Rot at the root

Wednesday, 28 December 2016 08:56 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

’Tis the season to be jolly say the carols but for many people there is little to be jolly about. Many people will be celebrating the festive season surrounded by their family and friends, grateful for what they have and hopeful things will be better in the New Year. But reality strains this time of faith and goodwill with economic worries burdening most households.

Continued peace and political stability even with the shortcomings of the new Government are indeed something to be pleased about, with many corporates and politicians likely patting themselves on the back in the days running up to the New Year. However, the reality for many working class Sri Lankans is continued job insecurity, steep taxes and a whole lot of empty promises under the Christmas tree.

Perhaps the most worrying is the recent resurgence of religious intolerance in the country. It hasn’t quite escalated to the unprecedented levels of the previous regime, however the very fact that there has been room for extremists of every faith to dominate headlines once again points to deeper social and economic issues plaguing the island and stirring unrest.

The reality is that it’s been only eight years since the end of the civil war (less than a decade) and about three since the last ethnic riots. The rise of the ‘Sinhale’ avatar in segments of the Sinhalese community combined with the continuing presence of factions like the BBS has inevitably stoked up opposition from a few hardline leaders in the otherwise peaceful Muslim community.

It should come as no surprise that all this emerges in the backdrop of Sri Lanka’s exchange rate reaching historical lows, low growth, high taxes and the Yahapalanya regime continuing its predecessor’s policy of pursuing foreign loans – this time under the pretence of paying back crippling debt.

The now infamous record-breaking Galle Face Christmas tree is perhaps the perfect metaphor for the new Government. A new milestone to be sure but one that is seen by many as hollow, wasteful and flashy, distracting from the rot at the root.

2016 was not quite the new start Sri Lankans were hoping for. By now, the new Government is no longer new. It has already been rocked with scandals and corruption - a not so friendly reminder that good governance, at least in Sri Lanka, is not in the best interests of those who do the governing.

What few advances there have been in this country’s governance are the victory of the people, not the politicians. As Sri Lankans came together to oust the tyrannical Rajapaksa regime, we must continue that unity and momentum to keep this Government accountable. Democracy after all is not something that simply happens once every four years, but a way of life that we as Sri Lankan need to continue learning.