Religious dignitaries hail victory

Unite and assist President

Asela Kuruluwansa

Now that President Mahinda Rajapaksa has ushered in an environment for the people to live in peace by defeating the barbaric terrorists, it is the duty of every patriotic citizens to work towards bequeathing this peaceful environment to the future generation, said the Most Ven. Udugama Sri Buddharakkitha Mahanayake Thera of the Asgiriya Chapter commenting on the victory over terrorism yesterday. Therefore it is the duty of all to shed petty differences and unite to assist the President in the national rebuilding effort.

The prelate said it was the people’s good fortune that President Mahinda Rajapaksa was elected to office in 2005.

The country achieved this victory due to his unwavering policies. If previous State leaders acted like him, terrorism would have been wiped out much earlier, he added credit for this victory should also go to the Defence Secretary, Security Forces Commanders, the IGP and the head of the Civil Defence Force.

The LTTE chartered its own fate by rejecting all efforts taken by the Government to find a solution through negotiations, the prelate said.

Rally round President

At a time when the President has found a solution to the vexed terrorist problem which dogged the country’s development and progress for three decades, people of all communities should shelve petty differences and rally round to assist the task of rebuilding the country, said the Most Ven. Tibbotuwawe Sri Sumangala Mahanayaka Thera of the Malwatte Chapter yesterday.

Ven. Sri Sumangala Mahanayaka Thera said that when certain detractors in the South tried to place the Government in a difficult situation by conducting strikes and protest campaigns, the majority of the people remained calm and quiet fully confident that the President would find a proper solution to the national problem.

As much as the President fulfilled his election pledge to defeat terrorism and usher in lasting peace, he would also usher in economic development and progress reconfirming the confidence the people of all communities had placed in him as a capable and astute leader, the Prelate said.

The Mahanayaka Thera said the Security Forces while fighting a terrorist outfit had set an example to the whole world about their humanity by catering to the welfare of civilians who fled LTTE clutches and arrived in the Government controlled areas.

The moral support given by the President by visiting the Forces in liberated areas and bequeathing one of his children to the Armed Forces had greatly helped in achieving this victory over terrorism within a short span, he said.

Result of deep commitment

Archbishop Oswald Gomis yesterday congratulated President Mahinda Rajapaksa for his courageous leadership in the battle.

“We are indeed very happy that the war is over and I congratulate President Mahinda Rajapaksa and the Chiefs of the Defence Forces who supported him with deep commitment and self-sacrifice,” Archbishop Gomis stated.

Excerpts of the press release:

“We are indeed very happy that the war is ended and that the Security Forces have been able to release all the innocent civilians who were trapped in battle.

I congratulate President Mahinda Rajapaksa for his very courageous leadership and thank the Chiefs of the Defence outfit who supported him with deep commitment and self-sacrifice. I also offer my deepest sympathies to those who laid down their lives in battle and those innocent civilians killed, trapped in war. In a sense, we could say that we have won the battle but the war is not ended.

The war would end only on the day that we grow in nationhood realizing that we are all one people in one country with equal rights. We have to realise the fact that we are a multi-ethnic, multi-religious and multi-cultural community. As such we are now left with the great task of nation-building forgetting our ethnic, political and religious differences.

It is imperative that there be a political formula that will inspire confidence and promote a sense of belonging among the minority groups in the country. We have to leave the sad and bitter memories of the past three decades and look positively and optimistically towards the future in hope.

All of us have to share the blame for our division and forgive each other.