by Anura Guruge
on February 3, 2024
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Last year. A stamp to honor ‘Jawaharlal Nehru‘.
See my post.
Sri Lanka got its political independence from Britain on February 4, 1948.
That was a BIG DEAL.
But now, due to decades of corrupt and inept governments both FINANCIAL & MILITARY independence has been squandered.
Sri Lanka is mighty beholden to China & India — both jockeying to get the edge over the other.
Inviting an Indian submarine for Independence Day celebrations is like a JOKE. It doesn’t convey strength, resolve and independence.
Last year the stamp. This year a submarine.
Yes, I have heard that large chunks of the locals are NOT happy.
It is a shame. I grew up, in Ceylon, as the 1st generation born after Independence. Those were happy days with much optimism and promise. Shame.
I have NO skin in the game — other than being born there. I gave up my Sri Lankan citizenship in 1983. That was 41 years ago.
But, I still mark ‘February 4‘. Always remember that as Independence Day.
I don’t suppose India has ever issued a stamp honoring Don Stephen Senanayake?
I don’t think so. Not sure whether they have issued ANY STAMPS honoring any other Nationals. LOOK IT UP. You are good at that stuff. How do you know “Don Stephen Senanayake”. Great man. My father worked for him briefly. He and some of my uncles knew him well. Died before I was born.
Ahhh! What the future holds. I, a couple of hours earlier, NOT knowing of these comments, sent YOU an e-mail!
I wrote my comments as a reaction to your email.
I have read enough history to know that Don Stephen Senanayake was analogous to Jawaharlal Nehru in history…the Prime Minister at independence.(One can’t abbreviate since his son Dudley Shelton Senanayake was also Prime Minister,and also “D.S. Senanayake”).
(On your visit I recall asking you if “Don” was used there as a name or as an honorific,citing Senanayake and Cardinal Ranjith as Sri Lankan “Dons”).
In 1946 I have read Ceylon was given a self-rule constitution that was not quite at the status of full-Dominion independence,but as Indian nationalists insisted on the latter the Ceylonese did not want to be leapfrogged,so only agreed to take office under the 1946 constitution in September 1947 as preparation for the Dominion constitution of 1948,under 6 months after India,though they did not go republican for decades after India.