‘Let our children fly above us’
When aircraft touch down at Mattala we are able to usher in
development for our country. The value of the corn pods of Wellassa to
the sands on the beaches of Magampura will rise because of this airport.
The Yala sanctuary will acquire more value in the world. This
international airport through enhancing the international image of the
country will give us added strength to conduct modern sporting events
and hold international conferences, President Mahinda Rajapaksa said.
Inaugurating Sri Lanka’s second international airport in Mattala
yesterday morning the President said those who never expected an airport
to be constructed in an area such as this now see their dreams come
true. We will have critics. The future generation will answer them.
“Just as the Sri Lankan heroes who carried out dedicated work
undergoing great difficulty to build this airport working from a tree
house, the expectation of the mothers carrying children and my own is to
see our children flying above us... What we all seek is to see our
children rise above us in their lives,’ the President added.
Full text of the speech:
Today is a significant day for us here at Mattala and the entirety of
Sri Lanka. I have been given a very special task today which I will
perform at the outset. Accordingly, I hereby declare that this March 18
on which day the Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport was handed over
to the people in keeping with the commitment of the Mahinda Chinthana to
make Sri Lanka an aviation hub in Asia as part of the five - fold hubs
of development and thereby enhance the service towards the people by
inaugurating the first international airport built since independence
through our own strength, is declared as Sri Lanka’s Civil Aviation
Service Day.
Today we mark a new international airport on the world map. What we
have built here in Mattala is an airport where even the largest aircraft
flying today could land.
After aviation was introduced to the country in 1912, aircraft landed
at places such as the Colombo Race Course and Ratmalana airport.
Subsequently, due to Second World War, the Katunayake airport was
launched in 1940s.
Although 50 years have been completed since elevating Katunayake
airport as an international airport, we were so far unable to build our
own international airport in the country.
Sri Lanka is a country that believed in the ‘Dandu Monara’ said to
have flown thousands of years ago. We saw a depiction of the ‘Dandu
Monara’ at the performance of the Ravana story today. We are a nation
that had an awareness of flying machines long before others.
However, what we saw in the past decades was to insult that great
thinking. During the Second World War Colombo and Trincomalee were
bombed from the air.
The Tiger terrorists made repeated attempts to destroy our air power
internationally and to stop our aircraft from flying. On several
occasions in 1986 and 2001 they carried out bomb attacks on stationary
aircraft at Katunayake. Also in 1987, there was a “parippu” drop from
the air on Sri Lanka. The LTTE carried out damage costing many millions
at Katunayake airport. In addition, the LTTE aircraft bombed Colombo
having come from Iranamadu. At that time, there were many warnings from
abroad that Sri Lanka was not safe for the stationing of an aircraft
leave alone build an international airport.
That was an era when there was so much underestimation of our
aviation services that the then leaders of our country even sold our
national carrier Air Lanka.
We were ridiculed in the aviation sector. I recall how, when I had to
be in the country to present a budget I could not obtain a ticket to fly
back to the country.
That was the situation we were in. I recall declaring to the whole
world, from this my Ruhunu birthplace, that through the 2005
Presidential Election, I would bring an honorable peace to the country.
Within a few years we were able to bring this honorable peace to the
Motherland. Similarly, through the Mahinda Chinthana - Forward Vision,
we announced that this country would be made a naval, energy, commercial
and knowledge hub as well as an aviation hub to make Sri Lanka the
Wonder of Asia.
Accordingly, we have taken the correct path and built an
international airport to dispel the darkness that prevailed in the air
and illuminate the skies.
Friends,
This is the first time an airport is being built solely targeting the
development of the country.
Therefore, when aircraft touch down at Mattala we are able to land
development for our country. The value of the corn pods of Wellassa to
the sands on the beaches of Magampura will rise because of this airport.
The Yala sanctuary will more value in the world. This international
airport through enhancing the international image of the country will
give us added strength to conduct modern sporting events and holding of
international conferences.
This brings the Passekudah beach even closer to the world. We are now
developing a country where one can travel to Ampara on one side and
Nuwara Eliya on the other within a couple of hours from Mattala. I wish
to say that when aircraft take to the sky from Mattala, it is not only
value of the South and Uva that will rise but that of Sabaragamuwa and
the entire country, too.
It is not possible to build internationally important development
projects such as this solely from internal revenue. It is true that we
launch most development projects from the revenue of our own country,
but we need international assistance, too. Just as the government of
China gave the port, it also assisted in building this beautiful
airport.
Work on constructing huge reservoirs such as Moragahakanda,
Weheregala, Rambukkan Oya and Deduru Oya was begun with this country’s
own revenue. However, we obtained international loans for completion of
this work. We had no hesitation about it and will not hesitate to do so.
This is a practice followed by other countries too. Even powerful
countries do this. It is necessary to obtain loans to build a country.
We too obtain such loans and assistance and build many things for the
development of the country. Therefore, I express the gratitude of our
people and our country to all of you.
You must be aware of the cart roads that carried salt from the
salterns at Hambantota to Badulla.
I first came to this area with Mr. Lakshman Rajapaksa through the
wild elephant populated forests. We came here during the time of last
election campaign too. I think the Hon. Speaker also spoke about the
situation that prevailed at the time.
There was no water to drink. There were no proper roads. I think the
people who have lived in this harsh climate and are able to withstand
it, are able to withstand any difficult clime and face up to the most
difficult conditions.
It is in such a place that we cut the first sod to lay the foundation
stone for this airport. That was done at the invitation of the Honorable
Speaker who was then the Minister of Ports. I ask whether the value of
the land today is the same as it was at that time.
We did not take loans purely for consumption, but for works such as
this. It is worth considering the income received through projects such
as this hundreds and thousands years in the future.
Revenue obtained from projects such as this are used to bring relief
to the people of this country. We should have more such constructions.
Having constructed five ports, the Kerawalapitiya, Norochcholai, Upper
Kotmale and Sampoor power stations, expressways, airports and huge
irrigation projects the income of these are used for the welfare of the
people.
We have not forgotten the rural cultivators of this land. I think we
give a bag of fertilizer at the lowest price of the world. We also
provide free health, free education and pay the salaries for more than
1.4 million public servants of this country through our own revenue. One
must understand this reality. As I said earlier, we are not ready to
take these funds for wasteful consumption and mortgage the land. There
is much propaganda when development of this nature takes place. It is
now being told that Katunayake will be closed and the material at
Katunayake will be brought here. I must make one thing clear. It is that
we will not close down anything to build something new. What is stated
in the Mahinda Chinthana is to develop what we already have and build
what is new.
Friends,
We do not build this country according to development methods
followed so far.
We have planted a tree for every tree felled to build this airport.
The pattern so far has been for villagers to come to the cities because
of the absence of facilities such as power, water, roads, employment and
education. Such migration to the towns deprives us of the respect and
the freedom we enjoy in the village.
The Buddha has preached Pathiroopa Desa Vasocha (domicile in a
suitable locality). To us the city is not a suitable place to live in.
What happened was to leave the respectability of the village to be
confined in to a concrete jungle. This is what happened in the name of
urbanization.
We have now brought all facilities in the city to the village. You
now have water for drinking, electricity, roads, airport and ports. We
have built schools and hospitals. Today you can enjoy the facilities of
a city and live with the inherent respect of the village. Wherever we
carry out development work in the country spread out in Jaffna,
Kilinochchi, Anuaradhapura, Trincomalee or Batticaloa there is only one
request we make of you.
It is that you protect your freedom, our oneness and our culture. You
must protect more and more the ethics and culture that bound us together
in our villages. It is my belief that when changes such as this take
place in our country we must be aware of new forces that can emerge, and
decide to live a qualitative urban livelihood.
Friends,
Just as we brought cities to the village we must also take values of
the village to the city. The trees and greenery and clean environment of
village should be taken to the city. Look at the city of Colombo today.
We design the village in keeping with the environment. We develop the
country in this manner taking the facilities of the city to the village
and the values of the village to the city. This is the best service you
could provide for those living in cities.
Friends,
Those who never expected an airport to be constructed in an area such
as this now see their dreams come true. We will have critics.
The future generation will answer them. This is an area full of
people who are friendly and cooperative. I am very familiar of life
among the people in this area, of their hardships and their
capabilities.
We have to carry out major development on our land, sea, and in our
skies. The whole world should be brought closer to Sri Lanka.
The victories of the people of the world could be made even greater
in Sri Lanka.
Friends,
Although the Air Force camp of the British government handed over to
Sri Lanka in 1950, it was a very small number who could enter to the
aviation sector. Just as we have built this international airport there
will be several domestic airports built in places including Palali,
Kandy, Nuwara Eliya, Iranamadu, Amapara. Then the children from areas
such as Monaragala, Hambantota, Sabaragamuwa, Jaffna and Kilinochchi
will become pilots and fly above us in the sky.
Just as the Sri Lankan heroes who carried out dedicated work
undergoing great difficulty to build this airport working from a tree
house, the expectation of the mothers carrying children and my own is to
see our children flying above us.
What we all seek is to see our children rise above us in their lives.
My dear daughters and sons,
We did all this to achieve that goal. I trust you will make full use
of this.
While repeating my gratitude to the government of China for assisting
us in this project and sending a special representative for this event,
I also extend my good wishes to the new President of China.
I also extend my thanks to all Chinese and Sri Lankan engineers,
staff and all workers who assisted in this task and to the Minister in
charge.
Wish you all a prosperous future.
May the noble triple gem bless you!
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