After 60 years, moving forward??

This has probably been the longest (in terms of length) blog I have written.  I had originally sat down in the last week of January/first week of February to write this blog reflecting the  symbolic period surrounding Sri Lanka as well as the region.  The end of January witnessed the 60^th anniversary of the death of Ghandi and the beginning of February saw the 60^th anniversary of the Independence of Sri Lanka.   Maybe it was me, but I seemed to sense some sort of hope and anticipation in the air.  In India, the second freedom struggle to end poverty and the caste system had just been launched at the appropriately named Ghandigaram (The University founded on Ghandi’s teachings).  In Sri Lanka, much of the media carried in various forms, articles on Ghandi and what he said and did.  It did not take much to see the inferences that were being made.  Perhaps after 60 years of independence and 20 years of ethnic strife, there was an expectation that people in Sri Lanka would perhaps move towards this change as it seemed to be happening across the waters.

As the 4^th of February rolled about, the official government celebrations took centre stage under a shadow of the threat of suicide bombs.  Most people escaped to the beaches down south taking advantage of the long weekend.  ‘Independence? From what?’ remarked some of my friends when I asked them what they were planning to do for that day.  My next remark to them on ‘how independence meant freedom from the yoke of colonialism and the working towards a new Sri Lankan identity whose people would wear with pride free from oppression and injustice, and how there was still a way to go for Sri Lanka to truly achieve this despite setting it in motion 60 years back’, received even more cynical remarks.  ‘You are just some romantic idealist Amjad! That’s the job of the government! Never going to happen!’

And so it was, 4^th of February rolled around and people got ready for the actual defining big event, Valentine’s Day.  As the 14^th of February grew ever closer, shops started stocking the cards and heart shaped chocolate boxes; radio and TV stations started advertising special ‘Valentines Night’ and hotels started to promote their special offers.  The shocker was a five star hotel which was promoting a special valentines night offer all inclusive for couples that would cost $2000.  If this was not shocking, then what was even more disturbing was that there were people who had actually bought the package.

And so for me, some expectation for possible change at the beginning of February suddenly fizzled to disillusion.  How could people spend that much on a silly concept night when people are suffering from 24% inflation?  How could people be so insensitive to the sufferings of people in the north and east?   Of course I knew that this was the work of  the ‘Colombo Crowd’, that rare species of established and nouveau rich, that roam around Colombo in their Perspex carriages and live in ivory towers, completely oblivious to reality (a species found in many other developing countries).  Yet I told myself, I could not comprehend that even these people would be able to be so indifferent, insensitive and oblivious to their neighbours’ plights

The sad reality is that it is this apathy displayed at the most basic and inhuman manner by the ‘Colombo crowd’, that is symptomatic of a bigger disease in Sri Lanka.  The lack of giving a damn that means that Sri Lanka can never really progress from the abyss it found itself 60 years ago.  My disillusionment has been reinforced by the fact that when you ask most people in Sri Lanka, what they are proud about.  Their response is normally blank or they say, ‘I was born Sri Lankan, so I have nothing to be proud of, I just accept it’.

With this type of attitude how can the country move forward?  I reflect on my experiences when I first came back to Sri Lanka. Coming back to ‘discover’ Sri Lanka was always going to be a challenge.  ‘So Amjad, you are an engineer from Imperial?’ had been the common question followed by the next question that i know comes into their mind: ‘So what the hell are you doing back here in Sri Lanka?’  Sometimes the question goes even further ‘What is an educated person like you doing working for an INGO?  Are you on some personal crusade for redemption?’

These have been the common questions that have been posed to me.  The main quandary for them is that they cannot really understand why i would seemingly ‘sacrifice’ my life in the UK to come back to Sri Lanka.  When people are desperately trying to leave the country or to send their children abroad it is strange that someone should be making a strategic choice to come back.

Therein is the crux of the issue.  In recent years the brain drain has been evident and intense.  Whilst one can make a case for people leaving the country to seek better fortunes elsewhere, it is also true that now more than ever Sri Lanka needs its people to remain behind. ‘Why?’ is the question someone would ask.    As a development / humanitarian worker, we are engaged in trying to influence a change.  A change in people’s lives, an improvement in their economic status; a change in the attitude to allow respect and acceptance. For me with Sri Lankan roots, it is even more personal.  It is about showing that bringing peace and development to Sri Lanka is the duty of its children regardless of caste, creed and religion. How can we do this when the rest of the people are apathetic?  

One of the greatest spiritual teachings is that ‘change can happen when people set themselves up to be part of that change’ and Ghandi elaborated this so well when he said ‘If you wish to see change, then be that change’.  If people are not interested in this change so why should we be so bothered?