President first world leader to address UN in Tamil

New York: President Mahinda Rajapaksa created history yesterday at the United Nations by addressing the General Assembly briefly in Tamil. This is the first time that any world leader has spoken to the world body in Tamil.

Last year, he became the first Sri Lankan leader to address the UN General Assembly in Sinhala. This year, he addressed the forum in both Sinhala and Tamil.

“While my mother tongue is Sinhala, let me elaborate a few thoughts in Tamil. Sinhala and Tamil are the two languages of the people of Sri Lanka. Both these have been used through the centuries, are rich in literature, and are widely used in my country, with recognition as Official Languages. We will march towards a richer freedom and lasting unity that await us as a nation,” were the sentiments he expressed in Tamil.