Sri Lankans First

WE ARE SRI LANKANS FIRST
Let's Tread Lightly, Speak Softly.Let's respect the cultures of all our citizens in My Sri Lanka, Our Island.

The defining statement of how, we Sri Lankans, i.e. Sinhalese, Sri Lankan Tamils, Sri Lankan Muslims, Burghers, Sri Lankan Chinese and other citizens ought to view ourselves, has now arrived from a most unlikely source: Muttiah Muralitharan. Muralitharan, by profession, isn't one of those so called intellectuals. He is a Sri Lankan Cricketer, a member of the 1996 World Champions. Most of all Murali, as he is adoringly called by the Sri Lankans, is a patriot, a son of the soil, a man worth his salt.

Today  is 2013 Sinhala & Hindu New Year Day. No community of ours in Sri Lanka has a right to attempt to push down its culture, even in a form of a spicy hot beef steak, down the throats of other communities with a label or without a label. Then again no community of ours ought to be too loud, too vociferous on the slaughter of animals for meat, not to mention what others of ours shouldn't eat.

Let's Tread Lightly, Speak Softly.

Let's respect the cultures of all our citizens in My Sri Lanka, Our Island.

We are one country, one nation. After three decades of terrorism and war, now we have peace. Let's secure it tight.

“I am a Tamil. But I’m a Sri Lankan first. I can assure you that there has been immense peace all around Sri Lanka since the war ended and the Tamils are living very happily here. They are treated equally well.”  28th March 2013, Muttiah Muralitharan

Muttiah Muralitharan (born 17 April 1972), is a Sri Lankan cricketer who was rated the greatest Test match bowler ever by Wisden Cricketers' Almanack in 2002. He retired from Test cricket in 2010, registering his 800th and final wicket on 22 July 2010 from his final ball in his last Test match.
On 10 January 2008, the Parliament of Sri Lanka felicitated Muttiah Muralitharan for his world record breaking feat of being the highest wicket taker in Test cricket. That was the first time that a sportsman has been honoured in the country's Supreme Legislature.

Those who are unable to follow Murali, too still has an option: just pick what that Indian Murasoli Maran had said.

 “I am Tamil first, but I am also an Indian. Both can exist together, provided there is space for cultural nationalism.” Murasoli Maran

Murasoli Maran (August 17, 1934- November 23, 2003) was a prominent Tamil politician in India, and an important leader of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) party which is headed by his maternal uncle and mentor, M. Karunanidhi. A Member of Parliament for 36 years, he was made a Union Minister in three separate central governments, in charge of Urban Development in the V.P. Singh government, Industry in the Gowda and Gujral governments, and finally Commerce and Industry under Vajpayee. Apart from being a politician, Maran, was a journalist and scriptwriter for films too.

Let's Tread Lightly, Speak Softly.

Let's respect the cultures of all our citizens in My Sri Lanka, Our Island.

Written by bunpeiris of Moratuwa http://www.mysrilankaholidays.com/