Hon. (Dr.) Hiniduma Sunil Senevi - Minister of Buddhasasana, Religious and Cultural Affairs

¶ 01 Mr. Deputy Speaker, first, I am grateful to the beloved people of the Ratnapura District for electing eight MPs, including myself, to Parliament, thereby empowering the National People’s Power to implement its national policies. I also thank the people across Sri Lanka for entrusting us with an extraordinary popular mandate.

¶ 02 I wish to focus attention on a distinctive section of the Government’s policy statement presented by His Excellency the President. Reflecting on the history of this House, I believe insufficient attention has long been given to a crucial area, and the resulting neglect has had consequences so grave for Sri Lanka’s social life that one could call it a tragedy.

¶ 03 This is the section on “Raising the Cultural Human Being,” within our principal policy document titled “A Prosperous Country – A Beautiful Life,” a 232‑page compilation whose essence was set out in the remarkable speech delivered here by the President on 21 November. It was, in my view, one of the most comprehensive and exceptional policy addresses by a Sri Lankan President, laying out priorities across every sector.

¶ 04 We often emphasize the “prosperous country” pillar in economic terms. Many speeches today, too, focused on the breakdown of material life that we can touch and see. But the “beautiful life” pillar rests on the socio‑cultural foundation. Unless these two halves are developed in parallel, we cannot realistically expect an enlightened life in Sri Lanka. In the policy section on arts and culture, highlighted on pages 15 and 16 of the printed text, our formulation is “A noble cultural life – a compassionate people.” We all know Sri Lanka does not yet fully embody such a cultural life. In 76 years of political history, we have failed to form a fully compassionate citizenry. The idea of a “compassionate people” is something we must bring to the fore and discuss at length.

¶ 05 I express my thanks to all the scholars and practitioners who labored to compile our comprehensive cultural policy. It is heartening to hear both Government and Opposition members today acknowledge the significance of our election result. There is consensus that all forms of religious extremism must be defeated, and that chauvinism must not be allowed to re‑emerge—this was affirmed by the President’s speech and by many contributions here today. The trust placed in us by people of the South, North, and East conveys a powerful message: never again should anyone be allowed to tear this country apart using division, fear, and extremism.

¶ 06 The fruits of a noble cultural life will be realized precisely here. The message from the North moves beyond the North, beyond even Rabindranath Tagore’s India, to the world at large. We have successfully planted, in strong measure, the seed needed to form a Sri Lankan nation. We must now nurture it so that it grows without renewed tremors or tragedies. If, 80 years ago, when voices here warned against the return of chauvinism, their work had succeeded, we would not have faced the calamities that befell us. Division along lines of race, religion, or region can thrive only when cultural life is impoverished. Hence, we must form the compassionate citizen. Our national policy statement assigns great weight to this, and we will not permit a refined cultural human being to be dragged back into narrow sectarian conflict.

¶ 07 Two key concluding themes of our 232‑page document are “A Sri Lankan nation” and “A global citizen.” We must build a Sri Lankan nation, and the concept of a global citizen is equally vital. Too often, even those of us who focus on economic issues allow this cultural dimension to slip. Our cultural work and the broadening of education policy and curricula must aim to form the global citizen. As Tagore said, “I seek my compatriots all over the world.” We can only do so if we step into that global citizenship.

¶ 08 On language, I submit we need to rethink. Language has been a conduit through which chauvinism spread and pushed the country into distress. Today as well, we heard about a tragedy grounded in words circulated on social media. Language is the chief expressive instrument in the cultural sphere; it must be newly understood and interpreted. After the devastation of the Second World War, intellectuals in Europe examined how language itself had been deformed—George Steiner’s “Language and Silence” is emblematic. Even within this Parliament, our Hansard and video archives are replete with instances of linguistic degradation. The infamous “chili powder” incidents are reminders; listen to the coarse language used then.

¶ 09 Human thought is conceived and communicated through language; our vast literary and artistic heritage—literature, music, drama, cinema—carries this current. The path to forming the cultural human being is sincere, dedicated work, supported by education policies that enlighten. In the President’s policy speech, three headings framed our core vision: ending rural poverty, digitalization, and “Clean Sri Lanka.” Clean Sri Lanka is not just about plastics and the physical environment; it is also about cleansing attitudes, upholding accountability for public funds, protecting the rule of law, and elevating human dignity.

¶ 10 Some today spoke of media freedom ignoring past extremes. If such concerns were genuine, where were they during cases like that of Prageeth Ekneligoda? On development officers: as someone who taught at a university for 25 years, let me share one story. A former student, a young graduate in Sinhala literature—versed in Kavsilumina, Amawachara, Dharmapradeepika—phoned me after teaching her first lesson as a newly appointed teacher: Grade 5 fractions. Primary teachers must be trained at teacher training colleges. We produce graduates for one purpose, then push them into another. Since 1994, more than 150,000 graduates have been recruited under ad hoc schemes that created this mess. Attempts to resolve it should not be attacked. Let us face the damage we have done.

¶ 11 We have an extraordinary opportunity in Sri Lanka. We seek the support of all to plant this noble policy statement firmly in the soil of our land. Thank you for the time.