Society Has Run Down To An Appalling Level Of Deterioration
By Victor Ivan -August 18, 2012
Victor Ivan
The overall content of the social psyche of the current Sri Lankan society has run down to an appalling level of deterioration. The degree of degeneration is such that it has reached almost the point of putrefaction. This phenomenon is rather obvious and it can no longer be concealed. The religious institutions i.e. the temple, the church and the kovil have failed in rescuing the country from this predicament. Various political movements both capitalistic and socialist and many other diverse political movements too, have equally failed in arresting this trend. In this back drop, both religion and politics have become a part of the problem itself rather than playing a redemptive role in the process. The failure is not restricted to a particular segment, place or thing. It has become a universal scenario pervading almost all spheres and every aspect of social fabric.
Deterioration of Social Psyche
The violent conflicts had become a common feature during the past thirty years. Some of those conflicts remained intra racial in character while some others assumed the character of inter racial conflicts. However, in the final analysis one can safely conclude that factors such as race, caste, religion, language, culture and politics have contributed significantly towards these conflicts in one way or the other. The number of people assassinated in this process by different parties is exceedingly high. But no one knows the exact number for sure. Yet, it can be safely presumed to be more than one hundred thousand. Similarly, we do not know the race, caste and religion which the victims of these assassinations belonged to.
A considerable number of wives lost their husbands owing to these conflicts. Parents lost their children. The number of children who lost either their father or mother is also very high. People had been assassinated singly as well as collectively. Some of them had been assassinated in a manner depriving them of even the last respect that they deserved. There were Sinhalese, Tamils, Muslims, Buddhists and Hindus among the victims. There is a large number of victims who have been maimed for life due to injuries sustained in the process. Their number can be three to four times more than the number that got killed. They still continue to live amidst us as living epitomes of violence. The number of violent incidents that occurred during this period was extremely high. But no proper inventories of these incidents have been taken. Moreover, there was no consistent pattern in the assassinations and the assaults launched. There were instances in which Sinhalese had been assassinated by Sinhalese and Tamils by Tamils. In other instances people of one race resorted to killing those of the other race. Those who escaped death with injuries were compelled to live witnessing the on going violence and atrocities and lamentations of the beloveds of the victims. Thus, when one group was dying physically the other group that survived had been dying spiritually.
The circulation of weapons and the number of people using them increased rapidly. Both the rebels and the armed forces used them to intimidate and subdue their opponents and kill them when they refused to obey their dictates. Society was compelled to obey the orders of the rebels or the official armed forces unquestioningly for over 30 years. Disappointingly this situation had dried up the fountains of free thought.
In this process, not only the rebels but even the government was obliged to manipulate the infamous criminals to support them. They were formed into an active force and trained in the use of weapons. There was even a policy adopted in providing them with modern weapons. As a certain portion of deserters of the government security forces and the rebel groups invariably tend to engage in underworld operations, the underworld in turn turned out to be a mafia organization using modern weaponry and modern criminal methods. Politicians employed notorious criminals as security personnel. The former in turn were obliged to defend the criminals providing them with political protection. Consequently, criminals enjoyed political protection and while ensuring the safety of the politicians, continued to pursue their brutal practices. Even the police seemed to support them when they knew that they were within the halo of politicians. Or rather, the police adopted a policy of simply turning a blind eye when they were engaged in criminal acts. Consequently, the criminals continued committing their usual crimes with impunity without fear of being punished by the law. They were engaged in the acts of killing, looting and taking ransoms. The consequent criminal atmosphere not only accelerated the crime rate but also made a corrosive and destructive impact on the social psyche and the spirit of society. The response of electronic and printed media in this context was such that in reporting this situation, instead of resorting to allay the pathological conditions created in the social psyche and the spirit of the society it adopted methods that further aggravated the problem.
A considerable number of wives lost their husbands owing to these conflicts. Parents lost their children. The number of children who lost either their father or mother is also very high. People had been assassinated singly as well as collectively. Some of them had been assassinated in a manner depriving them of even the last respect that they deserved. There were Sinhalese, Tamils, Muslims, Buddhists and Hindus among the victims. There is a large number of victims who have been maimed for life due to injuries sustained in the process. Their number can be three to four times more than the number that got killed. They still continue to live amidst us as living epitomes of violence. The number of violent incidents that occurred during this period was extremely high. But no proper inventories of these incidents have been taken. Moreover, there was no consistent pattern in the assassinations and the assaults launched. There were instances in which Sinhalese had been assassinated by Sinhalese and Tamils by Tamils. In other instances people of one race resorted to killing those of the other race. Those who escaped death with injuries were compelled to live witnessing the on going violence and atrocities and lamentations of the beloveds of the victims. Thus, when one group was dying physically the other group that survived had been dying spiritually.
The circulation of weapons and the number of people using them increased rapidly. Both the rebels and the armed forces used them to intimidate and subdue their opponents and kill them when they refused to obey their dictates. Society was compelled to obey the orders of the rebels or the official armed forces unquestioningly for over 30 years. Disappointingly this situation had dried up the fountains of free thought.
In this process, not only the rebels but even the government was obliged to manipulate the infamous criminals to support them. They were formed into an active force and trained in the use of weapons. There was even a policy adopted in providing them with modern weapons. As a certain portion of deserters of the government security forces and the rebel groups invariably tend to engage in underworld operations, the underworld in turn turned out to be a mafia organization using modern weaponry and modern criminal methods. Politicians employed notorious criminals as security personnel. The former in turn were obliged to defend the criminals providing them with political protection. Consequently, criminals enjoyed political protection and while ensuring the safety of the politicians, continued to pursue their brutal practices. Even the police seemed to support them when they knew that they were within the halo of politicians. Or rather, the police adopted a policy of simply turning a blind eye when they were engaged in criminal acts. Consequently, the criminals continued committing their usual crimes with impunity without fear of being punished by the law. They were engaged in the acts of killing, looting and taking ransoms. The consequent criminal atmosphere not only accelerated the crime rate but also made a corrosive and destructive impact on the social psyche and the spirit of society. The response of electronic and printed media in this context was such that in reporting this situation, instead of resorting to allay the pathological conditions created in the social psyche and the spirit of the society it adopted methods that further aggravated the problem.
