By Doctor Ravindra Kariyawasam

Sri Lanka faces with an economic, ecological and social crisis since few years. The economic crisis is a knowing one and it is affected to everyone . Sri Lanka had a good economic condition. It was a self-sustained economy. People were happy in their economic situation. No one died from hunger or malnutrition. People had the habit of sharing food, clothes, shelter and even feelings..

In 1972, the Government of Sri Lanka introduced a new global economy called the “Open Economy ” That had been opened the sustained economy and natural resources to the world for piracy.

At the time, the government of Sri Lanka has been explained to people of the Country that they could have a better life instead of a sustainable life. Economic agencies and parliament members have shown a dream to honorable citizens of the country.

Natural resources and Market economy

Sri Lankan sustainable economy was based on natural resources and Indigenous knowledge. Our Biodiversity was very rich and it is same yet. People had been living happily with nature and social relations.
Once, Economy was opened to the world corporations, they made money with our economy and natural resources. They had the capacity to bring money and wealth out of the country. The corporations have been paid for indigenous knowledge and natural resources. Even, they have paid to documenting indigenous knowledge into research papers.

Indigenous knowledge and natural resources have been used by companies for their economic needs. This process of grabbing knowledge and natural resources has badly impacted the country’s economy. Once that process was over, Companies charged royalties from local products. Now, wealth goes to multinational companies instead of to community members. As a result of this situation, people have started to steal from their own community and natural resources. They have become enemies of their own community.

According to Dr Vandana Shiva “There are not only corporation’s economy but also people’s economy and nature’s economy “. The global market has been excited even before colonialism. Sri Lanka and India have sold spices, Gems, Rice, Etc. But wealth was remaining inside the country and no one died from hunger and malnutrition.

Once, Government opened the people and nature economy for global trade, piracy has been started from society and nature. When we turned our heads back, we could see, there are nothing happened then crimes and piracy.

In this situation, large numbers of community members, Indigenous people ( vaddasa), and farmers are victims of hunger, and famine today is intimately related to the patriarchal model of progress which sees sales and profit as indicators of well-being and thus destroys the real well being of people and natural environment.

Economic development and destructions are two sides of same coin

Several development projects have been initiated by the government of Sri Lanka since 1948 as an examples, Miracle of Asia, National physical plane, vision of wealth. All these projects were initiated to develop the country, people’s economy, and livelihood. Unfortunately, Multinational companies, politicians, and funding agencies have stolen the wealth of the nation through this kind of development projects.

Another example, the government is implementing mega, yet unsustainable, development projects in natural habitats. The National Physical Plan, to be implemented from 2011 – 2050 with the aim of developing the country, follows the easy path open under globalization.
This plan intends to develop the Country as a center of naval and air travel, trading, power, and education but not as a center of environmental protection or farming. A previous government entered an agreement with 36 countries including India and China…