Dr Sarath Obeysekera

For centuries, Sri Lankans have repeated the legend of Kuweni and Prince Vijaya.
According to folklore, when Vijaya abandoned Kuweni after using her help to establish his kingdom, the betrayed queen cursed the land and its rulers before her death. Many believe that the suffering and turmoil faced by Sri Lanka through the centuries are linked to that ancient curse.

Whether myth or metaphor, the story continues to haunt the national conscience.

Sri Lanka has endured repeated waves of tragedy and conflict. Ethnic riots between communities, the long civil war and Tamil militancy, two violent JVP insurrections, the arrival of the Indian Peace Keeping Force, extremist terrorism culminating in the Easter Sunday attacks, political instability, economic collapse, droughts, floods,Tsunami,0 and devastating natural disasters have tested the nation repeatedly.

Yet despite all this, Sri Lanka survives.

That is perhaps the greater story.

Few countries of this size have endured such continuous cycles of upheaval while preserving democratic traditions, cultural diversity, religious coexistence, and social resilience. Farmers return to flooded paddy fields. Fishermen rebuild after storms. Families recover after terrorism and war. Children continue schooling amid crisis. The nation bends, but does not break.

Perhaps the curse of Kuweni” is not a supernatural punishment at all. Perhaps it symbolizes the consequences of betrayal, disunity, injustice, and failure to learn from history. Nations suffer when communities distrust one another, when power is abused, and when short-term politics overtakes long-term vision.

But there is another side to the legend.

If Sri Lanka carries a curse, it also carries an extraordinary endurance.

The island has repeatedly produced people capable of rebuilding from ashes — entrepreneurs, workers, farmers, religious leaders, doctors, engineers, soldiers, and ordinary citizens who refuse to surrender to despair.

The lesson may be that history and legends should not divide us further. Instead, they should remind us that survival alone is not enough. Sri Lanka must move beyond cycles of anger and revenge toward reconciliation, discipline, development, and national unity.

Kuweni’s curse may remain a powerful legend.
But the future of Sri Lanka will ultimately depend not on curses from the past, but on the wisdom and actions of those living today.

Regards

Dr Sarath Obeysekera