SL: NATION BUILDING....!!!

Making the impossible possible...

I wish to congratulate the writer Fr.. Vimal Thirimanna, CSSR for the very constructive and visionary writing captioned "Nation Building: A few Radical Paradigm-Shifts needed" WHICH appeared on The Island of Nov. 13.

The writer dwells on the most recent experience of the American people in electing their president through the democratic process and proving TO the world that any impossible thing can be made possible through determination and consistent action lead by the slogan "Yes we can change".

He compares the home situation, Sri Lanka with that of the neighbouring India. To ones surprise even the least educated Indian people have been able to bury their age-old differences in caste, creed etc. In electing their Prime Minster during the last election. How do we compare ourselves? Aren’t we becoming openly divided on the lines not only of caste or creed, but also in terms of up-country and low-country over the past 60 years of our Independence?

Contrary to this a large majority of our people-the ordinary folk-are fair minded and are ready to leave behind petty differences and unite for the sake of the country and save the nation for future generations. Who needs these differences to remain then? The politicians of today are becoming more and more polarised and they are even divided on religion!

Therefore, I appeal to the Editor of The Island paper to get this article translated in to Sinhala and Tamil and take leadership in getting it published in all other newspapers to benefit the monolingual Sri Lankan reader, particularly to draw attention of the politician and the religious leaders.

Also I request your sister paper to start an interactive column so that the politicians at all levels-from Parliament down to Pradeshiya Sabha and even the impending Jana -Sabha members could work together towards a change. We all need to change in many aspects in our Public life. We can easily adapt ourselves to change as many Sri Lankans have proved by changing their lifestyles, education, entertainment etc. on par with Americans!

Therefore let-us start the change within ourselves first. The media must take the lead in transforming our political masters first and foremost, to set in motion the Paradigm–shifts, before the next election.

Mallika Karunaratne
Colombo 05.