“In this Sinhala – Tamil New Year, we need to fill our minds with right thoughts to transform our country into a better place to live in.” That will make the New Year more meaningful, the UNP and Opposition leader Ranil Wickremesinghe in his New Year Message said.

The Full Message: “With the dawn of the Sinhala - Hindu New Year, we, as a nation, tend to go back to our rituals, values and roots. Although one may find it difficult to practice New Year rituals in their truest form nowadays, it should not prevent one from identifying the real values behind our own traditional New Year rituals. 

“The common objective of each and every New Year ritual is to spread good will not only within the minds of people, but also across our families and the society at large.

“It is a known fact that the ‘goodness’ of our nation has been jeopardized by ill-will and malice. While corruption is ruling the roost, the people are deprived of democratic rights. Rule of law has been undermined by mounting political influence. Even a national event such as the Sinhala and Tamil New Year is being used by the present regime as a propaganda tool. A rogue state is in the making in front of our eyes, despite the false promises of a righteous and virtuous society.

“We need to understand the present state of affairs in our country and rescue our future generation from this situation. In this Sinhala – Tamil New Year, we need to fill our minds with right thoughts to transform our country into a better place to live in. That will make the New Year more meaningful.”


New Year Message by Karu Jayasuriya, UNP Leadership Council Chairman

“This festival is called Sinhala and Hindu New Year.   This affirms that national reconciliation is a tradition amongst us.   This festival signifies the prosperity and plentitude during the month of April.  It is considered as the anniversary of agricultural productivity in the Asian region.  Sinhala and Hindu New Year period is a transitional festival which motivates every one of us to re-arrange our way of life.   As a progressive country and a nation we have to look at this festival from a wider angle.   We have to do so taking into consideration the cultural, economic, social and religious values in this traditional festival.

At this juncture we should remember the grand victory which delighted the whole nation.  It is the invincible victory gained by our cricketers for the county.   The whole country viewed the match like children of one family.  There was no division in their victorious joy.  Cricketers were treated as children of the nation.  Sinhala and Hindu New Year has endowed us with a similar positive feeling from time immemorial.

During this festive season amazingly religious and ethnic divisions get suppressed.  The whole country commences the New Year at one auspicious time.  All Sri Lankans partakes of meals, commences work, engages in transactions, bathes, sets out for work and anoints oil at one and the same auspicious time.   The attire is of same auspicious colour.  If the country maintains these feelings of unity and peace throughout the year, Sri Lanka will become the wonder not only of Asia but will be a model to the whole world.   We must be determined to make this national unity our ideal for this New Year.  If we are able to do so, a great period will dawn for independent Sri Lanka and it will begin with this Sinhala and Hindu New Year.

Due to various factors record of our national unity has not been good during the past few years.  During this period most of our common beliefs were distorted.  Many words used by the patriots have become vituperative language to deride political opponents.  Today even the term Sri Lanka is given disreputable meaning.  Any social group should be guaranteed the freedom to practice their religion.  This responsibility lies not only with the government.  Ensuring the freedom to practice a religion of each ones choice is a mark of a civilized society.   If this freedom does not exist, it indicates the insecurity of the social system.

It is inevitable that we will be compelled to ask each other whether we are civilized.

Citizens in Point Pedro and the Citizens in Devundra  celibrate the festival of prosperity whole heartedly and enjoy it.  This is a symbol of the heritage of the country.  It is unfortunate if this heritage is confined to the boundaries of law.  Due to certain short sighted concepts during the past period, Buddhist Shrines in the North and Hindu Kovils in the South were not secure.  That is not all speaking in a different language at times was a challenge to social reconciliation.  What was the reason for this?  Because we lost the great tradition of mutual respect we had in our society.  Being sensitive about the rights of the other person ensures the strong social foundation.  You cannot legally protect the right to live in the South, to worship Buddhist shrines in the North and the East.  You can do so only with the consensus of the people.   This is applicable to the South as well.  People gathered on the wayside freely to enjoy and celebrate the victory gained by our cricketers, without any obstruction.

I wish that during this New Year we should resolve to secure our Social life.”