There was a comment in a national newspaper that the “Clean Sri Lanka” program now under way is 76 years too late. We have to agree with this sentiment, because no post-Independence Sri Lankan Government up to now has embarked on a collective mission to cleanse the country in every possible way. In fact, countries such as Singapore, which are now way ahead of Sri Lanka, began similar programs in the 1960s. This was a major missed opportunity for Sri Lanka.
It is in this context that President Anura Kumara Dissanayake on January 1 unveiled the ambitious Clean Sri Lanka program, a national initiative aimed at fostering environmental restoration, social uplift, and ethical revival. While previous Governments have had a piecemeal approach to these issues, this is the first time that a Government is taking a holistic view of uplifting the country.
Addressing a brief event held in this regard at the Presidential Secretariat, President Dissanayake said 2025 would mark the dawn of a “New political culture” in Sri Lanka, bereft of the usual animosity and discord experienced in the local political discourse. The National People’s Power (NPP) Government led by the President has already made a discernible difference in the local political landscape. But “Clean Sri Lanka” is not a campaign that should solely be followed by politicians – it cannot become a success without the active participation of the masses.
President Dissanayake said there were critical environmental and societal challenges facing Sri Lanka, despite the nation’s abundant natural beauty and strategic geographic location. “The Clean Sri Lanka initiative is not just about environmental clean-up—it aims to heal our society and establish a new system of values and principles. It seeks to address the deeply eroded social and environmental fabric of our nation,” he said.
While Clean Sri Lanka indeed has a component that seeks cleanliness and beautification of our environs in the literal sense of the word, it is part of a much broader vision that includes economic reforms and digital transformation. First, the President has outlined plans to ensure that economic benefits reach rural communities, adding that a stable economy cannot be achieved if concentrated in the hands of a few.
Second, the Government aims to establish a digital foundation to combat inefficiency and corruption. Digitalisation is likely to enhance seamless interactions between citizens and State agencies, promoting transparency and effectiveness.
In the President’s words, Clean Sri Lanka is a Movement that aims to rejuvenate the nation across all sectors, along with a new value system to restore Sri Lanka’s environmental and social integrity. As we said earlier, this should have been done a long time ago, possibly, a few years after gaining Independence. But instead of achieving social cohesion and racial amity, we opted for division and conflict, which finally resulted in a war that dragged on for nearly 30 years, sapping the economy and further driving the communities apart. While we were fighting among ourselves, other countries which were economically much poorer than us in 1948, overtook us by leaps and bounds.
The founder of modern Singapore, the late Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew, had a soft spot for Sri Lanka and wanted to model Singapore after Sri Lanka or Ceylon as it was called before 1972. Then he watched in dismay as we opted for self-destruction. Having learned a bitter lesson from that, he took two major steps that helped propel Singapore to its frontline status today. He ensured ethnic and religious harmony and clamped down hard on the cancer of corruption. Sri Lanka, on the other hand, had failed miserably in both these endeavours.
But it is still not too late for Sri Lanka to choose the right path. In electing the NPP, which has always argued for equality, transparency and inter-communal harmony, the people have already taken the first step towards achieving greatness. Clean Sri Lanka is one of the first initiatives taken in this direction. Along with the other components of Clean Sri Lanka, discipline is another vital aspect that has to be taken into account. No country can progress if the citizens are not disciplined. To cite an example, if a driver stops for a pedestrian to cross the road at a zebra crossing and the driver of the vehicle following it honks the horn, there is something seriously wrong with our psyche. A Government cannot instill discipline in the populace by force. It has to come from within ourselves.
Our school and education system has a major role to play in the Clean Sri Lanka initiative. For example, schools can do more to instill moral values and discipline in children. From digitalisation to environmental conservation, schools must be the first to come to the fore. Young children have no preconceived notions – it is easier to guide them on the correct path. Then, in a matter of generations, Sri Lanka will be in a much better place.
Schools are also the ideal place to begin the journey towards forging a truly Sri Lankan identity that has eluded us so far. Schoolchildren are now taught all three languages and will understand not just each other’s languages, but also the cultures and traditions. This is a solid foundation towards achieving a Sri Lankan identity.
In Singapore, no one will introduce himself or herself as Chinese, Malay, Tamil or Eurasian. They are all Singaporeans. Likewise, we should identify ourselves as Sri Lankans, instead of being shackled to racial and religious monikers. Understandably, we have gone through many dark chapters and some wounds may still be fresh in our minds. But we should come to terms with our past to embrace a brighter future. That is the only way forward.
