Ever since 1983 when the riots broke out and the ethnic conflict grew to monstrous proportions we have hoped that each New Year would be better than the one that had just passed by. Unless the root of that conflict is identified and addressed we are heading for 1997 with blinkers on.
With one-third of its term over the People's Alliance Government has little to show for 1996 by way of performance and results, though the promises and the rhetoric continued to flow.
Militarily, government troops regained substantial control of the Jaffna peninsula dealing a heavy blow to the LTTE psyche. But the LTTE struck back when it overran the Mullaitivu camp to inflict the worst ever blow to the Army. Some 1,500 troops died in that calamity and in any other country the head of the Army would have resigned. But the government took cover under a prolonged media censorship on the cockeyed if not crazy presumption that what the people did not know did not happen.
On the economic front the growth rate is falling, inflation and the cost of living are skyrocketing and unemployment is rising in a typical crisis of stagflation, though the Central Bank Governor says that everything is fine. Essentially it seems to be a lack of vision and direction, going to different extremes at different times with contradictory signals and even the last budget projecting a hotch-potch of theories but little in terms of COL relief or direct jobs for the people.
Even in Sri Lanka's darkest times when everything appeared to be falling apart, it was the judiciary that held aloft the torch of freedom. But the unprecedented crisis in recent months had shaken the people's faith in the judiciary. In the appointment of Justice Shirani Bandaranayake to the Supreme Court and the removal of Justice Ministry Secretary Dara Wijetillaka, a crisis could have been avoided if there had been more consultation and accommodation rather than authoritarianism.
Another bastion of freedom, the independent media, was also bludgeoned with editors of the free press spending their days in courts and consulting their lawyers.
Going to dangerous extremes the government appears to be handing over everything to the private sector and sometimes to monopolies, while the public service is being marginalised or undermined and public servants like teachers being unfairly blamed for all ills. The public service has produced and still has much potential but it is stifled by excessive party political interference. If political interference is curbed and public servants are given freedom, recognition and proper remuneration, the public service could be revived into a dynamic second force to compete with the private sector.
With political thuggery also raising its ugly head again and the President unfortunately repeating something similar to the infamous Attanagalla Doctrine of 1973, the country seems to be stumbling into 1997 on the political front. The abolition of the Executive Presidency is still being linked to the controversial devolution package and the motive is getting quite obvious now. Playing constitutional games with gimmicks such as non-binding referendums indicate a desire not so much to find a solution but to play safe or stay safe in powerful office.
Recently the government proposed Local Government elections for the Northeast but almost all Tamil parties howled in protest, saying the conditions were not conducive for free and fair elections. If local polls cannot be held there it is hard to imagine how devolution packages could be implemented.
Though we are embroiled in a valley of darkness, the dawn must surely come and we hope that 1997 would be a peaceful year. We would join everyone in saying, "Let there be peace in our country and let it begin with me."
The divisive politics we are witnessing in our country will in indeed frustrate such sentiments.
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