PM’s Environment Day message

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe yesterday released a message to mark World Environment Day and called on for stronger conservation measures. His statement is given below:

It is a great tragedy that we do not consider the importance of protecting the environment which has been created by Mother Nature for the survival of man, animals, trees and the most valuable resource, water. The sooner we realise the importance of the protection of our environment, the better for the whole human race and also the other subjects that enjoy Mother Nature’s blessings. 

We have chosen an Environment Day theme ‘Surakimu Mihitalaya,’ which is very appropriate for today’s conditions and we hope to pave the way for the entire populace to take part in the activities aimed at the protection of our environment.

One of the great environmentalist in living history, the Red Indian Leader Seattle (1786-1866) who was believed to be a spiritual ecologist has made great pronouncements, which I would like to quote here: “You must teach the children that the ground beneath their feet is the ashes of your grandfathers. So that they will respect the land. Teach them that lakes and rivers are our brothers. They quench our thirst. The rivers carry our canoes, feed our children, that the rivers are part of our lives. The earth does not belong to man. Man belongs to the earth; man did not weave the web of life, he is merely a strand in it. Whatever harm he does to the web he does it to himself.”

We should teach our young never to forget the beautiful world that gave them life, the verdant valleys, the murmuring rivers, the magnificent mountains, gorgeous foliage, verdant lined lakes, and cascading waterfalls and never let them fade away from the vision which has been so soothing and comforting to human eyes and mind, nurturing our survival. 

We have a profound duty and responsibility to protect our natural environment. If we fail to do that, we will be opening the flood gates for the destruction of the human and animal life and foliage that gives us the breath of fresh air.