This year on the 4th of February, we celebrate the 62nd Anniversary of our Political Independence as a self-governing Nation freed from colonial rule under the British. This is the first independence after the victory over separatist terrorism which ravaged this country for three decades.

On the 4th of February 1948, the Sri Lankans were overjoyed in becoming an Independent Nation. Our independence was the collective effort of all races, Sinhalese, Tamils, Muslims and Burghers and all religious groups, Buddhists, Hindus, Muslims and Christians.

It is no secret that our people breathed a sigh of relief with the end of the ethnic war in May 2009. Even though the war is ended, today what is urgently needed is to work towards economic and social development of our country. To bring about this development, it is necessary that all races, religious groups and all political parties should be united. We should no longer work with separatist tendencies in our minds. We should not imprison ourselves within our own frameworks created by us as Sinhalese, Tamils, Muslims or Burghers. We should be prepared to sacrifice ourselves on behalf of our motherland.

It is the responsibility of the political and religious leadership not to encourage divisive tendencies and fan the flames of division. It is rather unfortunate that these divisive forces are at work in our society today. It looks as if we have not learned the lessons from the ethnic war. We are still deeply embedded in the concepts of race, religion and political affiliation. It is time we free ourselves from these divisive forces and work towards unity and progress.

It is essential that political parties should free themselves from undemocratic and unethical practices. In this task it is important to act with justice and fair play. It is pertinent to ask at this crucial moment when will the sons and daughters of Sri Lanka think about each other ?. Division among ourselves is not only a hindrance to progress but also paves the way to becoming an easy prey to foreign elements. The need of the hour is the search for true independence through unity. Let us all dedicate ourselves to this cause.. Le us all make Mother Lanka victorious.

+Malcolm Ranjith
Archbishop Colombo