What could have been, what it is

By Dhananjani Silva and Madhushala Senaratne, Pix by Saman Kariyawasam, Berty Mendis and Athula Devapriya

Deshamanya General J.E. Denis Perera, Retired Commander of the Sri Lanka Army, who was a schoolboy of 17 in 1948:

As schoolboys we didn't have much feeling towards change. But we were aware that with the expected departure of the British, who were occupying several high positions, there would be more job opportunities for Sri Lankans.

My father was a senior public officer at the time and so we got tickets to go for the ceremony at Independence Square hall which was a hangar at that time where the Royal Air Force had its planes parked. This was beautifully converted for the occasion. It was a matter of pride to see D. S. Senanayake unveiling the flag of Ceylon. S. W. R. D. Bandaranaike and Sir Oliver Goonetilleke made speeches on the occasion.

The country was a pleasant place to live in then and there was no violence, except for a few incidents during World War II. We were hoping that all of us would have a great future. Hopefully we can have peace very soon.

Deloraine Brohier, former President of the Dutch Burgher Union, writer and broadcaster:

I had just got into university in 1947. My father was a very senior public servant at that time and was at the height of his career. So we were invited for various functions in connection with Independence. We went for the celebrations and I remember watching the four runners representing the four communities who handed over their torches to Duncan White who lit the ceremonial flame.

At the time we had grown up not conscious of ethnic differences. We all studied in English and whether my friends were Sinhalese, Muslims, Malays or Bohras made little difference to me. That was the spirit at that time.

Looking back, one of the saddest things is the ethnic division that came with the compartmentalization at schools. People often talk of the exodus of the Burghers. During that time many people consulted my dad about leaving Ceylon because in jobs we had to pass exams in Sinhala and if we couldn't pass we were denied opportunities of promotion. So for future prospects many Burghers went to countries such as Australia.

Prof. Bertram Bastianpillai, lecturer and former Ombudsman who was just 17 at the time of Independence:

I can remember the great expectations we had. I had just left school then and was a temporary clerk at the Food Control Department in Barnes Place. I was boarded in Kotahena and my friend had a car and he took us around Pettah, Maradana, Hulftsdorp, Grandpass and Fort to see the decorations. The roads were brightly lit and like us there were many people coming to see the decorations.

The general opinion at that time was that we were in for a new beginning. The future looked bright. The first disillusionment came with the disenfranchisement of the Tamil community. People were getting bitter with the language policy, where Sinhala became compulsory for public servants along with other legislation which was introduced. These changes were not immediate but gradually everyone foresaw that the day would dawn on a divided Sri Lanka. When English was the mode of administration many were left out of the race. This needed to be rectified but it should have been done in a gradual systematic way.

Veteran actress Iranganie Serasinghe who had just entered university when Independence dawned had vivid recollections of the celebrations:

I was around 20 at that time. They had a huge event called the Pageant of Lanka where Chitrasena did an item on Ramayanaya. I played the part of Seetha along with him and Vajira. We all waited for Independence. We didn't want to be under British rule. We were delighted when this came in 1948. Unlike in India there was not much bloodshed here, so Independence was a great step forward. We were hoping for a socialist government, but that didn't happen and as years went by the country faced problem after problem. It is such a shame because we had the chance to make the country better. So in a way we have failed, we have lost a lot of things and now, the people don't have anyone they can turn to.

Vajira Chitrasena, veteran dancer was just 15 at the time of Independence and had just come to Colombo from her hometown in Kalutara:

There was a huge Independence Day celebration at Independence Square with a structure put up for the 'Pageant of Lanka'. Chitrasena was given an episode to perform the prehistoric times such as Ramayana and the landing of Vijaya. All communities took part in this.

I remember Chitrasena's house was like a factory with hundreds of sesaths, breast-bands and various other dance items. It was a huge pageant with a lot of decorations. Elephants and horses were brought on to the stage. The palanquins of Vihara Maha Devi were done at our home. I was new to all this, but as it was all happening in my house we got to meet different people.

I was only 8 years old and didn't feel anything special even though it was Independence. But I remember the elders used to talk about it quite a lot and my mother was trying to teach me to sing the national anthem. Over the years, when I gradually began to understand the meaning of Independence I realized that it was just an incomplete thing which didn't mean much to the common man. I was pretty excited about the 1956 political changeover. During this time in school I took part in a debate where my team said Sri Lanka should be a republic and we were declared a republic later in 1972, which to me, was a significant move.

However, in reality I wonder if anything has changed at all. Have we lived up to the expectations of a republic? There are whole sections of our countrymen who feel they are second-class citizens.

I was just 14 years old and was given a ticket by one of my uncles to the Independence event. The ceremony and the pageant were full of splendour - halls were elaborately decorated. Also, on one side of the stage was a foreign artist who was present to paint the whole ceremony on canvas and this impressed me very much.

At that time however, I was not very conscious about policies but was rather interested in cricket. It was much later that I became interested in social events and the political future of the country. We had lots of hopes for a better future. But unfortunately, we were challenged by shortsighted, timorous leadership that emerged after the '60s and '70s- that is the time that we began to feel that we were going wrong. The failure to preserve harmony by various groups, lack of commitment and corruption created the world we are in now. Yet we need not give up hope. I believe that we have to deal with the situation even at this stage.

Prof. M. T. A. Furkhan, former Professor of Management Accounting at Sri Jayewardenepura University was around 13 at the time of Independence:

I was small then, but I remember being part of Independence because there were a lot of events at school; it was always discussed by our elders and featured in the newspapers. There was this feeling of glory in all of us. This was a peaceful country at that time. There was communal harmony, a robust economy and above all, there was law and order. We felt that a new dawn had come and there was to be a significant change.

Sharm Fernando, 35, Attorney-At-Law and CEO:

We have to promote a Sri Lankan identity. When we approach the international community as Sri Lankans we will win.

Zahrah Cader, 19, student:

To me Independence means being free and safe in your own country. But this is not so. No one is free or secure. So what's the point of celebrating?

I have come to realize the meaning of peace. Whenever someone dies, that person is one of our own kind — he's a Sri Lankan. Youths get along fine in this country. I have friends of other ethnic groups. Change should come from the top. Perhaps someone from up there can soon bring Independence to this country.

Jake Oorloff, 27, artiste/actor:

Sri Lanka's Independence should be a time of celebration; a celebration of its people, its cultures, its identities, its diversity and its heritage. Freedom of expression, freedom of movement, a society free of racial prejudice, these are things that Sri Lankan society is still to experience. As in previous years, I anticipate that it will be a privileged few celebrating their own small victories, as opposed to a celebration of a people of one nation; we are yet to know and understand what a collective identity is.

Madugasthalawe Upananda Thero, 26, student at the University of Colombo, Arts Faculty:

We gained Independence in 1948 but this was not the Independence we enjoyed before the arrival of the European powers. Even now we are being controlled to a certain level by unseen forces.

When we take the university students, for instance, the minority communities such as Tamils are being discriminated against. Sometimes they are unable to attend lectures because they would have to go to the police for registration if they have changed their location whereas for Sinhalese this is not so. We need common policies or one policy that would respect the rights of everyone.

T. Arul, 34, journalist:

Who has Independence today? The war has been going on for around 25 years out of the 60 years of Independence, during which time we have also seen many things that we were not supposed to see as an independent nation. In 1948, Sinhala and Tamil leaders played a key role in gaining Independence. Why can't we do it now? We should aim for peace. All communities should work as one nation, one country. It's not too late to do this.

C. Hewage, student, University of Colombo, Faculty of Computer Science:.

"We still don't have Independence. Independence for me means having the freedom to express one's ideas without intervention but at the same time in a way it would not affect the freedom of another person. We have this freedom of expression to a certain degree only.