By Vishwamithra –

“The graveyard is the richest place on earth because it is here that you will find all the hopes and dreams that were never fulfilled…..all because someone was too afraid to take that first step, keep with the problem, or determined to carry out their dream.” ~Les  Brown

Corruption in politics has long been a serious issue that must be addressed. Its history stretches back many decades. The roots of corruption neither begin nor end with the Rajapaksas, nor can the blame be placed solely on the current generation. It is a deeply entrenched sociopolitical malignancy that has metastasized over time through successive political eras and leaderships. Its inherently intoxicating and seductive nature has entrapped many politicians, drawing them into the irresistible allure of corruption. Once entangled in the vortex of corruption, those in power find it very difficult to escape, and the effort to break free could ultimately spell the end of their careers. The cycle of power and corruption is vicious.

The very cradle of corruption and its development is a fascinating saga. Too many have been victimized by its indulgent luxuries, yet the system holds fast to its impunity. For the sake of this column, I will leave the perpetrators unnamed. However, the system’s unfolding events show it takes its own power for granted—believing it is eternal and blessed for the sole purpose of enriching themselves and their generations. These extravagances, however, will ultimately harm those who wield that power, indifferent to the injuries they bring upon the less privileged.

In such cruel circumstances, what can the average citizen do? What can he expect from the leaders he himself has elected to power? He is an innocent bystander, one may assume; yet that is an escape valve most writers and observers resort to in the absence of a lasting resolution of the issues. The country’s treasury might be half-empty; its operational cash-flow might not be sufficient to feed the ever-expanding population. Its seemingly dwindling foreign exchange component may not last the next week to turn the wheels for petrol and diesel consumption. The government is in a total impasse. It was elected by a people whose expectations were high and trust almost absolute.

In total, the government is losing its optics game. Its lethargic response to immediate issues- such as rising costs of living and neglected infrastructure like broken roads and culverts- has created a cascade of hardships that is weighing heavily on the people. The supporters of the government might argue that one and half years is hardly a time frame within which any government could produce results. But they must realize that there is one commodity the government cannot lose- trust. It is trust upon which the entire NPP manifesto was written. It was trust that the people lost in the Ranil Wickremesinghes and the Rajapaksas and the Premadasas. Should trust be lost, so too shall the government’s power.

How can the government and AKD regain that magic? How can they conduct their public affairs with the same amount of confidence that they enjoyed in the immediate aftermath of the elections, without resorting to political ploys? It is hard. The choices available could be gravely unpalatable, and to an unsatisfied electorate, unthinkable. Yet, an honest politician and a trustworthy government simply cannot escape a potentially explosive political impulse. In a developing situation like this the last thing the government should do is maintain a bout of silence or declare falsehoods regarding the crisis. Hiding behind the satisfactory statistics of the macroeconomy is utterly foolhardy. Relying solely on aggregate macro-data ignores the daily financial struggles of families.     

Whether it’s a farmer in the arid zone, a tea plucker in the cool hill country, a cash-crop peasant in the deep South, a fisherman along the eastern coast, a day laborer in the city, or a government clerk in Colombo—when they all labor to put food on the table, only to see their income crushed by rising costs, the frustration is palpable. The deep anger and disappointment of the working class, if ignored, could easily turn into another uprising that the AKD government desperately wants to avoid.

Would it come to that? It’s becoming increasingly apparent that even the average voter is asking a critical question: is the current government adequately equipped to handle the complex issues facing the country? Can the element of ‘trust’ alone sustain the long term confidence in the leadership of AKD and the NPP? While trust is the foundation, it is not a substitute for economic performance and effective governance. The consensus is that while the trust in AKD is remarkable, long-term sustainability will require delivering on structural reforms rather than relying solely on popularity.

In a mosaic of dancing issues that attract many drunken watchers, the state is seeming to be in a lethargic meandering along the same old path; its uneven trudging does not move the harmful rocks crowding the path. Either side of the path is still overgrown with the old and lifeless strain of brown-colored grass; the meadows that had been at the end of the path have receded and the labor spent on the journey does not seem to promise anything other than utter disappointment and dread. The moving drama of the country’s issues are lingering for resolution; their stubborn presence defy the intelligence and high-flown degrees of the academics that fill the government benches.

In the meantime, some politicos—yesterday’s villains—are attempting to return to the public eye. Their days have receded to the forgettable past; that era was rejected by the people, and a now-enlightened public seems unlikely to allow a retreat to that lamentable past. Tricksters may appear at the end of the road where the land is being hugged by darkening skies. As dusk descends, the ever-welcoming night takes a sobbing people into its cushy bosom and lulls them to sleep. Some critics of the government assert thus: Sitting atop a heap of political mandate, both AKD and his Cabinet of Ministers may be reining over a sluggish and apathetic population; yet, the segment that is atop this load is the super-rich .0001% whose interests have never evaporated for their greed and wants are being satisfied with each passing month and year without a murmur.

The country’s central crisis is the ever-widening gulf between the rich and poor, which is devouring state-led subsidy programs—despite them being targeted at the most vulnerable—with their viability failing daily. IMF-recommended measures may provide short-term stability, perhaps for a year or two, but they are not a sustainable long-term solution. Viewed by the international media as a left-wing government, the current administration is forced to navigate a difficult, high-stakes path requiring immense patience. The sustainability of the policies and principles, already adopted by AKD in the midst of fast developing complex international crises, is facing a crucial test; and whether AKD and his government could withstand the swirling global storms is being questioned in many quarters today.

But, caught in the throes of unpredictable socioeconomic conditions, the country has to go on; even a partial breakdown in its fundamental economic structures cannot be allowed to spark another brutal showdown with people who are increasingly uncomfortable with the looming belt-tightening measures. Whatever factors are in his favor, AKD must realize, that time is not amongst them. This is precisely why he should engage his fellow Ministers in the whole attempt; the people must see an ‘all hands on deck’ approach on the part of the government, to repeat a cliché.

Fortunately for the government and maybe quite unfortunately for the country, at the last General Elections the formal Opposition was wiped out; Sajith Premadasa’s leadership in the Opposition ranks has failed time and time again; his self-centered conduct of hugging speaking time all for himself in Parliament and making every attempt to block any potential newcomer to raise his or her head from amongst his colleagues is being criticized by them. In certain segments of the Sri Lankan public, media, and political sphere, Sajith Premadasa is treated with disdain and condemnation. As with many prominent political figures in volatile political environments, he faces intense criticism from various quarters. He is struggling to prove to the general public—and himself—that he belongs in the esteemed tiers of Parliamentary Opposition leadership.

Emerging from the political dawn of the 1940s, Ceylon endured thirty years of turbulence and internal strife, only to find itself at a terminal crossroads. The ‘Ditwah’ catastrophe acted as the final blow, forcing a nation that was once gaining momentum to abandon its machinery and begin a grueling, manual ascent toward survival. In the immediate aftermath of the last Presidential and General Elections the people exhaled a collective sigh of relief; that relief has now turned into a tense hold of breath. The sepulcher is still long way from now; let us not accelerate our pace towards it.

T*he writer can be reached at vishwamithra1984@gmail.com