PM speaks on religious freedom in the country

COLOMBO (News 1st):- The Vibhajjavadi Dhamma Symposium and Maha Tripitaka Pooja were held at the Sugathadasa Indoor Stadium today (January 4). The event was attended by President Gotabaya Rajapaksa. Chief incumbents of the Mahanayake Theros of the tri-sects were present at the occasion. Dignitaries including Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa, former President Maithripala Sirisena and Speaker Karu Jayasuriya were also present at the event. Addressing the people gathered, Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa said: "We have spoken about the benefits of modern technology. There has been a lot of fear about how computer technology is going to mislead the younger generation but the benefit of modern technology is only reflected at times like these. No matter what anyone says, everyone accepts the fact that Buddhism originated from Bharatha but pure Theravada Buddhism is here in Sri Lanka. We must definitely use this technology for the betterment of Buddhism. The Maha Sangha was recently reflected on the role they played to help the ruler and lay community, overcome the challenges of the Sambuddha Sasana. During that era, there were many missions that were conducted against Buddhism and the Sinhalese community as a whole. Defending the Buddhist order, protecting the Sinhalese, protecting the country's unity are all interlinked. These are not stand-alone acts. In our history, it's prominent that other religions can protect their religious freedom in this country only if the Sinhalese Buddhists are protected. It is the Sinhalese Buddhists who ensure the freedom of all religions and nationalities in this country." Computerized Tripitaka's were also distributed among the five thousand odd Maha Sangha present at the event. The 10-year Vibhajjavadi proposal and the proposal to grant Tripitaka to all temples were presented to the President during the event.