13 May 2019 06:47 pm
If anyone claims that Sri Lanka is not a country of Sinhala Buddhists, such people should not be in the country, Mahanayake of Kotte Chapter the Most Ven. Ittepane Darmalankara Thera said today.
“During the history that I know of, no Buddhist or any non-Buddhist had ever said that Sri Lanka is not a Sinhala Buddhist country,” he said.
“Even Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith, who is not a Buddhist, said that this is a Sinhala Buddhist country and that he is fortunate to live in this country. In this backdrop, if anyone says that Sri Lanka is not a country of Sinhala Buddhists, such people are not fit to be in the country,” the Prelate said.
He was speaking during a discussion with MP Dinesh Gunawardane and a group of representatives relating to the proposed Vesak Programmes to be held in Maharagama.
The Thera said that the parents were afraid to send their children to schools and that their fear was justifiable.
“The only solution is for all Ministers and MPs to visit the schools and remain there for a few hours,” he said.
“This should be done without any delay. These people were elected by the voters and if they think honestly that they should protect the country and the nation they should be near the schools. I see no reason why they cannot do it. If they visited these schools, the fear psychosis that is forcing the parents to stop their children from schools would vanish. Therefore, I earnestly request the MPs to take up this challenge,” the Prelate said. (K. Buddhika Kumarasiri)