Seventy-three years ago, Sri Lanka gained independence from colonial powers who had ruled Sri Lanka for nearly 400 years. It was a momentous occasion in the country’s chequered history. The centuries of foreign domination had undermined the nation’s sovereignty and diminished the people’s willpower. The nation was at its nadir under the yoke of colonialism.
February 4, 1948 was the culmination of years of struggle by patriots from all ethnicities, religious groups and walks of life for independence for Sri Lanka. The founder-publisher of this newspaper group D. R. Wijewardene was among those who played a leading role in the independence movement. While independence was obtained without any bloodshed per se, the road to February 4, 1948 was littered with the blood of many martyrs who had sacrificed their lives for the cause of freedom. We must remember these heroes with gratitude as we celebrate Independence Day.
In 1948, Sri Lanka was on the cusp of a socio-economic revolution spurred by freedom. In fact, even at the time of independence, Sri Lanka was trailing only Japan in Asia in terms of social and economic achievements. Many of these countries envied Sri Lanka and wanted to emulate its progress. But such progress has eluded us in the intervening years.
Perhaps the single biggest failure was our collective inability to forge a truly Sri Lankan identity, rising above parochial considerations such as race, religion and caste. While many other countries in the region have banished these notions, we steadfastly cling on to them. Politics was and is, the other divisive factor.
This country belongs to the Sinhalese, Tamils, Muslims, Malays, Burghers and other communities in equal measure. The whole of Sri Lanka is the traditional homeland of all these communities. The conflict that ended nearly 12 years ago lasted for 30 years or so, plunging Sri Lanka to depths of despair, devastating the economy, straining resources and above all, destroying a productive younger generation in the ravages of the battle against terrorism. The fact that the country has recorded impressive indices especially in health and education despite these obstacles can be attributed to the commitment of all Governments to these sectors and to the resourcefulness of the people.
There is, however a long way to go before we heal the wounds of conflict and hatred and become a truly Sri Lankan nation. Now the time has come to ditch all forms of extremism and chauvinism and think of Sri Lanka as one nation, one people. Covid-19 has challenged us as a nation, and it is as one nation that we must rise to that challenge. The vaccination campaign that began on Friday will target all Sri Lankans, wherever they are in this island.
One also must be mindful of the fact that there are attempts by powerful nations to erode our sovereignty and hard-won peace. We will again witness such attempts at the UNHRC sessions in Geneva next month. Unfortunately, such foreign interference can foment division among our own communities at a time when the Government is exploring avenues for a domestic mechanism of reconciliation and accountability. Sri Lanka has rightfully withdrawn from the resolutions co-sponsored by the previous government that would have violated our Constitution, moral principles and above all, attempts at unity among communities.
There indeed are critics who question why Sri Lanka is still looking for peace and reconciliation, more than a decade after the conflict ended. But solutions to decades-old conflicts cannot be found overnight. This is the norm worldwide – some conflicts in other parts of the world had ended 40-50 years ago, but they are still looking for lasting peace. Thus, it could be a long and arduous journey. We will feel freedom in our hearts the day we conquer the divisions within and among us that impede our progress as one nation.
In the meantime, we must forge ahead with plans to evolve a truly Sri Lankan identity, which has eluded us for the last 73 years. In Singapore, no one will identify himself or herself as a Chinese, Malay, Tamil or Eurasian. It will simply be ‘I am a Singaporean’. Likewise, we should also identify ourselves as Sri Lankans, instead of attaching ethnic or religious labels. Yes, it is important to protect ethnic and religious identity and traditions, but as a nation we should be one people united for one cause – uplifting the Motherland.
Today, there are many challenges that threaten the existence of the Sri Lankan social fabric and by extension, our very freedom.
The narcotics menace threatens to endanger the future of the young generation. The Government has rightly begun a drive to eradicate the illegal drugs from our midst. All should support this movement – otherwise our future would be bleak. The movement to eradicate drugs must start from places of worship and schools, where students must be taught about the danger of consuming these substances. The same goes for alcohol and tobacco.
We also face the challenge of developing our economy, which has suffered greatly as a result of global economic conditions caused by the pandemic. We must ramp up our exports and minimise the imports of goods and other goods which can be produced locally in line with the President’s vision. The drive to attract more foreign investments should be accelerated.
Now we should take the next step forward to make Sri Lanka a developed country. The Government has already outlined several programs that take the country in this direction, but the authorities cannot do it alone – all Sri Lankans must participate with vigour and optimism in this exercise.