President, courageous leader- Anunayake Thera

In the ancient times when the kings ruled our country they sought to counsel the Maha Sangha whenever there was a calamity in the country. Even when the people were not so close to the kings the Maha Sangha advised the kings and stood up to protect the country.

Since the time President Mahinda Rajapaksa was elected a Member of Parliament, he associated closely with the clergy and followed the example set by our rulers from very ancient times, the Most Ven Aggamaha Pundit Saddharmakeerthi Kotugoda Dhammavasa Anunayake Thera of the Amarapura Sangha Sabha said.

He said so at a function held at the Independence Square to confer the honour Sri Lanka Rajavansa Vibhushana Dharmadveepa Chakravarthi on President Mahinda Rajapaksa and honorary titles on the Commanders of the Armed Forces on Sunday.

The prelate said the President was able to liberate the country as he was a courageous leader.

"When I went abroad and had the occasion to meet a leader of high international standing he asked me about President Rajapaksa remarking that the President was a very upright person who had courage and forthrightness," he said.

The Ven Prof Warakagoda Pemaratana Nayake, Thera of the Sri Ramanna Maha Nikaya, former Vice Chancellor of the Bhikku University of Anuradhapura said the people of the South feared that they will have to live under some forces of the North and that the national culture would be destroyed.

"But the courageous and determined leadership of President Mahinda Rajapaksa had liberated the country from that threat and a historic victory was won by the Armed Forces under his leadership," he said.

It had been our experience that whenever a leader who loved the country came to power, there were certain elements that worked as enemies of such leaders and we should remember that even our President's life could be under threat from such elements and we should protect him from such elements," the Nayake Thera said.

Ramanna Maha Sangha Sabha Secretary General Minister Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena said the two Nikayas getting together to honour President Mahinda Rajapaksa who led the Armed Forces to victory over the terrorists was a historic occasion.

"This important function itself a historic occasion and aptly it was being held at the Independence Square.

No other leader had achieved such a victory over terrorists as President Rajapaksa and the two Nikayas uniting on this occasion augurs well for the progress of the Buddha Sasana as the clergy of both sects could unite now to further religious and national interests".