Fifty Nine years of Independence - Reminiscences

by S. B. Karalliyadda, Ex-MP

The British East India Trading Company was started in 1640. Branches of the company ware established in Masilapatan in 1611, Surath in Indonesia in 1612, St. George Madras in 1639, Hoogly port in Calutta in 1650. In 1661 the Bombay Port was given as dowry to Charles II for his marriage to Princess Catherina de Braganza. Conditions in this marriage were that if the English capture Ceylon the Colombo harbour will be given to the Portuguese and the Portuguese will be allowed the free cinnamon trade in Ceylon. If the Portuguese drive away the Dutch the Portuguese will be given the Galle harbour.

By now the British ship "Ann" was in Kottiyar and Rajasingha II of Senkadagala brought the ship crew to Senkadagala as prisoners. After this our Sinhala kings together with their armies were able to chase all the aliens from Ceylon and establish a unitary country for over three centuries. By the convention of March 2, 1815 we became a colony under the British. As a result of the joint and collective efforts of all the leaders who were agitating for independence Ceylon was freed from the colonial rule in 1948.

The last struggle of the Sinhalese against the British in 1848 which the historians describe as the Matale rebellion was supported by some leading Burghers of the day. Chief among them was the then Chief Justice Sir Anthony Olipahant. He condemned the acts of military panel which shot Ven. Kudapola and Puran Appu. Kings counsel H. C. Selby, Dr. Elliot, A. M. Fergusion Richard Morgan and Laurance Oilphant were among this Burgher community. Their agitations against the British Raj forced the home government to recall Governor Torrigton. He was replaced by Sir George Anderson who was the Governor of Marautius at the time.

Subsequent constitutional changes finally led to the present constitution where the will of the people is supreme. We step into the sixty-first year of self government from today. We are still divided ethnically as a nation. The ethnic divisions do not exist at the village level where more than sixty per cent of our people are rural. The Muslims, Tamils, Burghers and Malays live together in harmony at this level. When it comes to the decision making ruling level only these differences surface. Our politicians branded them as "ethnic minorities" and created this division. This was a divide and rule tactic adopted by those who do politics for their personal gain and not for the good of the country.

As mentioned earlier all communities living in our country jointly and together led our independence struggle. In the days of colonial rule we were British subjects. Today even the people of Indian origin who work in the plantation sector who have obtained Sri Lankan citizenship are termed Indian Tamils. Even to classify Muslims such terms are used.

Those such as T. B. Jayah, Sir Razik Fareed and Marken Marker Akbar; fought for an independent nation. The power-hungry politicians not only divided the nation on ethnicity but also on caste. When a person of a particular caste is selected to contest a seat at Parliamentary elections the opposition political party too selects a person of the same caste. This caste division penetrates to the village at provincial and local government elections. The proportional system of electing representatives further divided the people into ethnic and caste groups. Ordinary people such as M. S. Themis, a postal peon, William Fernando a carpenter, A. U. Romanis an ordinary village level small trader will never be able to enter the legislature under the present system. It will be big time business magnates, club owners, dealers in drugs and bar owners who will find the resources to muster the support of an entire district at a Parliamentary election. The true servant of the people will be kept out.

We lack a national policy in Education. The government that is in power will change the system of education to suit them. The subject of history was removed from the curriculum which resulted in creating a bogus history which led to the demand of separate entities based on ethnicity. Even in America the medical students are taught history before they study medicine.

Civics, the subject that taught the rights, privileges, and services to fellow neighbours and the right to live and let live was removed and a new subject Social Studies, a blend of civics and history was introduced. The result was that the harmony and good understanding that existed in a community was soon disappearing. The disastrous results can be observed today in the changing behaviour patterns of our citizens. With the introduction of Sinhala only the villager was shut out from the world. The offsprings of politicians and moneyed people went abroad and studied English, French and German; while the poor learnt only Sinhala. Today the Tamils and Muslims can conduct their affairs in any language while the Sinhalese know only the Sinhala language. We had no education policy for the last sixty years.

Countries such as India, Malaysia and Burma which gained independence along with us are far ahead of us today. India is emerging as a strong and powerful nation in Asia. Malaysia where there was a militant separatist guerilla warfare with the Chinese is today an advanced and strong nation rid of terrorism. We on the other hand have gone backward. Our industries such as cement, iron, steel, tyre, paper, glass and textiles; which we started after independence are no more. We are importing our food 'clothing' rice and all other stuff that could be easily and well grown in our country. We have no agricultural policy and a policy for distribution, sale and purchase of agricultural products from the producer. We imported fifty two thousand metric tons of rice at a cost of Rs. 1,554 million in 2005, 864,000 metric tons of wheat at Rs. 14,200 million, 418,000 metric tons of sugar at Rs. 31,835,000 and spent Rs. 77,795 billion to import 15 million barrels of crude oil. Self-sufficiency in food apart we have imported 1,733 mt. tons of Kurakkan at Rs. 22,934,000 and 394 mt. tons of cowpea at Rs. 8,769,000 in 2006. But our politicians vow to make the farmer a king.

Our irrigable land has been reduced by 1.7 per cent. We recorded a decline of 20% in our main export product of tea in 2006. The smallholders who grow tea in 56% of the tea growing lands contributed to 65% of tea produce in 2006. We are spending an average of Rs. 12,931 million per year for milk products and Rs. 6,989 million for meat and meat products when we can be self-sufficient in these commodities.

We are a third world country that spends Rs. 59,508 million per year to import vehicles. After independence we inaugurated major irrigation and colonisation schemes such as Minneriya, Polonnaruwa, Elahera, Kagama, Katiyawa, Minipe and Galoya with our local resources. We never borrowed from any foreign country or fund. The biggest multi-purpose development scheme, Mahaveli was funded by UK, Canada, Germany, Sweden, Saudi Arabia and other international donor agencies. Four major projects in the accelerated Mahaveli Development program were estimated to cost Rs. 15,000 billion. But in later years at the end of 2006 the total debts the government obtained amounted to Rs. 2,607 billion. This is an increase of Rs. 385 billion from 2005. The government obtained loans from EPF, ETF, NSB and the CB.

The total foreign debts outstanding as at the end of 2006 was Rs. 1,131 billion. It is 38.7 per cent of our GDP. We have signed 213 bi-lateral agreements with Japan, America, Germany and another 218 multi-lateral agreements with the World Bank and the IMF up to now. Out of a total debt payment of Rs. 151 billion in 2006 we paid 30 cents per rupee as interest. In other words every citizen who earned a rupee paid 30 cents as interest to government borrowings. As the loans obtained by the government were on medium and long terms every citizen will pay thirty cents out of his earnings for loans until the end of 2,045. Of the total of the Rs. 445 billion paid as loan repayments in 2006. Rs. 151 billion amounting to thirty four per cent of the total payment will cover the interest for the loans. It is high time that we look back and assess our achievements for the past sixty years and plan new policies and strategies to attain real independence.