I have heard our parents speak of the many great (and a few ugly ducklings) men who wrought Sri Lanka after our independence and led it well with vision and patriotism, those who did not see Sri Lanka as an means to wealth but loved it and treasured its people as well its resources. Those mens worth was not in rupees but in their actions and ego-less devotion to their country. Today we are a country where politics is everything and all. We have heard this quote from many a Minister who’ve justified their political ambitions at sports meets, religious events, book launches, school award ceremonies and many a mundane and civil events, calling on hate where it is unwelcome and unwanted.
I’m a person who travels quiet frequently by public and occasionally private transport to Colombo, Gampola, Kurunegala, Kandy, Awissawella, Anuradhapura, Galle ect. It has been a shame for me to see our beautiful landscapes, roads, pavements, walls of houses and shops, monuments and other public and private property become ad space for politicians to paste posters, banners, cut outs, hordings, graffiti etc., to promote themselves.
If these people really loved Sri Lanka and those they will serve, certainly they would not destroy property and natures beauty for personal gains. Especially in these dire times when such lofty advertising expenses could be used to help the public and the many in need. An astounding figure is from a personal contact who said a printer has received such an order for 600,000 posters at 10Rs. per copy, which is an awesome amount of 6,000,000Rs (six million). Think of all the money spent on large hoardings, spray cans, paste, people to carry these acts out and transport. This is sadly carried out throughout the country. And yes this is for the upcoming parliamentary elections in April 2010.
This trend for large scale advertising has become the latest fashion in politics during the last few years and saw a major lift during the presidential elections where the advertising was everywhere from local TV, print media such as new papers and magazines, facebook, new york times web, you tube, various blogs, posters and hoardings, handouts, vehicles with loudspeakers glorifying the glorified etc.,
I wonder when all this is done, who will collect the garbage???? we know how great our municipal councils are.
Jax
