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Are universal social
standards possible? First, I would like to thank you for inviting me to this Conference. I value the opportunity to share with you my own personal views about some of the issues which working for "sustainable development" can raise. I say "personal views", because although I was invited as Chairman of the South Centre I am not speaking as a representative of its member governments. I speak merely as an individual with some experience of the problems of developing countries. The title on which I was asked to speak is "Are universal social standards possible?" My answer is definitely NO! Universal Social Principles are possible; but universal social standards based on those principles are not possible. There are something like 190 separate nation states in the world; each of them is different in physical geogrpahy and natural resources, in each the people are a unique mixture of history, of religious beliefs, of cultures, and of social structures. Social groups have overlapping but still varying value systems. And between countries and within countries there are not only different levels of wealth - there are even differences in the way in which the people measure their wealth. Diversity A person's "social income" is very relevant to his or her "standard of living" - his or her "social standards". Once a person's food and shelter is assured through an adequate personally disposable income, then things like health provision, the availability of clean water, access to education, and security in case of sickness, unemployment, or old age - all such things are involved in a person's "standard of living" because they are important to his or her well-being and future prospects. Certainly, every social unit (however small or backward) makes some provision for these "social services" in its organization, just as it normally ensures that people do not die from starvation or exposure to bad whether. And further, - as was recognized at the Social Summit in 1995 - social, economic, and political issues are all intertwined; none can sensibly be considered in isolation. All are relevant to the lives of human beings; all are included in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Demands Naturally this argument is attractive to trade unionists in developed as well as in developing countries alike, for every worker wants more pay and better conditions of work. The ICFTU has therefore indicated that it is sympathetic to the idea; it would like good labour conditions to be universal - or at the very least to ensure that, once achieved, good wages and conditions of work are not reduced by the employers on the grounds that globalization makes unemployment the only alternative to a reduction in wages. Globalization And more important than theoretical inconsistencies is the fact that it would be impossible for poor countires to meet the cost of any internationally acceptable "social standards". These countries could sign any number of treaties; they could (and probably would) want to ensure that all their workers received real wages comparable to those which are paid in Switzerland, for instance. But that would be dreaming. For social standards (whatever definition is used) are ultimately dependent upon the wealth of the country concerned. The poor of a nation cannot be made less poor by forcing their Government to sign an international treaty which prohibits or simply ignores the reality of poverty! Within a country, or any other economic unit, problems of relative poverty that is, of unequal "social standards", can be dealt with through taxation, or at least kept to a minimum by other state measures. The richer individuals or regions are taxed by an appropriate authority, and the money raised is used by the State to provide for everyone minimum levels of education, health care - and perhaps income. Such transfers of resources from rich to poor within the nation are a legal obligation; they are not left to charity! Common standards Under the relentless pressure of unfettered globalization, the world is becoming one huge free market. That is what the developed countries want. And to avoid trouble from their own workers while facilitating the process of globalization, they now have this idea of demanding universal levels of social standards based on their own capacities to meet them. And this means that by a legally binding treaty, economic sanctions would be applied against any country which fails to enforce such standards internally. Contd tomorrow Rulers and the Ruled — 2 I wonder whether the kings and queens of ancient Lanka also resorted to all kinds of 'distraction tactics' when they failed to deliver the goods. We are all aware that one chap — Yasalalaka Tissa — tried the tactic with his doorman, Subha, and of course he paid for it with his life. No, not Subha, but old Yasalalaka Tissa. I believe Subha suffered a similar fate too. At least that is what is cleverly hinted at the end of that rip-roaring piece of theatre — Subha saha Yasa — by our inimitable Simon Nawagattegama. But Sirs, in our liberated times, we don't take hints. Not even the rulers. In any case they become a very obstinate lot once they come into power. We, of course pass hints all the time, but never take them! Most people — boxers, fencers, even cricketers resort to what I would call distraction or diversionary tactics when they are in an ungainly corner. They will dive, delve, side-track, spit on the ball and polish, spit on the surf, smile broadly, nod their heads wisely — yes, they will do all kinds of things to divert attention from their opponents. The latest I have witnessed of such manoeuvres are the spate of TV debates by our beloved politicians. One day it will be side A vs Side B. The next day it will be Side A Vs. Side A. On the next occasion it will be side B Vs. Side B. The combinations are endless. Even the Punchi Singos and the Saliya Kumarayas from the outskirts — unfortunate devils — are dragged into this comedy show, willingly or unwillingly. Of course these shows achieve their ends. The bewitched and bewildered viewer or listner (over radio) seem to forget all his or her woes, troubles — the unpaid bills, the half empty stomach, children crying for a glass of water (or the potty) in fact a multitude of day to day problems, and are quite content to watch the 'Kukul Pora' on the screen, or to listen to same over radio. At the end of it everybody seem to be happy. The contenders, or rather the rivals in combat leave the august (or otherwise) studios either beaming or frothing (mostly beaming) and the multitude of viewers (the Prekshakayas) in every home reluctantly swich off their most treasured possession, the T.V., applauding one candidate or the other. "There you are, I always said that this bloke was a rogue", one would declare with utmost glee while the other would declare with equal jubilation 'Aha! You saw how your 'Kumaraya' was trapped beautifully by our man — shame on him" etc. etc. more and more etc. Well, on most occasions the nights are done and everybody goes to sleep happily. But in their dreams and nightmares the very same people groan and heave, sigh and cry for what they do not and cannot, or refuse, to understand — that it has all been a 'Kukul Pore' in which they had very little or no stakes at all. After all, did not the Lions and the Gladiators of old Rome perform the same duties, wittingly or unwittingly, to their overlords, masters and mistresses. This, in fact is chicken feed — this is only 'Kukul Pora' — the only sport we can afford, while the lions and the tigers are engaged in a do-or-die battle that is miles and miles and miles away from our nostrils.... Religion Kandy’s focal point is, without doubt, the Dalada Maligawa, where the Sacred Relic of Lord Buddha is enshrined. The next comes the Natha Devale dedicated to one of the God Kings that guard Sri Lanka according to Buddhist tradition. He is the future ‘Maitri’ Buddha or the Buddha of the next epoch at present in the world of Gods (Divyaloka). The Natha Devale banner bears the ‘Trisula‘ (trident). The love of Buddhists naturally turns to such a one, still personal and ‘human’, since the Buddha himself, having reached ‘Nirvana’, has reached an unconditioned state, unrelated to the world of man. ‘Natha’ is an impersonation of Siva (Isvara). In a figure of Natha one would observe that he bears the weapon, the ‘Trisula’ (trident), and in his two hands snake and a discus. On the other side, above his head, crowned with the ‘Makuta’ (diadem), are two crescent moons, which usually form his head ornament. The God’s mitre is decorated with the symbol of the moon and is surmounted with a tiger’s head. Above him on either side are emblems of the Sun and the Moon. Past Perahera The ‘Ran Ayudha’ (golden weapon) said to belong to the Deity of the Devala and supposedly used by him in battle is carried on the back of a tusker within a ‘Ranhilligey’ (howdah) in every devale Perahera. Ven Vellivita Pindapathika Asarana Saranankara Sanganayake objected to paying reverence to Hindu Gods and Goddesses in the presence of the Sacred Tooth, the palladium of the Relic of Lord Buddha — the Buddhist World. Until the reign of King Kirthi Sri Rajasinghe (AD 1747-1780) the Perahera was celebrated exclusively in honour of the four deities Natha, Vishnu, Kataragama and Pattini and altogether unconnected with Buddhism. The Sacred Tooth Relic of Lord Buddha was first carried in the procession, together with insignia of the four Gods in AD 1775. The circumstances which gave rise to this innovation were as follows: The Siamese priests who were invited hither by King Kirti Sri Rajasinghe, in the year Saka 1675, for the purpose of restoring the ‘Upasampadawa’ (the highest degree of ordination in the Buddhist religion) one day hearing the noise of the beating of drums etc. inquired the cause, and were informed that preparation were being made for celebrating a festival in honour of the Gods; they took umbrage at this, and observed that they had been made to believe that Buddhism was the established religion, and they had never expected to see Hinduism triumphant in Kandy. To appease them the King assured them that this festival of the Perahera was chiefly intended to glorify the memory of Lord Buddha. To convince them of it the King gave directions that the Sacred Tooth Relic of Lord Buddha should be carried foremost in the procession. At the same time he dedicated his own howdah or ‘ranhilligey’ in which the ‘Karanduwa’ was placed during the procession to the Maligawa Temple. This howdah has been so used ever since — the King and his successors never after that never used a howdah when they rode on elephants. In 1807 A. D. Sri Wickreme Rajasinghe, the last King of Kandy, bestowed a ‘ranhilligey’ on each of the four Devales in Kandy as they had none before. Establishment of Kandy There is a belief that ‘Senkadagala’ present Kandy, was established after Brahmin ‘Senkanda’ who resided in a cave in close proximity to the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic, Udawattekelle. According to information gathered from the Chief Priest of Natha Devale (late) Sanganayake of Pata Dumbara Rev. Godamunne Sri Wimala Kirthi Gunaratana, Brahmin ‘Senkanda’ brought a bo-sapling from India to be taken to Anuradhapura to be planted there. On reaching Kandy he had to rest at the Natha Devale premises and when he woke up the following morning he was astonished to see the bo-sapling was rooted to the ground and he had no other alternative but to plant it firmly. The massive bo-tree that is in existence today is the sapling planted by Brahmin ‘Senkanda’. He related another incident where the blind mother of King Narendrasinghe was anxious to proceed to ‘Sri Pada’ on pilgrimage and as there were obstacles to do this trip as roads were through dense jungle inhabited by venomous reptiles and wild beasts, the King got his sculptors engaged in stone-masonry to make a replica of the Sacred Foot of Lord Buddha — resembling the Sacred Foot on Adam’s Peak. Then the Queen mother was taken in a royal escort in a palanquin within the city of Kandy for several days go make her understand that she was taken on foot to Adam’s Peak and finally brought to Natha Devale premises where she paid homage to the replica of the Sacred Foot of Lord Buddha. The replica of the Sacred Foot sculptured in stone still remains within the Devale premises. King Wickrema-bahu III moved the Kandyan Court from Gampola in 1371 A. D. and reigned in Kandy until 1377 A. D. His Queen laid the foundation stone for the new city in the premises of the Natha Devale which ‘Brahmin Senkanda’ selected. A Dagaba was constructed in close proximity and the Kings who reigned after him were even crowned at this spot after performing religious rites and after invoking the blessings of God Natha. This foundation stone and the Dagaba still remain new the ‘Buduge’ and monastery. Dome constructed by Kings Along the base and on the Devale this is changed for one of females and playing musical instruments and executed in a spirited manner. In the anti-chapel are large stone corbals of sculptured lions, two on each side. The entrance porch is composed of large monoliths twelve or fourteen feet long supported by very large stone pillars of usual Kandyan shape but with the addition on the outside of two sleander pillars flanking the larger ones, so that they form a cluster of three on each side. These traditional pillars which are placed here for ornament are of a different pattern, and as such, are to be found in the older Sinhalese temples of the Kegalle District and of Anuradhapura. This temple and Lankatilleke form a link connecting Kandyan architecture with the older Sinhalese architecture of Anuradhapura and Polonnaruwa. |
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