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Independenc Source:Island Thursday 4th February, 2021 The national flag is fluttering majestically and grand preparations have been made for today’s celebrations to mark the day when the British retroceded this land to its rightful owners. Patriotic excitement has reached fever-pitch. Newspapers traditionally strike a positive note in their editorial comments on a day like this, but why should depressing political, economic and social realities be ignored? Sri Lankans are known for celebrating what they lack; they are celebrating Independence today. Their leaders, who never miss an opportunity to wrap themselves in the flag, suck in their king-sized pots, puff out their chests and belt out the national anthem with great gusto, religiously, on 04 Feb. They bellow rhetoric, making propaganda mountains out of the molehills of their achievements, year in, year out. The sobering reality dawns when the Independence hangover goes away. This, we have seen for more than seven ...