As an eager traveller interested in civilisational encounters, I jumped at the opportunity to visit Sri Lanka recently.
An island in the Indian Ocean, Sri Lanka lies south of the Indian subcontinent, sprawling over 65,525 sq km. It showcases an innate beauty through the interplay of its natural treasures. Mountains, rivers, trees, waterfalls, ocean, monuments and archaeological sites dot the landscape.
Sri Lanka thrives on religious and cultural diversity derived from its ancient roots. Buddhist and Hindu cultures have intertwined here after centuries of marriage, conquest and interaction with southern India. The Dambulla cave temple, which was declared a heritage site in 1991, reflects this reality.
Sri Lanka was colonised by major European powers, such as the Portuguese, Dutch and the British, from the 16th Century. This is reflected in the solid colonial buildings in the mountain areas and ramparts in coastal areas.
This is obvious in places like Nuwara Eliya, a hill country retreat for British colonialists, and Galle Fort, built in 1588 by the Portuguese and later heavily fortified by the Dutch.
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The colonial powers promoted Christianity, and the country today has a string of churches where Christians can practise their religion without hindrance.
Monuments that reveal a dark colonial past have been maintained and transformed to tourist sites. Visitors from around the world flock to these places, boosting the country’s coffers.
What makes Sri Lanka distinctive is the ability of its people to live in inter-religious harmony. This harmony, however, was disrupted during several painful episodes of its history. The ancient invasion of kings from southern India. The centuries of Western colonisation. More recently, a separatist war in the north, which ended in 2009.
Churches standing next to ancient Buddhist sites and Sinhalese palaces testify to a deep acceptance of diversity.
The indigenous people of Sri Lanka were open to a culture of encounter with other civilisations. This took place through trading and social encounters in coastal areas. This interaction has made them more accepting of others. But it also made them vulnerable to the designs of imperial powers.
Certain societies today are divided because of their colonial past. Religious nationalists in some place want to reclaim religious sites while monuments of other faiths that are seen as colonial legacies are sometimes destroyed.
Yet, Sri Lanka today has transformed its historical colonial sites into avenues for social encounter and historical wonder. It has shown that it can accept its rich diversity and move forward.
Still, the threat of religious nationalist parties that harp on ancient victimhood remains. This is consistent with the rise of the far right in other parts of the world.
That said, Sri Lanka shows us that nations that have gone through invasions, colonisation and separatism can still transform themselves as beacons of peace and diversity. They are able to do this by accepting the realities of the present, rising above victimhood and pressing forward.
A nation can assume a progressive trajectory when it accepts the diverse reality of the present without being enslaved by historical victimisation.
This is something we in Malaysia can learn from Sri Lanka.
AGENDA RAKYAT - Lima perkara utama
- Tegakkan maruah serta kualiti kehidupan rakyat
- Galakkan pembangunan saksama, lestari serta tangani krisis alam sekitar
- Raikan kerencaman dan keterangkuman
- Selamatkan demokrasi dan angkatkan keluhuran undang-undang
- Lawan rasuah dan kronisme
