Put Behind War, Destruction, Deaths & Misery: A Bright Future Awaits For Our Children - Minister Douglas

Today Tamil students are able to display their creative abilities. If the dark period of the past would have continued until now, no one would be able to witness these type of creative ceremonies taking place in our country, to promote talents inherent in our children.

“On the University level today we are able to create best artistes, educationalists, but unfortunately the past destructive war has forced on us and deviated our children’s creative abilities to be used only in destruction, and deaths.”

Mr. Douglas Devanananda, Minister of Traditional Industries and Small Enterprise Development speaking at the at Kavitha (Poetic) Talent search competition held in Colombo further said, "If discipline and good qualities exists in the midst of our people, then it will help to have peace in the country and unity in the midst of our people.”

He further added, "Art and literature helps in a big way to nurse these good qualities. I have no doubts that this event of kavitha talent search competitions would pave to promote and mold a bright future and ample of opportunities for our coming generation.

A Kavitha (poetic) and Talent search ceremony and competition was organized by the Sports and Talent Division of the Ministry of Higher Education on 21 February, at the Nelum Pokuna (Lotus Pond) Mahinda Rajapaksa Performing Arts Thetre, Colombo.

The full text of the speech delivered by Minister Douglas Devananda , who participated as the Chief Guest at the Kavitha Talent Competition is given below:

I am very happy and thankful to Mr. S.B.Disanayaka, Minister of Higher Education, and also to the Deputy Minister Mr. Nandimithra Eckanayaka, Secretary Mr. Sunil Jayantha Navaratna and to the organizers of this Kavitha Talent competition ceremony for providing me an opportunity to participate as the chief guest in this ceremony.

Conquering the wide open skies and space, our skillful and energetic youths have displayed their outstanding abilities as prophetically emphasized in the ‘Mahinda Chinthana’ and accordingly, we welcome it and we are not only concerned about the field of education, but also we are of the opinion that our children involving fully in arts, literature, music, and also in the field of cinema through kavitha talent competition of this nature, will transform them as renowned academics and artites in the future.

I am confident that this competitive field might help in revealing the hidden talents inherent in our students and in the future to have great and talented creators in the field of Arts and literature.

It is important and also commendable that we conduct competitions of this nature amongst our students in universities, higher educational institutions and technical institutions in the field of literature, dramas, cinema, music, dance, writing of stories, scripts and dialogue, arts, electronic web sites, photography and identify them through experts in those respective fields, to uncover in them the best creative abilities.

I learnt that a sum of Rs. 120 million has been set aside to be given as prize moneys to those students who successfully win in the competitions. I learnt, one who wins the first prize is given Rs.100, 000, second prize Rs. 75,000 and third prize Rs. 50,000. I believe this is the first ceremony held in this country to give as prize money of such big amounts to those student winners in the field of literature and arts.

On the University level, we are able to create best artistes, educationalists, but unfortunately the past destructive war has forced, blunted and deviated our children’s creative abilities to be made use only for destruction and killings.

But today, we are seeing here students who are able to display their creative abilities. If the dark period of the past would have continued even now, we would not be able to witness these type of ceremonies which helps to uncover talents of our children,

Therefore, I thank our President Mahinda Rajapaksa for to have brought an end to the dark period that hovered over our country well over a period of three decade.

Due to the past destructive war, our community has witnessed in the past only colossal destruction, bloodletting, mayhem, misery and deaths . Even today a few selfish minded Tamil political leadership and a few Tamil media organizations are busy in leading our community towards destruction and continues with this destructive ideology. They seem to believe that they will only be able to continue with their destructive politics at the cost of the misery of our people. I wish to recall that a highly regrettable scene of this nature has been staged last November in the Jaffna University.

I appeal that our student community to identify these type of destructive forces and not to waste their creative abilities, but to come forward to take their inherent talents and their creative good qualities for a sustainable peace in our country

Students from Jaffna, South East, Moratuwa, Colombo, Sri Jayawardenapura Universities, and from Vavuniya, Trincomalee campuses, Open University and from the Jaffna and Batticaloa technical colleges have participated in this competitive events.

It is praiseworthy and commendable to note that this Tamil language kavitha talent search competitive event is today conducted in par with the event that was conducted for students of the Sinhalese language.

Event of this nature would promote mutual understandings in the midst of our communities and I believe it will help to create building confidence in the minds and hearts of our students in a great extent.

If discipline and good qualities exists in the midst of our people, then it will help to have sustainable peace in the country and unity amongst the people. Similarly art and literature helps in a big way to nurse these good qualities. I have no doubt that this event of kavitha talent search competitions would pave to promote and mold a bright future and opportunities for our coming generation.

I wish our children well - Minister Douglas Devananda said.

- Asian Tribune -