Cardinal calls for referendum on Indo - SL bridge 

Archbishop of Colombo Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith 

• Expresses disapproval of undertaking project without public input
• Slams Govt. for selling off portions of the country to foreign forces 
• Calls compulsion of the country’s leaders to sell off SL’s assets ‘sickness’ 
• Warns rulers could betray country akin to past 

Archbishop of Colombo Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith yesterday called for a referendum to be held on the proposed land bridge linking Sri Lanka to India. 

Delivering a sermon at the Basilica of Our Lady of Lanka in Ragama over the weekend, the Archbishop said if a bridge is to be constructed to connect the two countries, then the opinion of the people must be sought on the matter. 

“History serves as a testament to the fact that our nation's betrayals to foreign forces have consistently been orchestrated by its rulers,” he alleged. 

The Archbishop slammed the Government for making unwise decisions, which included the selling of portions of the country to different countries and foreign forces. He expressed concern that such actions are steering the country toward a path of destruction.

“Now, they are attempting to construct a bridge to India as if the issues we face due to their actions weren›t already significant enough. Once they air-dropped lentils. Next, they sent in their Army. On several occasions they pressured us to make decisions along the lines of their agenda,” he said. The Archbishop opined the proposed bridge would only spell disaster for Sri Lanka. 

“We are a free country and have never been enslaved by another. We have not broken off from a larger country and always stood separately. In the past, our nation engaged in economic interactions with India, yet we never succumbed to subjugation. Whenever we found ourselves ensnared by foreign influences, it was primarily a result of the betrayal committed by our own leaders. Such occurrences could repeat themselves even in the future,” the Archbishop warned. 

He expressed his disapproval of undertaking such projects without seeking the public›s input. «It deeply saddens me for our nation. After gaining independence, we appear to be relinquishing it once again. Let›s divide our country into pieces and auction them off. Nothing will be left. This is a sickness,» he lamented.