This is always a hopeful time, as we celebrate the end of a year and the beginning of another. In the year gone by many things may not have gone the way we expected. As individuals, as families, as communities, businesses or even as a nation, challenges of crisis proportions may have passed our lives. Confidence may have sapped and hope may have diminished. But all that is now history. Before us are 365 new days with endless possibilities. What can you and I make of these days?
Do we continue to choose conflict and discord over unity of purpose? Do we continue to dwell on what can go wrong and has gone wrong or work within our means to make a difference? Do we continue to blame the global economy or the political status quo for our failure to seize the moment?
In 1983 just after the riots now famously known as ‘Black July’ many businesses began new journeys. Entrepreneurs ventured into entirely new industries on the back of an extremely bleak period in our history when ‘business confidence’ was to say the least, non-existent. These business houses continued to believe (the nation, the people and themselves) and never looked back. In the years ahead they faced even greater challenges but have today grown into large and respected conglomerates. Good and sustainable businesses do not worry too much about recessions, civil strife or state nepotism. They focus on a business journey that is based on fundamentals and yields value for the masses. Unfortunately in the new environment of peace we are yet to see such bold decision- making on the part of the corporate sector.
The State on its part has, amidst substantial challenges created an environment of peace. It has boldly set out to action what has never been dreamed possible. High security zones are converted into entertainment zones by night. Sri Lanka’s first highway has been declared open and commuters use it efficiently and safely on a daily basis. Infrastructure development of a mega scale is initiated. But what have we have done to contribute towards this effort? In the past year have we done anything more than criticize and downplay our potential as a nation? For everywhere we look there is still work to be done and there seems to be just a single ‘doing’ entity.
On the other hand, the State too needs to directly engage the entrepreneurs of this country in the development agenda. Goals and targets needs to be outlined with clarity so that businesses know where the State is heading with the national development policy. Only then can the private sector start incorporating the larger national agenda into their own businesses plans. The private sector investment can then be aligned with State policy so that the ultimate vision is translated into a reality in the stipulated time frame.
Sri Lanka in May 2009 began a new journey. This is the same journey we must continue today. Our people are talented, our minds are inventive, our capacity and resources unutilized but our time is limited. All of us would have but 24 hours in a day, not one hour less or more. Tomorrow may never come. For all of us born in Sri Lanka and living in this time, this is our destiny, our calling- to pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off and begin again the work of re-making Sri Lanka.
The state of the world economy calls for action both bold and swift and may or may not have implications on ours. Regime changes will continue to happen in the Middle East and elsewhere. But none of this can be controlled by you and me watching CNN.
What we can manage is the time we have in our hands and what we accomplish within that time. What is required now is a new era of individual responsibility, recognition on the part of every Sri Lankan, that we have a duty towards ourselves and our nation. All of us are called to duty, to be dedicated to a great task, to ensure that the lives sacrificed to give us this grand moment were not in vain, to ensure that this nation would have a new destiny.
Today all Sri Lankans are free and there are no weapons in the arsenals of the world that is as formidable as the courage and hope of free men and women. Let us all move with this courage and conviction in the New Year to build Sri Lanka. What we set out to achieve from this day on must transform Sri Lanka into a nation that is strong both in an economic and ideal sense. For the wealth and prosperity that we set out to achieve should not only involve a commitment that extends beyond our own immediate self-interest, but should also extend beyond our time here on earth. For, once we the Sri Lankans of this moment are gone, our children and our children’s children should feel and be proud that we justified our brief stay and that we did all that could be done for our country and our people.
A ‘hopeful’ and ‘positive’ Sri Lanka, Colombo
(Any comments on this positive contribution on the path for Sri Lanka and its people in 2012 should be sent to bt@sundaytimes.wnl.lk) |
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