Thursday 4 April 2013

So, what will we do about it then?

My timely return to the motherland enables me to join the collective flailing of hands in person. We are a multicultural society we moan; Buddhism is a peaceful religion, we plead; Sri Lanka could be a harmonious land, we beg. It is quite the dramatic outpouring of dismay.

No one seems to know quite what to do about it though. Rally? Haven't had one yet, I think there is one during the Avurudhu holidays. Petition? Signed two already (change.org and this), now what? What. The. Hell. do we do about this legacy of violence gifted to us by our parents and grandparents? How do we (politely) say 'no thank you, shove it up yours'?

The first step is information and awareness, fair enough. Articles and conversations are about tapping people on the shoulder and pointing them in the direction of the smoke/ fire and bruises. It has not yet escalated to death). But we know it will, don't we. Our breathing is just that little bit laboured, wondering if today will be the day where it all goes to shit in an epic, riots mobs and bombs kinda way we Sri Lankans are particularly talented at. Again.

Then there are people who are already jumping up and down shouting 'excuse me, but it's already pretty fucking shit, this level of violence is inexcusable, this public rhetoric is heinous and we're doomed. Somebody do something oh god oh god oh god'. We should listen to these people. One exceptionally eloquent piece is Blacker's recent post.

I meant to write a thoughtful post with my thoughtful thoughts on the systemic violence which has become normalised on all levels of Sri Lankan society. But then I got distracted by the tension music reverberating in my head. I'm a bit busy clutching the arms of my activist couch in trepidation. Also rather occupied helping to organise a rally/ epic event to tell everyone indulging in violence to:



Stay tuned peeps!!!