NP Governor Reginald Cooray Alerts Attempts to Derail Reconciliation Process
Certain bankrupt political groups are attempting to disrupt the reconciliation process and its achievements made so far by creating an unnecessary fear in the minds of the public. They make use of recent incidents such as the seizure of the suicide kit and other weapons in the northern peninsula, Northern Province Governor Reginald Cooray said.
He said those groups should refrain from doing so and ridiculing the reconciliation process as this is what all have to abide by to find a lasting solution.
He made these observations at a press conference at his official residence in Colombo yesterday.
“Reconciliation is what all the people, Sinhalese, Muslims and Tamils need equally” Reginald Cooray said. “But there are some extremists on both sides who do not need reconciliation. We have began reconciliation after 30 years. However the moderate people are those who suffer much due to conflicts.”
Governor Cooray said the reconciliation process is commendable. He said that most of the religious festivals are organized with the participation of all the religious dignitaries in the North. He added that the Buddhist Vesak Festival is organized on a mass scale in the North. Even Dhamma sermons will be delivered in Tamil Language and Bakthi Gee is sung in Tamil Language.
He said the festival of St Anthony’s Church in Kachchativu was attended by around 3,000 Indians and 4,500 Sri Lankans.
Archbishop Gnanapragasam thanked the Navy and other forces for organizing it. He added, it was proposed to deliver those sermons in Sinhala language next year as well.
He said President Maithripala Sirisena is the first Sri Lankan President, who won the hearts of the Tamil people in the North due to this government’s moves towards reconciliation. Governor Cooray said, that it was the Sri Lanka Navy that planted mangroves in the coastal areas to increase fish breeding spots increase fish harvest.