Dissanayake on Diwali: ‘Let it be hope for unity and harmony in Sri Lanka’
The president issued a message for the Hindu festival of lights being celebrated today. An opportunity to ‘end the political culture that creates divisions and fosters inequality’. In the country long scarred by the Sinhala-Tamil conflict, let it be a symbol of a ‘new hope’, desired since independence in 1972. A cultural transformation is also desired: ‘Promoting progress for all’.
Colombo (AsiaNews) - ‘Let us appreciate the beauty of cultural diversity by extending respect, acceptance and brotherhood to one another. The time has come for the nation of Sri Lanka, which has faced attempts at division and weakening, to remain undivided and strong,' said Anura Kumara Dissanayake, President of Sri Lanka since last September, in a message released on the occasion of Diwali, the ‘festival of lights’, one of the main Hindu celebrations that this year falls on 31 October.
The triumph of light over darkness hailed by about a billion people around the world, is an opportunity to ‘pave the way to end the political culture that creates divisions and fosters inequality between the privileged and the less privileged,’ the 55-year-old president added.
Diwali or Deepavali is one of the largest and most symbolic Hindu festivals, celebrated enthusiastically by the faithful all over the world. The meanings are primarily peace and joy, the victory of good over evil and of light over darkness.
This is why Dissanayake suggests overcoming divisions by ‘eliminating injustice, discrimination, marginalisation, hate speech and violence’. ‘Sri Lankans have long sought progress amidst challenges since independence (in 1972, ed.) and today, with the emergence of long-suppressed aspirations, a new hope is emerging,’ the president continues in his Deepavali message.
During the festival, people clean their homes and decorate every corner with lights, lamps, diyas (small clay lamps), flowers, rangoli (colourful decorations) and candles. It is celebrated on the 15th day of the month of Kartika, according to the Hindu lunar calendar, between October and November of the Gregorian calendar.
Dissanayake, in his message for Deepavali 2024, states that Hindu devotees around the world celebrate Diwali with deep reverence. He emphasises that this festival is a symbol of hope, joy and triumph of good over evil, uniting communities in a spirit of harmony and celebration. He adds that now in the country ‘a new hope is emerging’ with the aspirations of the people, which had been suppressed by the rulers of the past, are finally coming to the fore.
Several legends inspire the Diwali celebration. These include the return of King Rama, his wife Sita and brother Lakshmana to the city of Ayodhya after a fourteen-year exile. Another story tells of the defeat of the demon Narakasura by Lord Vishnu. These significant events are remembered and honoured by Hindu devotees.
The President, who believes that only the light of science can dispel the darkness of ignorance, urges everyone to kindle wisdom in this year's Deepavali. ‘Let this Diwali be a valuable opportunity for Sri Lankans to embrace a new way of thinking, fostering enlightenment and progress for all.’
The president concludes by inviting all to participate in creating a new cultural existence that embodies compassion and critical thinking: ‘On this day of Diwali, just as the light of countless lamps illuminates homes and cities, may the light of harmony and wisdom spread into the hearts of all.
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29/10/2021 14:44
25/10/2005
