Sri Lanka posts record growth
COLOMBO: The Sri Lankan economy recorded its highest post-independence growth of 8.3 per cent last year beating the previous record of 8 per cent in 2010, the Central Bank said on Friday.
Sri Lanka achieved independence from British rule in 1948 **but the island nation suffered 30 years of war with Tamil Tigers till the rebels were finally defeated in 2009. Since then, Sri Lanka’s economy has seen a drastic improvement **with the country focusing most of its resources on development.
The Central Bank said that while year-on-year non-food inflation increased in March 2012 due to the full impact of the adjustment of domestic energy prices and bus fares, year-on-year food inflation remained negative for the third consecutive month.
Overall, the year-on-year change in the Colombo Consumers’ Price Index increased to 5.5 per cent in March 2012 from 2.7 per cent in February.
Angle 1
It is basicailly a business news and should have been posted in Business forum, but the underlying highlight of this news is the political strategy and determination that put an end to a 30-year insurgency and brough peace back to the island. Peace gives birth to life and everything related to it. Business is thriving in Sri Lanka now and if they sustain the pace of development, they will soon be reaping the benefits of their struggle. Moral of this angle: Materialism.
Angle 2
Anyone who followed Colombo’s final push against the LTTE, knows what kind of a hue and cry interntional community, especially human rights watchdogs and the UNHCR, made when Lankan forces stormed Mullaithivu, the headquarters and stronghold of the LTTE. Colombo had immense pressure from throughout the world, notebally from India and Norway, to stop the operation because of fears of collateral damage and violation of human rights. But Rajapakse had his mind firmly made up that instead of a dozen killings every week, let some die in one go for the rest to live in peace forever. My heart goes out for all innocents, especially those who were stuck in Nandikadal Lagoon and became casualty of the Eelam War, but their souls may be happy in the other world that their countrymen now live in peace and their country is moving forward. The operation which cost thousands of lives, resulted is peace for over 20 million people. Moral of this angle: Will.
Angle 3
If nuclear stockpiles and a million-strong army were a prerequisite for peace, we would have been having it for a long time now. Moral of this angle: Strategy.