Impressive strategies to preserve Lankan heritage and prosperity:

'Re-unite norms and values for future generation'

by Lakmal Welabada

[email protected]

"Past glory of Sri Lanka is for the future too. et's pass our heritage to prosperity." The Ministry of National Heritage which has been propelled as a facet of 'Mahinda Chinthanaya' hopes to launch a series of projects to dig out the burying and the dying norms and values that belonged to the rich culture of Sri Lanka.

"One would laugh at it at once saying, 'what norms and values for a country which has a twenty year old history of on-going war.'

But if we do not accept the fact that we have to act fast on this matter, misconceptions would be the only religion of our future generation," says Mrs.Mallika Karunaratne, Secretary of the Ministry of National Heritage who has decided to shoulder the novel concept of re-newing and re-uniting the norms and values of the nation for the future generation.

"History was taken off from the school syllabus and the opportunity for children to learn about our past has become limited. As a result we have got a Nation who have less affection for the country.

What they tend to think good and important would be much alien to our culture with fallacious apprehensions. We have made observations and got alarming evidence on this fact.

We see people with self discipline at a very low key level, and many of them have a negative and destructive behaviour. As examples, when there's a slightest riot, you could see how people destroy public property.

People have less patience to wait in a queue until one get's one's turn. Even road rules are paid less importance. Society is succumbing with selfish attitudes. The country is heading to where? It's a distressing fact," explains Mrs.Karunaratne.

Question: What kind of a task is it?

Mrs.Karunartne: It's going to be tough and rough. There would be a lot of obstacles, when you want to do something constructive, there'll always be negative implications. But we are getting a good response from the Education Ministry for this. What we believe is that childhood is the best time for moral education. So, our project will be targeting mainly the school children.

Question: What are the other main bodies that would be incorporated?

Mrs.Karunaratne: Archaeological Department, National Museum, National Archives and Galle Heritage Foundation are the four main bodies that come directly under us, the Ministry of National Heritage.

For the above stated proposed project got Cabinet approval on December 12 last year. In January, a steering committee was formed consisting of eight Ministries; National Heritage, Education, Women's Affairs, Cultural Affairs, Religion and Moral Education, Environment, Tourism and Social Welfare. I personally hope that we can be a good team and will reap a better harvest in the near future.

Question: For how long is the plan?

Mrs.Karunaratne: My target is a ten-year period.

Question: Can you briefly talk about the program you intend doing?

Mrs.Karunaratne: We hope to introduce supplementary books for the primary levels.

These books will consist of the importance of moral values and norms in story telling form, such as importance of respecting and obeying parents, teachers, elders and religious leaders; helping out the poor and less privilege; assisting the parents in their daily house chores; personal grooming in health and cleanliness (both physically and mentally); protecting public property and environment as of one's own personal belonging; the significance of living in harmony with society by at least following the five precepts of the Dhamma (staying away without killing, stealing, lying and toxic consumptions, and be honest and follow correct behaviour in sex relationships which are applicable for all communities) and so on.

Apart from that we hope to bring to the lime-light the especial incidents and places that have historical importance along with our great and noble ancestral personalities like King Dutu Gemunu, King Maha Parakramabahu, King Buddhadasa and King Kassapa who lived in ancient Sri Lanka.

These leaders did a wondrous and exotic service in enriching the country by developing agriculture, constructing the huge water reservoirs like Tissa Wewa and Maha Parakrama Samudraya; building many religious sites and aesthetic marvels like the Ruwanweliseya Dagaba (pagoda) in Anuradhapura, Gadaladeniya rock temple and Embekke wooden temple in Kandy, Sigiriya frescos, the Avukana and Samadhi Buddha's statues in Anuradhapura and so on.... The number of persons and places we can bring into the limelight are immense.

We hope to include not merely the Sinhala Buddhists heroes but also of those in the other two communities (Tamils and Muslims) who sacrificed themselves in many ways for the benefit of this country both in the ancient times and the recent past such as in the struggle of Independence in Sri Lanka.

Question: Generally the local (government) school syllabus touches on Sri Lankan history. But we see a great disadvantage with the International schools in Sri Lanka as they follow the British or American curriculum. What are the suggestions you hope to forward to fill this gap?

Mrs.Karunaratne: Well, we have to agree that nowadays's many affluent families tend to send their children to these International schools. Once they come out, many of them either go abroad for higher studies and then tend to settle down there. Others would get into prominent ranks in the job market in Sri Lanka through their managerial skills and exposure to various subjects.

Why do they tend to go abroad?; I assume, firstly the better scope that is offered for them abroad. And secondly less regard and feeling for their motherland. And they have less intention of assisting out to develop this country.

And this is not applicable merely for International school children, but many others as well. Going abroad has become the only dream of many of today's younger generation. They might come back to Sri Lanka once they grow old.

But, by that time they might have already exhausted their youthful energy for the development of some other soil, and would have either very little or nothing to give away for their motherland. Those who remain will try to conduct their duties here, but with less knowledge of the real roots of their Nation.

What would happen when they get into the possessions in outstanding job field. Can you expect them to become fully pledges Sri Lankan based opinion makers? I wonder... Both these consequences would emerge as a result of the 'lack of knowledge and feelings for their own history, traditions, culture and moral values'.

There's no two theories and arguments about it. The children who do not know their roots become 'nowhere people in a nobody's land'. A complete lost! So, in this fact, all the International Schools should also be bring it under the same umbrella.

So, we do like to make an open invitation to the International Schools as well to join with us. It's the need of the hour! Even the countries like Scandinavia who have a short history, make their children proud of their country. We can get many examples from our nearest neighbour, India, whose citizens will not forget their culture where ever or which corner in the world they get settled down.

Question: It's quite impressive! However, what is the strategy of this program?

Mrs.Karunaratne: We have already schemed out a strategy. We have a long term goal that of by year 2018, and a mid-term achievement by year 2012.

The long term goal is to build up a society consisting of citizens who take pride in the heritage of the motherland and come forward in protecting it voluntarily.

The mid-term achievement will make the children aware of the theme, 'Nation's heritage is for children' and motivate them to take part in various activities implemented under this National Campaign, including the activities allocated in the school time tables to encourage them to incline in research work of the national heritage, norms, morals and values, and then to apply such traditional knowledge in day to day matters.

So, we hope this would vaccinate our younger generation in re-building the immunity system to re-charge the dying cultural values and inheritance, and would head towards a better society.

Question: Who are the targeting groups and the stakeholder that would take part in this?

Mrs.Karunaratne: School children (from the Pre-school level), teachers, parents, religious schools (sunday schools) will be targeted mainly. State sector, private sector and the community will have distinctive role to play in this National campaign.

Ministry of National Heritage will be the apex body, and the other seven Ministries which were named above will play a team role together.

Along with them the Ministry of Mass Media and Information will have to do an exceptional part accordingly by drawing an Action Plan to motivate all media institutions to promote Sri Lankan identity, values and social morals, and introducing a code of ethics and criteria for self-compliance by all media institutions.

Actually, in any society of the world, media play a great role as 'opinion makers'... We cannot get away with the truth, that the media is in the utmost peak of attraction of today's society. And if we intend inserting an opinion to the people, we certainly need the support of media.

Question: We can assure that the State Media would follow the said speculations under the government regulations. But, can you expect the private Media would do it?

Mrs.Karunaratne: That's true! But, that's why we stress the term 'self-compliance'... Even at present the private Media has intruded to the society immensely through their various enthralling projects.

The young media persons seem to be quite creative and we can make use of their talents in this projects immensely. But, unlike the state bodies (ministry projects) the private media institutions' target is 'money' , and then mainly for 'business'... So, they tend to implement programs or paper articles that would entice the viewers or readers easily.

To keep their bondage, they would introduce anything that they would think 'ok' for that purpose. So, that's why we have to educate and make our media personnel aware the dangerous situation we are heading towards, and then about the duty and the responsibility that lie on their hands and shoulders by the society.

Question: If they do not follow it?

Mrs.Karunaratne: 'Law and Order' will be the solution. Not merely for the media, but also for us all. This is because, as a nation, we like to be controlled by somebody superior to us. More than being par with 'self-discipline', our society loved to be 'ruled'.

I assume we have got this type of mentality by being under the Western reign for many years in the past which has also caused heavy damage to our cultural moral inheritances directly or indirectly. So, if 'being controlled' is the only remedy, we have to try that as the 'treatment'....

Question: Do you think we can apply this over Cable channels on International media as well?

Mrs.Karunaratne: We have to proceed step by step. We can discuss that with the private institutions handling them.

Question: You stress cultural values, religious institutions and Sunday Schools. Are targeting basically the Sinhala Buddhist community or else what? Can you explain it better?

Mrs.Karunaratne: Good question. We are not trying to implement all these only for the Sinhala Buddhists, but also for all the other communities in Sri Lanka. Catholics, Christians, Tamil-Hindus, Muslims and even the Burgher community will be treated equally as all of them are part of the future generation of this country.

Even the supplementary reading books will be in all three languages - Sinhala, Tamil and English. The State cannot push this concept forward all along. It's going to be a team work, and we need the public and media to hold hands with us.