As Sri Lanka displayed its military might at the country’s Independance Day celebration on Sunday, government politicians came under fire from a volley of criticism unleashed on them by outspoken Colombo arch bishop Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith.
Calling the occasion a grave insult on the people, Cardinal Ranjith lashed out at the many economic burdens heaped on the masses saying action to rid the country of poverty and not air shows was the need of the hour.
“The whole world knows this country is bankrupt and whose Freedom are you celebrating, yours or is it the people’s Freedom at a time when the people are starving,” Cardinal Ranjith asked government politicians at a Sunday sermon at All Saints’ church five kilometres away from where the Independance Day parade was taking place.
He rebuked the expenditure set aside for the occasion saying it was downright hypocrisy while elsewhere in the country black flag protests were held and police arrested five Tamil university students in North Killinochchi who were with thousands of people slaming the Independance Day show.
“Inviting foreign dignitaries and diplomats and having a military Circus and air shows at a time of a worsening crisis was an insult on the people who are struggling to appease hunger.
“We have to rally together to take the country out of the scourge of what is happening,”, Cardinal Ranjith said.
