All communities should join hands to develop the country: President

Friday, 4 July 2014 01:08 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

People of all communities, irrespective of their religious or any other beliefs, should join hands for the development of country and the support of all communities and religions is needed for the development of the country, President Mahinda Rajapaksa said. There is no other religion than Buddhism that outrightly rejects all forms of extremism. Some elements want to harm the country by bringing these disputes to the outside world while inviting outside problems into the country, he added.

The President was speaking at the inauguration of the 69th Higher Ordination of the Sri Lanka Ramannya Maha Nikaya at the Sanath Jayasuriya Stadium in Matara. Over 400 novice monks would receive higher ordination at the Seemamalakaya set up in the Nilwala River near the Mahanama Bridge. He said that nobody should try to deny the people of their freedom which was won by the Government, ending 30 years of dreaded terrorism. “The country has religious freedom and everybody is free to practice his or her own religion,” he said. The President added that the country had the responsibility to protect and promote the Buddha Sasana which has been protected throughout generations. Some elements are working overnight to create disputes among various religions and credit them to the country’s account. This is an era where some groups are trying to suppress our centuries-old values and create various disputes, the President said. He said that these nefarious elements wanted to bring dishonour to the Buddhists by giving them wider publicity on websites. “They are trying to cause destruction in the country, but nobody would benefit by these sinister moves,” he said. The President added that his belief was that Buddhists would gain nothing by treating people of other communities as minorities. President Rajapaksa offered certificates and gifts to the Samaneras who performed exceptionally well at the test to qualify themselves for higher ordination. He also made an offering to the Mahanayake of the Ramannaya Maha Nikaya the Most Ven Napane Pemasiri Thera.