Fun with flags – at ground zero

FAIR STOOD THE WIND FOR SRI LANKA – It’s not cricket when cultural angst overshadows basic civility. Nor is territorial integrity or national pride threatened by flag-waving fandom… unless representatives of our ancient culture feel under threat when form (‘a flag is ceremonially sacred’) does not follow their fundamental beliefs (‘anyone wearing one – even a fan – is not to be tolerated’)

Did you see the video of the vandal threatening a couple of overseas visitors? Here is a link, in case you can spare five minutes for a fit of pique (http://www.newswire.lk/2020/03/02/we-are-sorry-sri-lanka-cricket-fans-takes-social-media-to-apologise-to-a-foreign-couple/). There are many comments elsewhere on social media, which may take you the better part of the interest invested.

If you can’t take the time off, here’s a summary. An evidently inebriated individual stands over a seated couple at a local cricket stadium. The scintillating proceedings out at the pitch appear to be of no interest to the swaying non-spectator. He seems to be more absorbed in drunkenly pawing the foreign girl. She is draped in a Sri Lankan flag. Her male partner is obviously stressed out by the interest expressed by the interloper, but restrains himself from any defensive gesture except to ward off the vile Visigoth’s touchy-feely ministrations.

This seems an isolated incident in which an alleged ‘patriot’ ‘protests’ (if these last two words are the right ones) at the assumed denigration of nation, state or race. Yet, taken together with more than a smattering of similar cases in the Deep South of our isle – it could seem like a symptom of something nastier under the unsmiling façade. For a once war-torn recently terrorist-attacked country out to make a favourable impression on the world, we seem awfully abysmally able to cut quite the wrong dash. And if we’re keen (I deliberately downplay our dollar-desperation) on tourist shekels, we’d better get our act together pronto.

"May the maker of the video that captured our show of patriotism – as well as passive bystanders in our moment of national shame – be rewarded with faint praise for their apathy in the face of a public outrage. And while we’re good at capturing national pastimes for islandwide consumption on the internet, how about standing up and speaking out on behalf of what we truly believe and represent – if and when or where our true national character is under attack by barbarians such as the boozed out bully in this case? You might be pleased to know that one denizen of the deep, dark, web posted the video on his wall… with a contrite and heartfelt apology to the foreign couple treated to our abusive hospitality on behalf of all right-minded citizens of this ancient and honourable island – and so say all of us, I think"

Form

In case you think I’m making a mountain of a molehill, you’d be in the minority among a small number of others who seem to assume that a disservice was done to the Sri Lankan flag. The few odd comments on Facebook hint at a latent streak of nationalism among even urban interlocutors – not that their actual location has anything to do with this ardent desire to defend our national honour. But one cannot deny that the further ‘south’ one wanders from ‘civilisation’, the greater the offence that appears to be taken at ‘dishonour’ done to nation, state, country and religion. And suddenly, I’m reminded that we live in a culture where form – i.e. the external observance of custom, ritual or tradition – takes precedence over function.

Form is the tip of the iceberg. With it we send signals to a watching world that we value a spectrum of assets from nationality to sovereignty to territorial integrity. This form, however, is fulfilled only when its functions are (dare I say) properly fulfilled. What price integrity over territorial integrity, civility over civilisational insanity, or humanity over honour? 

Function 

A flag is a flag is a flag. Right? Well, not quite. In the ‘decadent’ West, national flags are typically disported in public – especially, at sporting events. The more patriotic you are, the more you’re likely to drape it over your head or around your person to signify your support for a national team. Such fandom and flag-waving is apparently frowned upon in our more staid Oriental shores – where a historical provenance of 2,500-plus years has bred an insular mentality of exclusion. It’s ‘our’ flag… no one can sing another alien song under it. 

So let’s not say that East is East, and West is West, and that Occident meets with accidents when cultures clash! And let’s by no means invite our international guests to observe that outdated maxim: ‘When in Rome… do as the Romans do!’ We’re nowhere near civilised enough to adopt – leave alone practise – such a sophisticated axiom. Which, in proper cases and more urbane places, permits an ecumenism that we’re not likely to see as long as Sinhala is an ‘only’ and Buddhism is an ‘ours’ or Sri Lanka has a population of ‘only’ ‘our’ 6.9 million voters…

For the function of a flag is to unite all citizens under it into espousing and exemplifying the values and virtues it proudly flies. And where is that fluttering yet patient, tolerant, kindly compassion that our ancient faith and philosophy encourages; or the discipline that a new nation-state under its fresh-faced principled administrators expects? Was it flaunted by a patriot such as this or flouted by a pariah such as that? Let the powers that be – from president to police to ground security – decide. The nation – no, the very world – is watching. You must do the right thing, for form follows function; or else, they’ll flee our shores… and a lonely flag risks flying over an abandoned nation once again. 

Fundamental 

It is an irony, though, that we would want to eat our cake and still have it at large. On the one hand, many southern hostelries have shown a desire to cater exclusively to international guests. ‘Foreigners Only’ has been a common or garden notice at ‘hospitality’ (and I use the term under advice) establishments from Kalutara to Kataragama. On the other, we take singular exception to foreigners who embrace our faith in their typical Occidental manner – wearing items of attire or adornments that symbolise their subscription to our cherished ideals and values. We draw the line alike at tattoos as much as t-shirts with emblems of our heroes or icons on them. Heaven help the enthusiastic foreign fan who dares to drape herself with our national flag at an international cricket match to showcase her support for our team versus the West Indies! It’s sacrilegious – if only that it is not. 

The fundamental truth about the hybrid isle we inhabit may well be that our national identity has suffered a strange setback since independence. While proud of our ancient and historic civilisation, we’re curiously addicted to our colonial provenance. At one and the same time, some of us want to ape the west – we still wear shirt and trousers while shouting down their decadent ways – while making them feel strangely unwelcome on home soil. Even when they come as full-fare-paying visitors to sites of our national religion: cricket. Especially if they’re fair-skinned and female… sorry, folks – our track record under less disciplined polities is such…  

Pans

Some may commend the Hun for his passion to protect our patriotic emblems. Other patrons – possibly southern politicos, as in the past – may seek to excuse him or exonerate his boorish conduct. But if this is to be more than virtue-signalling – and a drunken attempt at it, at that – then the individual in question must be invited to go to greater lengths to demonstrate his ostensible patriotism. And he and others of his ilk, whether in the notoriously nationalistic deep south or elsewhere in the land, could be asked to walk the talk when it comes to a host of other endeavours that prove our patriotism. These range from not groping women in public transport, and not raping minors in private places or religious cloisters, to not littering garbage or other effects and detritus – as if the lie of the land is a personal closet space or spittoon for them. A tête-à-tête with law and order might set the man back on track?

Picks

May the maker of the video that captured our show of patriotism – as well as passive bystanders in our moment of national shame – be rewarded with faint praise for their apathy in the face of a public outrage. And while we’re good at capturing national pastimes for islandwide consumption on the internet, how about standing up and speaking out on behalf of what we truly believe and represent – if and when or where our true national character is under attack by barbarians such as the boozed out bully in this case? You might be pleased to know that one denizen of the deep, dark, web posted the video on his wall… with a contrite and heartfelt apology to the foreign couple treated to our abusive hospitality on behalf of all right-minded citizens of this ancient and honourable island – and so say all of us, I think.

(Journalist in form | Editor-at-Large of LMD | Writer functionally | Son of a small flag-waving island. Scion of a fundamentally larger destiny)