SRI LANKANS FEEL IT’S TIME TO DITCH TRADITIONS, NORMS

Sri Lanka was once a nation that was greatly influenced by tradition more than law.

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The arrival of the British added more customs to our traditions. The biggest complaint, as time passed, was the absence of variety in life. The same complaint was made about our politics. There were just two political parties that called the shots on this island. Even in them, the baton for positions in hierarchy was passed in keeping with family lineage.

Maintaining family and cultural traditions became a burden to many. Children who went to school in luxury vehicles were only allowed a cursory glance at the achcharu (pickle) sold on the roads. They were forbidden to eat anything sold on the pavement.

Women stewed in marriages that didn't work out. Most members of the household were silent when the father was unfaithful to the family. This silence was present in society, too. Members of aristocratic families had ways of getting rich fast and in questionable ways. No one spoke openly when the means of earning were unethical. The rich and the powerful could blunder and plunder, and a nation watched in silence!