My people not exhibits - President

Rohan Mathes

President Mahinda Rajapaksa reiterated that he will never ever be prepared to display to the world his motherland or its people, as sympathy evoking exhibits.

President Rajapaksa stated this when he presided and addressed an august gathering of Ministers, Parliamentarians, religious dignitaries and other distinguished guests, at a ceremony to hand over a 25,000 square feet, three-storied, new building complex, completed at an estimated cost of Rupees 100 million, for an outpatient and a special clinical division to the Homagama Base Hospital at Homagama yesterday.

The new building is a generous and meritorious gesture of the Bamunuarachchi Foundation (BAF), under the Ran Mehewara Project, phase 1- stage 1, to commemorate the late B.A. Semaneris Appuhamy.

Categorically rejecting allegations made by certain quarters, including sections of the international community, he pointed out that the innocent internally displaced civilians of the Vanni, were cared for, as their own kith and kin, by the Government. “It was the ruthless LTTE which has caused heinous crimes and atrocities with these civilians, and not the Government.

“We have at all times, treated those civilians fleeing from the grip of the terrorists to the safe zones, most humanely.

“ I have made an open invitation to the Secretary General of the United Nations, to come and see for himself, our utmost and profound commitment in providing all their medical and other requirements”, he said..

Reminiscing the events consequent to the tsunami catastrophe in 2004, President Rajapaksa opined that albeit certain international agencies had acted in a bona fide compassionate manner, some nevertheless had only visited the country for curiosity, notwithstanding the plight and sufferings of the victims. Their true contribution to the victims had been minimal in the process.

He lauded the Bamunuarachchi Foundation for making this most charitable contributions. “The Bamunuarachchi dynasty would not have, and may not be the wealthiest businessmen of the country today.

Nonetheless, this magnanimous and charitable venture which could not be estimated in words, however expresses and reflects their true patriotic sentiments and their passion to assist their motherland. It undoubtedly, echoes out a great message to the rest of the privileged and business fraternity of this land, to follow suit” he said.

The President underscored the importance of protecting not only one’s business per se, but also his motherland, in which his business is carried out.

“Some businessmen are solely concerned of the future of their business, with no due consideration as to the safety of their country”, he claimed.

These charitable ventures are most opportune now, in an era we have achieved our second independence. The Government has allocated a gigantic sum of rupees 89 million for the provision of adequate health facilities and education, next only to the expenditure on national security.

Our maternal and infant mortality rates are the best in the Asian region. We have refurbished the most remotest hospitals, inclusive of estate hospitals, and brought them to more sophisticated and fully-equipped levels.

Referring to the recent historic and landslide victories in the Wayamba and Central Provincial Council elections, President Rajapaksa pointed out that these decisions were very encouraging and displayed the full endorsement of the Governments policies and the tributes paid to our gallant war heroes, who have sacrificed their lives for their cause in protecting their motherland.

The Most Venerable Maduluwawe Sobhitha Thera, Most Venerable Galaboda Gnaneswara Thera, Ministers Nimal Siripala De Silva, Dinesh Gunawardena, Bandula Gunawardena, P. Dayarathna, Geethanjana Gunawardena, Western Province Governor Alavi Mowlana and several others participated at this ceremony.