Saturday, 7 March 2015 00:00
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Liberalism, above all, means emancipation – emancipation from one’s fears, his inadequacies, from prejudice, from discrimination, from poverty – Hubert Humphrey.
Emerging from a decade in which liberal thought and expression was actively rejected by those in power, the new Government stands before an opportune moment. Having received the mandate from the masses, it has the chance to break away from bonds of chauvinism and usher in a fresh wave of broad-mindedness.
Recent comments made by General Sarath Fonseka on existing sentiments of separatism suggest that the language of power retention may already be shifting from paranoid nationalism to liberalism. The former Army Commander, who guided the armed forces to victory over the LTTE back in 2009, stated this week that the sections of the diaspora who still harboured separatist sentiments could not be defeated in the same way the notorious terrorist outfit was defeated. Instead, the General said that it was up to the majority to create an environment of trust and peace in order to nullify those ideas.
It was a remarkably liberal outlook on an issue that has traditionally been handled with aggression by politicians in Sri Lanka. It seemed less of a contrived effort to garner the favour of those listening and more a sermon on how a democratic society functions. The comments were also in startling contrast to the statements made by the General during the final years of war when he claimed that the country belonged to the Sinhalese while stating that the minorities could live in this country but should not try to demand things that were not due to them.
The minority vote played a massive role in the presidential election and certain sections of the losing faction have been quick to point at a conspiracy to destabilise Sri Lanka and divide the nation. Fear-mongering, paranoia and anti-Western rhetoric seemed to be some of the strongest pillars of power retention during the previous Government’s time and little has changed amongst those looking for a quick second wind in office.
With disgruntled politicians suggesting that the minorities are looking to undermine the country’s sovereignty, strong ideas of nationalism have given way to sentiments that dangle dangerously close to invalidating the minority vote. These sentiments can lead down a path that the long war should have taught us to avoid at all costs.
With the change in Government, the political language too seems to have shifted. Amidst the frantic and tiresome rhetoric still emanating from those who failed to retain power, statements such as this suggest that the current administration believes that the language of inclusion and fostering democracy is the order of the day though ulterior motives may still linger.
Even if the sincerity of these words can be contested, its effect and importance cannot be diminished. Strong sentiments of nationalism and an unhealthy stress on racial identity were promoted under the previous Government. Certain hard-line groups were also able to thrive and racial tensions boiled over on occasion. Muslim shops and mosques were attacked, with the most serious incidents occurring in Aluthgama and Beruwala. Rumours of certain Government quarters supporting the hard-line Buddhist groups helped legitimise their cause as well as their destructive ideals.
Now it is up to the new Government to distance itself from the strategies of power retention implemented in the past and consolidate its own power through fostering democratic ideals. In the same way a wave of nationalism spread under the previous administration, hope remains that the language of liberalism will signal a rise in liberal thought amongst the people.
