Development without social imperatives destroys social structures

by Shaine

"Look!

One can actually see a patch of sky,

One can see it from this balcony

(only to call it balcony would be

to glorify it far beyond its function).

Just a corridor with a view

Not much – just a little patch

Of not-so-blue

Sky ………

And even that not-so-blue is darkening, now

darkening into grey, and your face is thundering, now,

Thundering, and inside me it has already started, the hard rain."

(January 01, Colombo, Sri Lanka Guardian) Richard de Zoysa’s poem was about his emotions in another context. But these are the same emotions that many in our country will experience as we turn another year in our history. These are the emotions that are expressed so correctly in Bishop Duleep de Chickera’s Christmas message this year. Christmas messages usually tend to be sanctimonious platitudes wishing everyone goodwill and good cheer but rarely touching the lives of people. That is why Bishop de Chickera’s is different. It touches three vital concerns that currently agitate the minds and lives of tens of thousands of ordinary and marginalized people in our country.

In his message, Bishop de Chickera stated: "Jesus was born in a cattle shed. A census required by the then political regime created this situation. When Mary was ready to give birth there was no room for them amongst their own; even her vulnerability made little difference. The celebration of Christmas today compels us to address the anxieties of those who have no room amongst their own; whose vulnerability seems to make little difference.

The urban poor, living in congested communities fear relocation to unfriendly and distant places that will dislocate them from their livelihood and their children’s schooling. There is no longer room for them in the big city.

The Negombo lagoon fisher community, fear an adverse impact of sea plane tourism on their traditional livelihood. There is little room for them in their own habitat.

The IDPs, still waiting for normalcy; our rural subsistence farmers, still left to their own devices; the plantation sector, still confined to the margins of life ; are some of the other neglected communities amongst us. There is no room for their dignity and legitimate aspirations in our development plans and national conscience.

Development that neglects the fears and needs of our own "little people" in preference to collaboration with financial giants, amounts to yet another form of neo-colonialism. These investors benefit at the expense of the powerless amongst us, simply because the cries of the powerless do not seem to matter.

The celebration of Christmas consequently calls for inclusive development. Dialogue for economic development with prospective investors must also address dialogue for human dignity with our own vulnerable communities. To exclude these anxious and hard working Sri Lankans is to make a serious political and economic mistake. I urge those elected to resolve the problems of the people; to listen to their cries and to serve them.

Jesus the liberator was born in vulnerable circumstances. The vulnerable amongst us offer us all a liberating perspective on inclusive development."

We have quoted the message in full because the concerns raised by Bishop de Chickera concern all of us, not just the faithful of Bishop de Chickera’s church. Those are concerns that our political leadership, both government and opposition, must address with fairness and justice particularly to those affected. Those are concerns that our opinion makers, the media and civil society, must also raise loudly and clearly. But sadly, many have been intimidated into silence and those who should be raising these issues fear to do so. It is only a few men and women of courage who dare to question the many instances of corruption, injustice and abuses of authority that go in the name of development. This is why we have to be thankful for people like Bishop de Chickera for raising these pertinent issues. He has raised three issues which are of immediate relevance to the country.

Eviction of Colombo’s urban poor

There are reports that thousands of families in and around Slave Island are to be evicted from their homes so that the land could be sold to local and/or foreign investors for "development", an euphemism for making a quick buck at the expense of Sri Lankapoor and the marginalized. These communities fear an uncertain future. Although promised re-location, they still do not know where they are going to be re-located and what facilities will be provided at the new location. This is typical of the planning that goes in the name of development. Surely, if these communities were wealthier and less marginalized, they would have been treated differently. As it is, there has been no consultation with them, their views not sought; in short, they have not been treated with the dignity that any Sri Lankan community expects from its political leaders.

Some concerned activists have stepped forward to assist them and to provide leadership at the request of these communities. They themselves feel intimidated and threatened to take the lead role in ensuring justice. There have now been reports of intimidation of these activists.

If involuntary movements of whole communities by re-locating them elsewhere from the homes and environment in which they have grown up becomes a necessity, it requires to be handled with sensitivity and care. If not, there will be deep feelings of hurt and trauma and will create uncontrollable psycho-social problems. To avoid that, decisions like this must be made with transparency after open discussions with the affected communities. If transparency and openness are lacking and if opposition to such a proposal builds up, the decision-makers could face an immense political and social backlash for which they will have only themselves to blame.

Sea Tourism in Negombo Lagoon

The second issue referred to by Bishop de Chickera is to a proposal to establish a landing platform for seaplanes in the Negombo lagoon. It is also reported that further such landing platforms are to be set up in many inland lakes and tanks around the country. The project is a part of the Tourism Development Authority’s plans for tourism in the country. This again is symptomatic of the thoughtlessness that goes in the name of development. The thoughtlessness is not in just in the lack of consultation with affected communities but also in not conducting an overall assessment of the impact of such a project on the eco-systems, both marine as well as in the surrounding land areas. It is claimed that the Central Environment Authority has given its approval. If that is so, the public are entitled to know the contents of their assessment and the findings should be subject to a public discussion. It is also claimed that the authorities have claimed that the project will go ahead ‘at whatever cost’. Such arrogance and abuse of authority does not produce any confidence that people, their lives and their livelihoods, matter to our decision-makers.

Any development plan that is not the product of public discussion with due consideration of its impact on people cannot succeed. Planners must have the humility to understand that the plans they produce may not always be in the larger interests of the country and her people. For this, only transparency and open discussions can lead to a proper evaluation. In short, what we should be seeking is democratic decision-making rather than authoritarianism. Many years ago, Jawaharlal Nehru, who provided leadership to the development of modern India, stated that in planning, there must not only be clear objectives and these objectives must be governed by certain social imperatives. "In a democratic country like India", he said, "we cannot think of any social objective which does not touch the vast mass of our people. Some of these objectives are part of our Constitution and part of our thinking, and they must also be part of our planning. If we do not keep these social objectives, the social structure cracks up."

Marginalisation of the rural poor

Bishop de Chickera also refers to the rural poor, the displaced and the dispossessed, who continue to remain on the margins of poverty. Much was promised to the internally displaced but little has been delivered. Now comes the strange and inexplicable directive from the government that no new housing should be provided for the displaced in the north. When a Sunday newspaper highlighted the issuance of this directive, there was an immediate denial. But the newspaper has countered by publishing a facsimile of the circular that went out from the relevant ministry. It appears that this is typical of the lack of transparency in respect of decisions affecting marginalized people. In the national anthem issue too, there was a denial but within a week an incident at an official function in Jaffna has confirmed that there indeed is a decision that the singing of the Tamil version of the National Anthem is taboo at official functions. It seems that there is a strategy that criticism of decisions can be deflected if there is a denial about a decision. Then while denials confuse the public, the decision can be implemented stealthily. The government must explain its rationale for both decisions They both impact on reconciliation in the country and will almost certainly further alienate the minorities.

Apart from the North, in the rest of the country too, both the urban and rural poor have a struggle to cope with sky-rocketing living costs. Lavish public spending may please a few who will derive a benefit from it but will anger many. The decision to import coconuts, eggs, etc may provide short-term relief but the larger issue of a shrinking economy must be faced and addressed. It seems incredible that a country where, not so long ago, coconuts were one of three primary products which we exported and earned valuable foreign exchange is now reduced to importing coconuts. These are issues for which blame cannot be laid only at the present government’s door. Successive governments have paid inadequate attention to developing our plantation agriculture.

Perhaps we can end with the final paragraph of Bishop de Chickera’s Christmas message: "The message and miracle of Christmas is that God is full of life-giving surprises, if only we are able to think and act outside the prejudice and arrogance of power and class. May God forgive our foolish ways; may Christ’s birth illuminate and transform us all." To this we can only add, Amen.