Colombo Sri Lanka (Commonwealth Union)_Sri Lanka celebrated 75 years of independence from the British amidst economic turmoil and seemingly insurmountable social challenges. While there were calls for the celebrations to be cancelled given the country’s dire economic situation, President Ranil Wickremesinghe decided to go ahead with the planned celebrations albeit on a more somber note.
While the celebrations were primarily for a show of Sri Lanka’s defense capabilities, little else took place on the sunny morning on the Galle Face esplanade with the President deeming to give his address on television later on in the evening rather than as is normally done – at the military parade.
When he did speak to the nation, it was a no holds barred address, with numerous suggestion, diktats and promises woven and sometimes veiled into the speech. Honouring those who had dedicated and worked hard for the country’s freedom, he candidly said he was focusing on the freedom lost today. He quoted the London Times editorial 75 years ago which stated, “It is our desire to see Sri Lanka become a Switzerland in the East, very soon,” a vision not expressed for any other country in the East.
He squarely placed the blame of the unprecedented economic crisis on every citizen of the country. His primary call was to end divisive politics, minority discrimination and politics of deceit which have been the bane of the country’s woes since independence. The divisions in race, religion and region is a strong undercurrent that has for decades been used by successive rulers to their advantage, developing suspicion and creating animosity against people.
President Wickremesinghe’s reading of the divisiveness is that the Sri Lankan people were open to exploitation and unfortunately, allowed those creating the division to gain maximum power. “Politicians who spoke the truth were rejected by the people,” he said, “with those who had national remedies hardly given a place. Yet, lies gained greater acceptance and the people were trapped in a consensual political culture.” He claimed that people voted not thinking of the nation but for an individual who would give them benefits.
While Sri Lanka was upheld as a role model for Singapore by President Lee Kuan Yew who studied the country and formulate a strategy to rebuild Singapore, today, Sri Lanka is at the point of destruction. Trapped in promises and endured slogans resulted in the gradual collapse of Sri Lanka’s economy which then saw increased borrowings for consumption rather than investment, pushing the country to the brink of bankruptcy.
Wickremesinghe was quick to point out that the only way out for Sri Lanka to achieve real economic and social freedom is to modernize the economy and open up to the world. He said his government has embarked on a new path of reform although with that reform, painful decisions have to be made. The foundation for a strong new economy has already been formulated and a system change is in progress.
“All areas of this political system, the legislature, parliament, Executive, state machinery should be modified to suit the modern era. The nation, and we should benefit from this change. More space should be created in the new system, for representation and opinions of young people and women in particular.”
He concluded his address urging Sri Lankans to unite, stating that it’s a collective responsibility to build a new country in which Sri Lanka’s children can compete with the rest of the world. “Let us make our country one of the most developed in the world by 2048, when we will celebrate 100 years of independence,” he determined.
