Are you proud to be a Sri Lankan...?

Look around your country… see the natural heritage and the beautiful environment God has given us to the 20 million Sri Lankans. The Sandy beeches, from the coastal belt to the rocky mountains in the hill country with the cooling breeze. From a just 5hr journey one could be in a cold whether climate from a hot whether climate in the coastal belt.
God has blessed Sri Lanka with a rich heritage and a culture that is second to no other countries in the region.

Our country has natural resources that even Japan and Singapore doesn’t have. In 1950’s and in 1960’s Japan and Singapore were looking at Sri Lanka as a model country, because at that time our per capita was much higher than of Japan and Singapore. Even India and countries like the US wanted to have a claim in our country since the world largest natural harbors which is situated in Trincomalee. The other beautiful beeches were spread from Negombo, Colombo Mount Lavinia. Galle, Matara, Hikkaduwa Hambantota and to even to Batticaloa. Passikudar Ampara, Trincomalee. And from the Northern areas we could take Jaffna, Malativu Elephant Pass, Pooneryn, Mannar.

When one look at the inland of our country, we can mention of Siriya rock fortress which is known to be the eighth wonder of the world. Which is a pictorious thing to view from the breathtaking vie it gives. Also the Dambula Rock Temple and the Kandalama Hotel which is a Aitken Spence Hotel designed by the Sri Lankan born architect Jeffery Bawa. The man made lakes by our ancient kings Parakrama Samudhraya and the Senanayake Samudhraya. Hill capital in Kandy which was the last kingdom was. The Dalada Maligawa where the tooth relic is kept.. The world end where you can get another breath taking view from the Nuwara-Eliya, and the Lipton ‘Seat in Haputale. Ella gap in Ella. You could have adventurous sports in Adventure Park in Ella which you never like to miss out on, you could hike in Hiking you also could go and visit the Sinharaja Forest where it has species where you can not find any where else in the country. The Yala, Udawalawe, Sithawaka, Kumana, Hadapangala, Wilpaththu Sanctuaries with the rare elephants, leopards, crocodiles, deer, peacocks. Also the botanical gardens in Kandy and Nuwara-Eliya which is another scenic beauty in our country.

A great Hymn writer Walter Senior wrote

“To him our Land shall listen
To him our land shall kneel
All rule be on his shoulders
All wrong beneath his heel
O Conservation glories
Which now by faith we sing
Come, cast we up the highway
That brings us back the King..”

Even Japan and Singapore did not have such natural resources as we have. But they have done better than we have. In the recent decades. They took our country as an example in 960’s as were were much ahead in the per capita income and we were much developed than them. What was then we couldn’t capitalize on this and we were lagging behind?? The answer to this is our society is very lethargic and the other thing is because of the ethnic war that has put our country behind. If not for the ruthless war we could have done much more better.

As the New Year dawns in another couple of days I may wish our country a prosperous and a bright future without a war.