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| Business
leaders turn civic-minded
Corporate bigwigs who sat in ivory towers unmindful of political unrest or situations that affect everyone else but themselves have suddenly woken up and joined hands with civil society demanding leaders to be accountable. There's no doubt that this exercise like many in the past is guided purely because business and profits have been affected when - this time - the private sector has been doing nicely under a peaceful environment. Whatever that may be the initiative however must be praised and one would hope won't end with the two leaders coming together and working jointly towards peace. There are many, many more problems ahead even if President Chandrika Kumaratunga and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe end their eyeball-eyeball confrontation for the sake of this country. The lame excuse in the past has been that the private sector is in the business of doing business only not politics or make sure politicians work for the people not themselves. That is supposed to be the job of civil society and the people. But aren't corporate bosses also part of civil society? Can't they - for a moment - stop thinking of themselves as only business persons or professionals? Don't they want a better future for their children and families as much as the ordinary man on the street? Or is it that they have nothing to worry because their children are educated abroad or they take the first flight out with their kith and kin at the slightest hint of trouble? Given the kind of problems this country is going through, it's time business leaders be counted as part of civil society similar to what a few respected corporate chiefs are striving to do. The current J-Biz effort - while praiseworthy - should like we said earlier go beyond the issue of the clash between the two political leaders fighting each other over portfolios. The exercise while looking at the current crisis should also look - on the long term - at the whole political culture, need for constitutional reforms and governance - not merely resolving the political impasse between Kumaratunga and Wickremesinghe. The Sunday Times FT columnist RAM made an interesting point the other day. He says that we should consider the two leaders as consumers and examine their needs and wants. What are their needs (politically) and what are their wants (personally)? It's clear neither leader is prepared to budge an inch from stated positions despite national and international pleas. Since we are saddled with the two main parties and their leaders we think the way forward for the business community is to offer an escape route to the two so that both leaders emerge unscathed from the conflict. There should be a stop to the blame game … blaming A or B for the crisis. That means J-Biz now joined by civil and professional groups must come up with a plan that would help and persuade both leaders to accept. That is possible only if J-Biz leaders act independently, not on party lines as has often been the case. Do our business leaders have the courage to do that? In this gloom and doom scenario however there are encouraging news of a resolution of the Pramuka Bank crisis purely due to the determination of a group of depositors who fought their way into being heard and ensure that the bank would not be liquidated like other failed financial institution. This is a lesson of how a small group of people, lacking political clout or money power and guided by a man of integrity and repute, didn't give up hope when the chips were done. They demonstrated on the streets, mobilised mass opinion and sought the intervention of courts to ensure that justice will prevail. These working class people and aged pensioners have taught our business community and civil society leaders at least one lesson: If there is a will … there is a way to overcome any crisis. |
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