Racism engulfs trusted stationary brand in Sri Lanka
While Easter Sunday attacks brought the country to a standstill and all industries are trying their best to overcome the situation and move on with the usual business, certain brands and communities have been unfortunately targeted as accountable for the attacks.
Local stationary manufacturer Atlas Axillia Co expressed concern over sales compared to its previous years following hate speech and spread of rumours about the brand on social media and among school children and teachers. The brand has been in existence for 60 years as a private entity and then since January last year owned by Hemas Holdings PLC.
Various defamatory posts have been circulating on social media through fake accounts and the posts have reached more than two million views. Complaints have been made to the CID and investigations are ongoing, according to the management of Atlas during a media briefing and tour of the factory in Peliyagoda last week.
Managing Director of Atlas, Asitha Samaraweera told the Business Times this week, “The government must be strong in terms of law and order and take firm action against the wrong doers by tracking them on social media. The situation has improved quite well, it’s not widespread and only a certain people who are misguided are spreading the rumours.” Fundamentally people have the right to get angry over the terror attacks, but they need to be dealt with the right set of people who are accountable, not the ones who have been running businesses genuinely in the country for many years, he added.
During the briefing Mr. Samaraweera mentioned, stationary is a seasonal business and following the Easter Sunday attacks and schools being closed for almost two months, the usual sales targets have not been met. “There is no immediate sales drop figures that we can disclose compared to last year,” he added.
Atlas has invested 3-4 per cent of its annual turnover into research and development in the country. Exports to the Philippines, Bangladesh, Maldives and most Asian countries are picking up while there is a big push to move into South East Asia, noted Mr. Samaraweera adding that demand for stationary is growing at 8-10 per cent year-on-year.