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World Happiness Report 2015: Why are Sri Lankans Unhappy?
2015-05-12
The first World Happiness Report was published in 2012. The most
recent one was published a few weeks ago. In both reports, Sri
Lanka was ranked very low, lower than most countries in the world.
In 2012, the countrys position was 137 out of 156 countries,
whereas, this year the country has been ranked 132 out of 158
countries. All Asian countries except Cambodia and Afghanistan have
done better than Sri Lanka. The country that came first is
Switzerland, followed by several Nordic countries like Iceland,
Denmark, Norway and Finland. Other countries that fell into the
first ten are Canada, Netherlands, Sweden, New Zealand and
Australia. As is well known, all these countries are not only
economically developed but have high levels of social development
bolstered by long-standing welfare policies.
In recent years we have been accustomed to describing Sri Lanka as
a lower middle income country with an unusually high level of
social development. In fact, many commentators have pointed out
that Sri Lankas high level of social development is exceptional for
a country of such a low level of per capita GDP. On the other hand,
the country is neither extremely poor nor socially backward.
Countries that are ranked very low are usually economically poor
and socially underdeveloped. Some of these are also conflict-ridden
like Afghanistan. It is against this background that the very low
ranking of Sri Lanka in the world happiness report comes as a
surprise to many in this country and elsewhere. Yet, a closer
examination of economic, social and political conditions in this
country shows that it is not difficult to understand why it has
ranked so low in the global happiness report of 2015.
"Employment is another area of distress for many people. A majority
of employed people in the country depend on precarious work, often
exposing them to all kinds of risks"
Happiness is obviously a subjective measure. In other words, how
contended the people are with their personal situation. Obviously,
material circumstances are important. That is why almost all the
poor countries are ranked much lower than wealthier countries.
People deprived of their basic necessities cannot be happy and
contended. On the other hand, wealth is not the main source of
happiness and contentment. It is the satisfaction of material needs
combined with positive social and political conditions that
elevates a population to a higher level of happiness. What are
these social and political circumstances? These can be discussed
under several headings, namely, stable social networks, dependable
social support, basic freedoms, absence of corruption, equal
opportunities, control over life circumstances and
hopefulness.
As is well known, Sri Lankas social and political conditions
deteriorated over the last several decades, making many people
vulnerable. The political conflicts and mass migration of people,
both internal and external, disrupted the life of many people in
the country. Many women and elderly people are adversely affected
by mass migration of younger people. Even temporary migration of
workers leaves vulnerable members of their families without
dependable social support, often making them helpless.
Employment is another area of distress for many people. A majority
of employed people in the country depend on precarious work, often
exposing them to all kinds of risks. It is estimated that about 60
per cent of the gainfully employed people rely on informal
employment without social protection and other social benefits that
usually come with regular and stable jobs.
Another important source of frustration for many SriLankans today
is the gross social inequality that surrounds them. This is
particularly pronounced with respect to access to such services as
health, education, transport and old-age pensions. All these exert
considerable social and economic pressure, creating a sense of
deprivation in the minds of a large majority of people.
As is well known, corruption is endemic in many sectors and is a
major source of frustration for many people. Widespread corruption
makes people disillusioned about various institutions that, in fact
should make life easier and more predictable. Education, health,
law enforcement, judiciary, public administration and local
government institutions that people have to deal with are often
corrupt. Ordinary citizens are usually helpless when they are
confronted by powerful people who are determined to extract a rent
for a service or a favour they deliver. Personal interviews with a
cross section of inmates in our prisons would reveal how
disillusioned they are with the criminal justice system and many
other institutions in the country. Free education has become a
mockery as private tuition has long been an indispensable part of
the education system in all parts of the country. All forms of
discrimination faced by vulnerable sections of the population such
as minorities and rural poor deny equal opportunities to them in
various fields such as education, employment and other public
resources. There are often no institutional safeguards to prevent
such discrimination. Many people become violent in response to
injustice, often resulting in tragic incidents like murder. It is
not an accident that most people who are convicted and imprisoned
are from the lower stratum of society.
The detailed notes given above on a number of facets of the life of
the average Sri Lankan are meant to illustrate the point that Sri
Lankas dismal position in the latest World Happiness Report should
not surprise anyone familiar with the ground realities in the
country. In other words, all is not well with the vast majority of
the people and the government should take serious note of the
situation with a view to finding ways and means of improving the
living conditions of the under-privileged segments of society. When
people do not have opportunities to influence the decision-making
process even at the local level, they naturally feel voiceless and
powerless. This naturally makes them unhappy. In this regard, the
country that came first in the above list, namely, Switzerland, is
exceptional. There the people have power to influence local level
decision-making with respect to many issues that affect their day
to day lives. As is well known, ordinary citizens in this country
are alienated even from local institutions and they have little
control over the decisions that these institutions make. As is well
known, even the local councils do not consult people when they take
decisions on matters that affect the well-being of local
communities, despite a strong recommendation on this matter in the
report of the 1998 Presidential Commission on Local Government
Reforms. - See more at:
http://www.dailymirror.lk/72021/world-happiness-report-2015-why-are-sri-lankans-unhappy#sthash.fTBpse3s.dpufPosted
byThavam