07/22/2011
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The Island
NOTEBOOK OF A NOBODY by Shanie: As Nesiah lamented fifty years ago, the political and even many civil society leaders in our country, in contrast to Nehru, sadly keep repeating myths and legends from history that emphasise our divisiveness rather than our unity. Of our political leaders, it is only Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga and R Premadasa, who did not use ethnic and religious differences to score political points; and who did not give contrasting messages on national unity depending on the audience. That is why it was refreshing to listen Kumar Sangakkara deliver the Cowdrey Memorial Lecture. His talk was basically on the story of Sri Lanka Cricket but he wove into it thoughts on how our cricket team has helped to forge national unity and why it is necessary for everyone to have a national identity, rather an ethno-nationalist or a religious identity as the primary label of identity.