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Galle Fort, an opportunity?
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A newspaper article in the Sunday Times of June 22 referred to an apparent interest by foreign investors to buy properties in the historic fort of Galle. The article suggests that this is in some way harmful to the heritage status of the Fort. But it is obvious that before we rush to such a conclusion there are other matters we need to consider in order to get a better idea of the issues before us. We live in a complex and competitive world where to survive and thrive we need to have a well-informed and broad understanding of the matters confronting us.

Firstly, our nation is desperately trying to get out of the trap of poverty we are in. It is generally agreed that in order to do this we need capital and in particular foreign exchange. The legislature in its wisdom has thought that one way of attracting foreign exchange is by enabling foreigners to buy property in Sri Lanka. This is not a unique situation. Any body could buy property in London or New York with no trouble. Harrods, the 'historic' super store of London, is now owned by an Egyptian. There is absolutely nothing wrong with this. The law allows it and the foreigners are investing in accordance with the law.

I am impressed that the dilapidated houses within the provincial Galle Fort attracted amounts such as 20 million as suggested by the writer of the article. If true, these amounts would surely transform the lives of the sellers. With this huge amount in their pocket the sellers of the properties can now transform themselves into entrepreneurs/ investors. We must be happy for them. This is how individuals and societies raise themselves.

Protecting the historical nature of certain features of the Fort is a matter for the authorities who need to have intelligent laws and by-laws in place for this purpose. There is no logic in the suggestion that the properties left in the ownership of Sri Lankans would be better taken care of. In fact most Sri Lankans cannot afford the upkeep of their properties and contribute to their quick decay. A few years back the Galle fort was acquiring the look of a run down ghost town. We should all be happy that there are big investors who are pouring money into the place which will surely enable the authorities to protect what ever they deem is historical. Without the money they will not be able to do this.

The article also says that some of the houses in the Fort now have swimming pools and it is suggested that this is somehow harmful to the existence of the historical buildings. I am neither an engineer nor architect and therefore am unable to express a definite view on this matter. I would have thought that with the technology available these days, building small house pools without disturbing any neighboring structure would not pose such a problem. Many historical buildings around the world have seen improvements and changes made to them without changing the essential character of the structure.

The writer also expresses the view that with these investments Galle Fort would be turned into a gay/paedophile centre. The first is of course no offence and is quite a politically incorrect reference. The second is a criminal offence, which I am sure our police force can take care of.

Every step forward in our country unfortunately attracts a lot of critics and doubters. The Kandalama hotel, which is now one of the bulwarks of the economy, was opposed every step of the way. As a nation we must develop a certain modern consciousness in these matters.

In a country where almost every aspect is in need of change and improvement we should welcome foreign and especially European influences without hypocritically pretending we can do things ourselves. We are starved of foreign capital. We desperately need European standards in matters like public hygiene, garbage disposal, work ethic, corporate governance, honesty in the public sector and almost every aspect of economic management. Having European investments and residents in our country will surely help us in this aspect.

We are all mindful of the negative aspects of foreign investments and influences. There is a lot of literature on the malevolent aspects of foreign capital. We have had more than a bellyful of this from childhood. But, let us, as a nation not be left behind. We have a lot of catching up to do. We can protect what we must and at the same time develop in to a rich vibrant country. This needs an intelligent and knowledgeable attitude, which I am afraid your article falls short of.

Ravi Perera

Galle Fort, an opportunity? Point of view

Galle Fort, an opportunity?
Point of view