President Anura Kumara Dissanayake stated that the Government’s objective is to build a prosperous country free of racism and filled with national unity, where all citizens can live with dignity regardless of the language they speak or the religion they practise.
The President made these remarks this afternoon (15) while participating in the Northern Province Thai Pongal Festival held at the Aiyanar Kovil playground in Velanai, Jaffna, the President’s Media Division (PMD) said.
He was ceremonially received at the event, which was further enlivened by a series of colourful cultural performances.
Pointing out that the Thai Pongal celebration is an occasion that inspires new hopes and aspirations among all, the President invited everyone to move forward with firm determination to create a country that is more developed and prosperous in every respect than it is today, thereby ensuring a better future for the children, the statement said.
Addressing the gathering, President Anura Kumara Dissanayake stated:
“I consider it a privilege to join you today on Thai Pongal, the most important cultural day of the Tamil people. According to Tamil culture, today marks the dawn of the New Year. A New Year brings new prayers, new hopes and expectations to all of us. As people, you have great hopes and aspirations, and as a nation, so do we.
Our hope and expectation is to create a country that is more developed and prosperous in every way than it is today.
When we speak of a prosperous country, we do not mean one that is rich only in wealth and buildings. We must build a nation that is rich in many other aspects as well. It has now been more than a year since we came to power.
This year has been one in which racially motivated conflicts were at their lowest, campaigns that foster racism were weakened, and there was a collective struggle for national unity. In the past, our country has often witnessed the emergence of racist conflicts and tendencies. What we need is a prosperous nation free of racism and filled with national unity.
Regardless of where one is born, the language one speaks or the religion one follows, our expectation is to create an environment in which everyone can live as proud citizens of this country with full rights. We are a nation of diverse cultures.
According to PMD, he highlighted that respecting and recognising every culture is essential to make a country beautiful and to build trust among its people, and added that this was the kind of country that must be build.
President Dissanayake also stated that “we must also provide a better life to those who are economically distressed: proper housing, quality education for children, a strong health service for a healthy life, the development of agriculture and fisheries to create sustainable sources of income, and good employment opportunities for our youth. These are the hopes and aspirations we hold as a Government.
I know that many of you here placed your trust in us at the last General Election. For the first time, we won the Jaffna District, which means you have placed your trust in us. I assure you that we will not allow that trust to be betrayed even in the slightest.
We will build a country free of racism and rich in national unity, and we will create a better future for your children. We will build a country where everyone can live happily. I give you my assurance that we will discharge our responsibilities tirelessly to fulfil these expectations.
On this Thai Pongal Day, let us make a single prayer. Let us stand united and build a better country for our children. I invite everyone to move forward with unwavering determination towards that goal.”
Speaking on the occasion, Minister of Fisheries, Aquatic and Ocean Resources, Ramalingam Chandrasekar, expressed his happiness that such a festival was being held in Velanai under the patronage of the President, PMD added.
He noted that people in this area and the surrounding island communities live with limited facilities, yet the children had presented a range of vibrant cultural performances on stage.
He further added that, under the guidance of the President, numerous development projects are currently being implemented in the Jaffna region, including the construction of a cricket ground, and that the people of Jaffna are now benefiting from new development under the leadership of the incumbent President.
Governor of the Northern Province, Nagalingam Vedanayahan; Members of Parliament Jayachandra Murthy Rajivan, Ilankumaran and Dr. Sri Bhavananda Raja; several other public representatives of the area; Secretary to the Ministry of Defence, Air Vice Marshal Sampath Thuyacontha (Retd); senior officials of the security forces; the Jaffna District Secretary; other state officials; and a large number of local residents were also present at the event.
