There was a time when the words such as patriotism and motherland instilled fear among people of this country, but today those words have been given their real meaning, Presidential Secretary of Parliament Affairs, Kumarasiri Hettige said.

Hettige was addressing a ceremony held at the Colombo Ananda College to distribute school equipment among needy children in outstation schools last week (5).

He said that children should remember the sacrifices made by the security force members who dedicated their today for a better future of those children by wiping out terrorism from the country. Some previous leaders did not have courage to take the terrorism bull by its horns and bring independence to the nation. Instead they preferred to pacify the needs of the Tiger terrorists in fear of their lives. It was President Mahinda Rajapaksa who took the initiative of giving correct political leadership to the security forces so that they could eliminate the decade long national crisis, he said.

The students must fill their hearts with patriotic ideals and that would help them bring their nation forward, he said. All students must know that the person coming out of school must have a love for their nation, language and country. Otherwise that person is of no use, he said.

Colombo Ananda College had given a large number of patriots to the country and the present students must learn of their heroics and achievements, he said.

Ven Vepathaira Hemaloka Thera, Hanguranketha Chandrathana Thera, Acting Principal of the College, Lal Dissanayake, also addressed the ceremony. The ceremony was organised by the Hela Sisu Havula of the college with the assistance of past pupils of the school.