Features

Political apathy amongst Sri Lankans’ is significant contributory factor to the current state of affairs

Published

4 years ago

2022/04/3

by Sanjeewa Jayaweera

Political apathy is best described when a citizen is indifferent in their attitude to political activities, such as electing politicians, having opinions, and their civic responsibility. A more simplified term for political apathy would be that someone ‘cannot be bothered’ to participate in their country’s political system.

There is no doubt that the country is amid an economic meltdown. It is in free fall, and where it will end depends on how quickly those entrusted with the country’s governance take decisive action. A few independent economists and financial analysts have been calling on the government over the last 18 months to make challenging and unpopular decisions as otherwise, the country might end up like Lebanon. Unfortunately, the country and the people are in this precarious situation because those calls went unheeded.

It is possible that most people have not read about the severe economic downfall of Lebanon, where currently, only two hours of electricity a day is supplied from the national grid. The currency has devalued significantly, and the black-market rate for the dollar is about 400 per cent higher than the official rate. There is a great scarcity of food and medicines. Politicians are fighting among themselves. Sounds familiar?

Despite many upheavals that our country has gone through due to the civil war that continued for a quarter of a century, two violent uprisings by the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP), the Easter Sunday bomb attack, the Tsunami in 2004 and race riots, the people have not experienced such hardships as they do now. Most are shell shocked, angry and unable to fathom how things we took for granted, such as uninterrupted power, diesel, petrol and cooking gas being readily available despite soaring word prices are no longer easily available.

The poorer segment of the society is out on the streets, standing in queues to purchase essentials like milk powder, cooking gas and kerosene. In addition, many who earn their living by providing transport services are in diesel queues, unable to earn their daily sustenance. In addition, skyrocketing prices make many essentials unaffordable. This population segment openly criticizes the government for its inaction and inability to resolve the problems. Some have resorted to blocking roads, hindering road traffic.

A small segment of the middle class has begun to express their concern and criticism of the government by participating in a silent protest holding placards and candles along the roadside without disturbing traffic. The placards are pretty explicit in their disapproval of the government. These gatherings are no doubt “apolitical.”

In most societies, the middle class consisting of professionals and academics, are vocal against political mismanagement and generally acts as a powerful voice to hold governments to account. However, in Sri Lanka, we, the middle class until now, have abdicated such responsibilities as our lives have centered around building wealth and performing parental duties. Many might say, “what is wrong with that?” But unfortunately, the sad reality is the current state of affairs. In addition, many have remained silent, indifferent and tolerant of the rampant corruption that pervades our country. This is despite many coming from families where corruption was considered a crime by their parents. Only recently, several economic academics have come on television and openly disagreed with the government’s economic policies. A case of too little too late?

The private sector must be silently seething with anger. They have been struggling against the odds since 1985 due to various factors that I have mentioned in a previous paragraph. In addition, inconsistent and poorly thought out economic policies, corruption, inefficiency and lethargy among the public service, and, more often than not, a poorly trained workforce has challenged their resolve. Nevertheless, it is to the private sector’s credit that the country has ticked over despite the constraints.

But, as in the case of the middle class, the private sector stands accused of being subservient to successive governments and being tolerant and even complicit in corruption. There is no doubt that the private sector needs the goodwill of the government in power to further their business activities and furtherance of business-friendly policies.

Their reluctance to come forward with constructive comments was well illustrated during the Yahapalana government when the head of the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce, a much respected and proven business leader, was publicly rebuked and his political loyalties questioned by the then Prime Minister. This is after the chamber requested the government to provide additional information to the public about the proposed MCC agreement with the US government. No one came to his defence except for an article I wrote supporting the gentleman concerned.

There is no doubt that the politicians we have elected since independence in 1948 have failed us. They have been devoid of vision, leadership, intelligence, and integrity, the primary reason for our predicament.

However, we, the people, are equally culpable for the current state of affairs. We have been, for several decades, politically apathetic. We have exercised our franchise irresponsibly for decades. We continue to elect those who have failed repeatedly and are responsible for crimes and corruption.

Those who have the competence and integrity to govern have abdicated their civic responsibility. Many of our skilled and competent professionals and academics have migrated in search of greener pastures. Those who remained decided to lead a “quiet” life and avoid any active participation in expressing disapproval of wrongdoings by politicians. The quotation “All that is needed for the forces of evil to succeed is for enough good men to remain silent” is applicable in this instance.

The few who had the courage of their conviction to express constructive criticism were either penalized or ignored. For example, my late brother Rajeewa who worked at Sri Lankan Airlines for nearly two decades wrote 40 articles in seven years about how unprofessionally the airline was managed and operated by successive governments. He gave numerous examples of serious mistakes made by people appointed to the board and senior management positions who lacked experience in the aviation industry and even business and managerial competence. The only qualifications they had were that they were either related to or were good friends of the higher-ups in government.

The net result is that the country’s taxpayers are burdened with a liability they can not afford. But unfortunately, no one, either retired or working at the airline, ever wrote in support of his disclosures and supported the request to privatize the airline. All remained silent despite agreeing privately but with the advice, “machan, just keep silent; nothing will change.” Even his personal life was negatively impacted due to his critical articles as he was consistently rebuked and reminded, “my sales will come down if you antagonize those in the airline.”

Many other state-owned enterprises, including the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) and the Ceylon Petroleum (CPC), have been for decades run inefficiently. No effort has been made to eliminate the losses and restructure them to be operated as sustainable businesses. In that regard, the militant trade unions need to be held responsible for their continued opposition to such proposals. Only a few months back, I wrote an article recommending that the government should ban all industrial action by trade unions for the next five years. I highlighted that to come out of the economic quagmire we are in, many unpopular and difficult decisions will need to be made, which trade unions will oppose.

How many will publicly agree with my recommendation despite these two organizations being responsible for the immense suffering we are enduring? The wild cat strikes by the health and railway workers have also caused great inconvenience to the public. The question is whether we accept such unreasonable behaviour or demand decisive action such as dismissal from service for engaging in an activity to inconvenience the public. After all, we are the taxpayers who pay their salaries.

How many of us read the reports published by the Auditor General disclosing colossal waste, corruption and inefficiency in state enterprises or critically analyze the annual budget? To be only interested in whether the personal income tax rate has been reduced and the single person allowance has been enhanced will not suffice.

I, for one, hope that the people of this country, in the future, will be actively involved in publicly voicing their opinion and disapproving of actions against the public interest, whether committed by politicians or trade unions. Of course, it will be too little too late to state the obvious, but then we need to start from somewhere.

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Features

Political violence stalking Trump administration

Published

8 hours ago

2026/04/30

Sahan Weerasooriya

A scene that unfolded during the shooting incident at the recent White House Correspondents’ Dinner in Washington. (BBC)

It would not be particularly revelatory to say that the US is plagued by ‘gun violence’. It is a deeply entrenched and widespread malaise that has come in tandem with the relative ease with which firearms could be acquired and owned by sections of the US public, besides other causes.

However, a third apparent attempt on the life of US President Donald Trump in around two and a half years is both thought-provoking and unsettling for the defenders of democracy. After all, whatever its short comings the US remains the world’s most vibrant democracy and in fact the ‘mightiest’ one. And the US must remain a foremost democracy for the purpose of balancing and offsetting the growing power of authoritarian states in the global power system, who are no friends of genuine representational governance.

Therefore, the recent breaching of the security cordon surrounding the White House Correspondents’ Dinner in Washington at which President Trump and his inner Cabinet were present, by an apparently ‘Lone Wolf’ gunman, besides raising issues relating to the reliability of the security measures deployed for the President, indicates a notable spike in anti-VVIP political violence in particular in the US. It is a pointer to a strong and widespread emergence of anti-democratic forces which seem to be gaining in virulence and destructiveness.

The issues raised by the attack are in the main for the US’ political Right and its supporters. They have smugly and complacently stood by while the extremists in their midst have taken centre stage and begun to dictate the course of Right wing politics. It is the political culture bred by them that leads to ‘Lone Wolf’ gunmen, for instance, who see themselves as being repressed or victimized, taking the law into their own hands, so to speak, and perpetrating ‘revenge attacks’ on the state and society.

A disproportionate degree of attention has been paid particularly internationally to Donald Trump’s personality and his eccentricities but such political persons cannot be divorced from the political culture in which they originate and have their being. That is, “structural” questions matter. Put simply, Donald Trump is a ‘true son’ of the Far Right, his principal support base. The issues raised are therefore for the President as well as his supporters of the Right.

We are obliged to respect the choices of the voting public but in the case of Trump’s election to the highest public position in the US, this columnist is inclined to see in those sections that voted for Trump blind followers of the latter who cared not for their candidate’s suitability, in every relevant respect, and therefore acted irrationally. It would seem that the Right in the US wanted their candidate to win by ‘hook or by crook’ and exercise power on their behalf.

By making the above observations this columnist does not intend to imply that voting publics everywhere in the world of democracy cast their vote sensibly. In the case of Sri Lanka, for example, the question could be raised whether the voters of the country used their vote sensibly when voting into office the majority of Executive Presidents and other persons holding high public office. The obvious answer is ‘no’ and this should lead to a wider public discussion on the dire need for thoroughgoing voter education. The issue is a ‘huge’ one that needs to be addressed in the appropriate forums and is beyond the scope of this column.

Looking back it could be said that the actions of Trump and his die-hard support base led to the Rule of Law in the US being undermined as perhaps never before in modern times. A shaming moment in this connection was the protest march, virtually motivated by Trump, of his supporters to the US Capitol on January 6th, 2021, with the aim of scuttling the presidential poll result of that year. Much violence and unruly behaviour, as known, was let loose. This amounted to denigrating the democratic process and encouraging the violent take over of the state.

In a public address, prior to the unruly conduct of his supporters, Trump is on record as blaring forth the following: ‘We won this election and we won by a landslide’, ‘We will stop the steal’, ‘We will never give up. We will never concede. It doesn’t happen’, ‘If you don’t fight like hell, you’re not going to have a country anymore.’

It is plain to see that such inflammatory utterances could lead impressionable minds in particular to revolt violently. Besides, they should have led the more rationally inclined to wonder whether their candidate was the most suitable person to hold the office of President.

Unfortunately, the latter process was not to be and the question could be raised whether the US is in the ‘safest pair of hands’. Needless to say, as events have revealed, Donald Trump is proving to be one of the most erratic heads of state the US has ever had.

However, the latest attempt on the life of President Trump suggests that considerable damage has been done to the democratic integrity of the US and none other than the President himself has to take on himself a considerable proportion of the blame for such degeneration, besides the US’ Far Right. They could be said to be ‘reaping the whirlwind.’

It is a time for soul-searching by the US Right. The political Right has the right to exist, so the speak, in a functional democracy but it needs to take cognizance of how its political culture is affecting the democratic integrity or health of the US. Ironically, the repressive and chauvinistic politics advocated by it is having the effect of activating counter-violence of the most murderous kind, as was witnessed at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner. Continued repressive politics could only produce more such incidents that could be self-defeating for the US.

Some past US Presidents were assassinated but the present political violence in the country brings into focus as perhaps never before the role that an anti-democratic political culture could play in unraveling the gains that the US has made over the decades. A duty is cast on pro-democracy forces to work collectively towards protecting the democratic integrity and strength of the US.

Features

22nd Anniversary Gala …action-packed event

Published

8 hours ago

2026/04/30

Sahan Weerasooriya

The Skyliners: Shanaka Viswakula (bass), Mario Ranasuriya (lead guitar), Daryl D'Souza (keyboards) and Kushmin Balasuriya (drums)

The Editor-in-Chief of The Sri Lankan Anchorman, a Toronto-based monthly, celebrating Sri Lankan community life in Canada, is none other than veteran Sri Lankan journalist Dirk Tissera, who moved to Canada in 1997. His wife, Michelle, whom he calls his “tower of strength”, is the Design Editor.

According to reports coming my way, the paper has turned out to be extremely popular in Toronto.

In fact, The Sri Lankan Anchorman won a press award in Toronto for excellence in editorial content and visual presentation.

However, the buzz in the air in Canada, right now, is The Sri Lankan Anchorman’s 22nd Anniversary Gala, to be held on Friday, 12 June, 2026, at the J&J Swagat Banquet Convention Centre, in Toronto.

An action-packed programme has been put together for the night, featuring some of the very best artistes in the Toronto scene.

The Skylines, who are classified as ‘the local musical band in Toronto’, will headline the event.

Dirk Tissera and wife Michelle: Supporting Sri Lanka-Canada community events, in Toronto, since launching The Anchorman
in 2002

They have performed and backed many legendary Sri Lanka singers.

According to Dirk, The Skylines can belt out a rhythm with gusto … be it Western, Sinhala or Tamil hits.

Also adding sparkle to the evening will be the legendary Fahmy Nazick, who, with his smooth and velvety vocals, will have the crowd on the floor.

Fahmy who was a household name, back in Sri Lanka, will be flying down from Virginia, USA.

He has captivated audiences in Sri Lanka, the Middle East and North America, and this will be his fourth visit to Toronto – back by popular demand,

Cherry DeLuna, who is described by Dirk as a powerhouse, also makes her appearance on stage and is all set to stir up the tempo with her cool and easy delivery.

“She’s got a great voice and vocal range that has captivated audiences out here”, says Dirk.

Chamil Welikala, said to be one of the hottest DJs in town, will be spinning his magic … in English, Sinhala, Tamil and Latin.

Both Jive and Baila competitions are on the cards among many other surprises on the night of 12 June.

This is The Anchorman’s fifth annual dance in a row – starting from 2022, 2023, 2024 and 2025 – and both Dirk and Michelle, and The Anchorman, have always produced elegant social events in Toronto.

“We intend to knock this one out of the park,” the duo says, adding that Western music and Sinhala and Tamil songs is something they’ve always delivered and the crowd loves it.

“We have always supported Sri Lanka-Canada community events, in Toronto, since launching The Anchorman, in 2002, and we intend to keep it that way.”

No doubt, there will be a large crowd of Sri Lankans, from all communities, turning up, on 12 June, to support Dirk, Michelle and The Anchorman.

Features

Face Pack for Radiant Skin

Published

8 hours ago

2026/04/30

Sahan Weerasooriya

* Apple and Orange:

Blend a few apple and orange pieces together. Add to it a pinch of turmeric and one tablespoon of honey. Apply it to the face and neck and rinse off after 30 minutes. This face pack is suitable for all skin types.

According to experts, apple is one of the best fruits for your skin health with Vitamin A, B complex and Vitamin C and minerals, while, with the orange peel, excessive oil secretion can be easily balanced.

* Mango and Curd:

Ripe mango pulp, mixed with curd, can be rubbed directly onto the skin to remove dirt and cleanse clogged pores. Rinse off after a few minutes.

Yes, of course, mango is a tasty and delicious fruit and this is the mango season in our part of the world, and it has extra-ordinary benefits to skin health. Vitamins C and E in mangoes protect the skin from the UV rays of the sun and promotes cell regeneration. It also promotes skin elasticity and fights skin dullness and acne, while curd, in combination, further adds to it.

* Grapes and Kiwi:

Take a handful of grapes and make a pulp of it. Simultaneously, take one kiwi fruit and mash it after peeling its skin. Now mix them and add some yoghurt to it. Apply it on your face for few minutes and wash it off.

Here again experts say that kiwi is the best nutrient-rich fruit with high vitamin C, minerals, Omega-3 fatty acids and vitamin E, while grapes contain flavonoids, which is an antioxidant that protects the skin from free radical damage. This homemade face pack acts as a natural cleanser and slows down the ageing process.