by

Kamal Nissanka

The Liberal Party is concerned about the ongoing multifaceted campaigns by a few self-proclaimed organizations in Sri Lanka against religious minorities. A clear sinister campaign is also launched by these organizations to boycott commercial establishments run by Muslims. The Liberal Party understands that the demands by these extremist organizations cannot be practically followed by the general public owing to the unpredictable behaviour of the market forces.

Liberals feel that the ongoing hate campaign against Muslims is now directed at their culture including dress codes, eating habits and so forth. However, we feel that the prime cause of the recent resurgence of this majority extremism is business rivalry. Muslims who have benefited from the open economic policies since 1977, have a greater share in capital for development and investment opportunities in the post-conflict period with their inborn skill in trade. Others should not be jealous about this historical phenomenon.

Liberals understand that prior to the advent of Europeans, since the sixteenth century, Muslims from various parts of the world supplied much important commodities such as clothes to the island. Almost all the port cities in Sri Lanka including Colombo were historically inhabited by the Muslims. During the Kandyan period useful commodities to the Kandyan Kingdom were also supplied by the Muslims and further they settled down around the Kingdom in places like Mawanella, Galagedara, Akurana and Gampola forming those places as commercial towns.

Present trends of extremism

The Liberal Party would also like to draw the attention of the citizens to the post-independence politics that affected the minority severely as the present trends of extremism are somewhat parallel to the past. In the post-independence power politics it was the plantation Tamils who were victimized first by the Sri Lankan State through disfranchizing them by legislation. However, it was in 1956 and after that the forces of ‘Popular Sinhala Buddhism’ felt that they have a duty in State formation and a share in the government of the day through elections. In 1972 they were able to incorporate one religion, a foremost place in the Constitution, making Sri Lanka a mini theocracy as against notions of secularism.

Although the conflict of the Sri Lankan State with the traditional Tamil minority had different dimensions it is no doubt that religious extremism had also played a greater role in the conflict formation.

War against terrorism

Having won the war against terrorism in 2009, the peaceful Sri Lankan citizens always yearn for a tolerant, free society and it is the prime duty of all political leaders to create such conditions to grant the future generation such a society.

However, it is evident from some ugly events since the end of war forces of majority extremism have firmly rooted in the political and social landscape in Sri Lanka. The Liberal Party firmly believes that this type of majority extremism will definitely lead Sri Lanka to a much wider conflict that would hinder the economic growth and development of the country. Further, if this sinister campaign against ethno religious minorities continues, it will definitely make way to lose some of our traditional friends in the Islamic world.

Liberals know that under our basic law, agencies of State whether executive or administrative, cannot violate the fundamental rights of the citizens protected by the Constitution and in such a situation citizens can go before Supreme Court for redress by way of a fundamental rights application. If a non-governmental organization violates the fundamental rights of the people guaranteed by the Constitution, there should be a procedural provision in law to bring them before a court of law.

Another dimension of the ongoing hate campaign is that the law enforcing authorities are also not firm in their dealings with the culprits who take the law unto their hands. Even according to government’s own Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC) recommendations, words hateful to communal harmony should not be allowed.

Therefore, the Liberals urge the government to take a firm decision against those who violate the fundamental rights of fellow people while urging the common masses of the country not to be misled by the religious fanatics.

Kamal Nissanka,

Liberal Party