Lee Kuan Yew's predictions... Could we take up his challenge?

by H. A. Dias

I happened to come across the contents in a book written by three Straits Times journalists about Lee Kuan Yew: The Man and his Ideas. Herein, Lee Kuan Yew talks about his visit to old Ceylon in 1956 and how he wished to make Singapore like Colombo. He talks about our sterling reserves, the two universities and the educated talent and adds that according to what the British and American liberals used to say, Sri Lanka ought to have flourished. But it didn't.

Singapore, a resourceless island is today a big economic giant, whereas Sri Lanka with all its aforesaid advantages has been doomed both politically and economically. Corruption and terrorism is spreading its tentacles and has now gripped and throttled the nation. What led to our downfall? According to this great man with a vision we have had weak or wrong leaders.

Our first Prime Minister, the Father of the Nation, had a mission and a vision. His untimely death started the division both politically and communally. Now, these divisions are daily gaining momentum and have come to a stage that each one is trying to strangle the other's neck. One political party does not allow the other to gain mileage and, it is this struggle that has divided the people, created racism and terrorism.

We are not short of able politicians and intellectuals who could work for the betterment of this beautiful country. But, most unfortunately, most politicians are only self-motivated. When will they acquire and gain wisdom to think of the country? They have forgotten the famous saying that 'there should be a country for one to do politics'.

Ex-Prime Minister of Singapore, Lee Kuan Yew, who proved to the world his might, has now in his greying years, thrown a challenge to our politicians.

He has said in no uncertain terms in the above-mentioned book that "Sri Lanka - the country will never be put together again". It is a solid statement emphasised with a powerful word, "never".

Now, will we allow him to prove his wisdom and greatness or get together with the ever-ready intellectuals to prove that we Sri Lankans are greater than what others think.

It is true that we have made enough mistakes. And it is through mistakes that one learns. Now let us not repeat the mistakes and allow the 74-year-old in his days of retirement to be proved correct again.

Get together in a common forum and take the challenge! Wake up, it's our turn now to show the world our hidden, covetous acumen. My only wish is not to hear from even my neighbour, the utterances that our politicians are a set of barking dogs.