Sarvodaya Has Launched A New National Awakening!

By Laksiri Fernando –SEPTEMBER 19, 2018

Dr. Laksiri Fernando

Sarvodaya is celebrating its 60th Anniversary this year with various new activities and strengthening their old ones. One of the important initiatives is the launching of the country wide ‘Deshodaya’ or the ‘national awakening’ programme. Although the name or even the programme is not completely new, it has taken a new focus and direction with a view to resist and overturn the existing corrupt political system, political culture and practices.

The Founder of Sarvodaya, Dr A. T. Ariyaratne, still active and vibrant, identifies the present day rotten political-economy as the main reason for the widespread decline in the country. The key factor in this decline, in his opinion, is the (adversarial) political party system that has even destroyed the sovereignty of the people. One cannot agree more. 

He goes on saying, “Those who believe in political parties as religion, even indulge in crimes such as killings and destroying the environment, for the sake of achieving power, position, fame and money.” I am quoting and paraphrasing from his speech at the Deshodaya convention in June 2018. 

Sarvodaya Activities

Sarvodaya is not an unknown movement to anyone in the country and quite known among humanitarian organizations overseas for its good wok. I first remember its inauguration (in 1958) when it was reported in the newspapers that a teacher at Nalanda College founding a Shramadana(voluntary work or gifting-labour) movement when we were young (13 years in my case) and looking for good deeds to follow or admire. Three of our key icons at that time were E. W. Adikaram, A. T. Ariyaratne and Abraham T. Kovoor (followed by Carlo Fonseka) for different reasons and purposes.

The first act of Sarvodaya has gone into history, Ariyaratne taking forty students and twelve teachers from Nalanda College to the so-called outcaste (Rodiya) village at Kathaluwa, and helping the villagers to construct their dwellings, wells, toilets and roads. More importantly they were motivated and trained for cultivation and self-employment.

During a casual meeting with A. T. Ariyaratne recently he explained to me how he first ventured into ‘gifting his labour’ to others, when he started mathematics/science classes for his former fellow students at Gandara during weekends, where he was born, after he had the fortune to get admitted to the prestigious Mahinda College, Galle. His voice was eternally enthusiastic. Gifting labour is the meaning of Shramadana as he said. He didn’t fail to compliment Merrill J. Fernando (Dilmah company) who had gifted the first headquarters of Sarvodaya at Moratuwa. 

Perhaps the peak of Sarvodaya activities in recent decades had been the aftermath of Tsunami disaster in the country. However in overall, they have covered more than 15, 000 villages out 38,000, throughout the country in their work. The war undoubtedly hampered their work in the North and the East, yet the activities have now restarted. The organization claims the overall beneficiaries to be mora than 10 million. This is one of the prominent people’s organizations  working irrespective of caste, gender, ethnicity, religion, party or other distinctions.

Personal Experiences 

• When I was living in Sri Lanka at Koswatta, Thalangama, before 2011, the first person I encountered early morning in my walks was an elderly woman selling Kola Kanda (herbal porridge) at a boutique sponsored by Sarvodaya. I used to patronize the business almost daily.

• During some visits to the North-East during the temporary CFA period (2002-2005) for peace building work, I have met former Sarvodaya workers and seen dilapidated Sarvodaya name boards evidenced of their prominent presence there before the war.

• This time in Colombo, when I was travelling in a taxi, conversing with the driver-owner, Upul, he told me the following story. His father had died when he was three years and his mother had to take a big economic burden with four children. It was Sarvodaya who had come to their rescue, giving her a job and looking after the family.

In explaining the philosophy of Sarvodaya, its Executive Director Dr Vinya Ariyaratne has given the following explanation.

“Sarvodaya is a movement which promotes human development. The uniqueness of Sarvodaya lies in the fact that it promotes inner connections between people and communities which we call spirituality. That is the glue which keeps this holistic approach together.”

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