For a country so torn and impoverished by civil war over nationalist sentiments and ethnic conflict, it seems so tolerant of the different religions existing within. My two previous trips were focused on the pleasures of diving and then the urgency of tsunami aid relief. There was no breathing space or time to analyze any deeper political issues.Since the start of 2008, the government and the LTTE have renewed hostilities. The government is steadily gaining ground. This trip, driving through Colombo, Negombo and Kandy, what struck me most is the frequent dotting of chapels, mosques and temples side by side upon the landscape.
The factsheet stated: Buddhists 69.1%, Muslims 7.6%, Hindus 7.1%, Christians 6.2%. In big towns and small villages, there are Madrasahs, Christian and Buddhist schools. I see parents picking their children up from the schools in the evening. I see villages living in poverty but relative harmony. I see Sinhalese and Tamil individuals who become spouses and couples; friends and families that have been intertwined into a common Sri Lankan national identity.
I'm seeing religious tolerance in this country. Yet, it's ironic that the beautiful country is divided by ethnic politics and nationlistic sentiments. I think I'm too optimistic in thinking that a 2004 disaster of apocalyptic proportions would pull its people together. It didn't. I'm very interested in the social and political diversity of the country. The shared colonial history and diversity of its people are similar to Singapore. Yet a fine line of its principles of governance separates us from the status of a developing nation with 15.7% of its population living below poverty line.
Made time to speak with my local counterparts on their culture, the people's thoughts and political direction. I wanted to understand a little bit more about this country than an interested tourist. Came away with a slightly deeper understanding of the country's internal dynamics and the stoic resolution of its people to try to focus on the people, however hard.
National pride versus national peace. It's never easy.
5 comments:
Hi Imp:
I have been a regular to your blog. I found this post very interesting. It shall be very nice to hear what are the views of Sri Lankan locals are, pertaining to the civil war, from an unbiassed individual like your good selves.
Just a thought.
Cheers
D the Dreamer
things can only come together when the time is right. and the right time will happen.
D: hi! there is the %tage living below poverty line. then, there is the %tage living just above poverty line- that's painful. the rich-poor divide is huge, like in any other developing countries. when everyone's struggling to make ends meet, they just want peace and stability in the government. they're not very concerned about the ethnic divide in that sense. simply because the citizens themselves suffer the direct effects of the war. but that's only what i know, maybe 50% of the whole picture. it could be the tip of the iceberg and i don't get the other 50% of it.
sinlady: we can only hope it turns out that way. it'll be ridiculous to expect a third party to come in to stop a war in a country that is sovereign.
Many thanks Imp, for your views. I do think that several stakeholders are fanning the hatred to cater to their own vested interests. I just hope their democracy is mature enough to have the voices of the common men and women heard. Or, perhaps, all that one can do is to pray for an enlightment to strike the leaders of warring parties.
D the Dreamer
D: thanks for the question. well. if this is a blog with another theme, perhaps we could discuss more on these topics. :)
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