'Great effort by President to promote Sinhala, Tamil'

'Great efforts have been made by President Mahinda Rajapaksa to forge ahead to a new culture in promoting Sinhala and Tamil languages and create a sense of togetherness between the Sinhalese, Tamil and Muslim people in the country.

'He has appointed Vasudeva Nanayakkara as Minister of National Languages and Social Integration to oversee all matters connected with development of Sinhala and Tamil languages as a means of promoting racial harmony and communal amity.'

A.H.M.Azwer, MP expressed these views speaking at a function held at the Tamil Sangam Hall, Wellawatta last Sunday.

S.Danapalasingham, Editor of Thinakkural Tamil daily presided. Poet Memon Kavi made the welcome speech.

The occasion marked the 80th birth anniversary of veteran journalist and editor of "Mallikai" (Pichcha Mal) monthly magazine, Dominic Jeeva. Azwer said, 'the "Mallikai", started to blossom in Jaffna 45 years ago but due to terrorist disturbances in the North Dominic Jeeva came to Colombo and started publishing this valuable Tamil magazine uninterruptedly from the capital city.

'This speaks volumes for the peaceful and the congenial atmosphere prevailing in Colombo enabling the development of Tamil literature, arts and culture unhindered in keeping with the Mahinda Chinthana. Azwer also noted that female writers of the Muslim community have tremendously increased in the country in the recent past and such advancement cannot be witnessed ever in Tamil Nadu.

This signifies a most encouraging feature in the Tamil-Muslim literary field.' S.Sivakumaran, S.Thirugnanasundaram, Dickwella Kamal, Dr. T S Gnanam and several others also spoke at this function.