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In a long keynote at the ceremonial opening of the three-day Defence Seminar 2013 yesterday, Rajapaksa captured some key challenges and successes of the past and listed what he believed as critical for “wholesome democracy” and lasting peace and economic prosperity.
“We must evolve from being locked in a post-conflict mentality, and look to the future instead of forever grappling with the issues of the past. We must be willing to move forward as a nation, united by what we have in common instead of being divided by the differences we have between us. Particularly in this context, it is very important that the main political parties in Sri Lanka stop the politicisation of divisive issues for their petty political gain,” the Defence Secretary said.
He charged that unfortunately, some political parties use the existing economic problems to their advantage by portraying them as arising due to ethnic or religious reasons.
“In reality, these problems are fundamentally economic and affect Sri Lankans in every part of the country irrespective of their race or religion. They are national issues that need to be faced together as a nation, rather than treated as divisive ethnic or religious issues confined to a region or a section of the community,” Rajapaksa noted.
According to him, if the level of political discourse in Sri Lanka was not raised above these narrow ethno-religious concerns to address the core 
issues facing all people, it will be very difficult for the nation to make progress.
“In this context, it is particularly important that all of the main political parties work throughout the country to promote the interests of the nation, without focusing on one group or other. It is only when we bring all the ethnicities and cultures of this country together into one Sri Lankan identity that we will truly make progress as a nation,” the Defence Secretary said at the seminar organised by the Sri Lanka Army.
The annual international event is being attended by senior military personnel, administrators, bureaucrats and intellectuals to share experiences and discuss matters under the theme of ‘Post-Conflict Sri Lanka: Challenges and Regional Stability’.
The Defence Secretary also said that from the national perspective, one of the biggest challenges is economic development. He was of the view that for many years, the war suppressed economic potential and held back growth.
“However, we need to look beyond the war to one of the most fundamental and critical issues that has faced this country since independence. This is the issue of unequal development, particularly between the cities and the rural areas,” the Defence Secretary said, apart from listing some of the recent initiatives by the Government to address this issue.
“If the problem of rural underdevelopment is not holistically addressed, it is conceivable that similar problems to what we have had in the past will once again arise in this country. That is why one of the foremost thrusts of the present Government has been the development of every part of Sri Lanka. The greatest developmental challenge facing Sri Lanka today is the uplifting of the standard of living in rural areas to a similar standard to what is enjoyed in the cities,” Rajapaksa said.
He also said Sri Lanka’s journey during the four years since the dawn of peace has seen the country transform itself from a nation at war to one of the most peaceful, stable and secure democracies in the world. “How well the country navigates its present issues, including national security challenges and broader geo-political issues arising from its geographical position, will determine its destiny,” he added.
According to the Defence Secretary, the most important of all was people developing their mentality to go beyond that of a developing nation and to look at the future positively and with confidence.
“Instead of constantly focusing on issues inherited from the past, it is important that all of us move forward and think more about the future. In whatever the field – whether it is business, finance, education, healthcare, services or agriculture – it is imperative that we start thinking as an advanced nation and get out of the third world mentality. It is only then that we will be able to accelerate our development and move forward together as a nation,” the Defence Secretary said.
“I am very confident that in time we will all be able to achieve this cohesive vision and place Sri Lanka firmly on the path towards lasting peace and prosperity. However, it is up to all Sri Lankans to accept this as a challenge and move together into this shared future as one Sri Lankan nation,” he added.
