Give freedom meaning

As Sri Lanka celebrates 71 years of independence, evaluating our achievements as a nation over these many decades has to be approached carefully and, usually, with mixed sentiments. This is largely because there are many, many things yet to be done to ensure the prosperity and harmony for all Sri Lankans.

As a population it is natural to aspire to both prosperity and harmony as they are obviously intrinsic to a nation’s being and its future. All citizens wish to live in a peaceful environment, have a decent standard of life, and provide a stable future for their children. As Sri Lanka is a democracy they also aspire to have access to certain rights and freedoms enshrined in a democratic system of governance. 

These democratic rights and freedoms may mean different things to different people but in general they would include economic independence, equality before the law, independent democratic institutions and the right to political representation as well as a plethora of other values commonly defined under human rights. As Sri Lanka enters its eighth decade of Independence there are many questions over whether these rights have been adequately provided and whether they are universally accessible to all Sri Lankans.

In 2019 Sri Lankans will be celebrating another important anniversary. In May Sri Lanka will mark ten years since the end of the war. That will also be a time to reminisce and look to the future but it is unlikely that there will be glowing tributes to Sri Lanka’s reconciliation efforts over the past decade. Issues over a political solution, accountability and minority rights remain as unresolved as ever. There is still a significant gap in genuine reconciliation efforts, finding closure to thousands of families who have seen their loved ones disappear in all communities and restoring Sri Lanka’s reputation before the world. 

Deeply linked to independence is economic independence. Sri Lanka has become a country with moderate growth because it is struggling to restructure its economy. Many important matters such as restructuring loss making State enterprises, improving the business environment, having consistent policies, improving exports and attracting investment have hardly been touched. Political infighting and corruption have become the daily staple of Sri Lanka. With elections on the horizon 2019 does not augur well for these important tasks that require political will as much as reconciliation does. 

The last four years, in particular, have failed to meet the aspirations of Sri Lankans, who continue to be disappointed in the political system they feel does not care or reflect their needs. This is a dangerous path for a democracy to tread. Politicians must understand that in disregarding their responsibilities for the sake of money and power, they are leaving open the door to Sri Lanka moving further and further away from its freedoms.     

Fighting corruption is a good rallying cry but it is just one in a long list of tasks that Sri Lanka must deal with if it is to grow its democratic credentials and give all citizens the dignity and liberty aspired to when Sri Lanka first gained its independence after centuries of colonial rule. Only in meeting these needs will Sri Lanka also ensure and strengthen its democratic rights to all its citizens and allow all Sri Lankans to be truly free.