Archbishop Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith questions what pride there is in celebrated freedom at a time when the country is begging for loans all over the world.
Addressing a ceremony held yesterday (10) at the Bandaranaike Memorial International Conference Hall in Colombo, Cardinal Thero further pointed out that the country’s collapse has also been caused by the people not being ready to do the right things.
“Sri Lankan society today has been severely corrupted. For the past 75 years we have been moving backwards, this is the situation in this country. Sri Lanka is currently not only in economic collapse, but has suffered a complete collapse in all aspects. The moral breakdown of the people is the root cause of all this.”
“Our people are not ready to implement the right thing. People today have forgotten justice and doing the right thing. Everything is done in the hope of getting something for themselves.”
“From the top to the bottom of the country, everyone is aiming to get something from someone. Hoping to make money out of it.”
What freedom did we celebrate on February 4? 21 gun salutes, raising flags, marching on the main road to show the ambassadors and dignitaries that we are a great country. But we go all over the world begging. Is that our freedom?”
“Our leader says that freedom should be celebrated with pride. Whose pride are we celebrating? His pride? Or our pride? We must ask these things.”
“With the introduction of the open economy, domestic enterprises were completely cut off. We became a subsistence economy by importing everything that could be produced locally.”
“If we take India and Sri Lanka, the trade deficit works in their favor. There is no equality in those relationships. There is something like this with China.”
“We have to have the courage to tell them that if we buy your products, you should also buy ours.”
“I say all this because Sri Lanka today is suffering from the loss of consciousness.”
“You can’t run away from debt. So you are going to get another loan. This time from the International Monetary Fund. Previously from China, India or other countries. Now from the International Monetary Fund.”
“These will not get you out of debt, you will go borrow more and get stuck in another debt crisis.” Where is the patriotism of our country, We are worthless citizens of this country. “We destroyed our mother, Sri Lanka.”
