Secular Sri Lanka: Mano Ganesan urges politicians’ commitment

COLOMBO: Progressive Sri Lankan parliamentarian Mano Ganesan has reiterated his position on promoting Sri Lanka as a secular democracy as he paid tribute to slain journalist Lasantha Wickrematunge.

The MP’s remarks on Twitter follow Monday’s launch of the biography of the late Wickrematunge by Raine Wickrematunge, his former wife and mother of his three children.

“No mainstream Leader today is courageous to echo Lasantha’s principle of secularism,” the MP for Colombo district and leader of TPA said on Tuesday.

Unbowed & Unafraid will be available in Sri Lanka across bookstores this month.

Lasantha’s consistence editorial stance was that secularism offers the only common ground by which “we might all be united.” Activist, actor and entrepreneur Peter D’Almeida highlighted this in his keynote address on Monday at the Sri Lanka Foundation Institute.

Ganesan added: “#LasanthaW, called for a “#SecularSriLanka,” a state separated from religion. Sad we are that No mainstream Leader today, is courageous to echo, Lasantha’s principle of Secularism. – “Unbowed and Unafraid”: Lasantha Wick Biography released.” https://bit.ly/3lIo4LV

In a separate tweet, he stressed: “In central #Colombo, they trust me as my hands are clean.”

The former Minister of National Integration, Official Languages, Social Progress, Hindu Affairs added: “My job is listening to them and bringing smiles on their young and old faces.”