{"id":78685,"date":"2018-06-23T15:56:42","date_gmt":"2018-06-23T22:56:42","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/?p=78685"},"modified":"2018-06-23T15:56:42","modified_gmt":"2018-06-23T22:56:42","slug":"the-need-to-reduce-the-excessive-national-holidays-if-we-are-to-move-forward-as-a-nation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/2018\/06\/23\/the-need-to-reduce-the-excessive-national-holidays-if-we-are-to-move-forward-as-a-nation\/","title":{"rendered":"The Need to reduce the Excessive National Holidays if we are to move forward as a Nation"},"content":{"rendered":"

Sudath Gunasaekara<\/strong><\/em><\/span><\/h2>\n

23.6.2018<\/strong><\/p>\n

It is a well-known fact that we are a nation of lotus eaters, the main factor, why we lag behind other nations. This trend was set in motion by the colonial powers to keep us as eternal beggars. At least now let us rise from this deep slumber in to which colonial invaders have put us and our politicians have never dared to address for the past 70 years.<\/p>\n

Today we have the highest number of public holidays in the world. Politicians decide on them to suit their political agendas. 2018 has 26 public holidays in this country and when you add the week ends we have about 130 holidays per year. We have no national policy in deciding the Public Holidays. Fortunately we have only 365 days for a year. If we had more our politician would have definitely increased our public holidays as well to get some more votes.<\/p>\n

The average number of public holidays in the world is 12. USA 10 UK 8 Japan 15 Russia 15 India 17 and Singapore 14 while we have 26 even for this year, as if we are above all these countries in development. The world index on public holidays is a good pointer as to why we should drastically reduce the number of holidays, if we ever dream of development<\/p>\n

National holidays in any country, unlike Sri Lanka, are decided by their national policies. Unfortunately we have none. To do that you must have national leaders at the political helm. Most our politicians don\u2019t know even we had a nation. That was at least 2600 years old. That is why they accepted this country as a multinational country in 1948 by accepting the name UNP for the first democratic political party to be set up and even now parroting \u2018all nations in this country\u2019 day and night without being able to understand that the colonials have planted the idea that there are many nations in this country where as we had only one nation when we handed over the country in 1815 to them.<\/p>\n

A country\u2019s public holidays should reflect its culture and historical values. This country having been a Sinhala Buddhist country at least for 2600 years should reflect that history and tradition. It is a big tragedy that no national leader of standing, either lay or religious has brought up this issue up to date at any forum.<\/p>\n

In this backdrop to preserve and portray our heritage to the world and take this country to make it once again the miracle of at least Asia, I suggest the following scheme of public holidays for this country be adopted as soon as possible<\/p>\n

\u00a0Name\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Month\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Number of days<\/strong><\/p>\n

1 Sinhala New Year\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0April 13 &14\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a02<\/p>\n

2 Vesak\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0May Vesak poya\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a02<\/p>\n

3 Janaraja Dinya\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0May \u00a022\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 1<\/p>\n

4\u00a0 Jatika Govi Kamkaru Dinaya\u00a0 May\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 1\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 1<\/p>\n

5 Poson day\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0July\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 1<\/p>\n

Date to be decided by the Government<\/strong><\/p>\n

6\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Jatika Veera dinaya\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a01<\/p>\n

7 \u00a0\u00a0Parisara Dinaya\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a01<\/p>\n

8 Jatika Lama\u00a0 Dinaya \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a01<\/p>\n

9 Jatika Mav varunge dinaya\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a01<\/p>\n

10 Jatika Wedihiti Dinaya \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a01<\/p>\n

Total\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a012<\/p>\n

*Other religious days such as Catholic, Hindu, and Muslim should be declared holidays only for the followers\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 of those religions.<\/p>\n

* All four Poya days of the month should be declared as week-ends holidays for government offices and schools. We need to adjust office days and School days to suit his system. So you don\u2019t need to have the present system of five days a week which is the imposition of the Gregorian calendar, a colonial relict on us by force from 1815. \u00a0We owe an obligation by the 70 % Buddhist populous in this country at least now to restore their heritage, though it is already too late.<\/p>\n

This will give 12 public holidays and 49 week-ends, a total of 60 for public officers and we will be left with a minimum of 305 working days for a year, which will give you 101 working days a year for all men and women on the basis that all of them sleep 8 hours a day. \u00a0So you can imagine what a difference would be there in production in 10 years with 3050 more days a year at our disposal.\u00a0 This will also help us to make this country Asia\u2019s miracle in 10 years as I have proposed in my Siya Panatha, proposed to be\u00a0\u00a0 given to all political parties in due course as a people\u2019s manifesto to be accepted and implemented by them.<\/p>\n

We need to assert our independence at least now, which all our politicians have tragically failed\u00a0 for 70 long years , shame to them, as we are no longer a colony of the British Empire to follow that system blindly since we\u00a0 are supposed to have got political independence in 1948.<\/p>\n

I hope and wish that this new holiday system will serve as a major lever for us to realize our dream of making this country the miracle of Asia, in 10 years, under a new patriotic Government.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Sudath Gunasaekara 23.6.2018 It is a well-known fact that we are a nation of lotus eaters, the main factor, why we lag behind other nations. This trend was set in motion by the colonial powers to keep us as eternal beggars. At least now let us rise from this deep slumber in to which colonial […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[46],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-78685","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-dr-sudath-gunasekara"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/78685","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=78685"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/78685\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=78685"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=78685"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=78685"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}