The president broadcast a message on the occasion of the Hindu festival of lights that is celebrated today. An opportunity to “end the political culture that creates divisions and promotes inequality.” In this country, long marked by the conflict between Sinhalese and Tamils, it must be a symbol of that “new hope” that it has sought since independence in 1972. It also hopes for a cultural transformation: “Promote progress for all.”
Colombo () – “We value the beauty of cultural diversity by spreading respect, acceptance and fraternity towards each other. “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 the message on the occasion of Diwali, the “festival of lights”, one of the main Hindu celebrations, which this year falls on October 31. The triumph of light over darkness, hailed by nearly a billion people around the world, is the opportunity to “pave the way to end the political culture that creates divisions and fosters inequality between the privileged and the less privileged,” adds the 55-year-old president.
Diwali or Deepavali is one of the most important and symbolic Hindu festivals, celebrated with enthusiasm by believers around the world. Above all, it means peace and joy, the victory of good over evil and light over darkness. That is why Dissanayake proposes overcoming divisions by “eliminating injustice, discrimination, marginalization, hate speech and violence.” “Sri Lankans have long sought progress in the midst of so many challenges, since independence (in 1972, ed.), and today, when long-repressed aspirations can emerge, new hopes are being born,” the president continues. in his message for Deepavali.
In this festival, people clean their houses and decorate every corner with lights, lamps, diyas (small clay lamps), flowers, Rangoli (colorful 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. In his message for Deepavali 2024, Dissanayake states that Hindu worshipers around the world celebrate Diwali with deep reverence. It highlights that this holiday is a symbol of hope, joy and triumph of good over evil, which unites communities in a spirit of harmony and celebration. He adds that now in the country “a new hope is being born”, and the aspirations of the people repressed by the rulers of the past are finally coming to light.
Several legends inspire the celebration of Diwali. Among them, the return of King Rama, his wife Sita and his brother Lakshmana to the city of Ayodhya after an exile that lasted fourteen years. Another story narrates the defeat of the demon Narakasura by Lord Vishnu. These significant events are remembered and honored by Hindu devotees. The President believes that only the light of science can dispel the darkness of ignorance and urges everyone to ignite wisdom on this year’s Deepavali. “Let us make this Diwali a valuable opportunity for Sri Lankans to embrace a new way of thinking, bringing about enlightenment and progress for all.”
The President concludes by inviting everyone to participate in creating a new culture 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 spreads in the hearts of all.”
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