Social protection is defined by the United Nations Research Institute for Social Development as preventing, managing and overcoming situations that adversely affect people’s well being. As for the Food & Agriculture Organization (FAO), it is a set of interventions to reduce social and economic risks and vulnerability, and to alleviate poverty and deprivation. However, the elevation of the economic standing of a nation would be meaningless if an unlawful and indisciplined society exists and a peaceful environment does not prevail.
In separate moves, the incumbent President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has appointed two essentially important presidential task forces to take up the most pressing issues in the country.
The first was for economic revival and poverty alleviation with a thirty-member elite panel selected from every related field, chaired by the versatile veteran Basil Rajapaksa.
Task force
This task force comprises well recognised professionals with successful track records, selected from both private and public sectors that include business leaders, Bankers and high ranking government officials.
The second task force was appointed to build a secure country and a disciplined and lawful society under the chairmanship of the Defence Secretary, Major General (Retired) Kamal Gunaratne. The second task force too is equally important, if not more, as the main mission of the membership is to take all necessary action to eliminate illegal acts of groups involved in criminal activities. In addition, the important task of eradicating drug trafficking in the country was also entrusted to this high-powered team of experts in defence and law enforcement.
Unlike the team engaged in economic revival matters, those involved in law enforcement against organised crime syndicates, will be up against not only national criminals but also powerful international drug cartels and alliances.
Also, the emphasis given for the control of drugs, the mother of all evil is laudable but the assignment of the task force will be more complex due to this. As the whole country is aware, most of the violence and heinous crimes prevail due to drug related gang disputes. Therefore, those appointed to this task force are the most elite and the best available in the country for such a job. These appointees will never be broken under pressure of any sort, political or criminal.
Sri Lanka known for the involvement of politicians in many nefarious activities. General public opinion is that since the 1980s, any criminal activity or drug related crime is often connected to corrupt politicians.
Therefore, it is a cinch that none of the members of this task force will be approached by crooked or evil forces. As promised in the statement ‘Vistas of Prosperity’, it is a great consolation to the citizenry that President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has initiated constructive action on the protection of civil society from crimes.
Not a single day passes by without the people wondering why there is so much news of violence reported in the traditional and social media. It is unbelievable to hear such news reported incessantly in a Buddhist dominant country with so much of talk about Buddhist religious practices.
Acquired behaviour
The philosophical question is whether some Sri Lankans currently are acting based on an acquired behaviour. Some experts argue that this behaviour is a post war against terrorism mentality after the prolonged thirty year civil conflict.
However, ten long years since the eradication of terrorism, the aggressive behaviour of the nation persists.
Social control is the domain of both individual and the connected society, as per societal study. Belief in social value is reinforced by sharing preference in those values cultivated through education, culture and social integration.
Thus, while certain types of human activity are harmful to society due to the loss of self control, sociological theories suggest the commission of crime is the result of an acquired behaviour derived through association. Shared practices motivate the criminal behaviour of individuals due to this acquired knowledge. Social factors such as poverty, inequality and social differences trigger unethical and unlawful decisions paving the way for criminal activities and misdeeds. This is where the concept of social protection comes into effect.
Social protection
As described, social protection primarily concerns individual well- being which is directly connected to the economic prosperity of a country. Hence, the importance and the interconnectivity of the economy and poverty alleviation, and building a secure and lawful country are immeasurably vital at this juncture in Sri Lanka’s history.
In this writer’s opinion, the citizenry at large are not yet fully aware of the magnitude of the significance of these two task forces. When they do, they will eternally be grateful to this Presidential move.
In line with the two task forces, the President has recently made another important move related to law and corrections by appointing a veteran with a positive track record as the Commissioner General of Prisons.
Accordingly, as a very senior police officer, a veteran in criminal misconduct, instant results were shown soon after his appointment. It is no secret that most of the major criminal activities are conducted within the prison by a few notorious criminals who are either serving jail sentences or in remand prison. The amalgamation of the task force with the Police and the Prisons will have a tremendous control over the menace of organised criminal activities and drug abuse.
Crucial juncture
Sri Lanka at present is in a crucial juncture in the implementation of anti-poverty and social protection programs along the lines of the Presidential vision. During the past seven months, many reforms were introduced despite the adverse Covid-19 issues.
The implementation of such programs is in the hands of those appointed. The results are not yet visible to the public to trust the administration completely.
Nevertheless, the stern Presidential guidance has been admired by the knowledgeable public who has had firsthand experience.
As a personal example, previously, the allegedly corrupt Department of Registrar of Motor vehicles (RMV) is showing a tremendous improvement comparatively with more efficiency and almost zero corruption. Similarly, the citizenry is hopeful that the social protection and welfare programs operating under Presidential direction too will bear the same positive outcome.
Social protection that leads to welfare is a main factor in poverty alleviation.
The Government has taken positive, constructive and productive steps to resolve social welfare issues prevalent in the country.
The most recent example is the offer of relief package of 5,000 rupees twice to 6.3 million families during the Covid-19 pandemic. No other country which is economically on par has implemented any such social welfare programs.
The Government has already changed the paradigms that existed so far for the development of social protection.
In the implementation, policies are combined with macro economic development, private sector development, export encouragements and even educational issues. Many optimistic moves were made by the Government to ensure security and lawfulness which goes hand in hand with the individual prosperity of the citizens. Together, the two factors will create a socially satisfied and secure nation.