Sri Lanka, Feb. 4 -- Freedom, Liberty and Independence. Three words that seemingly have the same meaning, but differ slightly in their interpretation. Sri Lanka gained independence from the British rulers on February 4, 1948, exactly 77 years ago. This was a turning point for freedom in the history of our nation.

Independence is not just a facility that we gain from someone. It is also a state of mind. We must really feel free and independent as a nation to reap the full benefits of the struggle for Independence that succeeded in 1948.

Sri Lanka has gone through a tumultuous 77 years, mainly as a result of the shortsighted and ethnic centred policies of our politicians, most of whom thought only about their own political survival. Unfor...