Southern volunteers helping northern flood victims strengthened communal bonding: Speaker

Speaker Karu Jayasuriya said that people from the southern part of the country volunteering to provide relief to the flood-affected community in the Northern Province had strengthened the bond between the two communities.

“The love and kindness brought from the south to flood-affected communities in the Northern Province are priceless,” Speaker Karu Jayasuriya said on Thursday during his visit to the Mullaitivu and Kilinochchi Districts. Minister Patali Champika Ranawaka, Minister Daya Gamage and State Minister Vijayakala Maheswaran were also present during the visit. 

He pointed out that rescue missions conducted by the Armed Forces in flood-affected areas had been able to build a bond between the community in the north and the Armed Forces. He noted immediate actions taken by President Maithripala Sirisena and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe had been a vital factor to conducting relief operations. 

“I can remember, when I was a child, the Jaffna community came in lorries full of relief to help when we were affected by floods. And even during the flood last year, the Northern Province community came forward to help, which showed the friendship of both communities,” he added.

Jayasuriya said the unpleasant experiences his generation witnessed were over and the next generation would grow as one community to develop the country. “My dream is to see the next generation united as brothers and sisters,” he said.