ABSTRACT
We live in a world rife with war, exploitation, and loss of freedom as well as with multiple forms of resistance against this destructive process. Capitalism’s endless process of colonizing ever-new lands and people has poisoned the earth, destroyed cultures, and opened vast areas of the earth to arrogant exploitation. However, the spirit and the will to fight back against the dominant power of capital have produced multiple struggles. Such struggles often indicate a desire for a better and changed world that has greater freedom and dignity for all people, one that is by necessity accompanied by political and economic rights for everyone. Sadly, not all such good intentions lead to democratic struggles that can provide meaningful alternatives to capitalist domination. Instead, we often find groups, organizations, and even cults that are begun by well-intentioned people but get absorbed into the dominant power structures. This chapter describes our experience with such a group in Sri Lanka. Although we do not wish to generalize our experience in a relatively small and little-known political/cultural group in Sri Lanka, our continued engagement with this experience derives from our realization that the group’s structure, general practices, and approach to politics bear close resemblances to many political groups in the country. Moreover, we see a crucial link between such groups and capitalism’s need to absorb ideas, ideals, and idealistic people to meet its own interests. Thus, we believe that our experience bears a relevance to a dialogue on democracy among activists throughout the world.
