Munidasa Cumaratunga’s life, an inspiration to children - Governor

Walter DAYARATNA, Anuradhapura District Special Correspondent

ANURADHAPURA: “The life of Munidasa Cumaratunga is an inspiration to all the children. The children should strive for success with much perseverance and fortitude, said North Central Province Governor Karunaratne Divulgane.

The Governor was delivering the keynote address to mark the 63rd death anniversary of the great Sinhala linguist and scholar Munidasa Cumaratunga at the Anuradhapura Niwatthaka Chetiya Maha Vidyalaya.

The meeting was organised by a committee headed by Udaya Kumari Gunaratna, teaching instructress of the Sinhala section under the directions of college principal Prema Jayamanna. Divulgane said, the organisers have set an example to the young generation that those who deserve respect should be respected.

“It is also praiseworthy that a great language reformist, is also being introduced to the younger generation who most probably have not heard of him earlier.

“Niwatthaka Chethiya is the place where Arahath Mahinda Thera took temporary residence until a proper abode was built for him in the Mahamevuna Uyana.

As such, children of this vidyalaya can be proud since they have a very strong connection to a important event in history.

Cumaratunga was a free thinker who believed that the world can be conquered by wisdom. During the freedom struggle in India Rabindranath Tagore said the world should not be disintegrated with walls of narrow ideas, Munidasa Cumaratunga had a similar vision.

Both of them joined the freedom struggle of their mother country using the pen. In another aspect Munidasa Cumaratunga was very close to us. He hailed from Giruwapatthuwa in the Hambantota district where the climate is very much similar to that of ours.

Cumaratunga often advocated that we should protect our culture and national identity.

His contributions to the Sinhala language was immense.

He wanted the Sinhalese to live close to their roots. He never tolerated separation from it. “Once Tagore said although you may keep your windows open for the fresh air to blow in, do not allow the objects in your house to be blown out.

Thus do not allow our traditions and customs to be suppressed by a culture foreign to us.” Principal Prema Jayamanna, Teacher Instructress Udaya Kumari, Regional Education Director P. Wanninayaka, Teachers Instructress K. D. Wimalawathie also spoke. Ven. Kithulhitiye Indrawansa Thera, Governor’s Co-ordinating Secretary and popular lyricist Mahinda Chandrasekara were also present.