Societal Conflict: Gintota Is Only The Tip Of The Iceberg

By Mass L. Usuf –21November 2017

The cliché that the Sri Lankan government emerged victorious in the separatist Eelam war but failed to win the hearts and minds of the Tamil population is very true. Not long after the end of the war began the attack on the Muslims. Both the previous government, which is credited with the victory and, the present government have miserably failed in creating an environment facilitating co-existence for its minority citizens. This dereliction is an indictment on the former President Mahinda Rajapaksa, sitting President Maithripala Sirisena and the Prime Minister. Each of them singularly and collectively lacked the political will to take affirmative action in the matter of race relations. 

The Prime Minister’s frequent rhetoric on the drive towards development, luring foreign direct investors etc. is doomed without the foundational issue being adequately addressed. No foreign investor will be willing to park his funds in a market overshadowed by chronic ethno-racial tension. Insecurity is a major factor, among others, that would remain a threat to stability and growth prospects of any economy.

To pat oneself on the back for ensuring law and order by ordering the police and military to a trouble spot is simply treating the symptom. What the country needs is a scientific and qualitative approach to address the root cause and mitigate its effect. 

 

Priority And Speed

The creation of the Office for National Unity and Reconciliation (ONUR) and the establishment of a separate Ministry for National Integration and Reconciliation are steps in the right direction. The vision statement, “To build a strong integrated Sri Lankan Community whilst protecting socio-cultural value system ….” of the Ministry of National Integration and Reconciliation is indeed encouraging. So are the thematic focus of ONUR, “Build an inclusive society by promoting social integration.  Support the healing process within communities. Bring youth and children to the forefront in building national unity and reconciliation.”

Deliverables, however, are not robust and have not been felt on the ground. This does not mean that they do not do anything at all. On the contrary, whatever is being done is insufficient and has not reached the wider audience – the masses. Also, apparently, these institutions lack momentum. It is also imperative that they co-ordinate their activities to support the training of Police personnel on diversity (see below).

Forms of Racism

Racism in the Sri Lankan society is a reality. The subtle or covert form of it is experienced almost on a daily basis by those belonging to ethnic or religious minorities. Everyday racism like being ignored, ridiculed or treated differently in circumstances, do not make headline news. However, the covert nature of such microaggressions are symptomatic of the prevalence of this ‘disease’ in the people. The cumulative effect of such aggressions over a period of time impacts on the thinking of both the target, as victim of racial prejudice and, the racist, as the aggressor with a sense of superiority.

 

The unfettered and unchecked progress of this sense of racial superiority is dangerous to society. History teaches us the lesson of death and destruction which had its roots in racial superiority.  Hitler’s fascist Nazi idealisation of the German ‘Blut und Boden’ (Blood and soil) is reflected in the Sinhala Buddhist ultra-nationalism and Sinha Le manifestations in Sri Lanka. 

Agents Of Metastasis

Racism like cancer metastasises fast. The agents of metastasis are the social media and the monks. In their cultural tradition, the Buddhists pay obeisance to monks with great reverence. This reverential bonding psychologically places monks in a position of influence over the thinking and behaviour of the lay people, especially the youth. There is sufficient empirical evidence for this. Some of these monks, instead of inculcating samma ditti (right view) in the minds of the people, they are teaching hatred, intolerance and vengeance. Instead of weaning the lay Buddhist youth from violence, they lead them to thuggerism. The social media is an easy platform to spread evil and indoctrinate the rest of the gullible people.

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