Mother Lanka deserves better: A message of apology and commitment on Mother’s Day

 It is now time to end our collective neglect of Mother Lanka, and to take the difficult steps needed to turn our economy around

• An open letter by Jonathan Alles

My dear fellow Sri Lankans,

Mother’s Day is always a special occasion; one that reminds us to express our deepest possible gratitude for the all-encompassing role that mothers play in shaping each of us as individuals, and as a society. 

However, when preparing this year to celebrate the mothers who created and shaped the life of my family and myself, I could not help but feel deeply conflicted as I reflected on the weight of suffering and despair that so many mothers across our nation are facing today. 

Hence, just for today, I would like to briefly step out of my professional role, and attempt to speak to you as and on behalf of the many children of our most neglected mother, Mother Lanka. 

Today, in their heart of hearts, no Sri Lankan – home or abroad – can escape the painful awareness that so many pregnant mothers, new mothers, grandmothers, and their children are fighting desperately each day against starvation, exploitation and a life filled with fear, and uncertainty – with their only hope being the chance of a brighter future for their children. 

While it may be impossible to ever arrive at a meaningful consensus as to where exactly the individual blame should fall for such a colossal failure, none of us can wash our hands of the collective responsibility of it either. Each day, we are all responsible through our action, and our inaction. 

This nation has blessed our people with such an abundance of resources and natural beauty, such a profoundly rich and ancient cultural inheritance. Yet for generations, we who have been privileged to be born into literal paradise on Earth have sought only to fight, steal, cheat, and lie our way into prosperity. We have exploited ourselves, each other, and Mother Lanka, in a hedonistic and self-sabotaging spiral to the bottom

Simply put, the root of our nation’s debt crisis is not economic, and I can say with complete confidence that they are not racial or religious. Rather, the issues we see in each of these spheres are merely symptoms of a much larger debt that we have all neglected to pay, namely: the debt that we owe to our values – be they secular, spiritual, or simply driven by enlightened self-interest. 

More than financial bankruptcy, it is the near institutionalised bankruptcy of morals and ethics across all spheres of society, enterprise, religious and social institutions, that for the first time in her entire 2,500+ years of recorded history has brought our Mother Lanka to her knees. 

This nation has blessed our people with such an abundance of resources and natural beauty, such a profoundly rich and ancient cultural inheritance. Yet for generations, we who have been privileged to be born into literal paradise on Earth have sought only to fight, steal, cheat, and lie our way into prosperity. We have exploited ourselves, each other, and Mother Lanka, in a hedonistic and self-sabotaging spiral to the bottom. 

I am sure I am not the only Sri Lankan who has found themselves looking around in frustration and disbelief at the many examples of this kind of behaviour that appear to abound in every direction. 

The brutal assault which took place on an Omani apparel investor who refused to bow to corruption, and continues to create jobs and generate precious export revenue at a time of universal impoverishment in Sri Lanka is one of an innumerable and ever-expanding list of scandals we have all witnessed. In just the last few years alone we saw the Express Pearl disaster and before it, the horrendous tragedy of the Easter attacks – that all appear to be self-inflicted for how easily they could have been avoided, had our values prevailed. 

In this moment of profound dysfunction, I believe it is now the individual and extremely vital responsibility of each and every citizen of this country to openly and unflinchingly speak the truth, about our individual and collective flaws, and our plans for making amends to each other, and all future children of Mother Lanka. 

Based on the values I was raised with, I believe that each of us will have to answer to a higher power for every action, and inaction that we take in this life – be it professionally, socially, or personally. But whether you are a theist or an atheist, we all know that material wealth does not continue beyond the grave. Our highest purpose isn’t simply accumulation of greater wealth – especially if it comes at the cost of others – but rather, the utilisation of wealth for the benefit of as many lives as we can touch. Many among us appear to have forgotten this fundamental truth. But they do so at their own peril. As the last year has proved, we must each reckon with our values in this life. If we continue to live life without any thought to our values, and our impact on each other, then we will inevitably fall ever deeper into dysfunction.

I firmly believe that we are all created for a divine purpose, and it is through respect that we can all move closer to this purpose, and with it, the highest version of ourselves. To do so, we must treat each other with kindness and compassion. Whenever we show disrespect to others, we are disrespecting, devaluing and diminishing ourselves. Remember, every person has a unique path to follow, and it is only through sincere mutual respect that we can all reach our true potential.

Regardless of race and religion, I believe that as children, we are each born with an innate and inalienable sense of morality, of right and wrong, good and evil. As adults, and elders, there is no way that we can plead ignorance when we compromise our values. We can only speak the truth – to ourselves and each other – or fail to do so. As a nation steeped in Buddhism, we know that words that are not based in truth inevitably lead to negative consequences. 

Hence, in this moment, I believe the only way for Sri Lanka to progress is for each of us to objectively and dispassionately educate ourselves on the roots of our current crisis. We need to carefully consider the lessons of history. Ultimately, there is no durable path to a better future without meaningful efforts to root out corruption – in the public and private sector. We cannot look to others to save us, nor can we look solely inward for solutions. The only way that Sri Lanka can prosper is by going out into the world, finding our competitive niches, and pursuing them relentlessly.

At such a pivotal moment, those in positions of authority – be they Governmental, social, religious, corporate, institutional or familial – need to demonstrate leadership and accountability. They need to state their values and be willing to live and die by them. Each of us must hold the other accountable, and we must also be held to account. 

Those among us who are genuinely intent on holding leadership need to show courage and conviction at all times. History will reward only those who do. Conversely, over the past year, we have all seen what history does to those who only speak of values but do not practice them. 

In that spirit, and given that those who are most responsible will never say it, in the wake of Mother’s Day, on behalf of every Sri Lankan – rich and poor, young but primarily old, I wish to apologise to every mother in Sri Lanka who dreams of a better future for their children and is not able to see a clear path to making that dream a reality. 

And on behalf of all of her children, I wish to apologise to Mother Lanka herself, for all the times that any Sri Lankan allowed your name to be used as cover for selfish material gain. You deserve better, and I believe we are capable of doing better, and being better. I vow to do my part in moving this nation towards progress without ever compromising on my ethics and values, and to inspire others to do the same. 

To each of you reading this open letter, I invite you to reflect on the abundance of blessings you have received in your life. Show your gratitude to the mothers in your life, and do your best each day to make amends for the times that you fell short of your values – as an individual, and as a child of Mother Lanka. 

We must each acknowledge that we have not always lived up to our responsibilities as citizens. We have failed to protect and cherish the natural beauty, cultural richness, and social harmony of this island we call home.

It is now time to end our collective neglect of Mother Lanka, and to take the difficult steps needed to turn our economy around. We must learn from the mistakes of the past and ensure that we never repeat them. We must embrace a vision of sustainable development that balances economic growth with environmental protection and social justice. And we must work together as a nation to transcend ethnic, religious, and political differences, to build a brighter future for all Sri Lankans.

Each day, more of our people give up hope, either choosing to take what they can and abandon Mother Lanka – often by painfully tearing themselves from their families and communities that they love – or stay, but abandon any real hope for a positive change. Corruption and mismanagement has made us feel helpless. But we must remember that working together with the correct intentions, and the correct values, it is always possible for us to help ourselves. 

Above all, we need to give hope to our youth and raise them to continuously develop and empower themselves, so that they can continue to stand up, like they have so bravely started to do already. The best chance we have for a brighter future is to teach them values that will help them rise to the coming challenges with confidence, and take up the difficult work needed to get this nation back on its rightful path to real and lasting progress. 

Beyond this place of wrath and tears

Looms but the Horror of the shade,

And yet the menace of the years

Finds and shall find me unafraid.

It matters not how strait the gate,

How charged with punishments the scroll,

I am the master of my fate,

I am the captain of my soul.