AKD’s Visit to India

Some nay bobs have been irked by AKD’s visit to India. That his visit was undertaken on the invitation of the Indian government is very significant in more ways than one. India’s rulers have a much greater respect for professionalism than our rulers. They would not have extended that invitation over the head of the leader of the opposition without first making a study on their own of the ground situation in Sri Lanka.

Lord Palmerston 1784 -1865 was a British statesman and Prime Minister. He said in the House of Commons on 1st March 1848: “We have no eternal allies and we have no perpetual enemies. Our interests are eternal and perpetual and these interests, it is our duty to follow.”

Sir Winston Churchill another immortal British statesman who steered the course of history of the whole world said: “We have no lasting friends, no lasting enemies; only lasting interests.”

There were only two statesmen after leaving office to whom the doors of any head of state of any country in the world were open anytime. One was Lee Kwan Yew of Singapore and the other was the US Secretary of State and National Security Adviser Dr Henry Kissinger 1923 – 2023. Dr Kissinger said: “America has no permanent friends or enemies; only interests.”

The Allies- US, UK and France- fought two great wars with Germany. They are great friends today. They even joined hands with Communist Russia to defeat Germany.

In the east, the US fought a bitter war with Japan after Japan’s surprise attack on Pearl Harbour. Today they are great friends. The Vietnamese fought the US in a war that brought unbelievable suffering to the Vietnamese people. They are friends now.

In Nigeria, Biafra broke away wanting to separate. War followed and the attempt failed. They are a united country once again and there is no more talk of separation.

These nay bobs are the real obstacle in the way of reconciliation and real reunification of Sri Lanka ultimately leading to the country ending up bankrupt. Political stability is absolutely essential to lay the foundation to build a strong economy. Without political stability, economic freedom cannot be achieved.

Brigadier (Rtd) Ranjan de Silva

Email: rpcdesilva@gmail.com