The Hon. Shanakiyan Rajaputhiran Rasamanickam

¶ 01 I will conclude within a minute, Hon. Presiding Member.

¶ 02 The President’s remarks have been distorted. I am actually pleased he made that speech. In my view, he did not say people should not go to Nagadipa or not visit a temple in the North. He very clearly referred to a particular temple and to the group that has been organizing activities centred on that one place. We know who they are and who backed them during the previous Pohottuwa government. We opposed those activities then, and the President referred to that group. I do not believe he said that Sinhala people going to pay homage at Nagadipa in the North are motivated by hatred. Therefore, let me state clearly: the President made a courageous speech. To my knowledge, no leader before has done so. When in a place with not even a single Sinhala Buddhist resident, a temple is set up, buses are used to bring crowds there, demonstrations are staged and the country is set aflame in a chauvinist manner, other Presidents kept silent. He, however, spoke out bravely. I thank him for that.

¶ 03 One more point before I end, Hon. Presiding Member: I saw some social media comments about Tamil people visiting the Kataragama Devalaya. Remember, people in this country have worshipped Kataragama Deviyo—Murugan, Skanda—even before Buddhism came to Sri Lanka. So do not conflate Tamil people visiting Kataragama with anything else. While the Government has done some right things, if it also listens to our just demands on education and takes good decisions, then, in my view, it will not end up like what happened to Gotabaya Rajapaksa.

¶ 04 Thank you.