical errors again and again.
A rustic whose majority inhabitants follows the teachings of one of many biggest philosophers the world has identified, is solely incapable of understanding among the most elementary classes the nice sage from Lumbini taught – honesty, integrity, introspection, reflection and reality !
If nevertheless, a NEW set of leaders with competence, honesty and integrity, whose major objective is to serve the individuals, may be discovered inside parliament, inside the Aragalaya motion , inside the business sector or a mixture of people from all three , there may be nonetheless hope for Sri Lanka.
If nevertheless the identical corrupt incompetent rotten thieves who nonetheless occupy positions of big powers are allowed to keep up 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 will likely be a breakaway a part of the nation ………referred to as Eelam !!!!!!!!
Charles Seevali Abeysekera, a semi-retired gross sales and advertising skilled, has labored within the UK mailing trade 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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