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    33 views28 pages

    January 15 1997

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    Sri Lanka Guardian
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    cea) E peccal Paya Neal GUARDIAN ATR 1 MARAE mec STATE OF REVOLUTION : * ART AND THE:CEN “6, Mahindupala ‘ | BHIKKAU POLItics TODAY : Profiling the National Sangha Cound! th Serasundefa CURRENT ICES PUBLICATIONS BHUTAN NEPAL REFUGEE [SSUE A Report of a Fact Finding Mission to Nepal May 1-7, 1995 by Niaz Naik and Bradman Weerakoon. 1995. 19pp. Rs. 50.00 THE BO-ATTE MASSACRE AND THE KEBETIGOLLAWA REFUGEE CAMP: ‘A Report on the attack on Bo-Atte village in the North-Central Province on October 21, 1995 and other attacks in the Anuredhapura District. 1995. 32pp Rs. 50.00 CHITTAGONG HILL TRACTS; DISPLACEMENT MIGRATION AND ACCOMMODATION A Report by Devendra Raj Panday and Jeevan Thiagarajah. September 1996. 26p. DEMOCRACY AND HUMAN RIGHTS, by Neelan Triuchelvam (Tamil). 1996. 296pp. Hard- cover: Rs, 300.00; Paperback Rs. 200.00 DEVOLUTION AND DEVELOPMENT IN SRI LANKA, Edited by Sunil Bastian. 1994 232pp Rs. 350.00 ECTORAL POLITICS IN PAKISTAN: NATIONAL ASSEMBLY ELECTIONS 1993, Report of SAARC-NGD Observers. 1955. 136pp. Rs. 250 IDEOLOGY AND THE CONSTITUION: ESSAYS ON CONSTITUTIONAL JURISPRU- DENCE, by Radhika Coomaraswamy. 1996. pp178. Hardeover: Rs. 300.00; Paperback Rs. 200.00 LIVING WITH TORTURERS AND OTHER ESSAYS OF INTERVENTION; SRI LANKAN SOCIETY, CULTURE AND POLITICS IN PERSPECTIVE, by Sasanka Perera. 1995. 89pp. Rs. 150.00 THE LOST LENORE; A TALE, by Regi Siriwardena. 1996. 100pp. Rs. 130.00 OCTET COLLECTED PLAYS, by Regi Sitiwardena. 1995. 172pp. Rs. 175.00 SRI LANKA: THE DEVOLUTION DEBATE, 1996. 255pp. Rs. 250.00 TAMIL AS OFFICIAL LANGUAGE: RETROSPECT AND PROSPECT, by A. Theva Rajan. 1995, 126pp. Rs. 150.00 WRITING SOCIAL SCIENCES: A BRIEF INTRODUCTION TO WRITING TRADITION, by Sasanka Perera. (Sinhala). 1996. 74pp. Rs. 110.00 ALL ORDERS TO: International Centre for Ethnic Studies, 2, Kynsey Terrace, Colombo 8. NEWS BACKGROUND. ANS SUSHI SHEN Just two years and a few months old ‘and the 7-8-8 party “Peoples Alance! seems to have suddenly aquired a suicidal streak. How else does on explain the extraocdinary events of the past week? An |SLAND editorial (4/) presented an excellent summary of how it all began * Abaavily packed lorry plying from Colombo to Vayuniya runs over 3 motor cyclist at the Miriowatte junction., and kilishim, An irate public. then sets it on fire, whilo he driverand Cleatier ‘un avvay.......00ds from the lorry are lected. A TV crew which has been carrying out ¢ special assignment in the area arrives of the scene and begins filming the burnt-out lorry. The wrival of 8 Pejero inter-cooler with a well known politician and his bedyguards: exchange of worde ite to say, next stege is the The scane shifts to the police station. And there, the camara crevris roughed up, the press cepor.ad... Alas a case of mistaken identity. Tho TV tclew worked for the state-run ITN! The politica and his thugs may have got the names mixed up. Their the hoped for/sought after tergct was NOT the Independent Television Netwicrk, the state-owned, but rather, the TNL, the privately owned. | The ownet of the TNL, Shan Wickcemasinghe, Is the brother of Opposition leader Mr.Rani Wickemasinghe. The latter's niece, Ishini Wiekremasinghe Porera, is TN News Director. What shocked the political Establistrrent, the press, the fiplomatic community, and the Colombo-based correspondents most was not the srrest the young women butthe use of the draconan Prevention of Terrorism Act. The UN's newly appointed special Tapporteur on women, Radhika Coomaraswamy, a prominent figure in the sslang's wornen'sriahts maveriant told the press = "The Johannesburg principle which spells cut press freedom explicity rules the Use of criminal prosecution in cases of freedom of the press. The PTA should be repealed”, Would President Chandrike Benderanaike Kumaratunga, daughter of the world's first weman, Prime Minister, — Mrs,Sirim Bandaranaike, (she holda thet office right now too) tespect the Johanneeburg principle? First women’s organisations, next Sri Lanka's Editors Guild... a somewhat ‘more spirited intervention. fal to the issue” said Editors Guild, ‘is the use of the PTA, As we understand it, te PTA, 1s not concerned with the accurency or ‘otherwise of the impugned report, It ic a epooial fewr intended to dsel with terrorism. By no tight of fancy would anybody be convinced that ny kind (of ‘error was involved in this mater” Tha lesen here is plain enough. From 0 time in the first post Independence dacadae, popularly id cegirnes did declare ‘a state of ‘emorasncy’ for a month, sometimes three months..rarely more. The ‘emergancy regulations did allow a government 10 cone with rippling strikes (herbour, food distribution ete) floocs and scoa.communal viclence Later both parties UNF and SLEP found that these extraordinary powers were ‘most convenient, even in situations that were not a threst to day-to day administration. And so, the “abnormal "becomes the “normal”, with the regime armed to the teeth, anc acquiring scme riew characteristics, Mervyn de Silva MASSIVE RETALIATION : SIGN OF WEAKNESS: If the TNL had indeed prosented a distorted (or even @ dangerously distorted) pictura the PA government could have (a) Used Rupavahini, SLEC and the press to set the record right and (b) punished the TNL under the normal lew. “We aie certain” said the Ecitors Guild, “that the station would alsc have issed @ correction”. So why Contd on page 19 VoL Nor Price RS.15.00 Published fortnighly by Lanka Guarélian Publishi No246, Union Place, Colombe 02 TeV Fax 447584 E-mail guardian @sridankainet Editor in Chief : Mexyyn de Silve Editor » Dayan Jayatilloka, Cover Photography Ravi Prasad Flerath A. Lokubapuarachchi (Reus) Printed by : United Publishing House (Pvt) td CONTENTS Co.Ltd, Mervyn de Silva on Ajith Serasundera 0 TRE NATIONAL SANGHA COUNCI AND BUDDHIST NEO REUIVALISM Ajith Serasundera, Lecter, Department of Soctologs. Unbiersits of Colombe, The main purpose af this commentary Is analysing the ongin of the recenily formed National Sangha Council, its Toots in Budchist Revivalism and the political role of Buddhist monks. The Majoiiy of anthropologists who studied Sri Lankan society have ‘concentrated their research cn Sinala Budchism (Obsysskere 1963, 1972: Senevirstne 1978: Malalgoda 1976; Tambiah 1932; Gombrich ond beysekere 1986: Southwond 7983: Carfttie’s 1883: Bord 1995). These scholars have attempted to emphasise Buddhist Netionalism end ts significant geological influence on Sri Lankan society: The anthropological research on Sinhele Buddhism in Sri Lanka represents in the main, two schools of thought: hoy Buddhism has historically contributed to justifying political processes in the pre-colonia), coolonial, and post coloriel periode and How Sinhala Buddhism. has changed along with the sociel changes in Sinhala society, Both of these schools of thought have siven rise to a theoretical perspective ‘with regard to Budehiem in Sit Lanka. It is proposed that Buddhism has continued to participate in the Sri Lanka state and its politiest ideology - \Wwhioh in turn has introduced changes id Guddhion itself. My basic thomo of discussion in this article is that there is continuation of the same proces escribad by the scholars mentioned above ‘THE COUNCIL'S PROGRAMME. Four weeks ago, on 15th Decamber 1998, the National Sangha Council vas held at the BMICH in Colombo. The main purpose of that mesting vas establish a National Bhikku Centra, At this meeting the Nationa) Sangha Council declared thrae major demands: Cissolve the executive presidency, turn ‘the commissioner of elections into an Independant entity and change the entire electoral system The Council also opposed the PA government's politieal package and its privatisation programme. On the same occasion two publications were feleased by the National. Sangha Coureil These documments are very important in understanding the contemporary political role and ideology of Bhikkhus. In these documents there are-many ideas that pertain to political and economic fields such as agriculture, Industries, health, ecusation, trensport, power end ane‘gy, foreign policy, culture and society. They also emphasise some social wolfaro iesues and public health problems (such as diabetes, blood prossura, gastric complications, family planning ete.) nan attempt 10 educate people whe are livingin the rurel areas with tagard to these problems. BITIKKIU BLOCs Since the Buddhist revival movement, the Sangha hae Leen campaigning on the same social and political issues Which the National Sangha Councilhas. just emphasised, Ouring this century Sinhala Suddnic: gravity of the situation and the ead for remedial measures, Premadase responded swiftly by making poverty alleviation the main plank of his Presidential election ASIA, Platform, - THE JSP ‘The JSP was based on Piemadasa’s belief that “development necossarily nvolves change ard therefore a choice of alternatives or a choice betwoon several optiors (0.9.80). Janasaviya signifiod an unsquivosal departure from the neo-liberal dogma af trickle down which turned out to be an important aspect of Prosident JR Jayaivardena’s ecoriomis strategy. The JSP was based on tho premicos that poverty alleviation is not a result put a pre-condition of sustained high growth and genuine development, The JSP turned poverty alleviation from a jong or medium term goal in 10 an urgent and immediate task; one whic coule neither bs postponed nar de prioritised. Premadase had 2 multifaceted conception of poverty, Poverty was identified not only 2s seanomic deprivation but also as social marginalization and. psychological ebilitetion. The JSP was tharefore designed with the objective of addressing all these civersa symptoms and consequences ef poverty. It was meant 10 be a multi-pronged attack on poverty in all its forms and manifestations. Tho JSP was a pathbreaker in another sense -it was the first Sif Lanken poverty alleviation measure which was both consumption ovented and production oriented simultaneously. \n other words, the JSF was en imaginative, unorthodex and indoed 2 radically new attempt at poverty alleviation, at least at the conceptual level. The fist step of the JSP wasto identity, families whose total monthly ineome ‘was less than 700/-'“. A total number of 1,118,931 fomilies were identified throughout the country and ware povided with Janaseviya Entitlement Certificates. The JSP waz to bo lmplementec in 11 rounds with each found taking 2 yoars. During thie period each family wes to be entitled 70a total grant of Rs.2,500/- (around US$ 62,50, according to the exchange rate prevailing in 1889) per month - diviced into two compenents - consumption and investment. The consumption PEE 15) allowance was Ret a58/— (USe 36.45 according to 1989 rates) ner month, of which tho families were encouraged to save Rs.458/- Tha consumption allowance was grented Not in the form of morey but in kine. Cooperative Societies ware to supply @ basket of gaads consisting of essential food items. and other consumer goods, to tha value of Fs.1000/-. The investment allowance Re 1042/= per month was to be Ceposited ina bank by the state At the end of the 2 year period, each family was to have a lump sum of F's28,000/- in their name in the bank, with which they were supposed to stert(upgrade a self employment project. During the 2-year period the SH families were to be entitled to foons from State Barks, They were aso expected to spend a certain number of days a month doing voluntary work ‘on Various community service projects, ‘The main objective of the JSP wes to inteorate the economically and socially ‘marginalised poor into the davelopment process and in t6 society, Setting up. Of seif employment ventures was regarded az the main instrument to attain this goal - by empowering the poor economically, socially ang psychologically. This was also expested to cleate a mass cf small producersisellers who would eventually amount to a strong, viable and vibrant ‘peoples sector’ in the economy, a third sector, on par with the Stete and the private sector, IMPLEMENTATION ‘The firstreund of the JSP commenced in Oct. 1989 and covered a total number of 151,704 families in 28 AGA Divisions. The second round commenced in Dec. 1990 and covered a fatal number of 98,800 ferilies in 22. AGA Divisions. The thidand fourth rounds commenced in Fee 1992 and March 1993 and covered 103 812 and 100,816 families respectively, in 23 and 25 AGA Divisions. The fifth round was commenced after the assassination of President Promadase.. The JSP was discontinued after the assumption of office by tha People’s Alliance, led by Ms Chandtika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga 3 It iy the poor who know what their most pressing needs and concerns are - what can wait and what can’¢wait; what should he prioritised and what should not be prioritised. They have their own evaluation of the various pro-poor programmes imple- ‘mented in their name an evalu- ation based on experience. They also have their own notions as to what the strong or weak points of these programmes were/are. In other words, they have knowledge culled from practice, from real life experience. Therefore they are capable of telling the policy mak- ers what should bedone and ow. The problem is that they have never been asked : their opinio have never been sought. From the very beginning, the implementation of the JSP was fraught with difficulties and problems. For example, there were allegations that tho solection process was not alwaye fair. tt was alleged that families with income less than Rs.700/. were left cult while families earning more than this amount were selected. The Co- operatives were accused af aff loading ow quality ard overpriced procucts on the JSP families. It was alco caid that despite state ditectves, banks often tried not ta give loana to USP families using any end all oretexts - from the eck of necessary documents 10 ve inability to furnish quarentors! oplateral. ‘There cen be little doubt that the lack of finenees was the most important difficulty which faced the JSP. When Ranasinghe Pramadasa assumed the Presidency in January 1989, ne inharited an ingurroction - battorad economy. This forced him to request fan extended structural edjustment facility {rom the IMF and the World Bank. The haish conditlonalities which ‘ware part oj these facilities imposed a number of extremely stiff constraints ‘en Promadssa's dovolopment programines, particulatly the JSP. Jr was this factor which caused the widening of the gap between the original conceptualization of the JSP and it's ultimate implementation. The ‘nitial promise of granting every family a lump sum of Fs.25,000/- at the ond of aach JSP round was allowed to drop, after @ while, The government iaintained a silence on this issue for spine time while the Opposition alleged that the_money would never be given to the JSP families, The government ‘was facing eevore financial constraints (the restarting of the North east war in June 1990 by the LTTE was a tremendous additional burden on the Treasury) and there was external ‘oppesition to this schame'*. Finally Premadasa came up with @ compromise formula : the familios viould be given cerificatestating that they heva a sum of Fs.25,000)— edited to their namesin the National Savings Bank. However, they will not be able to withdraw this mon Instead, a monthly interest of As.250/ = would be paid to each family aftor te completion of the two yaers. This poftificate could also be used as collateral when requesting aloan from State Banks. By 1994 8 wial number of 455,132 families in 99 AGA divisions had been covered by the JSP. A sum of Rs.12,650 Million wae spent on providing ‘baskets of goods’ 10 thes families. According te the estimate of the Janasaviya Commissioners Department the toial savings of the families amounted to Re.2,153.79 ‘Million while the value of the community work dane by them was Rs. 46.89 Milion. The total amourt cf loans granted 10 these families by various State and cooperative community banks exceeded Rs.1,314.02 Million, benefiting 238.889 borroviers (Detabcok cf Progress Janasaviya Commicsionors Department) RESEARCH METHODOLOGY Target Group Since our objective was to get the Janasaviya recipients themselves to evaluate the JSP, the relevant population was the JSP femilles who came Under Rounds | to IV It wae decided to leave out Round V because it was only partially imolomented:; ‘therefore its inclusion may have caused 2 bias in the final findings. The population wes @ mare or less homagenous sne in sosio-eecnomic teinis because only the poorest of the poor jie only those tfamiliss whose combined steble monthiy eaminas was less than s,700/- US$ 17.5 according to 1989 exchange rates) were entitled to Janasaviya. The heterogeneity of the population was in geographical teimis. Therefore the 2000 families were drawn from AGA divisions fepresenting al districts and provinces in the country (except the war torn North and parts of the Eastern Province), Sample Size The sample consists of 2000/- of the JSP families {ie 0.4% -0.196) drawn, from the 99 AGA divisions which came under the first four rounds of the JSP. This msthod can be regarded as a variation of multi-stage cluster eampling. Sines sho population is economically and —_socislly homogenous, the 0.4% - 0.6% families from each AGA division wes chosen et random, The study vihich lasted 3 js months (fram tet November “$5 to 15th February ‘ 96) Was carried out by four full time researchers, using the face to face interview method, PROBLEM AREAS : / CONSTRAINTS = Cattsin categories of information are not available for all districts/ AGA divisions. Therefore tha sample for these cztegories is slightly smalier than the general sample, However in ll these cases the sample is larger than 1500, which is considered by piofessfonal poling organisations in tha USA 28 adequate to draw conclusions about the entire adult population. ‘A significant percentage of the SEE tamilies did not respond to certain questions cither because of the sensitive nature of the questions or their inability to comprehend the question ‘The ‘esearch findings are divided into ‘to basic segments : Section! This will contain demographic and socio: economic deta for area Gnder focus with the purpose of enhancing the readers understanding of the actual fiving conditions of the poor, urrerity, Section Il Evaluation of the JSP oy analysing how and in what ways the JSP has charged the lives of the Janasaviya families NOTE: The tern ‘population’ is used to indicate the population covered by he research j.2, the 455, 132 - JSP femilios coming under rounds | t0 IV, The findings of Section 1 can be considered valid not only for Janasaviya families coming under found It0 1V, but for all families who ecelved a stable total income of ess than or equal to 700/ © month in 1989 - in other words all femilies entitled to Janasaviya benefits. This is because the sample of 2000. familias can be regerded as being representative of the. poor in general, when the ares under study 1s the demographic and socio- economic conditions of the poor, Therefore though the term population will bo used to indicate the 455, 132 JSP families coming under rounds | - IV, this can be extended ta the poor in g-«ral, concerning the findings in Section 1 Footnotes “IMF stabilization often means political and social destabilizatian Governments face a choice between refusing to cooperate with the IME and thus losing their intemational creaitworthiness whieh could have eerious social ccor'sequences! or using repression to force through IMF measures at the expense of thelower classes,” (The IMF and Debt crisis - Petar Komer, Thomas Sisboc, Gera Maas end Rainer Tetzlaff). During the past two decados IMF riots have become a widespread phenomenon in the Third Worid Casablanca, Morocco (June 1981), ‘Broad Revolt’ in Tunisia |Jan.1984), Egypt (Jen. 1977), Liberia (April 1979), Sudan (eerly 1982 and 1985). Pans (1977-84), Ecusdar (Qot.'82, March "83 & Jan'85|, Bolivia (March '82) Jamaica (June 85) Those included the Food Subsidy ‘Scheme introduced to alleviate the difficulties experienced during the Serond World War), 2 Milk Feeding Scheme (introduced in early 1944), a mié-dey meal tor school children (1840-53), Charitable Allowances Scheme introdticed in the 1930's, prevision of free medicel facilities, free education facilities and Village Expansion Schemes iintodvced sround 1935). All these can broadly be categorised as consumption ofiented anti poverty pfogrammes, The mest important production oriented anti-poverty Measure implemgated during this period was the development of itrigation fecilties and settlement schemes in the diy zones (for further doteils see Poverty Alleviation In Rural Sri Lenko, A critieal reviow cf the experience ‘since 1930 - Nimal A Fernando. Staff studies, Central Bank of Sr) Lanka - Vol. 16 No. 1 & 2) According 9 Fernando the consumption oriented measures Implemented during the geriod of 1948-1986 inciude the Rice Subsidy scheme (continuation of the Food Subsidy Schema), the Food Stamp Scheme (1879), tho School Biscuit Programme lintroducedin 1968 and expended in 1878}, the Tiposha Proaremme SSR RVEE (1979), the School Kola Kende Frogramme (1982), Public Assistance Scheme (continued from the pre-independence era) and the Continuation of free health and sducatonal systeins and the village expansion scheme, The mejor production oriented Measures were settlement schemes, land tenure ceforms, small farmer development measures, the quarantesd price scheme for pacdy, research on high yielding varieties of paddy, Institutiona} crecit to rural sector via state banks, Kandyan peasantry cehabilitation scheme and the Integrated Rural Development Programme, The GDP grovith rate (at 1980 prices) wae 2.9% during the 1970-77 period compared to 3.4% in 1950-60 period and 4.8% In 1960-70 period, Unemployment was as high as 24% in 1973. The school enrolment ratio for the 5-14 aye gioup declined steadily from 100 in 1970 te 80in 1976. GDP growth rato wae 8.7% jn 1978 and 9.5% for the period 497785, 14.7 % in 1978-79 and 11.7% in 1981-82 Rs.4840 million in 1976 and Rs.19,183 milion in 1976. In 1979 the Government réplaced the Food Subsidy Scheme with the Food Stamp Scherss. Initially food stainps were Issued to all members of households with 2 monthly income below Fs.300/-. The food stamps could be used to purchase certain basic consumer items, This scheme was renamed the Poo! Relief Food Stamp Systems in 1985 end extended (0 incluge all households recsiving # monthly Income of As.700/- or iess. ‘The trend was one of the rich and the super rich getting richer, while oS SSS STN TS Rola ‘the poor and the middle class got poorer. From 1978/79 rioht up to 4990/91, the trend was one of inereasing income inequalities. Duting the period of ‘81-82 and 196.86 thate was.a sharp decline in not only the percentage of ‘come received by the lowest 10% of the population but also the secand lowest (irom 3.8% 10 4.1%l, the third lowest {from 4.49% to 2%), the fourth lowest from 5.2% to 3.6%) . the fifth Jowest (6.4% 10 4.9%], the sixth lowsst (from 7% to 6.8%). seventh lowest (from 8.7% te 81,1) and the ninth lowest (from 14.5% 10 6.8%), the seventh lowest (from 8.7% to 8.1%) and +the ninth lowest (irom 14.5%to 12.2%). Apart from the highest {0% of the populece only the third highest managed to inereese its share of the income, albeit very slightly (from 10.7% te 11.1%), The lowast 50% of the populace fecelved only 12% of the income: ‘while the top 1096 received almost 50% of the income (49.35%) What we see here is o highly skewed income distribution, the only (el beneficiaries of which ‘were the top 10% of the populace. Their share of che income increased by a massive 12% ‘during this period while the share Of the income received by the vest of the population decreased by 11.9%. [Source -Ststistical Pockst Book 1995}. By mid-'80s, the Ggrovith oriented strategy of the vlayewardena regime was creating @ highly unequel society © le ‘SouthiLatin America, For example during the late ‘70s end early “60 the richest 10% of the Brazilian population received 54% of all income while the lowest 50% got only 9.79%, Further evidence of the increasing social bankruptcy of the post '7 economic strategy = tHe per capita daily calorie consumption levels of the three oviest deciles doclned between 178/79 andl ‘81/89... malnutrition among children increasee particularly in tural aroas bstween "75178 and “80/82” (Dr Warnesena Recaputram, Goveinor Central Bank ~ 25.11.87). And according to © UNICEF etudy (Sri Lanke = The Social impact oF Economic Policies during the last Dacade - June ‘83) between "77- 84 real wages deteriorated among all catogories of workers and ‘consumer prices increased by over 200%. * Literary rates decreased for all age groups (5-18) between ‘78/79 & "1/82 and so did the school avoidanee rete (i.e. those who have ever been to school 25 well es those who been to school but currently not attending).(See Table) “Reduction in educational ‘oxpenditure <6 2.3% of the GNP. by the mieeightles on account of Structural adjustment policies has impoverished the infrestructural facilities of schools that have no access to non state fesources and hes been a Cconstiaint on the implementation. cf duality improvement programmes A proportion of the school ge pooulation remains ‘outside the primary and secondary schools largely as a consequence of the hardship caused among pocrer groups due to their Education needs. The educstion systam therefore appears to assist in reinforcing the effects of poverty.” (Prof. Swarna Jayaweera, Economia Review - Feb'90) 32) The UNICEF study “Si Lanka: The Social Impact of Economic Policies during the Last Decada’ was presented to a group of high fanking Lenkan officials in however, nothing happened. The findings were not even diecucsed, Jat alone attempting to find weys and means of dealing vith the problems (and impending problenis) highlighted in the Report, Premadasa however was aware of the findings of the study ‘and wos ddoply concerned about them., according to one of nis cop offizials [Private Conversation with Susil Sirivardana). In fact, poverty Became one of the three main ‘themes |together with Shelter and Nationalism) in his speeches from "94 -'85 onwards Hie innovative housing procremme ‘was aimed helping the ‘have nots’ to bulld/upgrade @ house. As the Chairman of the National Health Council he eppointod...... Family Health Workers and introduced € free midday meal programme in 1988, aimad at arresting savera negative arends in the field of public hoalth - such as increasing malnourishment among childien. This was becouse in 1985, @ 2©-700)- per month was chosen ag the cut off point for food stampe. It wae widely krown that the danor aggncies were unhanpy. ‘about this aspect and urged the government to scrap it. ‘TO BE CONTINUED NEXT : THE RESEARCH FINDINGS ‘Age Group 10-14 literate iliterate 15-19 literate iMitorare Literacy Rates % 1981 1985/85, eo8 88.8 10.2 1.2 90.4 23.0 a6 w aS Cont from page Sine (6 lel because it tolowed 2 closed economic policy * while the wwoild was moving taviarés the froe ‘market economy". By 1977, the only Third Wari ecuntry folloorng @ fae markes/ neo-liberel strateey Was Pinochet's Chilo; even Thatohor wae yet to arrve! In the 1970-77 period \ihat was hegemonic alobally ves not the free merlet/economic neosibers ideology ~ 28 Chancrika clans - but Dresisely the inward looking, closed cconoiie stetegy Ms Bancarenaice’s government es adhering ta LEOPARDS AND HORSES: Ainong ell this, my personal ravourtte is Anura’s anecdote of how he introduced his pet leopard to a Cabinet Meeting. This engaging prank seem to have been a highlight in the life of Anura, and even today brings a reminiscent spark into his eyes and a gleeful smile 10 his countenance. One Yay. before the czbinet meeting commenced, Anura’s pet leopard was kept undor Minister Michaol Sifwardane’s chair, When Minister Siiwardena and the leopard discovered each other, ellhell broke lose. Ministor Stiwerdena ran out of the room yelling “hotiya’ “hotiya”. (At this point of his anecdote Anura bursts ina laughter on camera). According ta daughter Sunethra, her mother was “very practical”. The lettors only response was “If this man dies, we'll lose Minuwangoda as well’. (Daughter Sunethia praises her mother for being “unemetional”and says that she would “walk into Cabinet mesting laoking very stem and that set the pace for Cabinot meetings” One eannot but wonder about the pace and the tone of that Cabinot mocting whieh wes graced by Anura’s pet leopard). In yet another one of her candid rematks Ms.Bandaranaike calle Heragola “the Bandranatke kingdom’ and says “I hope they will maiatain family tradition whoever fives here”. Aftor SWRD come his widew, followed by their dauahter and son. Than there the Younger generation, ‘epiesenied in the main, by the children oF (Chanctike (and that faceless, nameless man sha was married te}. According 10 ther fond Grandma, grandcauchter Yasodhara wants to be @ doctor whila grandson Vimusthi is exceptionelly intelligent. Vimukthi takes after .. hia Mateinal great grandiather Sir Solomon (ie the First Undering of Eritish Colonialism, who epitomised Gastiesm and elitism) says Ms.Bzndavanaike This supposed similarity to aman whose conduct was as feprehensible as that of are- Fevolutionaty French aristocrats is not callsing the lacy any Unhappinese, After all, why should it? According to her Sit Solomon was 2 “Big Man” who entertained the royalty: a “nice man’ who wos “loved'" It couldn‘theve very well been by those poor and oppressed-caste people who hatte get 10a side of the mad cr even the ditch whenever they came across the "big man? out an his horse. Or by those who were never allowed into “the Banderanaike Kingdom” oxcept through the back door. Incidentally gisndeon Vimulkthi |e fond of riding horses just like great arandiather Sir Solomon, according to grandma Sirima, Whatever guise the Retwatto Bandararaikes may adopt, the inescapable truth ie that they are primarily and essentially a throwback capitalist era, 2 feudal acts @5 an impediment tothe completion of the modernising bouirgasis-damocratic revalution in Sri Lenke. The transformation of the SLEP into a mode-n hourgaois - damosratic. arty can never take place so long as tho Fatwatto _ Bandarenaikes are at the helm of the party, And the Family will resist 16 the last SLFFem(end Left hanger-on] ary attampt to dislodge it from the leadership. In this context, he documentary ‘Sirimavo Bandaranzike’ performed a function Which cannot but ba desoribed as both iistorically necessary andl progressive, By exposing tho Family, the Family project and the SLEP for what they the documentary has mede a nt contribution to the fulfilment of thet extvemely important task of the country's democratic revolution - the iteration cf Si Langen, politics (and if possibie the SLFP) from the Family's stranglehold. The documentary represents & major step in exposing the ‘old feudal coat of arms‘ on the ‘hind quarters! (Marx & Engels : The Communist Manifesto! of the Family and in hastening that day when the voters will ‘desert them with foud and ireverent laughter’, (Ibid) thereby consiyning this anachronism to where they boiong: some museum (of the rubbish heap ct history Footnote: “Jftdayenraidene A Biography KM de Siva and Howard Wiiogins Contd srom page 1 ive retaliation? Does the Chandrika Administration's strength or weakness? I ta¥ing 2 tough line on TNL and Ishiri Wickremasingne, the PA has blurdored quite badl Herhusband, Mr Asitha Perera ig 8 PA. MP. No emergency Fequlation can silence him: “The PTA was enacted 10 fight terrorism, net to silence or Bensor the free media,” he sald, When the PTA ic uecd against the free media, whet docs it imply? MrReuf Hakeem, General Secratary of the SLMC, 2 coalition partner, 's “concemned” and evidently anhappy over “infringement” fon ‘the free media’ In a stiongly wordad protest, Mi-Robert Menard, Secretary General of Reporters sans Frontiers pointed our that the Defence Ministry hed NOT issued a prompt denial of tha TNL report. “The same news jtem with fower details was broadcast (by othe’s) action has baer taken ag: them The PA may not be sinking. but it certainly is drifting... In the post-Cold War world, we soo few forces, nevi ideas and issues influence nstional and international process and outcomes: The free media constitute one such force Women's righis, another, Contd from page Boulevard des Capuchines on December 28, 1895. In recreating the energy of motien cascading dawn the staifs in 1812, Duchamp tellected the tising power cf cinematcgiachy — the ‘madium that transfermedi technology inte the Tenth Muse, capturing the imagination of the 20h century But Cubism was more than a recetion to technology. It was basically an intallectual mevoment which grappled) With techniques of harmonising theinner and the outer worlds disintegrating Uunderthe impact of moderity. Cubsm was everywhere. It even conquered the Space of the modern temples of commerce tising to high heaven in glass cubes. The juxtepositioning of the interior and the exieior, of metion and stillness, of time and space in a continuum of geometric patterns, eventually gained acceptanes in tho puble’s eve, perhaps because it siruck ahiclden chord in the dis’oested modem mind which was struggling to maks sense out of an incomprchensible, fiagmented world. T. S. Eliot's dictum that good poetry was felt even before it ‘as understood is applicable to Cubism too. The cildike quaity of ts techniques puzzled and fascinated the public imagination, Even those who did not appreciate its finer pcints wero drawn to it by the iresistble attraction ot its “primitive” concepiualisation, When Picasso, who could draw like Raphael at tho age of 14, said that it took a Hlieime for him to (eam to draw like a child, fe Was proclaiming the retirth of fs cteative sef which had shed the pas ‘and was born agein as a “primitive chile From another point of view, it scomed that the disoriented universe was coming apart at tho waird scams of Gusti fragments — fregments which ‘wore seen ether as dovetails thal vere olding eversthina together or breaking itup into itreparable pieces. Either way it captured tha-imagination of the disinherited modern mind, twas alsos mind full of fear. The eerie echoes of Edvard Munch's haunting Scream (1883) ofa frightened, androgynous figura, approached by two dark, Kafkesque shadowe, reverberated down the 20ih century canyon teeming with hungry hordes facing wars, ethnic cleansing, ‘drougnts loocis ancipersecution of man by man, The tortured

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