• ‘Aragalaya’ activists note repercussions to their lives due to their activism

BY Sumudu Chamara   Even though there is an important question as to whether the “aragalaya” (struggle) resulted in what the country expected it to, the people’s movement that went on for four months was definitely a significant turning point in Sri Lanka’s history. It changed how the people look at politicians’ conduct, the importance of having experts at the helm, and how united people can be and how much influence unity can exert, among other things. There were always more spectators and silent supporters than active protestors. However, some were so determined in making the “aragalaya” a success that they did not hesitate to risk their personal and professional lives for the cause that it represented. In fact, to some, the “aragalaya” was a life-changing experience, as they lost their jobs and income because of their participation in and support for the “aragalaya”. Even though they do not get highlighted in the larger concept of the “aragalaya”, there are many such people among the protestors. To discuss their experiences in the aftermath of the “aragalaya”, The Morning spoke to several persons with such experiences.   Promoting the ‘aragalaya’   One such person who lost his job due to involvement in “aragalaya”-related activities is 40-year-old Chanaka Fernando (name changed on request), who was sacked for allegedly encouraging and mobilising his colleagues to participate in the protests. He explained his experience: “I worked in a private firm that provides information technology-related services. I was an active supporter of the ‘aragalaya’ and was vocal about the same on social media platforms and at the workplace. I talked about why the country needs drastic political reforms and how the ‘aragalaya’ could be a good tool to achieve it. Most of the time, it was my friends, some of whom happened to be my colleagues, that engaged in such discussions with me. “My superiors noticed this. They accused me of encouraging my colleagues to be protestors and of mobilising them to join the ‘aragalaya’. In response, I asserted that even if that was true, I did not do it intentionally and that given the prevailing economic circumstances, I would not be surprised if my colleagues wanted to join the ‘aragalaya’.” Fernando does not regret his alleged influence on his colleagues. He opined that even though he does not know how much of an influence he was as far as the said allegation is concerned, his colleagues however started becoming more interested in the cause that the “aragalaya” represented and freely communicated their opinions at the workplace. This, he said, led to a request by the management for his resignation. “During this time, one of my colleagues was seen at the Galle Face protest site when he was supposed to be working, which resulted in the management issuing him a warning and my situation worsening. My superiors asked me to resign because of the said accusation. They thought that I was a bad influence on my colleagues. I had several discussions with the management. However, eventually, I had to resign.” He added: “I blame my former employers and superiors, not for thinking that I was a bad influence on my colleagues, but for not having the mental capacity to understand the obvious reasons that drove the people to gather around the ‘aragalaya’. Had they understood it, they would have understood that the dying economy is more than enough to make people support the ‘aragalaya’ and that I did not have to encourage anyone. If supporting the ‘aragalaya’ is an offence, I would commit that offence 100 more times. I am not upset about losing my job because I supported the ‘aragalaya’. I would have, however, been upset if I had not had the courage to support it.”   Risking careers in support of the ‘aragalaya’   Meanwhile, The Morning met people who had temporarily stopped working to become long-term protestors at the “GotaGoGama”/“RanilGoGama” protest site at the Galle Face Green, due to which they lost their income. Thirty-three-year-old carpenter and mason Kumara Silva (name changed on request) is one such person. When the “GotaGoGama” protest was two weeks old, he stopped all carpentry and masonry work he was engaged in, in order to join the protest, which did not end well for him. He described the sentiments that drove him to be committed to the ‘aragalaya’: “I could not resist the urge to join the protests because it felt like it was the last chance to save the country, about which politicians had mentioned during every election. In fact, I saw it as a chance for a poor and ordinary man like me to be a part of a massive change. When it became difficult to make ends meet, I thought that such massive change was necessary. My only intention was to do my part as a citizen to rid the country of a dictator and poverty. That is why I risked my job to be a part of this movement.   “I joined the ‘GotaGoGama’ protest when the protest was two to three weeks old, and I was there quite frequently until mid-June. I spent way more time at the protest site than at my house or workplaces, and the ‘aragalaya’ became an important part of life.” However, his enthusiasm to be an almost-full-time participant in the “aragalaya” affected his professional and personal life. He risked not only his job and income but lost his savings too. “I am a carpenter and a mason, and I take up small-scale contracts. When I joined the protests, I had accepted several contracts, which I left unfinished because I wanted to join the protests urgently. During this time, I did not have time to work or even ask for more time from my clients to finish their work. I ended up spending all the money I had saved for my expenses and for the daily expenses of my family during this time. In fact, I had to take a loan too to cover my expenses.   “I considered joining the protests to be more important than my job, and I was honestly willing to risk losing several contracts for that. However, I did not expect the protests to be dragged out like this, and I did not think that losing a few contracts would affect my future. I stopped giving priority to the ‘aragalaya’ only when I ran out of the money that I had saved and when I realised that I have to keep my livelihood alive for my family.” However, while he thought that these were merely short-term impacts on his work life, he is now struggling to restore his livelihood. “I thought that I lost just a few contracts and that it would be manageable. However, with the lost contracts, I lost the trust that I had established with some of my clients. I lost a few important clients and also the potential clients that might have approached me through the clients that I lost. I am now slowly rebuilding my business, but it will take some time.” Silva added that despite the troubling situation with his work he has not stopped supporting the “aragalaya” and that he merely reduced the time he spent at the “GotaGoGama” and started spending more time on his job. “I lost a few contracts and my savings in trying to build a better future for my family. I am not sad about anything that I lost and I am proud about the example that I set for my daughter,” he opined.   The clashes of 9 May    The Morning also met persons whose employment was terminated due to their role in the 9 May clashes. Thirty-seven-year-old employee of a private firm and resident of Colombo 5 Chathura Heshan (name changed on request) was among those that faced such a situation, and he is challenging his employer’s decision. “I participated in the ‘GotaGoGama’ protest frequently. However, that was not an issue for my employer and superiors, even though my superiors were not very supportive of the protests. I lost my job not necessarily due to the protests, but specifically due to the 9 May incident. On 9 May, I was on leave. Although I did not participate in the protests that day, I was in the vicinity of Galle Face. When I heard the news that the ‘GotaGoGama’ was being attacked by the Government’s thugs, I rushed to the protest site to support the protestors. I was involved in the clash, as one cannot reason with these paid, insensitive thugs, and there was no other way to defend ourselves, especially when the Police did not do their duty. I left the scene unscathed after sending wounded people to the hospital. “However, photos and/or videos of me clashing with an attacker had somehow reached my superiors, and they interpreted my acts as immoral, illegal, and unprofessional. They said that I had acted like a criminal and that my behaviour was a black mark on the company. They also said that even when I am off duty, I still have an identity as an employee of that company and that what I do will still have an impact on the company. Basically, they said that I had brought shame upon the company.” Even though Heshan attempted to explain the circumstances under which he had had to fight with the attackers, according to him, his attempts were unsuccessful. This resulted in him deciding to resign, but he was sacked before he could resign. “I did not want to work with such narrow-minded people, and therefore, I decided to resign. My plan was to find a new job before my resignation. However, while I was looking for a new job, the company decided to sack me. Although I too wanted to leave that place, that decision should have been mine. I should have resigned because I did not like the attitudes of my superiors, instead of being removed due to their narrow-minded interpretation of my actions. “Due to this sentiment, I am planning to take action against my removal, although I am yet to take a final decision. Even if I took some kind of action, I will not be joining them but will be seeking some kind of compensation and/or an apology.”   Disciplining ‘aragalaya’ protestors   In addition, The Morning also spoke to people who had faced discrimination in the workplace due to superiors’ or employers’ disapproval of the “aragalaya”. One such person said that since his superior officers did not like the political aspect of the “aragalaya” – i.e. seeking to overthrow former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and his Government – he faced discrimination in the workplace for being a supporter of the “aragalaya”. He claimed that he received verbal warnings on several occasions. “My superiors told me that being a supporter of the ‘aragalaya’ was tantamount to being a part of a political campaign. They said that protesting demanding fuel, cooking gas, or higher salaries is acceptable, but demanding the removal/resignation of a President is more of a political activists’ demand. Since the matters surrounding the ‘aragalaya’ were controversial, they warned that if I did not reduce attending protests at the ‘GotaGoGama’ and stop sharing social media posts about the same, it might pose an issue to my job,” he explained. While the “aragalaya” is far from over as it is yet to achieve some of its demands pertaining to economic and political stability, the changes that the “aragalaya” produced in the wider society are diverse. In the case of people losing their livelihoods due to “aragalaya”-related events, it is important to note that while some willingly risked their livelihoods, some were victims of personal and political opinions of their superiors/employers. Hence, what the involvement in the “aragalaya” means to a person’s professional life should be the topic of a wider discourse.