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New Year message from the Opposition Leader

"The Sinhala and Hindu New Year is a festival celebrated by the majority of the Sinhalese and Hindus. It is a religious and cultural festival, where people of Sri Lanka celebrate the New Year irrespective of class, creed or community.

This is also a festival held after the harvesting period and is age-old customs take a prominent place in the life of the people of Sri Lanka. The first lesson that teaches us in the New Year is to do all things at the correct time. The cooking of the first meal, the partaking of meals, working on time, exchange of gifts and paying obeisance to parents and elders - all these things are done at auspicious times. This is a time when people observe religious rites, forget all past differences and start life with good motives. National games among the young and old take a very important place in the festivities.

May the New Year which dawns in the year 2002 be the beginning of greater bonds between our Tamil brethren, and may the unity and peace that we long for be a reality in the coming year. Let us resolve that the New Year will usher in a United Sri Lanka among all our communities. This is my fervent wish for the New Year.

I wish you all a very happy and peaceful New Year." 

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Copyright 2001 The Associated Newspapers of Ceylon Ltd.
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