(Lanka-e-News -21.March.2016, 6.15PM) Prime minister (P.M.) Ranil Wickremesinghe has focused his attention on a subject that was forgotten and neglected for 76 long years ! He has initiated a project that should have been launched by a nation and the country 76 years ago. The P.M. has notified all district secretaries across the country to commence an Island wide program to collect information pertaining to traditional foods, folk songs, folk dances, folk tales, customs and habits, and produce an audio visual version report.
The P.M. at the monthly meeting held with the district secretaries at the Temple Trees on the 18 th , drew attention to this necessity because these cherished traditions and practices are falling into disuse. Therefore he said those traditions and practices must be revived , and that is a national responsibility, while adding ,special emphasis must be placed on these customs and habits district wise.
With this in view, the full assistance of the department of Cultural affairs must be enlisted towards this . Conjointly with the secretary to the ministry of Cultural affairs and director of cultural affairs , a comprehensive plan must be formulated , the P.M. observed. The P.M. also informed his secretary Saman Ekanayake to implement this via the district secretaries and district Cultural officers.
On the orders of the minister of communication late Sir John Kotalawela way back in 1940 , an Island wide report was made after collection of folk songs and folk tales via the SL Broadcasting Corporation . A committee comprised of members , S.L.B. Kapukotuwa , Mudalindu E.A. Abeysekera , Shirley De Silva (SLBC authority) and Professor G.P. Malalasekera ( chairman), toured the length and breadth of the country tape recording the folk songs and tales.
Many of those recordings done in the past were used by many producers , but thereafter on no occasion were such reports prepared on an all Island basis.
---------------------------
by (2016-03-21 12:46:42)
Read 52434 Times
Leave a Reply
0 discussion on this news
