Mockery Of Commemorating The ‘Independence’ Which Denies Freedom & Due Rights To Its People!
Abhijit Naskar,
Of course, 4th February is a memorable day in Sri Lankan history, as it is the day, when (then) Ceylon won the independence from the stranglehold of British. The suppressed Sri Lankan Flag received its due respect and the sacrifices of many people got the meaning. After all, political leaders of all communities practically chipped in, to make it a reality. Harry Rubenstein, a curator of American politics at the Smithsonian Institution, says that Independence Day celebrates those very ideals of democracy, liberty and the pursuit of happiness and is for anyone who finds faith in the words “all men are created equal”. However, over the years, in the Sri Lankan context, these ideals and the equality of all were conveniently forgotten by a short sighted leadership, making the commemoration of an Independence Day on an annual basis, a mockery and a hypocrisy. Sometime back, when an African friend was asked: “When do you celebrate your Independence Day?”, he, without hesitation or bitterness, said: “We don’t celebrate our Independence Day… it is meaningless”. Although I then found it difficult to digest his answer, I however did so, when I tried to reflect on the Independence fallacy focusing my attention to Sri Lanka.