President's leadership will achieve economic renaissance

Lankan identity to be promoted:

N. M. Abeysinghe-Kuliyapitiya group correspondent

Within four years President Mahinda Rajapaksa was able to wipe out terrorism through his bold and upright leadership, similarly he would give leadership to achieve economic and cultural renaissance in the country, Cultural Affairs and National Heritage Minister Mahinda Yapa Abeywardhana said. He was speaking at a ceremony held to mark the commissioning of Kuliyapitiya West Cultural Centre at Bogoda.

The Minister said the Government did not delay the implementation of development projects getting cover from the conflict. Results of such projects would not come overnight. When the results come the economy of the country would be sound.

He said the 159th Cultural centre is opened there, during the conflict period 158 centres were established. interested school leavers and elders could study music, dancing, computer literacy and English in the centres free. The target in establishing the Cultural Centres in every Divisional Secretary's Division is to achieve cultural renaissance.

He said the country is inherited a great culture based on Buddhist Civilisation. That is integration of family relations and the village.

The Minister added, the North and East is also blessed with a great culture. due to the long-standing conflict it was difficult to establish cultural centres in those provinces. Now the country is free from such obstacles.

We not only establish cultural centres in those provinces but also implement cultural exchange programs to do away with mis-understanding.

Faith and confidence between the two ethnic groups would be developed and Sri Lankan identity would be upheld.

Wayamba Chief Minister Athula Wijesinghe said Culture, literature and history were unimportant subjects in the past.

Even the Head of the State in that era did not know the value of such subjects. The history teachers us how to build the present and future he said.