The Aftermath
By Dr Nihal D. Amerasekera
As the dust settled from the tragedies of WWII, the wind of change swept across the Indian subcontinent with the surge of national consciousness. With the clamour for freedom, the British withdrew from Ceylon. On the 4th of February 1948, the administration and the flag changed overnight. It is acknowledged by historians that the authority was transferred by the British democratically, constitutionally and peacefully. Our armed forces marched gallantly on the Galle Face Green in full view of the elegant and dignified old Parliament building that housed the Legislative Council. We now had our freedom, and our destiny was in our hands. The National Anthem of Sri Lanka which generates so much emotion, passion and patriotism, was first performed exactly a year later in the Independence Memorial Hall at Torrington Square.
Looking back the transition post-independence was never easy or seamless. Some of the changes to the constitution and the later Acts of Parliament were not for the benefit and welfare of all Sri Lankans. The Sinhala only act of 1956 had a lasting impact on the country and the lives of every citizen. The violence and the war that ensued caused loss of lives, great hardship and mass migration.
I grew up through the dying embers of colonial Ceylon. There began an interminable conflict between British values and post-independent nationalism. Meanwhile, the schools in the big cities encouraged us to maintain British ways. In many affluent homes, English remained the spoken language. British culture, manners and mannerisms were well entrenched in Ceylonese society. Some of it changed slowly and others never. Still at school, we were discouraged from speaking in Sinhala or Tamil. “Godaya” was a term reviled by all. The word “Swabasha” was used as a derogatory expression.
The British colonization of Ceylon was mainly for reasons economic, political and religious. They introduced their own social structure and aristocracy, to help in their administration. This social hierarchy was added to our own class and caste system. These hereditary titles and privileges prevailed all through the British period. After independence, the aristocracy declined, but slowly. Even now a few families dominate the political parties and a few parties dominate the political arena. This created several ruling political dynasties. The class culture declined haltingly. However, with every general election, the voice of the people began to be heard with ever-increasing force until the emergence of the age of the common man. Many welcomed the triumph of meritocracy, but they were less enthusiastic to accept the power of the people.
Up until our country’s independence, University education and studies in medicine and law were for the privileged classes. The professionals were educated in the top schools and came mostly from the upper echelons of Ceylonese society. In 1948 the cultural transformation began and when I joined the Medical Faculty in 1962 it was at the tail-end of this remarkable era. In our batch, we had the rich and the poor and the many in between. There were those from different ethnic and social classes. Although I would like to think elitism didn’t exist in Medical College of our time, the cliques and exclusive parties of a privileged few would say otherwise. That was the way society had turned us out. We often rose above those differences. What age has taught me over the years is that we are all different. But it is important we are equal.
My generation grew up with these rapidly changing cultural attitudes and beliefs, and I, too was caught up in the transition. Sometimes we felt stranded in ‘no man’s land’. The Colombo schools hung on to British values a lot longer. English classical and popular music remained in their curriculum. So did ballet and English drama at the expense of our own. In many ways, we were fortunate to get the best of both worlds. It seems we were better prepared for life. English is a universal language, and our early exposure to this at home and at school made our professional lives so much easier.
There was a resurgence of local songs, dances and drama, which gradually gained popularity after independence. Those lost arts took a lot longer to be revived. We must be grateful to those village schools that maintained Sinhala and Tamil traditions and preserved the arts for posterity. After independence, the wide gap that existed between the schools of the big cities and villages narrowed considerably. Television and the digital age have brought knowledge far closer to everyone. We must retain our national identity and values whilst accepting what is good and wholesome from the rest of the world.
During the post-independence surge of nationalism, I was living and schooling in Colombo. One that I remember so clearly was the change in street names. The British names changed overnight into local names. I recall being confused and disorientated by this rapid switch. These names had some historical context which was lost forever. Some of the changes were most welcome, like Victoria Park to Vihara Maha Devi Park. The cost was borne by our sagging economy. As a new nation, we got our culture and dignity back by changing the country’s name from Ceylon to the Republic of Sri Lanka, in 1972. While remaining a democracy, in 1978, we acquired a Presidential system modelled on France. Ceding power to a single person could be a recipe for disaster. Instead, we should have enshrined the fine French motto in our constitution of Liberty, Equality and Fraternity, to live by those laudable principles.
The British ruled us since 1815 and managed Ceylon as they did their own. Honesty and dignity in public life was expected. Respect for law and order was sacrosanct. Any deviation from the straight and narrow was stamped on hard and fast. The independence of the judiciary was guaranteed by the State. Judges were free to exercise their judicial powers without political interference. Nepotism, bribery and corruption have been the bane of politics and public life in Sri Lanka since independence. Now they seem to have entered every aspect of public life. Sadly, I watch with growing incredulity that people take this behaviour to be the acceptable norm. Bribery and corruption cause immense hardship to the many whilst enriching a few. Transparency in governance is important and promotes accountability. Our colonial rulers, with our own politicians, established a welfare state. Although now fraying at the edges this was a remarkable achievement. We have a fine health service to serve the hopes and expectations of the people. The provision of free education gave the poor and the village folk upward mobility for a better life.
The economic downturn began in the mid-1950s. We have been teetering on edge ever since until the current crisis. As a teenager in the 1950’s I well remember the political mess and the endless workers’ strikes which didn’t help our economy. Successive governments tried to get to grips with the finances by imposing draconian import restrictions with limited success. Two insurgencies and a long ethnic war were a serious drain on our meagre resources. As an undergraduate and thereafter working in the health service, I experienced the endless problems that ensued. It was a surreal existence. Many who were skilled and educated could not find employment. Although expectations differ, everyone wants and deserves a good life. The 1950’ and 60’s saw the mass exodus of the Burgher population. They were a wonderful asset to our country and provided an extra dimension to life in Sri Lanka. Like many of us lost all hope and belief this situation would ever end. This, together with our youthful impatience, what resulted was a massive brain drain of the country’s intelligentsia.
Politics is the process of deciding who will have the power to make the decisions that affect us all. People hate those who pollute, cheapen and abuse this process. Politicians cannot please all of people all of the time. But reneged promises and unkept pledges become the ones that people love to hate. We expect honesty and transparency from politicians. Politics and politicians veil enormous power and prestige all around the world. It is a noble profession stained by dishonesty, greed and corruption. Governments cannot function without them. The murky politics of the developing world is an enormous hindrance to progress and providing a better life for its people. When our neighbouring countries have surged forwards, we have remained stagnant. We cannot maintain this status quo. Something must change and soon. In a democracy like ours the people get the politicians they elect, for better or for worse. I wish political science is a compulsory subject in all schools. This will educate the would-be politicians of their duties and commitment and enlighten the would-be voters of their needs and obligations.
The country has endured tremendous hardships since independence but nothing as severe as the current crisis. For many their lives have been a remorseless grind. History will expose the truth about people's power, which has been neglected by the leaders who ruled our country. Sri Lankans are an intelligent people with a high literacy rate. We have the resilience and the flexibility to survive adversity and misfortune. We have come through tough times but have much further to go. We now recognize conflict and fear and the consequences of poor monetary policies and bad economic planning. I hope we have learnt from the mistakes of the past. Respect for law and order and honoring the tenets of democracy will enhance our reputation as a nation to receive the assistance we need. The premise that we are all equal, whatever the ethnicity or religion is important. We must all unite and work together for our future peace and prosperity
