By Siri Gamage –

Dr. Siri Gamage

As we approach another celebration of our Independence Day on February 4th, it is important to reflect on whether citizens have truly benefited from independence, or whether the system we inherited continues to foster dependence in various forms. To understand this, we must first examine how dependence and a dependent mentality were created by the colonial rulers to serve their own interests during the British colonial period.

The Colonial System

Under British rule, the local population was treated as subjects of the Empire, subject to laws enacted by the colonial government. The colonial administration, supported by local chieftains, exercised power through both formal privileges and informal influence. The district administration was overseen by a Government Agent. Local leaders, often from prominent families, were appointed to manage sub-districts. These leaders, called Mudaliars or Mudali Varu in Sinhala, formed part of a hierarchical system that facilitated control over the population and territory. Police and courts were central to maintaining law and order, while civil administration focused on meeting the needs of both the population and the colonial government, including tasks like issuing birth, marriage, and death certificates, as well as tax collection.

Subjects could submit petitions to higher authorities like the Government Agent or the Superintendent of Police and could sometimes meet with them through an interpreter. Little is known about the relationships between subjects, Government agents or assistant agents, and local officials, such as Mudaliars or Arachchis (who managed sub-district units like Pattuwas). As this is an under researched field useful to understand what happened during this period, it remains a fertile area for further research by historians, political scientists, public administrators and sociologists.

Those who served the colonial government enjoyed a higher social status due to their official roles and the privileges they received. They built lavish residences, such as Walavvas, surrounded by vast estates where subjects worked as servants or laborers. Many subjects were primarily concerned with avoiding legal entanglements, as those who found themselves in trouble with the law faced significant hardships. The colonial system cultivated a mentality of subservience, particularly through economic structures like the tea plantations, commercial ventures where master-servant relationships were starkly evident.

Thus, the concept of the “colonial subject” shaped corresponding attitudes, behaviours, and perceptions about government and authority. Independent criticism was discouraged, and loyalty to the system was expected. However, as print media expanded, a limited degree of criticism became possible, especially in the later years of colonial rule.

The Legacy of Dependence

Even after gaining independence in 1948, many elements of this system persisted. The subject mentality continued, albeit in different forms. While the political system and leadership aligned with a democratic parliamentary structure, the administrative system—especially at the district and sub-district levels—remained largely unchanged. A hierarchical control system continued to restrict the organisation and expression of people’s power, with elected Members of Parliament acting as intermediaries between the people and the government. However, the functioning of this system often failed to address the needs of citizens at the grassroots level, largely due to the operation of a deep state, prevailing culture of semi-authoritarianism and political nepotism.

What we lost during colonialism was not only our independence and autonomy but also our ability to function according to our own cultural values, ways of knowing, and doing. After independence, we had the opportunity to reform the system for national interest, but due to political infighting and ethnic divisions, we failed to create a society that benefits all. As a result, we are surviving rather than progressing, unlike other nations in the region.

Law Enforcement and Public Services

It is also essential to examine how the treatment of citizens by law enforcement agencies and the justice system have evolved. Have officers’ attitudes in the former toward citizens improved, or do they continue to use physical and psychological tactics to maintain a sense of subjugation? Media reports and anecdotal evidence suggest that some police stations still rely on outdated methods, including violence and torture. Long delays in the judicial system in executing justice and finalisation of cases further nurture a sense of dependency, frustration, and anger. In many government institutions, securing fair treatment often depends on personal connections, making it difficult for ordinary citizens to receive justice.

The Struggle for Reform: Aragalaya and Beyond

The country’s struggle for change reached a climax during the 2022 Aragalaya (struggle), which challenged the prevailing governance and administration system. It highlighted the deep discontent that had been simmering for years. Prior to this, there had been uprisings from both the South and the LTTE movement in the North and East, both of which were suppressed with significant human cost. Many of those involved in these insurrections were educated youth disillusioned by the system. Subsequently, some were absorbed by the mainstream political parties who then joined government ranks as administrators. They actively supported the maintenance of prevailing system while introducing cosmetic changes. Since independence, especially since 1960s onwards as the public education and higher education expanded, an educated class of young citizens emerged. Some of them became socially aware through the formal education and informal education from alternative parties advocating a system change due to the many faults in governance and administration. Along with the formal education process in universities for instance an alternative counter education program by radically oriented smaller parties with a vision for a different Lanka continued.

Education and Its Shortcomings

While the education system has undergone significant changes, especially with the introduction of free education and the growth of institutions, it remains heavily influenced by Western ideals. The curriculum, textbooks, and teaching methods are often cantered around Western knowledge, while local wisdom and knowledge are undervalued. This system continues to prioritize exam results over critical thinking and problem-solving skills. Private tuition classes, which supplement school learning, exacerbate this focus on rote memorization and exam preparation. In this environment, students are encouraged to be loyal and conformist rather than critical, even though Buddhism including the teachings of the Buddha (Dhamma) advocates for critical examination.

In universities, especially in the humanities and social sciences, the curriculum is largely based on Western texts and theories, further entrenching a dependent mindset. The education system, in general, does not produce citizens capable of critical thinking, independent analysis, original discoveries, innovation, or of contributing meaningfully to society. University teaching and learning process is heavily laden with knowledge unsuitable for contemporary context or its needs.

Unfortunately, our universities are no longer producing public intellectuals. Instead, they are churning out functionaries who perpetuate dependent knowledge and systems. The education system must produce intellectuals who can think critically and independently, capable of assessing our history and finding innovative ways to reform our attitudes, values, and ways of thinking. The structural changes needed in the education system are just as important as changes in other sectors, such as industry, agriculture, and fisheries.

The Shift to a Liberalized Economy and Its Impact

The liberalization of the economy since 1977 has transformed Sri Lanka into a more consumer-driven society. This shift has elevated individualism over collectivism, benefiting private companies and multinational corporations while diminishing the importance of local production and manufacturing. Imported goods have been prioritized over domestic products, and successive governments have fostered this consumerist culture. The result has been a weakening of the social fabric, with rising crime, drug abuse, waste and corruption. Many professionals and young people, disillusioned with the system, have left the country in search of better opportunities. Ultimately, this system has benefitted only a few, while the majority continue to struggle. Country is not only heavily indebted but also enmeshed in a global system of economic and political relationships -some are commercial- favouring the agencies and governments that control the levers of power and wealth. It has come to such a situation that the local intellectuals and social scientists are not even have the capacity to conceptualise a different path compared to the dominant economic discourses. Small to medium scale projects rather than mega projects could hold the key in developing a sustainable economy in coming decades. Social Enterprise model operational in south east Asian countries need to be looked at as an example.

Globalization vs Colonialism

While globalization is often seen as a positive force, decolonial thinkers argue that it represents a continuation of colonialism in a new guise. We must critically examine the processes unleashed by globalization and their positive and negative effects. While global connections are important, they should not come at the cost of our identity, culture, heritage and what sustains the society. Societies are becoming more multicultural, dynamic and open but governments and businesses often prioritize national or corporate self-interest over the welfare of ordinary people.

Moving Forward

To move forward, it is crucial to reform the current system for the benefit of all, removing corrupt elements from the national and district-level administration. The prevailing attitude that anything Western is superior must be changed. We need to look inward as much as we look outward. People have been more concerned about external perceptions than about exploring their own inner strengths and weaknesses. Instead of maintaining a master-servant relationship, we must foster an egalitarian system where citizens have both rights and responsibilities as well as collective wisdom nurtured by the place, its intellectual history, culture, and inner strengths.

Education and higher education play a pivotal role in this transformation. However, fundamental reforms are needed in how knowledge is produced and disseminated to foster an independent nation and its development. Without such reforms, the promise of knowledge equality will remain unfulfilled.

It does not appear that the current government is prepared to take the necessary steps to reform the education system as yet. As a first step, the government should appoint a commission to gather public and stakeholder input on the current system and identify necessary changes.

There is hope in the new government’s vision for a better Sri Lanka. It has taken steps to address systemic issues, including reforming public administration. It promises to usher in an era of renewed attitudes, values, and norms, fostering positive human relations through a process of Punarudaya (renewal). Sociologists and other social scientists can contribute to this initiative, rather than perpetuating a dependent mentality and business as usual in the classroom or in their research.

While we need to obtain the knowledge, skills, training and resources from the West in a selective manner -not wholesale- it is important to learn from developments taking place in the East as part of the growth of a multipolar system. The established and dominant Western system of thought and practice have been challenged by many postcolonial and decolonial thinkers, academics, activists and their organisations. We need to identify their writings and develop our own independent discourse, plan of action and a way of thinking and doing to create a better future for the many, in particular the subaltern classes struggling in life.