Haththehathe Daruwo – Children of 77

Watching the scenes taking place at the Galle face Green I could not help coining the above term, 77 Daruwo – Children of 77. Maybe I have a penchant for use of such terminology, for way back in 1959, in a long essay I wrote – I used the term ‘panas haye (56) Daruwo’- to denote the children of post ’56.

Almost 75% or more of the protestors, the most vociferous ones, are in their twenties or thirties coming from well to do middle class families. Invariably, they are joined by a few workers and peasants who have been made desperate by the economic crunch. In addition, there are the usual NGO activists seeking to fish in troubled waters to further their agenda of regime change and destabilising the country as decided by their mentors. The remnants of the Yahapalana regime are also there seeking to come back to power riding on the backs of this youth. There are many others, professors and professionals with their own agendas and vested interests ready to lionize this hapless youth in order to ride their back.

These children of ’77 belong to the generations that grew up within the neo-liberal economic policies ushered in by JR in ’77. They are the products of a culture whose aims and aspirations have been determined by those economic policies. The leaders who ruled this country after JR-Premadasa, Chandrika, Mahinda, Sirisena, and Gotabaya–all of them followed the same economic policies and contributed to that culture with its aspirations and values.

These children cannot be blamed for their behaviour. They are justified in demanding that ‘Gota should go’ having led them up the garden path with the promise of vistas of splendour. They painted the walls depicting the glorious future awaiting them.

They have suddenly woken up to the realities facing them their hopes have been shattered. The vision that enthralled them has turned out to be a dream or a fantasy. They have been let down. It is only natural that they should vent their anger on Gota on whom they pinned their faith.

But it is time they realized that Gota is only a victim, and that he has become a sacrificial lamb who is being sacrificed by those leaders JR onwards to atone for their sins.

Gunadasa Amarasekera