Religion, a path to instilling moral responsibility in youth

Bulathsinhala special corr.

BULATHSINHALA: Dr. Tudor Weerasingha, Director of Mass Media, Sri Palee Campus, University of Colombo, Horana, said that our attitude towards Five Hundred and Fifty Jathaka stories are wrong, and the concepts behind the stories should be inculcated in the minds of youth today in rebuilding our nation that is deteriorating very fast in good ethics and morals due to western films and tele-dramas.

He was making the keynote address at a meeting held at Horana Town Hall to launch a new English book, "Selected Stories from the Five Hundred and Fifty Jathaka Book," by Milton Dharmasingha, a well-known journalist from Horana.

Ven. Rajakeeya Punditha Chief Sanghanayaka of Raigam Salpiti Korale, Horana Pannasekera Thero, presided over. Dr. Weerasingha also said that instead of importing foreign films of low quality and content which would ruin our culture and ethics, electronic media institutions in our country should use new digital technologies to produce tele-dramas based on Five Hundred and Fifty Jathaka stories and adventures in Sinhala Literature.

Dharmasingha had done a great service to the country by publishing a collection of stories from Five Hundred and Fifty Jathaka Book in English, and it is a very important book appearing in recent times. Further, it is a supplementary reader for all students, who take interest in studying English.

Ven. Horana Pannasekara Thera said the new collection of Jathaka stories written in English is suitable for students of international schools, students of grade ten and eleven classes and university students as well. That's why the writer's attempts should be appreciated. Vidura Wickramanayaka, SLFP organiser, Horana, said that Western films and tele-dramas telecast in TV channels should be banned totally to save our nation.

Milton Dharmasingha, the writer of the book, said that the aim of his book is to convey messages in Buddhist Jathaka stories to the society of today and enable students to read such stories in English so as to improve their knowledge of English.

K. D. Karunarathna, Director of Education, Horana Zone, Mrs. Asoka Dias Jayathunga, senior lecturer and few others spoke.