CHENNAI: If the war in Sri Lanka has caused anger in Tamil Nadu with many parties protesting against it, support for it is being expressed in a new form in Colombo: Many youth are wearing t-shirts with the slogan ‘I Love My Sri Lankan Soldier’ printed on it.
Sold at a leading clothing and household store in Colombo, the t-shirts are in two colours — white and dark blue — and are hung cosily next to others depicting elephants, dolphins and other sea creatures, symbols generally associated with the country.
Priced at Sri Lankan rupees 475 (approximately Rs 200 INR), the cost is pretty much that of other t-shirts. While it is not clear where the t-shirts have been manufactured as the label merely gives the store’s name, what is clear is that the propaganda seems to be working.
“Many young people I know think the government is doing the right thing and that this is the way to progress,’’ a university student in Colombo said.
Rashmi M (name changed), a concerned citizen of Sri Lanka, said, “The T-shirts are a clear example of an attempt to win over Colombo’s slightly elite and often naïve lot. In short, it is cool to be on the ‘winning side’ – just like it is cool to save the turtles or support the cricket team.
This government has successfully manipulated a majority of the people’s psyche to create a kind of patriotic euphoria where heroes are reclaiming the country from the ‘terrorists’. Together with the silencing of dissent, anyone who questions these messages is deemed unpatriotic,’’ she said.
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