The Land Of The Indifferent
By Tisaranee Gunasekara
Three children a day are raped
Unpopular ideas can be silenced, and inconvenient facts kept dark, without the need for any official ban…. At any given moment there is an orthodoxy, a body of ideas which it is assumed that all right-thinking people will accept without question. It is not exactly forbidden to say this, that or the other, but it is ‘not done’ to say it…”
— George Orwell (Proposed Preface to Animal Farm)
Every day, three children are raped in Sri Lanka….. Why aren’t we outraged?
The incarceration of Gen. Fonseka, the 18th Amendment or the Rajapaksa dynastic project are contentious political issues; not so child rape. Child rape is an abomination which everyone of us, irrespective of our politics or lack of it, can and must condemn, unequivocally and in unison. One child raped is one child too many; the daily rape of three children is a menace which must be eradicated from Lanka soil.
And, yet, silence reigns, two weeks after the Sunday Times report appeared (3.10.2010). Silence on the part of the government and the opposition, religious leaders and self-appointed guardians of traditional morality. Silence in the Parliament and outside. And a societal silence as reprehensible as it is astounding. Has indifference become a coarse habit which inures us to the most heinous of crimes and most barbarous of outrages, as long as we are not the victims?
There is nothing singular about our collective indifference to the proliferation of child rape. In the recent past, we reacted with equal indifference to media revelations about unacceptably high levels of child malnutrition and child poverty and debilitating educational standards. A country which is seriously concerned about its future cannot ignore a steady erosion in the safety, health, education and general wellbeing of a substantial percentage of its children. Yet there is no outcry, political or public, no parliamentary debates or public perorations, no crisis plans or emergency action programmes about any of these issues. We are learning to coexist with horrors and abominations, so long as they do not touch us personally.
Addressing the Istanbul Conference on Freedom of Speech, Noam Chomsky opined that ‘even more fundamental than the right to free expression is the right to think.’ What happens when a populace willingly abdicates its right to think, because it considers thinking burdensome and, perhaps, dangerous? What happens when a populace embraces indifference as a way of life outside of one’s private sphere? Did our gradual descent into moral indifference begin in the North, when we unquestioningly accepted the outrageous lie of zero-civilian casualties? We cling to that anesthetising myth even now, single-mindedly ignoring such dribbles of truth, as the statement by an Indian doctor, who treated civilian Tamils in the last weeks of the war, about ‘massive casualties among civilians’ (around 30,000; Hindustan Times – 1.6.2010).
Motivated by that same stupefying yearning for ignorance, we drew veils of concealment over testimonies by civilian Tamils at the LLRC hearings. Such as the testimony of Ratnasingham Easwary, who escaped from Tiger clutches on May 10, 2009 via the lagoon. When her boat was intercepted by the Navy, “we called out that we were civilians and asked them not to shoot at us. Yet minutes later eight shells were directed towards our boats from the Navy ships. Of the 20 who travelled in our boat eight were killed” (Groundviews).
The survivors were rescued by the Navy; subsequently Ms. Ratnasingham’s brother-in-law was taken away by the Navy; his fate is still unknown. In answer to a question, the witness reiterated that there were no arms in the boat and there were no Tiger boats close-by; they were all civilians and shouted so to the Navy many times, she said. Civilians died, and some avoidably. But we will continue to cling to our happy illusions, lest we are lured to think and to question our indifference…
A Militarised Peace
More than a year after the victorious end of the Eelam War, defence remains the topmost budgetary priority of the Rajapaksas. A defence budget at a stratospheric Rs.215 billion cannot but gobble up the peace dividend (the health budget at Rs.6.2 billion is about 3% of the defence budget while education and higher education budget at Rs.24.7 billion is around 12% of the defence budget). Defence remains the cardinal consideration of the Rajapaksas, over and above economic or social development, even in peace time.
The LTTE is incapable of regrouping and rearming, Minister G.L. Peiris recently assured the world. If so, why spend an unacceptably high 20% of total government expenditure on defence? Wouldn’t it make sense to channel some of this money into fulfilling health, educational, housing and employment needs of the North and East? The North needs a Marshall Plan but is getting military camps and cantonments instead. Obviously the Rajapaksa objective is not consensual peace-building but forceful pacification. This is further confirmed by the regime’s disinclination to do its constitutional duty by fully implementing the 13th Amendment.
As Minister Peiris said in response to Indian insistence on a political solution, “It is impossible to talk of exact time frame for implementing the 13th Amendment, it is a great mistake to do because if you talk of a timeframe and then you are not able to complete the process, it is bound to be conjecture, speculative, then there is erosion of credibility” (ANI – 16.10.2010). Obviously a political solution is not on, though a desperate Delhi may continue with the charade, to save face and to appease Tamil Nadu.
As the Tamil witnesses at the LLRC hearings indicated, the demise of the Tigers has not killed the desire for self-rule (naturally, as the Tigers were born due to a dearth and not a surfeit of self-rule): “When the people of Kilinochchi gave evidence they said that the armed conflict was the result of the of the feelings of those who were affected by ethnic conflict…. Since both sides have experienced losses…the people stressed that finding a permanent political solution for the Tamil people was imperative to prevent future generations from taking up arms….” (ibid).
The ethnic problem is a living reality but any Tamil who demands a political solution will be deemed an enemy. In the Sinhala supremacist eyes of the Rajapaksas, there is no difference between Tamil nationalism and Tiger fascism. Tamils will be able to gain a place in post-war Sri Lanka, only at the cost of submission to Sinhala supremacism and Rajapaksa dominance. If the Tamils behave, they can be free, safe and perhaps even successful, by the grace of the Rajapaksas; if they become ‘demanding’ they will be labelled as Tigers and treated accordingly.
Indifference and impunity are mutually-sustaining cancers which cannot be isolated politically or geographically; eventually the South too will be consumed by these twin ills. The proposed barricading of the country would be aimed at guaranteeing the Rajapaksa right to impunity (according to the official narrative, national interests and Rajapaksa interests are identical). But the prime guarantor of Rajapaksa impunity will be our own habit of indifference. After all, what cannot be done to and on behalf of a society which remains unmoved by the rape of its children, three a day?
How can the Tamils thank you enough for continuing to give them your voice fearlessly and fiercely ?
Dear Eureka,
They part of our society and if you are not used to pure journalism, please do not show your ignorance. Read the Daily news and be happy.
You still have not learnt a lesson , someone need to provide them the voice.
Long live multi ethnic Srilanka
True democrat wants us to read read Daily News, a newspaper which is a disgrace to journalism. It merely supports whatever the government does without taking a critical view as many other newspapers do.
True democrat is stooge of the government in power which is a menace to the free society.
True democat will learn a bitter lesson in the near future when freedom and true democracy will find its place this Blessed Coutry – Sri Lanka
Absolutely excellent article ! No beating about the bush here !! Thank you :)
Sri lankan minority suffering lot. Even majority not allow to Schooling minority childern.The laws are useless. Country move to kingdom.
Exactly! “Eureka” has hit the nail on the head. Not only Tamils, but the remaining LTTE would always thank you for this, Thisaranee! one thing I have found in this newspaper is that it is always against Sri Lanka whatever Sri Lanka does. Why is it so appalling for you people that Sri Lanka is getting a new sea port? A new airport? New overhead roads? New Roads? new Universities? More chances to have an education for our children, etc, etc? Why don’t you write about the street-children? Why not write about the enormous earnings of certain private hospitals? Certain doctors? etc. etc? Why ONLY write against Sri Lanka???!
Political impunity has become the way of life in this country. If you are a government even a low down palath sabha MP then you are an untouchable where the law is concerned , you are more equal than others. Corruption and impunity go hand in hand and every government deal stinks.
With an impotent opposition not raising even a whimper against mega deals awarded sans tenders the government and the country is been run Kade Mudalali style with Rajapaksha Mudalali running the show and the brothers doing as they please.
One of todays newspapers carry an article of how the Army grounds and complex at Galle Face (You cannot get a more prime property than that in all of Sri Lanka) is to be handed over to a hotel chain to put up a Hotel and that it has been finalized. Can our pathetic opposition ask this government
1. Who gave the authority for such a decision.
2. What procedures were adopted to hand over this land to this party.
3. Were proposals invited or tenders called.
4. Who did the valuation for this land
5. How many parties were called to submit proposals.
6. Does this property belong to the Rajapaksha’s or the people of Sri lanka.
7. Were Sri Lankan companies invited to submit proposals for this land.
8. What is the extent of this land and what is the valuation per perch.
9. Who will receive the money from this deal. Which ministry or person.
10. Why, What, When , How and Who selected this investor.
They regularly profess that they are not corrupt and that they are above board. Not only those that profess these lofty statements back up these with their actions but they must also appear to be so.
To Shangri-la one message , a similar deal was enacted with a golf course and complex a few years ago and today their investment has come a copper. Before parting with your Filthy lucre look into our history, the Kings of today have become beggars of tomorrow and at the end of the day unless you do things the Right way you will be that much poorer in future. One statement that have stood the test of time and what this government and its cronies should realize is that NOTHING IS PERMANENT.
these peelamists are just cant stand that we r not letting our guard down..just look at how this tamil racist cries about defense spending…dream on we will make sure tamil racists will never ever rise again in this land!
The “Tamil Racista” were taught lessons ever since 1951. But still they have not learned to keep their mouths shut.
http://nesohr.org/hrr/?show=all
They even now keep saying that equality is their birthright!
Tamils never wanted equality- they always wanted superiority! That is the source of all evil in this country! Bloody Tamil Supremacy!!!
Did her famous comrade-in-arms also once upon a time give the tamils his fearless and fierce voice voice .That was until he fell to the carrots that were dangled in front of him. Today an an ambassador overseas, this one time newspaper reporters fearless and fierce voice is raised in defence of everything he once condemned. Waasi Patthata Hoyya!
Dogs bark, but truth remains as absolute truth. Good and eye opening article.This the way that we have to think. Then we can develop as a nation. Keep on.
From what I have observed in the past the country/government will just blame all the counttries ills on foreigners.Denial and ignoring
is a national trait from the top to the bottom.This stops anybody having to stand up on their hind legs for what is right.
Now then ,,,,,who was it that said to look inwardly to find our answers .??
If Tisaranee is genuine about her feelings she should go to the North and help her people, the poor Tamils who had to go through the war because of the terror LTTE. Now that the LTTE is no more Tisarannee keeps whinging. Dogs bark and the caravan moves.
Good article. It is sad that children are being raped, and no one seems to care.
Whatever happened to our good, Buddhist, society. Compassion is out of the window. Criminals are getting away with murder, looting, and rape. It seems like a country gone berserk. We are far away from being a just and civilized society.
In Sri Lanka you can kill, and bribe your way out of the system.
Yes, Randi is correct! Hand over Sri Lanka to the LTTE , suicide bombers, terrorists and so on . Tisaranee will be so happy then!
Three children a day is small in number for the eyes that are only interested in
millions.Therefore,a magnifying glass might help.Put the number a bit higher
by going into a month.Ninety children a month.Our lifestyle MUST change and
nothing else will work.Mutual respect is a rare commodity in the paradise.
Laugh off at each other is the best form of entertainment at all times.People
have to change.To change,you got to give up many negative habits and adopt
new positive ones which are serious ones.Learn to be serious which are
seriously difficult but profoundly rewarding.A serious society will have more
prosperity and less everything else,including crimes and crimes against
humanity.