Being A New Sri Lanka – Part 2

By Sanjayan Rajasingham -January 31, 2015

Sanjayan Rajasingham

Stay aware

I’ve often heard the refrain “I’m not interested in politics”. If “politics” here means the latest political gossip – what X’s son did, who Y snubbed, etc – I’m not too interested either! However, if it means how our rulers use the power we have given them, we need to think again. Their power is public power, and they hold it for us. If we don’t keep an eye on them, they will probably abuse it.

Start small on this one. If you aren’t a newspaper person, read an article on the front page of a newspaper each day, or if that’s too much, one on the front page of a Sunday paper. Another option is to follow a certain column (though here you are at the mercy of what the columnist thinks is important). Either way, try and do one thing a week to keep in touch with what’s going on. Along with this, talk to others about what you read. Even if the papers are anathema to them, they will listen (at least briefly) because it’s coming from you.

There are several important things going on these days. Check out 100days.lk and see if promises are being kept. Find out about the budget, and ask if it’s just another election gimmick. Check out the reinstatement ofShirani Bandaranayake and ask if you think it was right. These are the “political” events that we need to know something about.

Riots May 1958 – A Tamil passenger was taken out of the vehicle and beaten up

Protest!

Go for public protests and rallies. This will require time, some inconvenience, and a willingness to accept a minimal level of risk. It is because of this that they are important. Quite apart from whether the protest succeeds or not, there is something about engaging in public protest, about publicly demanding change, that can be transformative. It builds confidence. It makes us more likely to resist when we are wronged. It deals a blow to the play-it-safe mentality which is lethal to a democratic ethos. In short, it builds civic character.Read More