The Prelate said what the Maha Sangha ought to do was to join hands with devotees to develop the village rather than trying to build the country.
“When they build and develop the village, the country as a whole would automatically develop,” the Mahanayake Thera said.
The Prelate who said that extremist organisations were spreading extremism and creating communal division in the country by openly maintaining offices emphasised that the government should pay more attention to this.
The Malwatte Prelate expressed these sentiments when a group of Parliamentarians led by Speaker Karu Jayasuriya visiting Kandy, called on him at his temple and received his blessings on March 10.
The Prelate said each and every temple had a devotee village assigned to it. It the Maha Sangha at the temple guided the inhabitants of the village on the correct path, they would be able to uplift the whole nation in keeping with their expectations. The Prelate who said that Sri Lakans usually had a short memory added that the recent incidents too may be completely forgotten within a short passage time.
“They should remember that the country suffered immense setbacks in the past due to the 30-year-war and incidents like the Black July,” the Malwatte Prelate said
The recent incidents in Kandy not only tainted the country’s image, but could even have an impact on the country’s economy. He said the perpetrators of the recent violence should be identified and brought before the law.
The Most Ven. Wendaruwe Upali Anunayake Thera of the Asgiriya Chapter delivering an Anusasana to the team led by the Speaker, said the Sinhala Buddhists are a very sensitive group of people. But, some of them had been induced to violent acts by a few extremist groups.
The Anunayake Thera said he highly appreciated the decision taken by Parliamentarians of all political parties and groups to join lands in working out a programme to help restore peace in the area by forgetting petty differences.
Minister Risarth Bathiutheen said he would request the government to conduct an investigation into the Wilpattu issue and divulge the truth to the country.
He said reports spread about his involvement in clearing the Wilpattu areas for settlement, were all false.
Other members of the Parliamentary team who accompanied the Speaker included Deputy Speaker Tilanga Sumathipala, Ministers Gayantha Karunathilaka, Susil Premajayantha and Mano Ganeshan, Deputy Minister A.H.M. Fowzie, Parliamentarian Vijitha Herath, C.B. Ratnayake, M.A. Sumanthiran, Lucky Jayawardena and Selvam Adaikalanandan.
Central Province Governor Mrs. Niluka Ekanayake and Chief Minister Sarath Ekanayake were also presented.
Malwatte Prelate and the Anunayake Thera of the Asgriya Chapter with the Parliamentary team led by Speaker Karu Jayasuriya which called on them at their respective temples on March 10.
