The New Year joyously celebrated by Sinhalese and Tamil masses in our country dawns on 13th April this year. We wish the majority of Sri Lankans who celebrate this cultural festival a Happy New Year.
The New Year is linked to novelty in everything. According to astrology the sun moves from constellation of Pisces to that of Aries. However, the cultural festival that is linked to this belief is a social phenomenon that affects the lives of our people positively. This is an opportunity to remove unwanted old things and fill life with novelty and also to think a new of the path we have taken hither to. This is why the Sri Lankan society that had moved along the same old vicious circle throughout last 68 years should be driven along a new cycle with a new zodiac. All administrations that ruled the country during this period could never find solutions for issues confronted by the majority of the people in this country.
Instead, they have driven the country and the people towards the depth of crises. Every person in the country being in debt to the tune of Rs.500,000 and the country being trapped in a debt trap of nearly Rs.10,000 billion are only one reflection of these crises. The ruling class does not have a new economic tragedy other than the bankrupt neo-liberal economic system to confront the economic crisis. Their only temporary solution is to sell national wealth; burdening the people with the weight of the economy; slashing people’s welfare. Despite we wish each other, there is no possibility of New Year being auspicious for everyone. This is why wishes made in all New Years could not be fulfilled.
However, there is no other omen other than the New Year to resolve to move the Sri Lankan society towards bringing victories to the country and our people. The New Year would be genuinely auspicious only if majority of our people digest this thought. Our people should have the courage and awareness to change old political decisions and take new political decisions. They should embark on a new political journey that brings in genuine victories for the country and builds a new society instead of the old rotten one. Then only the New Year would indeed be an auspicious one.
We call upon all Sri Lankans to convert the Sinhalese – Tamil New Year an opportunity to build a massive people’s power, to have courage to go on a new socio- economic journey and make it an omen of national unity that makes us one Nation.
Political Bureau
Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna.
14.04.2016