Online edition of Sunday Observer

“Present politics and governments mainly serve the rich.”- Nivanthi

“What we now see is a struggle for power.”- Chesara

“We have no real independence thanks to what politicians are doing.”- Ruwan

“Everybody is filling their own pockets.” - Shri Skandarajah

With Independence Day celebrations just three days away, could we spare a thought for the concept of independence? There seems to be a gap between the experience of citizens of Sri Lanka, and their own aspirations of independence.

Speaking to a cross section of people in the streets of Colombo, the Sunday Observer discovered that all of them harboured an increasing scepticism - are we really independent? Is our individual freedom being usurped by political freedom? In the current context of global trade and cultural exchange, do we need to redefine independence as inter-dependence of nations, races and religions?

“Politicians play musical chairs while we go on suffering.” - T.S. Deen

“People seem to be a little scared.” - Satgunaraj

“The social and economical freedom is subjected to the rule of politics.”- Ushan

“Because of politics, the country’s independence is now debased.” -Jeevani

How can a country be inter-dependent and yet remain unenslaved, retaining its own cultural and national identity? How can the common man enjoy social and economic freedom when all his freedoms are politicised, was the question lurking in many a mind. Was individual independence restricted by our governments not sufficiently preparing us for the age of new knowledge, with English, information technology and social tools to face the challenges of globalization? The following sample of opinion from the bustling metropolis of Colombo reflects some of these concerns:

Right now, all citizens do not have an equal opportunity to enjoy the same degree of independence. I can truly say that now we do not enjoy the same freedom we had 40-50 years ago. Then, we could travel freely and safely anywhere in Sri Lanka, even to the North. If all communities work as one without racial or religious differences, we can achieve some sort of freedom. What we now see is a struggle for power in which people cannot exercise their independence.

We really have no independence. People are so busy that they cannot even think of personal independence. As for the independence of the country, can we really enjoy freedom of movement today?

It is very difficult to understand what is happening in the country now. What one sees happening today is not what happens tomorrow. I cannot imagine what will happen in the future.

The independence exercised in the present society is a misappropriation of independence. It is not the kind of independence which could help Sinhalese or Buddhists or any other race or religion. What we have now is a destructive independence and what we need is a free thinking society founded on religious values.

Are we really independent in this country? Politics has stripped us of a real and meaningful personal freedom. There is nothing we can do here, without falling prey to the influence of politics. The common man does not seem to have any freedom at all. If we are to have tangible freedom, I say that the politics of Sri Lanka must change. The mode of ethics now is to fill one's own stomach, in which process all of us are inexorably caged in. We can experience real freedom only when we free ourselves from social and economic politicisation.

Today's independence is merely limited to words. The social and economical freedom of today's people is subjected to the rule of politics and globalization. In this politicisation, the common man's independence and security is determined by the oscillation of different party dominations. The citizen is totally involved in the struggle to survive economically and has no personal independence for self-activity. To be free of war and achieve peace, all parties should be able to come to an unconditional settlement.

What independence is there when we cannot even have a proper education with politics interfering with the university education. After spending about five years at the university, we end up jobless.

Can we have politics which could provide a sound education system for the country? For a degree which should take only five years, strikes and other political activity on campus make us drag on for about seven - eight years. On campus, we experience political pressure to join political parties. Student aid is slashed to Rs.1,200 per head but that is also given according to one's parental income and not according to a unified system for all students.

That is not even enough to buy books and we have to bring money from home. We need a government which can provide the requirements of the current social set up in the country. The present politics and governments mainly serve the rich, and not the common public.

We have no real independence. Because of strikes in the transport sector, we cannot even come to work on time. Many of us in the middle class do not have the independence that the upper class enjoy.

Whichever government that can give us the freedom to eat, live and do the kind of job we want, could give us real independence. Currently, our independence is constricted by political interference. Whatever wrong the politician does, he has independence. Security on streets is eroded and even the lives of people are threatened. From my personal experiences I can say that because of politics, the country's independence is now debased to the rock bottom.

Where is independence? If all the races, Sinhala, Tamil and Muslim, share the understanding that Sri Lanka is our country and work for its common good, we will automatically achieve independence. Now everybody is filling their own pockets.

Unlike in India, we received our independence on a platter and no one is really bothered about it.

That is why we have never really progressed. We should have the feeling that we are all Sri Lankans but all that people do is to fill their own pockets. The politicians play musical chairs while we go on suffering. The government must think of the middle man whereas only the politicians keep changing while we vote like fools.

How can we have independence when we cannot go about in the night for fear of thieves and cannot even speak the truth? We have some freedom to trade but people seem to be a little scared.

They say we have independence but we cannot even go about safely on the streets. When politicians are nabbed doing something wrong, political power intervenes, but when the common man is nabbed, no one comes forward to speak on his behalf. If powers at the topmost levels do not think sufficiently of the common man, he could never have real independence.

At the present juncture of the country, I see no independence because of the hunger for power. Fixed power bases prevent individuals from exercising personal freedom as such power bases seem to take individual activity for change and growth as an invasion. Sri Lanka is really lethargic in making the maximum use of its economic resources.

You cannot see any definite goals and the financial support we get is mostly put to corrupt use. Also, if one's mind is restricted by culture and religion, one cannot have real freedom or achieve anything.

I see too much religious involvement in politics whereas ours is a multi-racial and multi-cultural society. We cannot improve this situation unless we go beyond our narrow-mindedness in our outlook and be broader in our perspectives, for it is an inter-dependent global society that we are living in.