Reconciliation means to live with dignity and self-respect: Karu
Without economic, religious or social discrimination
The true meaning of reconciliation was to create an environment for each and every citizen to live with dignity, self respect and comfort without any economic, religious or social discrimination, Speaker Karu Jayasuriya said.
Mr. Jayasuriya added that requesting the people to love the country, contribute for economic development and fight against corruption without providing basic needs of the people to keep them contended would be illogical rhetoric.
Addressing a regional conference convened by the ‘Parliamentary Committee on Religious and National Reconciliation’ in Ampara, Mr. Jayasuriya noted that national and religious reconciliation could be achieved only if and when the people of all walks of life and all ethnic and religious divide have a decent roof above their head, a better school to send their child, a transport system to take them to their destination without much hassle and an employment with a salary that would cover all his or her essential needs, the reconciliation would prosper and people belonging to various social, religious and ethnic denomination would live as one nation. That is true social, religious and national reconciliation with no discrimination against anyone.
Speaking further at the conference themed ‘Drafting a National Policy and Implementing it for Sustainable Cohabitation’ he noted that the entire proceedings of the conference would be video taped and recorded in the Hansard.
“The proposals, comments and views expressed here will be reviewed, evaluated and used appropriately by the Parliamentary Select Committee on Reconciliation. It is quite an achievement in the history of Sri Lanka to set up a Parliamentary Select Committee on reconciliation after 70 years of independence,” Mr. Jayasuriya emphasized.
The media has an important role to play in promoting and safeguarding reconciliation. The media must learn to report an inferno as well as how it was to be extinguished. Every religion and ethnic group has its own values and customs. The importance of an ethnic or religious group cannot be considered on the number of heads of the group.