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| Monday, 15 September 2003 |
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Politics | |
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| Era of destruction is over - Minister Azwer 'The era of destruction is over. A new era of construction has begun', said Minister of Parliamentary Affairs A. H. M. Azwer addressing a public rally at Panapitiya in the Karandeniya electorate. The meeting followed the providing of telephone facilities to the people of this area. A separate telephone link was commissioned by Minister Azwer at Sir Razik Fareed Maha Vidyalaya, provided by the Telecommunication Department. Minister Azwer said that in 1971 and 1987, there was a determined effort by the JVP to destabilise the Sirimavo Bandaranaike and J. R. Jayewardene governments. The Karandeniya electorate, in which the meeting was held, was turned into bedrock of insurrection and post offices, community centers, hospitals, police stations and other public buildings were destroyed. Transformers and power lines were also destroyed. Even President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga, I should say, with the qualities of a mother has been able to ward off and save the country by refusing to give in all the unreasonable demands placed on the table by JVP, in order to form an alliance with the PA. I believe the democratic minded elements in the SLFP have successfully prevented attempts at the annihilation of the SLFP by the disruptive "Sandanaya". But Anura Bandaranaike M.P., goes round the country saying that even the 'Shakraya' would not stop such a "Sandanaya". When the talks abruptly ended, he again says that this was only a temporary 'divorce. Minister Azwer recalled that this village Panapitiya came into being surrounded by many Sinhala villages owing to the efforts of the late Sir Razik Fareed and a great Buddhist leader P. de S. Kularatne who was a Member of the State Council at that time. He greatly assisted in the alloting of this land for Muslims in the village. The Maha Vidyalaya has been most appropriately named Sir Razik Fareed Maha Vidyalaya where over 200 Muslim children receive their education. The creation of this school itself proves that Muslims could live in unity and harmony winning the confidence of the Sinhala majority population, preserving their Islamic identity and religious activities. This is the ideal situation prevailing in Sinhala areas in every part of the country and no force should attempt to disturb such co-existence between the Sinhalese and Muslims. The Muslims have had no problems, either with the Sinhalese or the Tamils. We Muslims, in fact, are a reinforcement in cementing rational unity, integrity and harmony. |
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