Rural Revivification

Gotabaya Rajapaksa dreams of actualizing a citizenry with calibre to meet the commercial and marketing trends and values of today’s competitive fast forwarding society.

Development is not merely about statistics provided by different institutions based on ratio of total population. Real development is about providing people with the services they need to make their livelihoods dignified and easier without obstacles. Unfortunately, most of the leaders who administered this country carried out development activities prioritizing their constituencies. Although they were able to maintain their parliamentary seats, their efforts derailed the national development of the country. Consequently, there are still many isolated villages in the country that have not caught the eye of policymakers or competent authorities. Most of the people living in these rural areas are unable to meet their basic needs due to inadequacy or inaccessibility of resources. The continuity of education, access to healthcare services, a roof over their heads or food on their table remain luxuries.

Unfortunately, much of the development programmers introduced to address these issues in the country were limited to rhetoric. Consequently, social disorder and inequality deepened. The people of the country eagerly awaited the arrival of a new leader to redesign and reengineer this social complexity. As the result majority of the voters casted their votes for the type of leader who has proven his vision and willpower to overhaul the deteriorated administrative system. The end of 2019 saw a paradigm shift. President Gotabaya Rajapaksa is a leader who challenged this traditional and divided political culture.

(Excerpts from the print version of Lanka Courier, Volume 01 Number 01)