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Thursday, 31 December 2015 00:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
Minister of Industry and Commerce Rishad Bathiudeen (second from left) and National Crafts Council Director Chandramali Liyanage (third from left) share the sentiments of President Maithripala Sirisena who evaluates the silver award winning afterlife demon Mahasona mask (used in healing rituals of critical, deathbed patients) at National Craft Council’s Shilpa Awards on 29 December at Apey Gama, Battaramulla. The mask was the work of Sumith Jayaweera from Ambalangoda (wearing the red shirt) and is based on Ariyapala mask tradition (school), one of two leading mask traditions in the deep-South
Values and heritage are of prior importance when it comes to safeguarding Sri Lankan culture, according to President Maithripala Sirisena. Criticism against him when he tries to safeguard culture is an attempt to destroy the pride of our great nation.
“We should give higher significance to our values and heritage. All must unite in brotherhood to take our country forward,” said President Sirisena, when addressing the Shilpa Awards ceremony organised by the National Crafts Council under Industry and Commerce Minister Rishad Bathiudeen on 29 December at Apey Gama, Battaramulla. The leading national awards event for Lankan cottage level crafts-folk, Shilpa Awards aim at encouraging the Lankan craftsmen and recognising their contribution. The 29 December awards featured 400 awards across 21 types of crafts in 57 styles – two of the awards were Gold, and awarded by the President.
“What do we look forward from felicitating our craftsmen? To appreciate and give great value to creations that reflect the Sri Lankan national pride. Also, while promoting the craftsmen, we also try to create interest in this so that new craftsmen engage into this sector. By engaging the attention of outsiders, we aim to highlight the national, commercial and artistic values of our crafts which have a proud tradition of its own. This sector is also part of our centuries old proud history – a history that no other nation can equal to. I undertook the leadership of this nation on 8 January with the objective of handing down a good and developed country for the future generation by also safeguarding the culture, values of thousands of years of proud history,” said President Sirisena.
“For us to realise the dream of creating a great and valued nation by safeguarding our thousand years’ proud culture, we should give higher significance to our values and heritage. The ideas I expressed regarding the musical show of a foreign singer are now being used to disgrace me on the internet. Those who are doing this should remember that they are destroying their own proud culture and the pride of a great nation. All must unite in brotherhood to take our country forward to conquer the world through our innovative skills while protecting our heritage,” he added.
Minister of Industry and Commerce Rishad Bathiudeen addressing the event said: “As of now more than 21,000 craftsmen have registered with the National Crafts Council (NCC) and our target is to increase it to 23,000. The NCC has completed many programs and projects this year to develop handicrafts and handicraftsmen of Sri Lanka. We are also planning to turn around the state owned businesses under my Ministry within 2016.”
More than 630 apprentice craftsmen received formal training in handicrafts through the Master Craftsmen Training Program of NCC this year. NCC also plans to expand the number of trained craftsmen through 113 craft training centres under it. The strategic plan of NCC targets upgrading 18 craft villages and to establish more than 40 craft societies in the next two years. 1,900 craftsmen are to be registered and issued with new craftsmen IDs.
