Old is dead and the new cannot be born

Writing purely on science, technology, innovation, and national development which is my declared interest in writing to Daily FT, is bugging my conscience that I cannot just do that today. Discussing nuances of nanobiotechnology and its potential at this stage may be hard to digest, but fail on immediate relevance and why write for the sake of writing. Hence borrowing the phrase from a political thinker from Italy – Antonio Gramsci – with an open mind and not with a total subscription. 

Antonio defines crisis as when the old is dead and the new cannot be born. With the worst ever economic crisis and with almost the constant threat of spilling into multiple different areas we are at present in a mother of all crises. In the past few years concerning COVID-19, we were constantly reciting the Chinese mantra on crisis stemming from the character used for crisis – Danger and Opportunity. We have transitioned from the COVID-19 crisis to one of the worst crises indicating that we have more seized the danger in that crisis than the opportunity and resulting in an abnormal new normal. The dynamics and the uncertainty of the present are throwing many into a quandary and some respond by being part of a new wave of brain drain. 

There are open statements for system changes, reset Sri Lanka, etc., and quite animated discussion by quite a few on restarting Sri Lanka. While think tanks are plenty we appear to miss the real do-tanks. Definitely at present, the old is dead. However, something must come out and without an enlightened consensus the new cannot be born – maintaining a crisis forever is quite demeaning to human intelligence.

It is interesting to hear the comment economic problems need economic solutions. We have to admit that corruption and greed and of course serious lack of scientific basis in decision making than any other cause have created this situation over the years. Today our national economic situation read as 51 billion external debt, liquid reserves less than $ 50 million, ships at anchor waiting to discharge for over 35 days while having to incur demurrage in dollars by the day. On land, the picture is a kaleidoscope of queues and despair with an impending scenario of a food crisis. Most of our State-owned Enterprises are only contributing to economic haemorrhage yet we know that some of these corporations have monopoly ownership of mineral treasures of global value due to sheer top quality. 

How come losses accrue with such resources? How can such a situation develop? The actual presence of the situation on the ground is demeaning our collective intelligence which we must conclude and admit. Facing up to this reality is difficult. 10-15% of GDP is supposed to be the cost of corruption for Sri Lanka. If one is to calculate the cost of corruption what comes out of it is $ 8.2 billion-$ 12.3 billion. Now you may see that our corruption is similar to swallowing the entire export revenue. Take that for a feat of governance and management. Again our consumption is way over our income and that too has been the story of our existence.

We are experiencing an Aragalaya. I was thinking while penning this that #gotagogama (GGG) at Galle Face has shown a different and creative dimension to the way of protesting as well as inculcating the tonality of apolitical presence from an individual aspect. Of course, I do not have any in-depth awareness but this is my perception. With that perception, I am sure that if Gandhiji is to be present today he would be quite appreciative of the endeavour. The area has almost an iconic creativity – A public university, library, and a solar power plant! Anger and opposition to today’s national predicament have been placed on a few. Yet a deeper look – an essential prerequisite when giving rise to the newborn – may indicate that the long road to this situation places guilt on many shoulders. We are waiting, and hoping for a new beginning is quite clear. The new should not arise from actions of vengeance and hatred but through the understanding of all our follies and reminding ourselves that divided there is no choice other than falling. 

As a country we have shown our ability to snatch defeat even after victory – the popular aphorism is that one snatches defeat from the jaws of victory. Here I am referring to a decade of lost direction after 2009. Why do I say this? Consider Japan after going through two nuclear bombs and a crushing defeat in WWII. They addressed their agony of defeat by working differently and creating the quality revolution that propelled them to the top. 

Deming has written been surprised by the dedication and the commitment of the top Japanese industrialists in bringing out this change within 10 years. Japanese did not follow the path of showing Mount Fuji and earning money nor institutionalised poverty and looked at external remittances. Rwanda, which is a recent African success story, is showing progress after adherence to technology and innovation. In parallel, this is also a country that had tackled corruption as a means to ensuring that they would not slide back to another crisis as they attribute corruption as a leading cause for the situation that they had to face.

That a change is necessary is an accepted fact, as one cannot solve the problems with the same thinking that created the problem – if this reminds you of Einstein yes that is his most famous quote. The question of change is answered but how and what next is not. Insanity is what he said when doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.

There has to be a concerted effort on nation building with maximum consensus and sincerity of purpose and not on politics and egos. When the world press is writing indicating Sri Lanka is the first domino to fall in the face of a global debt crisis we should up our resolve to prove that is wrong. If we fail again that would be another instance of snatching defeat after realising a victory. As I close writing this, the situation has significantly changed with arson, vandalism, and reprisals taking centre stage, of course stemming after and also making use of one of the worst decisions in recent times. Such behaviour too is unpardonable and plays into the hands of those who work on narrow visions and self-serving mode, assuming of course that some of the events are not stage managed.

Ending perhaps with Einstein again logic will get you from A to B. Imagination can take you anywhere. Sri Lanka seriously needs ultra-fresh thinking as the challenge for us is not a simple journey from A to B. We all know that we have been a developing country for so long and the current scenario is sure to push us back to the starting point. You know that this place is full of possibilities but we have been quite creative in ensuring that we never benefit from such. It is time to ensure that some intelligence is displayed and not get buried with the rhetoric of the yesteryear. 

Imagination is the true sign of intelligence and that should be demonstrated. We appear to work on the principle of giving me power, I will deliver and what you articulate never inspires nor build confidence – but that is to the more enlightened audience which perhaps is not what is usually present. What is also sad is that populace also after going through an election expects the elected to deliver rather than being part of the process too. Too harsh an assessment? I do not think so.

We also need a generation that would put more in than take out to ensure transformation, the task in front of us being so tough. Some selfless contribution but with the satisfaction we are delivering is necessary. This reminds what Krishna in Bhagavad Gita stated – we should work without expecting the fruits of our labour. The leadership too has to understand how to lead to realising this.