Now, Democracy – But Only For Us!
Dr. Charles Sarvan
All human beings are equal in dignity and rights -Article 1, The Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
By way of a preamble, currently the worst political epithet is “terrorist”, such that states and leaders who resort to terrorism also hurl this linguistic stone of abuse at those who oppose them. “Terrorist” is an over-used and under-examined term. President Bashar al-Assad of Syria, while unleashing state terrorism on oppositional groups, brands them as terrorists. Callum Macrae, writing in the Guardian newspaper, 3 September 2013, about his film, ‘No-Fire Zone: The Killing Fields of Sri Lanka’, says that President Rajapaksa is bolstered by, and appropriates, “the West’s rhetoric of the war on terror” but over 70, 000 civilians were killed. “Victorious government troops systematically executed bound, blindfolded prisoners. Women fighters were stripped, sexually assaulted, blindfolded, and shot in the head” (Macrae).
In contrast, the cloak governments wish to be seen as wearing is that of democracy. I recall President Kaunda of Zambia describing his form of government as “one party participatory democracy”, either blissfully unaware of, or ignoring, fundamental contradiction. (Compared to the horror of some other dictators, Kenneth Kaunda is a near-saintly figure.) Democracy is the most challenging and responsible form of government, and for its successful functioning a mature, informed and, above all, a decent electorate is indispensable – “decent” as used by Avishai Margalit in his The Decent Society’: see Sarvan, Sunday Leader, Colombo, 8 August 2010. As it was said when President Mohamed Morsi of Egypt was ousted, July 2013, by the army, true democracy – a democracy in spirit and not merely in form - is more than winning elections and having a majority in parliament.
Some friends, both Sinhalese and Tamil, have written to me observing that a few Sinhalese chauvinists arenow voicing concern about the lack of democracy and freedom; the absence of a law-enforcing police force and an independent judiciary in the “Island of the Compassionate and Moral Doctrine of the Buddha”. My friends read this as a hopeful indication where the minorities are concerned. “If Winter comes, can Spring be far behind?” (Shelley). I fear they misread the sign. Read More
