There are no minorities in this country and all citizens have equal rights to live as one nation and one people with same laws and facilities without any discrimination, said President Mahind Rajapaksa.
“There cannot be any minorities,” President Rajapaksa said speaking in Tamil. “We all are Sri Lankans who love the Motherland and nobody can deny this reality.”
Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa was speaking at the "National Unity Convention" held at the Bandaranaike Memorial International Conference Hall (BMICH) in Colombo on April 07.
The "National Unity Convention" conducted by the Ministry of National Languages and Social Integration was held under the auspices of President Mahinda Rajapaksa
The Convention was organized to build consensus on a charter to preserve unity in diversity in Sri Lanka and will be in line with the National Policy Framework for Social Integration (NPFSI), launched by the Ministry in 2012.
The President also pointed out that all people, irrespective of their religion or ethnicity, celebrated the victory of the Sri Lankan cricket team the previous evening.
“There were no differences among Sinhalese, Tamils and Muslims, or religious differences, in the celebrations,” President Rajapaksa said. “Those from all regions, the North, South, East, West and the Hill Country joined hands in a great show of national unity and feeling for one’s Motherland.”
The President also said that to build national harmony, it was necessary to understand the great concept of humanity and use it as a firm foundation.
The forum provided an opportunity for over 1,500 eminent citizens from various segments of society, including public officials, religious leaders, civil society and Sri Lanka’s expatriate community, among others, to exchange views and interact.
In 2012, the Ministry launched the NPFSI with the intention of addressing the country’s particular social integration needs. According to the Ministry website, “the NPFSI was founded on a rights-based approach, highlighting the significance of the rights and responsibilities of individuals and the duties of the state to enhance social justice and inclusion.”
