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| Thursday, 9 October 2003 |
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Venerable Galayaye Piyadassi Thera awarded MBE by Colvin L. de Silva, our London Correspondent
Venerable Galayaye Piyadassi Thera, Head of the Sri Saddhatissa International Buddhist Centre based in Kingsbury North West London was awarded the coveted title MBE (Member of the British Empire) by Her Majesty the Queen on her most recent birthday in June, this year. Ever since Sri Lanka (then Ceylon) ceased to be a colony of the British Empire (now extinct) and after the country became free the practice of honouring our country's men and women with titles by the sovereign came to a halt. However Sri Lankan citizens working and living in the UK who have become British citizens are entitled to receive honours from the Queen for exceptional work done to the community. It is in this context the venerable monk was specially selected and recognised for yeoman services he has rendered to the community at large both Sri Lankan and others. The heroic achievements and the vast strides taken by this Buddhist Centre in propagating and promoting Theravada Buddhism in the UK to all and sundry together with the fine record of organising Sri Lankan cultural events in this country in a skilful manner stood in good stead when he came to be recognised. It is the general perception of everyone connected with this institution that Venerable Galayaye Piyadassi Thera richly deserves this honour by the Queen. This soft spoken and down to earth priest who has had a very colourful scholastic career in Sri Lanka was honoured at a felicitation ceremony organised by those connected with the Centre recently at the commodious and prestigious venue the Brent Town Hall in Brent, Middlesex, before a very distinguished gathering numbering over seven hundred comprising the Buddhist clergy and the lay community. It was in fact both a cultural event and a meeting to congratulate the venerable monk and to say - a good job well done. The day's programme commenced with the administration of 'pansil' by the Most Venerable Udugama Buddharakkita Maha Nayake Thera, the supreme Patriarch of the Asgiriya fraternity of the Siyam chapter in Sri Lanka. This was followed by the lighting of traditional oil lamp by Most Venerable Udugama Buddharakkita Maha Nayake Thera, Venerable Galayaye Piyadassi Thera MBE, Faiz Mustapha PC Sri Lanka's High Commissioner in the UK, Rev. Peter Lemmon the Mayor of Brent Council, Mano Dharmarajah Mayor of Harrow Council, Barry Gardiner MP, Nimal Siripala de Silva MP and several others holding key positions. Welcome speech by Felicitation Committee Chairman Wiswa Ellepola was followed by an illuminating speech by Dr. Ananda Guruge, presently Dean of the Academic Affairs and Director of International Academy of Buddhism in California in the USA. He was followed by High Commissioner Faiz Mustapha who described the awarding of this title to ven. monk as an historic one and a credit to all Sri Lankans living both in Sri Lanka and the UK. Barry Gardiner MP who represents Brent North in the House of Commons was full of praise for the erudite monk whom he described as a human dynamo and a pro active person who can always enrich the educational, cultural and religious values in the multi cultural society in Brent. Nimal Siripala de Silva MP who represented the Sri Lankan President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga read the special message by the President. Similar sentiments also have been sent to the venerable monk by the Prime Minister of Sri Lanka, Ranil Wickremesinghe. Several dance performances were staged as a part of the felicitation programme. The most Venerable Dr. Medagama Vagiragnana Maha Nayaka Thera, Chief Sangha Nayaka of Great Britain and Head of London Buddhist Vihara paid a glowing tribute to Venerable Piyadassi Thera for his hard work, dedication and positive contribution to achieve success. Vimal de Silva delivered the vote of thanks on behalf of the felicitation Committee. Rani Bulathwela, a member of the organising Committee for the event and President of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party in the UK, said that she is an ardent supporter of this Buddhist Centre because she felt that the Centre was open to everyone to come and participate in Buddhist and cultural activities. Ms. Nirmala Karunaratna, a trustee of a Charity told this correspondent, that the grand award received by Ven. Galayaye Piyadassi is an honour to both the priest and Sri Lankans. She was pleased about it. A very skilfully done film footage produced by Tissa Madawela covering the life history of Venerable Galayaye Piyadassi Thera from his humble beginnings as a young boy to that of a novice monk and making steady progress coming to what he is today, after nearly twenty long years in London, was screened at the celebrations. The distinguished monk holds office today as the Managing Trustee of the World Buddhist Foundation, President of the Sri Lanka Educational, Cultural and Welfare Foundation, Head of the Sri Saddhatissa International Buddhist Centre, Vice Chair of the Brent Inter Faith Organisation, and Project Manager of an orphanage in Hettipola in the Kurunegala District (where the priest was born) for over 50 juvenile delinquents. |
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