New Year Message of the Acting Minister of Mass Media and Information, and Deputy Minister of Economic Development
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- Published on Friday, 13 April 2012 01:05
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All nationalities in the world set aside one or two days each year to display their cultural heritage. Sinhala and Hindu population of Sri Lanka celebrate the Bak Maha New Year turning it as a grand cultural festival.
The Bak Maha celebration which combines the cultures of the Sinhala and Tamil communities can be considered as an event which displays the national pride.
The people of Sri Lanka got used to the simple rituals by the discipline and compassion preached by Lord Buddha. Accordingly the Sinhala New Year is used to show their respect by the children for their parents, the employees for their employers, students for their teachers and the disciples for their Maha Sangha.
From the ancient times the rites and the rituals of the Sinhala and Hindu New Year has got a prominent place in this country.
It is happy to note that performing New Year rituals and traditions are being carried out uninterruptedly from the palace to the poor hut. It is the duty and responsibility of us to pass on these cultural heritages to our posterity.
Robert Knox in his book “Heladiva” has aptly described about the grand scale Sinhala New Year celebrations during the times of one ancient King. He clearly describes the manner in which the King performed the New Year rituals and traditions.
It can be seen that other nationalities in Sri Lanka too celebrate the Sinhala and Hindu New Year. Respecting the other cultures and traditions while living in a multi-cultural and multi-national country can be seen during the Sinhala and Hindu New Year.
If a nation get together and endeavor for achieving its objectives in unity that nation can overcome all challenges. The obstacles we face in taking forward this motherland liberated from the terrorism in order to achieve the economic victories are not far and few. This can be achieved only by the unity of all Sri Lankans and marching forward with one objective.
This time too all Sri Lankans including the President will light the hearth, boil the milk and would wish for the wellbeing of the country at the auspicious time. Accordingly I too sincerely wish ‘May the New Year be a Happy and Prosperous Year to all Sri Lankans as well as to all the people in the world’.
Lakshman Yapa Abeywardene MP
