Today is the Birth Day of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, the versatile and saintly leader of our brotherly neighbour India and it is a very significant day for us Sri Lankans to refresh their cherished memories of gratefulness to him. It is also a significant occasion for all Indians, including those living throughout the world and well-wishers, to celebrate this day and convey their greetings since it was the day on which Mother India gifted that magnanimous statesman to the world. He has done so much and continues to do for Sri Lankans virtually in all aspects of socio-economic, religious, cultural, and linguistic spheres for the wellbeing of Sri Lanka.
While wishing him from the bottom of our hearts many more happy returns of the day and success in his endeavors towards achieving his ‘great Indian dream of making India an educated and healthy nation, free from poverty and inhuman indignities by the year 2025’ which we are certain he will achieve and it will, in turn, reflect favorably on Sri Lanka under his leadership.
It is not long and our memories are fresh since the government of India under his leadership and direction fed our starving people at the time of our worst ever economic crisis, promptly providing massive amounts of food items and other necessities, domestic gas, shipments of fuel and other humanitarian aid and financial assistance to tackle the situation. The supply from India, under his leadership, to address the coronavirus pandemic for three long years which included vaccines, cylinders of oxygen, and other life-giving medicines. Their support is indelible in the hearts of our people.
Above all else, he never allowed any contentious issues between the two countries to raise their ugly heads, despite pressure from interested parties, thus maintaining neighborly and brotherly relations. It is also remarkable that there have been no burning regional or international issues during his leadership
All Sri Lankans, especially the Maha Sangha, have a profound love and great esteem towards him for this. Sections of the Maha Sangha who cherish the memories of great Dharmashoka who gifted Buddhism to Sri Lanka by sending Buddhist religious missionaries his son Arahat Mahinda Thero and daughter Sangamitta Bhikkuni have openly commented that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has to be viewed on par with Emperor Dharmashoka considering his huge and unrelenting contributions towards revitalizing Buddhism in Sri Lanka and strengthening the religious, cultural, traditional and linguistic ties. They consider him the ‘Modern Day Dharmashoka’.
It is remarkable and Interesting to note that the birthday of Prime Minister Sri Narendra Modi coincides with the Birthday of renowned Buddhist Scholar, saint, and Buddhist revivalist Srimath Anagarika Dharmapala who took the Buddhist teachings to the western world and participated in many religious conferences in those countries. We may consider that this mystically implies that the two are divinely blessed to uphold, safeguard and promote the Noble teachings of the Buddha.
The Sri Lankan Buddhists cherish the memories of his visit to Sri Lanka in May 2017 to take part as chief guest in the UN-declared International Vesak Day celebrations in Colombo. Declaration of the airport at Kushinagar where the Buddha lived his last days as an international airport in which event he participated as the chief guest, together with over one hundred senior monks of the Sri Lankan Maha Sangha and Sri Lankan government ministerial delegation in oct 2021, his hours long rapt meditation during the chanting of the pirith at Lumbini at the Buddha Poornima celebrations ( Vesak Poya) in which the Prime Minister of Nepal also participated as a chief guest; his visits to important shrines ad archaeological sites, including Kandy and Anuradhapura, the continuing assistance and grants for revitalizing Buddhism in Sri Lanka; and the keen interest that he has demonstrated on strengthening and promoting Buddhist historical, cultural and linguistic ties. The Maha Sangha believe that it is India’s golden era in history under his leadership and he reflects the image of Emperor Dharmashoka in all his approaches.
His contributions to safeguarding the unity and territorial integrity of Sri Lanka are no less significant. The billions of dollars that were spent on renovating or reconstructing highways, road networks, railway lines, railway stations, and other vital infrastructure in the Northern and Eastern regions of Sri Lanka in the post-conflict period, the rehabilitation and resettlement, housing, and livelihood facilities for the hundreds of thousands of displaced families of the regions and the billions of dollars extended under the Line of Credit to Sri Lanka stand proof of his magnanimity, goodwill, and wellbeing of this nation.
We, together with the Maha Sangha, and the grateful people of Sri Lanka wish him long life, health, serenity, and success in all his global and regional humanistic endeavors.
May the blessings of the Triple Gem be with him.
17.09.2022