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| Sunday, 8 February 2004 |
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A brush with freedom once again Light Refractions by Lucien Rajakarunanayake Yet another anniversary of freedom has come and gone. We've been struck by a barrage of messages from so many important personages; all of them talking of past failures and future promise. While peace is the keynote of the more important messages, coming elections are no doubt the backdrop to them. Those who maintained we had not gained real freedom on February 4, 1948 but only some glorified dominion status too have joined the mainstream freedom chorus. To the vast majority of our people, the thought of 56 years of freedom unknowingly echoes the title of that celebrated pamphlet on the Independence of 1948 by Dr. Colvin R de Silva, which asked "What independence and for whom?" In a situation where freedom remains a mirage to most of our people, except those with a vested interest in the powers that freedom gave them, I thought it would be interesting to ask some people about their views on freedom today. With connectivity now so easy I was able to contact Kanapathy Yaarlpaanam, up North, for his views on freedom. "We've forgotten for so long what it is to be free. In the past, whether under the colonial rulers or our own Sinhala masters, we all enjoyed the freedom to protest as we wished to, against what we did not like. Now it is the striped Pulirajan, who believes he is the Sun God, who decides on any or all protests, and also compels us to participate in them. I can tell you 'by the tooth of the Tiger', a new idiom in our parts, we will have to wait very long to see any real freedom here. Janaseva Prajapala, cast in the category of a public servant, who has more freedom than us mere mortals said: "It's another good holiday for me, and all my colleagues in the service of the people. However, one can't enjoy any freedom with all bars and liquor shops closed. We've been deprived the freedom to drink a toast to freedom with good spirits. However, it is not much of a change from any other day at work, except that I can't read all the newspapers as in office, while all those files await attention. One can't afford to buy all these newspapers on our income. And even what I bought today are boring with all these messages about past failures and promises of a good future, by the same people who are very much cause of the failed past and an obstacle to progress in the future". Vimukthi Rathukamisa paused in practising ringing his liberation bell to say: "You ask about freedom. I tell you that freedom itself is the problem. I mean our new freedom partners who insist they are both the father and mother of actual freedom born in 1956. True they made us more free in 1972 by declaring a republic, 24 years from this so-called Independence Day. But there is much more freedom to be won. We've got to free our minds from the intellectual colonialism. It cripples us and makes us kneel before globalization, which is the real weapon of mass destruction for people in our part of the world". Kepuvath Kolapaata was full of freedom. "It is we who won freedom. We are the torchbearers of freedom. It is how we have used the powers of freedom and the fire of that torch that has brought us to power again. The problem is for how long more we can enjoy this new round of freedom, while there is still so much left to grab and sell for our benefit. "What about the people, the masses," is asked? "What masses, what people? We won power to wield freedom for ourselves. If the masses voted for us, it is their problem. They knew us for more than 50 years when they gave the torch back to us. We are now ready to torch anything or anyone in our way. We will even light fires to show our way. We are all for unfettered freedom for the underworld that has yet to be achieved." Yovun Kolapaata, his son seemed shocked by all this. He interrupted saying he had doubts about the future because of this attitude of his father and others like him, and what the leading greens were doing just now. "This has nothing to do with all those promises about clean government and other things that made me stay with the green clan, without going in the direction of many other youth, talking about liberation politics. Kavadath Nilpaata was all excited and very enthusiastic about freedom. "Freedom must mean power, and now we are on the way to power. We've got the help of our Rathu Kamisa friends, so we can't fail. And our leader has played her cards right, although late, but who are we to blame her for a mere delay. She knew the time. What's more, we are told the planets are moving into our friendly houses. I tell you we will soon bloom like the lotus, emerging from the mud of green corruption of the past two years". "But what about your policies?" "Why bother with policies. Our founder believed in the Middle Way. Our new alliance believes in a Mixed Economy. What is the difference? You can't always be in the middle without mixing up or even having some occasional mix-ups. "What about your leader?" Attanagalu Neelavarna had a quick response. "She has defence, and she is our defence. In fact she is our first and last line of defence. That is our greatest strength. Come the next freedom day, whatever intervenes, I tell you that defence will still be with her and us. That wily green fox has assured us of that. Now before you ask the next question, here's the answer. We are for peace. It is we who began the peace process and it is we will continue it for a peace with honour to all, because we know who there can be no freedom without peace." The fast unto death by health workers had been called off on the eve of Freedom Day. I thought it useful to get a trade union view. Varjana Tharjana was ready to speak. "I can say that for us workers there is no freedom at all. It's shrinking each day. Voluntary Retirements Schemes, Compensation Formulae, and shutting down of factories by crooked investors fleeing the country without even paying our EPF dues threaten us on all sides. It's silly to talk of freedom in such a situation. That is why we are resorting to fasting unto death. It's not that these green rogues, and even the blues in the wings, would bother even if we die. But we want the public to understand our plight, and show solidarity with us. Now that even the red comrades who we believed in so much, are the stars for the greens on TV talk shows, we have nothing to do but go on fasting. The freedom to fast is the only freedom we have today." I travelled to Polonnaruwa where peasants were launching their own hunger fast unto death. Badagini Goviraala said freedom was something strange to them. "What freedom if we can't grow our traditional crop of rice? What is freedom without a reasonable price for the rice we grow, with such difficulty? What's the use of freedom to listen to these promises of helping us in the future, paddy storage bins from Israel and reducing the cost of fertilizer? During the last 17-year rule of the greens so many of our goviralas committed suicide in sheer desperation. This time we will commit suicide collectively, unless our voices are heard and genuine relief given to the people who can make our country self-sufficient in our traditional food." It was important to get the views of Big Bizz, speaking with the voice of JBIZ. Gainer Bisswaasa, a leading player in the stock market had very clear views on freedom. "What we need is more freedom to extract profits; more exploitation of natural resources. Freedom from environmental controls and other restrictions, is a must. The workers should be kept on a tight leash by government. We must be free to work with robber barons from abroad, and our auditors should be our consultants too". "Transparency and good governance is for media consumption. If we are to progress as a nation we should even give to the Tiger all he wants, to make us another Asian Tiger. That's why we want these political leaders to accept our agenda." Christie Kurusakara, a Christian social worker said: "I am no fundamentalist. But I believe in the freedom of all to follow one's religion. I fear our freedom is most threatened by this Long John Christian and the links these greens have with the underworld. Two quick sound-bites from ordinary people: Mrs. Devele Jeevanasatana, a housewife said: "Aiyo, what freedom aney. When we go to the pola we know how trapped we are." Dinadina Satanpala, a daily paid worker said: "What freedom when we are fenced in by the VAT veta. When we go to hospital for treatment, some health workers are on strike. No one wants to settle the railway strike. Bus owners keep threatening strikes. While we do death fasts in public, we are missing meals or fasting at home every day. Meanwhile in the North & East, the Pulishakthi cadres were busy marking their Black Day. "Our freedom is Eelam," said one striped cadre. |
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