There was a time when Sri Lanka was known as the “great barn of the East”, even though it is now awaiting rice on credit from absolutely any country that is willing to engage in such generosity. It is said that Lee Kuan Yew, the renowned Prime Minister of South East Asian economic giant Singapore, aspired to make Singapore as developed as Sri Lanka was in the early 1950s, even though Sri Lanka’s economy today is a guide on what not to do for many international governments, and a cautionary tale for many developing nations.
Sri Lanka has truly lost its place in the world, and a considerable segment of the population is no longer interested in living in Sri Lanka, as the country’s economic and social situations are becoming messier by the day. They are ready to risk their lives and livelihoods to have some reassurance about their future, and are eagerly awaiting the opportunity to leave the country.
That is the message conveyed by the increasing number of Sri Lankans leaving the country by boat, mostly to India. By the end of last week, the number of Sri Lankans that entered India by boat, seeking refuge, had reached 60, according to Indian media outlets, which also highlighted Sri Lanka’s worsening economic situation as the reason for the illegal migration of Sri Lankans.
Sri Lanka’s economic predicament is no secret to the world, even though its political leaders are still immersed in a futile attempt to convince the people that the economic crisis is not as grave as it seems, and worse, that they were not responsible for it. The unfortunate truth is, foreign media outlets, especially India-based media outlets, analyse what befell Sri Lanka’s economy far more thoroughly than most local media outlets, and mince no words when discussing the uncomfortable truths about our economy.
Foreign media outlets also point out how shortsighted and imprudent economic decisions have brought Sri Lanka’s economy to its knees, and they point fingers at the two persons most protestors want gone, i.e. President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and Premier Mahinda Rajapaksa. Needless to say, what foreign media and financial bodies say about Sri Lanka’s economy has a high likelihood of affecting how the world perceives Sri Lanka.
What rulers and authorities do not see, or do not want to acknowledge, is that the prevailing economic crisis is not merely an issue of the present. It has direct and massive impacts on the future too. How they deal with the present is what determines what sort of economy Sri Lanka will have in the foreseeable future.
One thing is becoming more and more apparent every day; the rulers – the President and the Prime Minister, in the present context – are not particularly prepared to listen to the voice of the people that trusted and elected them. The demands of the protestors, or of the people, most of which revolve around the resignation of the two Rajapaksa brothers, keep being neglected despite growing protests, and also despite powerful politicians, who supported the Government in 2019, leaving the Government.
Even though the matter of whether or how the two Rajapaksa brothers’ resignations can help Sri Lanka get out of the crisis is up for debate, the people’s demands are clear – they are rejecting the leaders they elected.
However, the leaders being blind to the people’s judgment can have various impacts on the future of Sri Lanka, especially when it comes to matters such as investor confidence, loans or other forms of financial assistance, international trade agreements, and trading opportunities, and also Sri Lanka’s image concerning democracy, the rule of law, and human rights.
In fact, several Indian and European media outlets have dubbed Sri Lanka a “collapsing State due to political instability”, while international credit rating agencies such as Moody’s have downgraded Sri Lanka several times during the past two years.
This is in a context where Sri Lanka is struggling to attract as many tourists as it has the potential to, and Sri Lankans are seeking education, employment, and business opportunities in foreign countries, both of which can be severely negatively affected by the prevailing political instability, which does not seem to be coming to an end, with rulers refusing to pay attention to the people’s demands.
Further, during the past few months, on several tourism websites, tourists had reviewed Sri Lanka as a beautiful country crippled by poor living conditions, which can easily hinder tourists planning to visit the country. Soon, even professionals and students leaving for foreign countries will be labelled as people trying to escape a collapsing country.
These situations are most likely to affect Sri Lanka in the long run, and the rulers, if they truly are the leaders that they claim to be, should know that their actions have long-term consequences that can make the people’s situation worse.
The Government has to take immediate and concrete actions, and the rulers should have the backbone to heed the demands of the people that elected them in the first place, and to accept that these people want to withdraw the powers they gave them two years ago. Otherwise, Sri Lanka will soon be known solely as a country that went bankrupt despite a plethora of resources and competencies at its disposal.Hear that? That’s the people
25 Apr 2022
Hear that? That’s the people
25 Apr 2022
There was a time when Sri Lanka was known as the “great barn of the East”, even though it is now awaiting rice on credit from absolutely any country that is willing to engage in such generosity. It is said that Lee Kuan Yew, the renowned Prime Minister of South East Asian economic giant Singapore, aspired to make Singapore as developed as Sri Lanka was in the early 1950s, even though Sri Lanka’s economy today is a guide on what not to do for many international governments, and a cautionary tale for many developing nations.
Sri Lanka has truly lost its place in the world, and a considerable segment of the population is no longer interested in living in Sri Lanka, as the country’s economic and social situations are becoming messier by the day. They are ready to risk their lives and livelihoods to have some reassurance about their future, and are eagerly awaiting the opportunity to leave the country.
That is the message conveyed by the increasing number of Sri Lankans leaving the country by boat, mostly to India. By the end of last week, the number of Sri Lankans that entered India by boat, seeking refuge, had reached 60, according to Indian media outlets, which also highlighted Sri Lanka’s worsening economic situation as the reason for the illegal migration of Sri Lankans.
Sri Lanka’s economic predicament is no secret to the world, even though its political leaders are still immersed in a futile attempt to convince the people that the economic crisis is not as grave as it seems, and worse, that they were not responsible for it. The unfortunate truth is, foreign media outlets, especially India-based media outlets, analyse what befell Sri Lanka’s economy far more thoroughly than most local media outlets, and mince no words when discussing the uncomfortable truths about our economy.
Foreign media outlets also point out how shortsighted and imprudent economic decisions have brought Sri Lanka’s economy to its knees, and they point fingers at the two persons most protestors want gone, i.e. President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and Premier Mahinda Rajapaksa. Needless to say, what foreign media and financial bodies say about Sri Lanka’s economy has a high likelihood of affecting how the world perceives Sri Lanka.
What rulers and authorities do not see, or do not want to acknowledge, is that the prevailing economic crisis is not merely an issue of the present. It has direct and massive impacts on the future too. How they deal with the present is what determines what sort of economy Sri Lanka will have in the foreseeable future.
One thing is becoming more and more apparent every day; the rulers – the President and the Prime Minister, in the present context – are not particularly prepared to listen to the voice of the people that trusted and elected them. The demands of the protestors, or of the people, most of which revolve around the resignation of the two Rajapaksa brothers, keep being neglected despite growing protests, and also despite powerful politicians, who supported the Government in 2019, leaving the Government.
Even though the matter of whether or how the two Rajapaksa brothers’ resignations can help Sri Lanka get out of the crisis is up for debate, the people’s demands are clear – they are rejecting the leaders they elected.
However, the leaders being blind to the people’s judgment can have various impacts on the future of Sri Lanka, especially when it comes to matters such as investor confidence, loans or other forms of financial assistance, international trade agreements, and trading opportunities, and also Sri Lanka’s image concerning democracy, the rule of law, and human rights.
In fact, several Indian and European media outlets have dubbed Sri Lanka a “collapsing State due to political instability”, while international credit rating agencies such as Moody’s have downgraded Sri Lanka several times during the past two years.
This is in a context where Sri Lanka is struggling to attract as many tourists as it has the potential to, and Sri Lankans are seeking education, employment, and business opportunities in foreign countries, both of which can be severely negatively affected by the prevailing political instability, which does not seem to be coming to an end, with rulers refusing to pay attention to the people’s demands.
Further, during the past few months, on several tourism websites, tourists had reviewed Sri Lanka as a beautiful country crippled by poor living conditions, which can easily hinder tourists planning to visit the country. Soon, even professionals and students leaving for foreign countries will be labelled as people trying to escape a collapsing country.
These situations are most likely to affect Sri Lanka in the long run, and the rulers, if they truly are the leaders that they claim to be, should know that their actions have long-term consequences that can make the people’s situation worse.
The Government has to take immediate and concrete actions, and the rulers should have the backbone to heed the demands of the people that elected them in the first place, and to accept that these people want to withdraw the powers they gave them two years ago. Otherwise, Sri Lanka will soon be known solely as a country that went bankrupt despite a plethora of resources and competencies at its disposal.Kapruka
Discover Kapruka, the leading online shopping platform in Sri Lanka, where you can conveniently send Gifts and Flowers to your loved ones for any event. Explore a wide range of popular Shopping Categories on Kapruka, including Toys, Groceries, Electronics, Birthday Cakes, Fruits, Chocolates, Automobile, Mother and Baby Products, Clothing, and Fashion. Additionally, Kapruka offers unique online services like Money Remittance, Astrology, Medicine Delivery, and access to over 700 Top Brands. Also If you’re interested in selling with Kapruka, Partner Central by Kapruka is the best solution to start with. Moreover, through Kapruka Global Shop, you can also enjoy the convenience of purchasing products from renowned platforms like Amazon and eBay and have them delivered to Sri Lanka.Send love straight to their heart this Valentine's with our thoughtful gifts!
Discover Kapruka, the leading online shopping platform in Sri Lanka, where you can conveniently send Gifts and Flowers to your loved ones for any event. Explore a wide range of popular Shopping Categories on Kapruka, including Toys, Groceries, Electronics, Birthday Cakes, Fruits, Chocolates, Automobile, Mother and Baby Products, Clothing, and Fashion. Additionally, Kapruka offers unique online services like Money Remittance, Astrology, Medicine Delivery, and access to over 700 Top Brands. Also If you’re interested in selling with Kapruka, Partner Central by Kapruka is the best solution to start with. Moreover, through Kapruka Global Shop, you can also enjoy the convenience of purchasing products from renowned platforms like Amazon and eBay and have them delivered to Sri Lanka.Send love straight to their heart this Valentine's with our thoughtful gifts!