Lanka marches forward seeking prosperity

INDEPENDENCES: The 58th Independence Day was celebrated at Galle Face Green on February 4 exactly nine days after India celebrated its 57th Republic Day in New Delhi on January 26.

The Indian Republic Day parade was as colourful as ever with various regiments of the Indian armed forces displaying their super power strength with tanks, artillery pieces, and the latest missiles which were very much indigenous.

Since the Union Jack came down in the Indian soil, facing severe internal and external challenges politically as well as economically India has established itself as a regional superpower and remains a `big brother' to the countries in South Asia.

Being under the British empire along with India, Sri Lanka though not as vibrant as India in carrying out the freedom struggle, considered very much the Indian freedom fighters such as Mahatma Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru as exemplary figures in gaining Independence for Sri Lanka.

So, after the completion of 58 long years of Independence it makes every Sri Lankan to think how independent they are as far as their political and economical aspects are concerned.

The Galle Face Green remains a historic venue with the Lion Flag hoisted there for the first time 58 years ago on February 4, 1948.

The Galle Face became historically important again with the introduction of the executive presidency. Late J.R. Jayewardene was sworn in as the first executive President of Sri Lanka before the late Chief Justice Neville Samarakoone on February 4,1978.

As far as the Tamil politics are concerned it was at Galle Face Green where the Tamil politicians of the post independence era staged a non-violent sathyagraha against the introduction of the Sinhala Only Bill during the S.W.R.D Bandaranaike regime in 1956.

Though the Tamil politicians under the leadership of late Federal Party leader S.J.V. Chelvanayakam staged a peaceful protest against the Sinhala Only Bill they were rewarded with thuggery and on the next day most of the Tamil Parliamentarians entered the Parliament with scars on their bodies due to the thuggery they faced at the sathyagraha.

It was since the Sinhala Only came into effect the integrity which existed during the pre-independence era among various communities started shaking and now after fifty years the integrity of the country has been threatened with internal conflicts in the country's North and East.

With the parade of heavy military hardware on the Galle Face Green at the 58th Independence Day celebrations, it made us aware how far Sri Lanka which is known as the `Pearl of the Indian Ocean' has been militarised.

The past two decades of North and East conflict has destroyed almost everything in the Island and created an `arms race' between the armed forces and the LTTE.

Neither militarily nor politically failing to reach a settlement in the North and East conflict, the entire island is longing for peace to make the independence which it gained 58 years ago more meaningful.

Being an Island with no land locked territorial disputes Sri Lanka faces conflict within its own territory over a separatist tussle for the past two decades.

Since the beginning of the arms struggle in the Island seventy thousand lives have perished with a huge blow to the economy.

The countries which gained independence from the British along with Sri Lanka in the Asian region have steadily developed economically while exploring new avenues in enhancing them further.

Even Vietnam though it was not under the British was described as a `Killing Field'until the mid-seventies with destructive war. It has gone a long way in its economical stability with several countries still eyeing the country for healthy investments.

Therefore, it is important to think with farsightedness to bring an end to the ethnic conflict which remains a curse for the entire country for the past two decades since independence was gained.

So being at the threshold of the twenty first century it is important for the Sri Lankans to look around for the changes that are taking place globally with regard to`good nation building'.

Sri Lanka is already several steps behind the nations which gained independence along with it from the British empire. With the 58th anniversary of independence we must decide either to go further behind or to go forward seeking prosperity.