Movements With Common Purpose And Hope For Democracy In Sri Lanka
By Athulasiri Kumara Samarakoon -November 10, 2014
Athula Samarakoon
One healthy sign we can observe in the depleted democratic polity of Sri Lanka at present is that many of the opposition political parties, and even some in the ruling alliance, have begun to think and act beyond the self-interests of their respective parties. They have begun to show more interests in fighting to change the suppressive political conditions that more or less affect the life in a functioning democracy. Meanwhile the civil society initiatives such as the Movement for Social Justice also created forums for such political parties and civil society elements to come together and discuss ‘what is to be done?’ in order to create a possible change. Obviously, the existing conditions of political oppression and the degradation in the socio-economic life of the ordinary people have provided much necessary objective grounds for the intellectuals and the civil society to think of the importance of democratic social movements in reshaping the political and social future of the country today.
The emerging shifts in the thinking of the political parties, civil society elements and oppressed masses have tended to create foundations for larger social movements against anti-democratic tendencies and economic exploitation of the poor under lawless conditions and rampant corruption. Some of such notable movements which have dedicated their efforts for redefining the democratic system in the country include the Movement for Social Justice, People’s Movement for Democracy and Pivithuru Hetak (Pleasant Tomorrow). Previously the University lecturers under FUTA and the lawyers also led a huge campaign against the lawlessness and deteriorating welfare conditions of the people and now they also have joined one or many of these movements to fight the tyranny.
Some might argue that these movements were initiated by a certain individual or a political party and do not look like ‘movements’ of larger scale participation of masses. But, such arguments certainly would miss to identify the most valuable feature of them, ‘the objective’; that in their objectives these movements have a common, social and political goal which takes them beyond the narrow party interests and strategies of ‘securing power by any means’. More or less under the existing political and economic conditions, it is increasingly understandable that the political parties have only a very limited role to play in re-defining the conditions in the economy and the political system, unless they contribute for larger social movements representing larger social aspirations for better life, democracy and justice. Therefore there is a larger scope for the social movements for democracy which penetrates class, caste, party, race and ethnicity to do more for the society under the current conditions.Read More
