“A New Year is dawning amidst the sound of guns” –Devananda

(December, 31, Colombo, Sri Lanka Guardian) “There is not even the slightest reflection of revelry and happiness in the faces of our people, we imperceptibly, though pass on to yet another New Year on the horizon to be dawned, with hope of content and happiness,”according to the New Messege by Douglas Devananda a Minister of Social Services and Social Welfare.

“The New Year that is dawning is expected to bring with it a change for better in our lives. But the years that have come and gone have not brought anything tangible at all to our people only misery and untold sufferings beyond expression,’he said.

“In the gloomy past we could only observe fear for life, hostility to peace, human rights violations and lack of dignity to humanity,” he added.

The Minster say, “ death, maiming, destitution, displacement, destruction; the fall outs of war and disastrous consequences of natural disasters have piled upon tons and tons of sufferings pressing down people so pathetically. The continuance of destructive war has proved to be a stumbling block for the freedom for political rights, peace and harmony and equity of Tamil Speaking People in this country, stifling them from celebrating the New Year that is just around the corner.”

The Tamil Speaking People have realized that they are cast upon with the responsibility of working hard towards achieving a change that would bring happiness to their lives in the ensuing New Year, according to the messege.

“Our desire is to see that every house hold of our people is filled with happiness and prosperity inviting all that is conducive and ridding of all that is hostile towards this end.”

“A New Year is dawning amidst the sound of guns. We are bound with the duty of putting a full stop to the sufferings of our people in this New Year.”

“I wish, in the ensuing New Year emergence of a situation where there is no fear for life, no meaningless blood-shed, protection of human rights, respect for humanity and honour to our mother country.”

“In our journey towards fulfilling our objective it is necessary we start from the place where it is practical to do so.”

Unity among communities, equity, etc, should be re-awakened so that Tamil Speaking People could live with dignity as free citizens in this country.

“All the people in Sri Lanka belonging to different ethnic denominations should co-exist with peace and harmony.

“We, the EPDP and all the Tamil Speaking People in our country wish to work towards achieving these goals in our lives. I wish happiness and prosperity to all the people in this country living under the burdens of disastrous effects of war and natural calamities in the ensuing the New Year.”