The Global Pluralism Monitor Workshop offered a platform for open dialogue on the state of pluralism in Sri Lanka. By bringing together 47 participants including religious leaders from Hinduism, Buddhism, Islam and Christianity as well as men and women representing District Inter Religious Committees (DIRCs) from 17 districts, the workshop highlighted the challenges and opportunities faced in creating a more inclusive and equitable society. The discussion was guided by the Global Pluralism Monitor Framework.
“There is no national law in the country. When laws are proposed as national laws, they get changed when they are about to be implemented,” said Rev. Father Nirmal Suranjan, highlighting the inconsistencies in national law implementation. Ven. Dhamma Vimoksha Bikkuni said that although women's rights were spoken about, no equal rights were given and pointed out the disparities in women's rights and community recognition. The lack of equal access to jobs and professional opportunities for women and minority communities was discussed. Different treatment of communities based on ethnicity was identified as a core issue.
Participants highlighted the complexity in achieving diverse political representation. The development of policies often led to satisfying one group while making others suffer.
Barriers faced by individuals, especially women, attempting to enter politics were addressed. S.N.M. Zulfikar Moulavi stated, “After independence, Sri Lanka had only two political parties. Now there are several political parties created by minority groups in response to perceived inequalities.
“Politicians are not honest. They won’t let the leaders from minority communities to emerge,” said R. Manoharan from Batticaloa.
During the discussions it was observed that there were biases inherent in most policies, that there was a neglect of minority voters that undermined the democratic principle of equal representation and that unequal resource allocation failed to address the needs of all communities equitably.
Participants noted varied experiences regarding minority representation and engagement in various sectors. For instance, Muslims received recognition and leadership opportunities in the civil society sector.
Pastor S. Ashok Kumar highlighted respect for religious leaders in Puttalam, pointing to areas where inclusive practices were observed.
The workshop concluded with a consensus on the need for all sectors of society including government bodies, civil society organizations and communities to engage in constructive dialogue and collaborative efforts to address issues of favouritism, under representation, biased policymaking and inequitable resource allocation.