Pride of place for indigenous products under this Govt - President

The Government has been able to usher an era which valued indigenous products and values. This in itself is a victory for the country's future generation, said President Mahinda Rajapaksa.

The President expressed these sentiments at a ceremony at the Presidential Secretariat to felicitate the Most Ven. Weweldeniye Medhalankara Mahanayake Thera of the Sri Lanka Ramanna Maha Nikaya who celebrated his birth centenary recently. President Rajapaksa who said that certain past leaders were averse to indigenous products and values, added that the Government had ended the era which did not lay much emphasis on Mother Earth.

The country had a history where conspiracies were hatched whenever the Nation as poised on a victory path.

Learning from such past experiences, the Government was proceeding along a correct path with the counsel and blessings of the Maha Sangha he said.

President Rajapaksa said Ven. Medhalankara Maha-nayake Thera possessed a wealth of experience about vast changes which had occurred in the country for almost a century.

The time is not far when the North and South would be relinked as desired by the Mahanayake Thera and the people, he said.

Ven. Medhalankara Mahana-yake Thera has reached such an esteemed position during his 89 year period of clergy life because he had followed the noble silent path as a member of the Sangha.

The whole nation is indebted to him for his national service towards creating a disciplined society, President Rajapaksa said. The Maha Sangha, Ministers Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena, Lakshman Yapa Abeywardena and Lasantha Alagiyawanna and Secretary to the President Lalith Weeratunge were also percent.