At any rate, I question the wisdom of blaming the British for colonising Ceylon, or initiating ‘racial’ conflict. If it hadn’t been the British colonising us, it would have been someone else – perhaps the French, and we all know how the French treated the natives of their colonies.

The British established roads, railways and schools, and gave the island its economic foundation of rubber and tea, which are still being exporting today. More importantly, the British established English as the language of business and administration, and that gave the Ceylonese of all ethnic backgrounds access to literary, academic and economic advantages that immensely enriched our land and culture.

English is still the lingua franca of business world-wide. When it comes to our colonial heritage, we Sri Lankans have nothing at all to deplore or be ashamed of.