15 May 2019 12:05 am
We wonder if even God can help our country now. Our island home was a beautiful paradise and its inhabitants were God-fearing. That was, in the time of the benevolent, respected leaders who TRULY LOVED this country and its people. They fought long and hard to gain independence and maintained the TRUE SPIRIT OF THAT INDEPENDENCE they fought so hard to gain. When did our beautiful island paradise turn into the MONSTROSITY IT IS TODAY? In 1947, the Ceylon Independence Act saw the light of day and the first election in the history of our island elected D.S. SENANAYAKE as the FIRST PRIME MINISTER – CEYLON GAINED ITS FREEDOM! Those were the halcyon days of our country when ministers were respected. In fact, THEY WERE GIVEN THE RESPECT THEY SO RIGHTLY DESERVED!
Unity in diversity
More importantly, the people of this country respected each other; neither caste, creed nor religion divided them. Is it any wonder then that the country was known as ‘PARADISE’? In 1972, the new Republican Constitution came into being and Lanka was renamed SRI LANKA! BUT IT WAS IN 1978 WHEN THE POWERFUL EXECUTIVE PRESIDENCY WAS CREATED AND JRJ BECAME THE ALL-POWERFUL EXECUTIVE PRESIDENT THAT THE DEATH KNELL OF OUR COUNTRY AND ITS FREEDOM SOUNDED!
Easter Sunday terror
That was when CORRUPTION started; when the fight for power WAS RELENTLESS! 1983 SAW THE COUNTRY SPLINTERED, TORN APART WITH THE EELAM WAR! That despicable war, while claiming the lives of countless citizens and ministers alike, also caused division, separation and most of all hatred among our people! Mercifully, that war was brought to an end by the very able Sarath Fonseka and all Sri Lankans had the consolation of living in peace and harmony till BLACK EASTER SUNDAY THIS YEAR WHEN DEATH DESCENDED SIMULTANEOUSLY IN SIX PLACES KILLING HUNDREDS, WOUNDING HUNDREDS AND LEAVING CARNAGE AND DESTRUCTION EVERYWHERE! THE FEAR PSYCHOSIS THAT ENSUED STILL LINGERS IN THE HEARTS AND MINDS OF PEOPLE! CHURCHES ARE CLOSED, SCHOOLS ARE CLOSED, HOTELS STAND VACANT, SHOPS, BOUTIQUES AND EVEN SMALL VENDORS ARE WITHOUT BUSINESS! THERE IS APATHY, DISINTEREST AND A TANGIBLE FEAR THAT PERVADES AND HAS SETTLED LIKE A PALL OVER EVERYTHING AND EVERYONE!
Future looks bleak
So, what does the future hold? It is indeed BLEAK, very bleak, no business anywhere, no religion, no education, no tourism, no business, no one is buying; there is a marked hesitancy, a reluctance to celebrate anything, to go anywhere, do anything joyous! Even the forthcoming Vesak for this predominantly Buddhist country is not going to be the joyful festival it usually is – with pandals, lanterns, dansals and the beautiful feeling of camaraderie it brings! More importantly, when the hotels, boutiques and other places are compelled to close, HOW MANY HUNDREDS ARE GOING TO BE JOBLESS AND IS THE GOVERNMENT PREPARED TO MEET SUCH A CONTINGENCY? INSTEAD OF LOOKING SQUARELY AT WHAT THE LOSS OF JOBS WOULD MEAN TO THE COUNTRY, THEY ARE LOOKING FOR RS. 190 MILLION TO BRING IN TWO BULLETPROOF VEHICLES FOR THE PRESIDENT AND THE NEWLY-APPOINTED DEFENCE SECRETARY! WHAT ARE THEY SO AFRAID OF? THEY PROCLAIM FROM THE ROOFTOPS THAT THE COUNTRY IS SAFE – WHY THE NEED FOR BULLETPROOF CARS AND INCREASE OF BODYGUARDS THEN? SELF, SELF, SELF, WHO CARES WHO DIES, AS LONG AS WE ARE SAFE; ALL THAT MATTERS IS ME, ME, ME AND MY SAFETY!
Government’s contribution to Easter terror victims
Cardinal deserves Nobel Peace Prize
Not a single minister apologised to citizens