Divisive Politics in Sri Lanka – By Oscar E V Fernando
A divisive issue if stated or persisted upon-causes disagreement or conflict between two or more persons in say, a show of bar room bravado that may lead to fisticuffs or battle and may even end up in war.
Politics is defined as the science or business of government and divisive politics may be said to be the major cause of problems in the world as it often starts within society.
Governing themselves within a group when found to be too burdensome, people decide to hand over governance to a leader or leaders-and this is done through politics.
What is divisive politics?
When two or more Wie to be thus elected, they form into different factions to woo the voters-and this is often done pitching one faction over the other on the basis of-race religion-sex or any other oppressive reason-society then becomes turbulent and riotous-when eventually they dig further down to find their ancestral roots to validate their ego boost!
In Sri Lanka, in the after mirth of independence, slogans of fame to woo voters was wrapped in one word-Panch Maha Balawegaya-meaning five forces and these
were-govi-bodu-veda-guru sanga, all of which are respected factions of the citizenry-if used for the betterment of the country and not used to woo votes by wedging one faction against the other which can be classed as Divisive Politics-now a bane to society as politics is governance of the country.
Experts have distinguished two main regimes in the business of governance- democratic and totalitarian, and if the voter has to make a choice between the two philosophies it is sensible-but if he has to choose between color religion or ethnicity, it is clearly insensible and is bound to cause turbulence in society and this happens as a result of divisive politics.
Oscar E V Fernando
December 2024
