Sunday Times 2
Lalith Athulathmudali Memorial Oration
View(s):The Lalith Athulathmudali Memorial Oration was held on November 26 at the BMICH Committee Room A. The keynote speaker on the occasion was Dr. Subramanian Swamy, PhD (Harvard), Member BJP National Executive Committee, former Cabinet Minister, Government of India.
Dr. Subramanian Swamy speaking at the event. Pic by Mangala Weerasekera
The proceedings began with the Royal College hewisi band conducting Dr. Subramanian Swamy, into the hall along with the Trustees of the Lalith Athulathmudali Foundation and Athulathmudali family members.
The first speaker was Prof. Sampath Amaratunga, Vice-Chancellor of the Sri Jayawardenepura University, who gave an interesting and moving address on his own experiences with the Mahapola Scholarship Scheme, initiated by Lalith Athulathmudali.
He spoke on how the grant received by him and numerous other undergraduates enabled them to continue their higher studies. He said he came from a lower middle class family and the grant benefited them greatly.
Dr. Subramanian Swamy’s most interesting an enlightening speech was on ‘SAARC Reforms and Globalisation’. Dr. Swamy briefly traced the history of SAARC since its inauguration in 1985 and outlined its objectives. Speaking of the eight South Asian nations constituting SAARC, Dr. Swamy said they all have s shared culture, ethnicity and experienced long interactive historical events including British imperialism and its consequences.
He emphasised the urgent need for structuring a new paradigm of regional cooperation in South Asia, with priority to achieving mutual peace and harmony and joint ventures in fields ranging from education, science and technology, infrastructure, telecommunication to energy, information technology, media freedom and national security.”South Asian nations’ destiny today is either to swim together or risk sinking separately in the battle against poverty and unemployment as well as in meeting the challenges of environment, national security, and globalisation,” Dr. Swamy said.