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New Year is a time to learn from past mistakes and move towards progress: President
View(s):President Maithripala Sirisena in his New Year message says the dawn of the New Year is an occasion to recollect our achievements and failures as well as gains and losses in the year that ended.
He says: “Through retrospection of the past, a person could make the future path of life fruitful and free of malice. We will be able to make our expectations a reality in the new year if we reflect on the lessons learnt in the past years.
“Without merely being proud of our rich heritage that included major irrigational achievements of miraculous magnitude, we could take our irrigational civilization to a new meaningful height because of our ability to accomplish through the retrospection of the past.
“As the poet T.S. Eliot said, ‘For last year’s words belong to last year’s language and next year’s words await another voice.’
“This is a historically decisive time that provides us an opportunity to learn from the past mistakes and to take the correct path towards progress.
This is a time to win all those challenges as a person and as a nation. The year 2019 that is unfolding ahead of us is a year of sheer determination enabling us to identify the broad future pathway with a clear perception to achieve discipline, reconciliation and prosperity.
“I wish the New Year that dawns will be a season that brings forth prosperity and joy of life, fulfilling all the wishes of the dear people of Sri Lanka.”