LET’S CELEBRATE HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY!

Sri Lankans the world over celebrated the sixty-fourth anniversary of this island of Sri Lanka gaining Independence from the British.

The island of Ceylon (as it was then known) had been colonized first by the Portuguese, then by the Dutch and finally by the British. On 4th February 1948, Sri Lanka raised the lion flag hoisted by independent Ceylon’s first Prime Minister, Mr.d.s.senanayake, known as the “Father of the Nation”. The Duke of Gloucester, brother of King George VI of Britain graced the occasion, symbolizing goodwill between the emerging nation state and the former colonial power. There was euphoria everywhere as the Ceylonese people tasted freedom for the first time after three hundred years of the colonial yoke.

Yet were the Ceylonese truly free? Were they not brainwashed into blindly following the Westminster system of Parliamentary Democracy complete with the iniquitous party political system?

Ceylon enjoyed a bloodless transfer of power at independence. However, Sri Lanka underwent its own baptism of fire with the thirty year long ethnic conflict. Terrorism meant that nobody was safe whether great or small. Many were the leaders who lost their lives due to terrorist bombs. For the first time in the world, suicide bombers wreaked their own brand of havoc in little Sri Lanka.

Sinhalese, Tamils and Muslims lost lives and limb for terrorism is no respecter of persons. Now that terrorism no longer stalks the land, the time has come for Sri Lanka to cogi- tate and decide what Independence really means. Should we still cling to our parochial identities dividing people according to class, caste, race and religion? Or should we be courageous and broad minded enough to think in terms of a truly Sri Lankan identity superseding all barriers?

Let’s celebrate the birth of an Independent Sri Lanka where there is unity in diversity.