New Year messages:

Let love abound everywhere

All Ceylon Hindu Congress

The All Ceylon Hindu Congress (Federation of Hindu Religious Associations and Trustees of Hindu Temples in Sri Lanka) wishes to make this public appeal on the eve of this New Year.

A new year is blossoming. However "We have suffered enough. Let there be solace at least in the New Year".

It is the yearning of the people. People are suffering from the unfortunate acts of harassment and high costs of living.

People in the North-East are still suffering from the meaningless conflict. Let communalism be banished with its roots from the country. Let all acts of violence disappear. Let love abound everywhere.

We wish to appeal to the Government and all the politicians to rise above petty considerations and grant the Tamil speaking people their due rights to satisfy their aspirations to live as citizens of this country with equality and dignity. The All Ceylon Hindu Congress continues its social welfare service. There are children's houses and elders' homes, supported by us and other institutions.

Please assist them that service to humanity will be real prayers to His Almighty.

Let us pray to Shri Sivakami Sametha Sri Nadarajaperuman on this New Year day, for solace to our people.

Hopes for a happy and peaceful future

Public Administration and Home Affairs Minister Karu Jayasuriya:

The dawn of Sinhala and Hindu New Year is a day of rejoicing not only for Buddhists and Hindus but also for all Sri Lankans as it brings hopes for a happy and peaceful future. Apart from our personal hopes and aspirations we as Sri Lankans hope that terrorism will be overcome and an environment will be created for us to live peaceful and contented lives in the New Year.

I wish that these hopes become a reality in the new year.

The network of cultural values provide a strong framework for the existence of a nation. The customs and traditions we observe at the dawn of the New Year provides the cultural values needed for the moral uplift and existence of our society. The New Year provides us with an opportunity to revive those traditions and customs and explain their value to the young and bequeath them to future generations.

I believe that this New Year will be a happy and wonderful New Year if we could utilise it to unite a divided nation. I wish all Sri Lankans a happy and peaceful New Year.