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Short cut road to Madhu re-open

Minister of Interior and Christian Affairs Mr. John Amaratunga donated Rs. 500,000 to the Bishop of Mannar Most Rev. Rayapu Joseph, for development of facilities for pilgrims to the Madhu Church.

The Minister presented a cheque for the amount to the Bishop at a conference held at Madhu Church premises to discuss matters with regional officers of Government Departments and Corporations in the area regarding provision of facilities and amenities to pilgrims to Madhu Church at the festivals to be held July 2nd and August 15th.

The Conference was held after Minister Amaratunga accompanied by Dr. Jayalath Jayawardene, Minister of Rehabilitation and Resettlement of Refugees and Deputy Minister Assisting Vanni Rehabilitation Mr. Noordeen Mashoor had re-opened the road leading to the Madhu Church from Madhu Road Junction which had been remained closed for several years.

With the opening of the new road the present route taken by pilgrims through Uliyankulama to Madhu will be cut short by as much as 39 kilometers according to the Administrator of Madhu Church Fr. Stan Joseph. The road will be kept open from 7 a.m. to 5.30 p.m. each day during the times of the festival until arrangements are made to keep it permanently open 24 hours.

Minister John Amaratunga along with the other Ministers, M. N. Junaid, Secretary to the Ministry of Interior, Government Agent Mannar V. Visvalingam and other officials travelled along the 12 mile stretch along the road up to Madhu Church where they were welcomed by the Bishop of Mannar who later officiated at a prayer service at the Church.

At the conference which followed, Minister Amaratunga directed the state officials present from all sectors to attend to the draw backs so as to cater to the large number of pilgrims expected at the two festivals. The Administrator of the Madhu Church said that they expected at least 150,000 to attend each of the two festivals to be held in July and August.

Minister Amaratunga directed the Government Agent of Mannar to attend to the repairs of the road they had re-opened and to at least make it more motorable until permanent repairs are effected. The Minister also undertook to find donors for several requests made by the Church authorities while State agencies like Health, Electricity Board Telecommunications, Water Supply Board were given targets of work assigned to them. Ministry of Rehabilitation will also attend to provision of various facilities.

Minister John Amaratunga recalled that he last visited Madhu when the IPKF was there for 15 years, the pilgrims could not do their annual pilgrimage for several years. However thanks to the peace initiative of Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe they are now able to travel freely to the Madhu Shrine.

He said that the Madhu Church had always been a centre for national reconciliation. It is after the statue of our Lady of Madhu did a tour of the South that the first signs of the current peace initiatives came. He hoped that the present peace process would crystallize to a permanent peace where people of all races, religions could live in harmony.

The Bishop of Mannar, Most Rev. Raiyappu Joseph said that he was happy to welcome the Ministers to their midst which signal a new era for Madhu Church and for peace and unity. The Bishop said that Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe in his own humble ways has shown that he has a noble vision to achieve peace they are with him in his efforts to bring the two parties to the negotiating table to bring about peace. The blessings of Our Lady of Madhu is with the Prime Minister in his efforts.

The Bishop of Mannar further said that the Madhu Church is a place where people of all walks of life, races, communities and even other religions get together during festival times to pray and interact in a spirit of brotherhood. It is for this reason that they had firmly resisted the presence of military armed personnel whether it be of the Army or the LTTE.

Minister Dr. Jayalath Jayawardene said that the re-opening of the new Madu Road is an extension of the hand of friendship and peace from the people of the North to the people of the South. The Madhu Church is a neutral zone and it should remain so.

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Copyright 2001 The Associated Newspapers of Ceylon Ltd.
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