Sri Lanka helped India to identify King Asoka – President

President Mahinda Rajapaksa

President Mahinda Rajapakse said that no one can erase the great history created by our ancestors, and no amount of money or might can change a country’s history. He said that we are living in an era in which certain elements are trying to rewrite the history through money power.

The President said that the country experienced an era recently in which certain elements tried to prevent the people from speaking about Sinhalese Kings such as King Dutu Gemunu. He said that they thought that if they speak about this great King they would be branded as chauvinists. He said that they did not even want the children to learn about the history and it was excluded from school curriculum.

The President made these comments when he declared open the new building complex of the National Archives Department constructed at a cost of nearly Rs. 800 Million.  He also said that certain elements are trying to remove all traces of Sri Lanka ‘s history by bulldozing places where historical artifacts are located and pointed out that all measures should be taken to preserve the artifacts which are our heritage.

The President lauded the services of the Maha Sangha in protecting valuable documents related to country’s history and the religion for posterity in temples and monasteries for centuries. The President said that India was able to identify Emperor Asoka in 1800 due to the documents preserved by Sri Lankans.

“We are in an era in which attempts are being made to value the countries by currency notes instead of their historical values but by accumulating wealth and by accumulating power the history of a country cannot be built”, the President emphasized.  (niz)

 

Source: Government News Portal