New Year, showcases rich cultural values - Wimal

Ishara Mudugamuwa

The Sinhala and Hindu New Year season is the best time to show our cultural values, said Construction, Engineering Services, Housing and Common Amenities Minister Wimal Weerawansa.

Participating in a New Year function at the Condominium Management Authority recently, Minister Weerawansa said: "The motherland is protected by our rich culture and we should handover our cultural values to the future generation. Achieving success in physical development is not enough to create a better country."

"New Year teaches unity and promotes respect for others. It also encourages us to think about our own selves. New Year traditions affect our lives. The present generation has the responsibility to pass this tradition to the future generation," said the minister.

The minister also said although Buddhist and Hindu devotees mainly celebrate the New Year and Sinhala Catholic people too join in the celebrations. Therefore, a majority of Sri Lankans celebrate the New Year.

"With the power of our cultural values, foreign forces cannot destroy us," he said.

The Sinhala alphabet, irrigation technologies, the world's oldest surgical tools found from Anuradhapura prove that we had a rich history. Therefore, Europeans could not change our culture and traditions," said the minister.

A New Year pack with local products valued at Rs 3, 000 were handed over to 110 Condominium Management Authority workers at the event.

Construction, Engineering Services, Housing and Common Amnesties Ministry Secretary P. H. Wimalasiri Perera, Condominium Management Authority Chairman Kapila Gamage, General Manager Upali Upawansha, National Housing Development Authority Chairman Mahinda Mudalige and others participated.