Maintaining that all political parties and leaders of all religious faiths have no issue in giving priority to protect Buddhism in the country, Prime Minister Wickremesinghe said all Parties in Parliament today, including the Tamil National Alliance, have agreed to keep Articles protecting Buddhism unchanged in the Sri Lanka Constitution.

The Prime Minister was speaking at the opening of the Bodhimaluwa, Bodhi Prakaraya and Dagoba of Sedawatte Veheragoda Viharaya in Kolonnawa on Sunday. He said not only have political parties expressed their readiness to protect the religion, the Archbishop of Colombo Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith as well as Islamic and Hindu leaders in the country have also accepted the article in the Constitution.

“As a state, the President, I and all of us protect Buddhism, not through words, but through action,” he added.

Wickremesinghe emphasised that individuals need not create unnecessary issues over the future of Buddhism under the proposed new constitution.

Prime Minister Wickremesinghe said the government has focused on the development of Pirivena education too.

“I got an opportunity to provide assistance to Pirivenas in the island in the 1980s,” he said.

“Arrangements are underway to hold the International Vesak Day in Sri Lanka and leaders of Buddhist countries have been invited for the event,” he said.

Prime Minister Wickremesinghe said that he has extended an invitation to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to participate in this ceremony. 

Source: http://dailynews.lk/