“May all women reborn as men in their next incarnation,” said SLFP general secretary and Minister Maithripala Sirisena when he addressed the Polonnaruwa Sri Lanka Freedom Party Women’s Federation meeting yesterday at the Mahaweli Prathibha Hall in Manampitiya.

“Today women’s dominance is visible everywhere, women constitute 53% of the country’s population and 80 percent of government servants. The village society and the whole country depends on a mother’s strength,- and her strength is immense and of great importance. Whenever I leave home my wife kneels and bows, and as Buddhist I wish her to be reborn as a man”

The minister said that, as a representative elected by the people he had done his part for the benefit of the people.

From the beginning of next year cigarettes packets will carry a pictorial health warning which would compel smokers to rethink their smoking habit, he said.

He said he would take steps to use similar methods to discourage liquor consumption next year. He said that as a responsible minister he would work to create a society free of Arrack, cigarettes and drugs.

 Gampaha District MP Sudharshini Fernandopulle, deputy Transport Minister  Rohana Dissanayake, deputy Land Minister Siripala Gamlath, Eastern Provincial Council Chairman Ariyawathie Galappatthi, and PC and PS members and about 3000 women from Polonnaruwa participated at the occasion.(Nimal Jayarathna)