BISHOPS IN METHODISM

                                   

                   The Aragalaya – The Struggle

 

Sri Lanka is an island that has had quite a few arm struggles. Especially the 1971 and 1989 uprisings in the south and the 30-year uprising in the North and east have left wounds and scars in the hearts of so many. The sufferings that people had to go through during such times did not provide much public support for those who led the struggles. The turn of events due to the economic and political chaos created by the politicians especially the Rajapaksha government, has certainly spurt the people into the streets and built up a struggle without the use of arms.

At the time of writing, 47 days have been completed to the ‘ARAGALAYA’ that is staged in front of the Presidential Secretariat at Galle face. Many thought that this will not go very long. Some wondered how could such a demonstration be sustained without a political party leadership? However, through sunshine and rain, day and night people from all walks of life have joined to keep vigil. This is a new philosophy which seems to be very catchy and appealing to everyone due to the recent turn of events, where the citizens have been harassed with untold sufferings caused by daily power cuts for longer hours, shortage of LPG gas, shortage of fuel crippling the transport; shortage of essential medicines and medical equipment for surgical/medical procedures etc.

                                                                            

The zeroing of foreign exchange at the Central Bank with its rippling effect has made the economy go down the hill. The unbearable cost of living has made the people come to the streets and express their frustration saying “Enough is enough! The government has to go home”

The Aragalaya and its attractive features

• From day one of the Aragalaya, the unique feature of being multi-faceted has created space foreveryone from different walks of life. Sinhala, Tamil, Muslim and Burgher communities have truly come together highlighting their identity as Sri Lankans. Successive governments have failed to give a good emphasis on the Sri Lankan identity devoid of ethnoreligious labels. But it’s so amazing, how the Sri Lankan identity has now emerged in the Aragalaya Bhumiya (site). 

• People and clergy from different religions have stood together performing multi-religious observances at the same site. The clergy of all four religions have become guardian angels of the Aragalaya. They have stood together as human barriers against the elements of danger and threat to the Aragalaya.

• Aragalaya has several booths that provided information to the public on various subjects. People were saying “I never knew this…” “Now I know how to deal with…….” which shows that the Aragalaya was empowering them to exercise their civic rights.

• Aragalaya has a participatory nature where people could place their signatures on memorandums or petitions that are addressed to international bodies on matters of justice and public interest. At one such point of signing a petition, I had to stand for 25 minutes in the queue which indicates the enthusiasm people had in doing so.

• Aragalaya is also a place of Hope. I met a parent walking with his wife and two children who honestly said “I don’t have the means to send my children overseas. If this Aragalaya achieves its objectives then I have hope for my children’s future”. This may be one of the reasons to see families and parents with very small children come to the Aragalaya site. It is also amazing to see how newly married couples come immediately after the marriage ceremony and Young parents come with their newborn babies to the Aragalaya site – I see them as symbols of seeking a better future for the next generation.
  

The attack on the Aragalaya

The Rajapaksha government has played all the trump cards to stop the Aragalaya including a despicable attack on the peaceful demonstrators of the Aragalaya on the 9th of May 2022. The busloads of people brought to Temple Trees were charged emotionally by corrupt politicians like Johnston Fernando – who has not been arrested up to now. Temple Trees has been the official residence of successive Prime Ministers and two former Presidents of our country. It has a tradition of Prime Ministers leaving gracefully and peacefully at the end of their term of office mostly after an election defeat. The resignation of Mahinda Rajapaksha was agreed upon the previous day at a meeting with President Gotabaya. But the video footage of the meeting Mahinda Rajapaksha held on the 9th May at temple trees shows him asking the audience “What do you say? should I resign?”. Naturally, the answer came from the audience “No, don’t resign”. The emotionally charged speech he made set fire to the entire nation with violence, quite similar to the saying “yana yaka korahath bindagena yanawa”.

The participants of the Aragalaya who became the victims of the 9th May attack maintained their non-violent approach even during the dastardly attack. The video footages show that the victims in the face of the attack were not only helpless but also struggling to bare up the pain they experienced both physically and emotionally. However, they did not give up the Aragalaya. By the same evening of the attack, they rebuilt everything which was an indication of their morale which could not be broken down. Their return to Aragalaya carries a clear message “What was broken down are only fleeting structures. The objectives for which the Aragalaya came into being move on and cannot be destroyed or crushed at any cost”

The Aragalaya has to move beyond Gall Face to achieve its objectives

It would be an encouragement to the activists of the Aragalaya when we the general public recognize that the Aragalaya has awakened the whole nation and shaken the very foundations of the Rajapaksha dynasty without spilling any blood. It has made Mahinda Rajapaksha resign from the premiership which was the cry of “Myna Go Gama”. What about the “Gota Go Gama”? Will it ever happen in the same manner with ‘Myna Go Gama”? While the cry “Gota Go Home” continues It is now strongly felt by many that there should be a different strategy which calls for a road map beyond Aragalaya at Galle Face. It has to bring in representatives from various forums that have been addressing the abolishing of the executive presidency, the controversial 20th amendment, and what should be included in the 21st amendment as immediate measures to remove the threats to democracy. It has to be done as a collective exercise without allowing only one group or a few people to handle it which can be very detrimental to the objectives of the Aragalaya. Some persons want to achieve their agendas and are trying to hijack the whole run without meeting the national interests. Besides, some elements favour the Rajapaksha dynasty for their survival and safety. They are all out to jeopardize and destroy the forward march of the Aragalaya. With the appointment of the new cabinet by the President one could sense that there is a sinister move to bring in certain people whose track record is not at all satisfactory when looking through the norms and demands of the Aragalaya. I pray that the great awakening which has come upon the people of Sri Lanka through the Aragalaya will remain to be vigilant against all the bunkum that corrupt politicians will try to bring in out of their power hunger sans the love and commitment to serve Sri Lanka.

Rev. Asiri P. Perera

Retired President Bishop

Methodist Church Sri Lanka