Comments on: Nelson Mandela’s Legacy to the World: Some Less Celebrated Aspects

By: guest

guest — Tue, 10 Dec 2013 22:09:00 +0000

After reading this article, I could not help comparing our leaders since independence to Mandela. There is no comparison between Mandela and them. Our people cannot even reach him with the help of a ladder!!!

if it is a Sri Lankan, the first thing he would have named every street to his name and every institution would be changed to reflect his name and every new building, nook and corner would be named after him. His children and his cousins, siblings, uncles, aunties, BILs, friends would be heading some institution or other whether they have the capacity to handle it or not. Wherever he was invited or not, our leaders would have gone accompanied by 100 catchers with the expenses paid by the Sri lankan tax payers. The President would be heading about 10 different Department without even thinking whether he has the capability or not.

Changed the official language from english to his native language. They will not even consider, whether that language was sufficiently developed to communicate with other countries or not. Our country is being governed by a set of clowns. Even gods cannot help Sri Lanka.

By: Dutugamunu

Dutugamunu — Mon, 09 Dec 2013 23:56:00 +0000

A man who carried on his shoulder the weight of a nation . He refused repeated offers for his release over the years rather than betray his beliefs and people , As soon as he released from the jail he said . " I stand here before you not as a prophet but as a humble servant of you . Your tireless and heroic sacrifices have made it possible for me to be here today , I therefore place the remaining years of my life in your hand ." He was a true humblest person we ever remember , and as 1994 , election day arrived the ANC was an illegal organisation and they triumphed. From the begining he was determined his national government would set a broad example of forgiveness , he appointed De KLERK as deputy president also allowed him to stay in th presidential Residance . However the new born nation was beset by numerous problems . Poverty , unemployment , shortage of housing ,and blighted the lands . He used the sports to bring the people together , he learnt lot from the other African states , he worked to prevent old white elite . And said " courageous people do not fear forgiving . At the end most firebrands accused him of coddling the whites . However ,extraordinary journey of Mandela , from rural hut to the presidential office , was coming to it's end . The major question remains in silence for decades , where would his legacy head tomorrow .has he done a concrete foundation to carry out his legacy as he always want ?

By: Sharanga Ratnayake

Sharanga Ratnayake — Sun, 08 Dec 2013 02:31:00 +0000

Great article. I especially like the comparison to Nehru. Many people compare Mandela to Gandhi, which is just wrong. Mandela was an astute politician who used violence as a tool when he had to, unlike Gandhi who thought non-violence would be feasible against the Nazis. Mandela’s greatness is due to the fact that he didn’t get too carried away with use of violence.