“Deeply Divided”: Sri Lanka through the Eyes of Adele Barker
Adele's perspective is very much an outsiders one. While at no point does she claim her book to be the product of an academic exercise, I would like to point out that her account of the past and the present lacks the in depth understanding of a local while also bearing the hallmarks of only a cursory understanding of Sri Lankan politics and its political system.
One glaring example is the importance given by the writer of this article, and by Adele herself, to the dissolution of the parliament recently. Any one who has adequately studied the politics and the political system of the country would know the very basic fact that the term of parliament in Sri Lanka is 6 years. The previous parliament was elected in April 2004 thereby requiring the election and calling into session of the new parliament in Arpil 2010. To call for elections the current parliament is required to be dissolved by our constitution, and by all conventions of any parliamentary system of government. So, it is difficult to understand how Adele, who has incidentally drawn quite complex conclusions on the ethnic/political nexus of the conflict in Sri Lanka in her answer to the immediately preceding question, would come to the conclusion that following the constitutionally mandated democratic process in Sri Lanka (which is admittedly by no means perfect in many ways) is another nail in the coffin of democracy in Sri Lanka.
This interview is a good guide to any one who may pick up her book, as it indicates well the degree of immersion Adele engaged in with Sri Lanka's culture, society and politics, which are very tightly linked to each other.
There are travelers who experience local life truly, and there are travelers who experience local life from well within the confines of the expat sub-culture they feel more comfortable in. Considering the nature of the jobs that bring many expats to Sri Lanka these days, there is little need to elaborate on the mindset and outlook of that sub-culture. Reading this interview sounds like just another chat with a member of that troupe. Her's is one outlook that certainly must be heard, but I hope you try not to make your own judgement based solely on it.
Adele's perspective is very much an outsiders one. While at no point does she claim her book to be the product of an academic exercise, I would like to point out that her account of the past and the present lacks the in depth understanding of a local while also bearing the hallmarks of only a cursory understanding of Sri Lankan politics and its political system.
One glaring example is the importance given by the writer of this article, and by Adele herself, to the dissolution of the parliament recently. Any one who has adequately studied the politics and the political system of the country would know the very basic fact that the term of parliament in Sri Lanka is 6 years. The previous parliament was elected in April 2004 thereby requiring the election and calling into session of the new parliament in Arpil 2010. To call for elections the current parliament is required to be dissolved by our constitution, and by all conventions of any parliamentary system of government. So, it is difficult to understand how Adele, who has incidentally drawn quite complex conclusions on the ethnic/political nexus of the conflict in Sri Lanka in her answer to the immediately preceding question, would come to the conclusion that following the constitutionally mandated democratic process in Sri Lanka (which is admittedly by no means perfect in many ways) is another nail in the coffin of democracy in Sri Lanka.
This interview is a good guide to any one who may pick up her book, as it indicates well the degree of immersion Adele engaged in with Sri Lanka's culture, society and politics, which are very tightly linked to each other.
There are travelers who experience local life truly, and there are travelers who experience local life from well within the confines of the expat sub-culture they feel more comfortable in. Considering the nature of the jobs that bring many expats to Sri Lanka these days, there is little need to elaborate on the mindset and outlook of that sub-culture. Reading this interview sounds like just another chat with a member of that troupe. Her's is one outlook that certainly must be heard, but I hope you try not to make your own judgement based solely on it.
Posted by eha | February 18, 2010 4:08 AM