The Rajapaksa regime, ecstatic in the afterglow of a hat-trick of resounding national election victories, has repeatedly promised that poverty alleviation or eradication would be one of the primary goals of its mega development plans for Sri Lanka. The regime also claims it is not just a promise-making regime but a promise-keeping administration citing the eradication of terrorism as one of the major promises fulfilled.
During the past 60 years of independence we have seen clear evidence that most politicians of all parties are unable or unwilling to work sincerely for poverty eradication mainly through a more equitable distribution of the country’s wealth and resources. Party politics has become so hypocritical and deceitful that most politicians come to the scene or centre-stage not to sincerely serve the people but for their personal gain or glory. Gone are the days and gone with the wind are the times when political leaders came forward to serve the people and give to the country instead of dominating or abusing the people and plundering the resources of the country for instance as we pointed out in the editorial last Saturday the thousands of local council members elected at last Thursday’s polls would get a monthly salary of only about Rs.5,000 plus allowances. Most of them might have spent up to Rs.500,000 on their election campaigns mainly for preference votes and their priority over the coming months and years will be to make ten times as much as they spent even by resorting to sophisticated ways of robbing from public funds.
Therefore the noble mission of poverty eradication needs to be monitored and regulated by an all-religions solidarity alliance through which there will be sincere, selfless and sacrificial service to the people.
Prime Minister D.M. Jayaratne at a religious service last Sunday announced that as part of the work to celebrate the 2,600 Sambuddha Jayanthi, every temple in the country would take the initiative to build at least one house for a homeless family. If this works out well about 10,000 houses will be built and the human dignity of 10,000 families restored. If leaders of the other major religions – Hinduism, Christianity and Islam – could also take similar initiatives then tens of thousands of houses could be built in this jubilee year and the country would have taken a major step towards long-term poverty eradication. The whole humanitarian mission could be monitored by the council of religions for peace, which includes the clergy and lay people from all four major religions. This council, affiliated to the World Conference of Religions for Peace has already set up branches in 11 districts including the war-ravaged northern capital of Jaffna. The council’s branch in Jaffna is headed by a Hindu priest and includes the clergy and lay people from other major religions. In this manner Sri Lanka could take major steps not only towards poverty eradication but also bring about the equally important religious unity in diversity. This is vital for Sri Lanka because through an all-religions solidarity alliance we could promote an attitude where the people – while accepting and practising the precepts of their own religions -- also learn to respect other religions and practise the truth that is preached by them. This will bring about an end to bigotry, extremism or self-centredness and usher in an era of love and non violence, compassion, sharing, care and concern for all.
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