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The inaugural session
of the National Executive Council of the Patriotic National Movement
was held on 4th January, 2004 at 10.00 a.m. at BMICH.
At the invitation of
the founding organizing committee the following intellectuals too
participated at the sessions.
Rev. Dr. Vilegod
Ariyadeva, Senior lecturer of University of Ruhuna, Mr. Raja
Wanasundra, Retd. Judge of the Supreme Court and Former Acting Chief
Justice, Prof. Somaratne Balasuriya, Prof. Walter Marasinghe, Prof.
Upali Jayasekera, Prof. Kamal Karunanayake, Dr. Granville
Dharmawardene, Ms. Anula Wijesundara, Specialist doctor, Buddadasa
Galappaththi, eminent artist, Vinnie Hsettigoda, media person, Wijedasa Rajapakse, Presidents
Counsel, Bandula Gunsekera, Lawyer, Nevil Ladduwahetti, engineer,
P.K.Dissanayake, Sirisaman Wijethunga, P.N.Meegaswatte, Wasanthe
Jayasinghe, Sathischandra Dharmasiri, Senaratne De Silva, S.A.M.
Fausz and Buddhadasa Vithanarachchi,eminent artist.
Rev. Elle Gunawanshe
Thero, Rev. Dhambara Amila Thero, Wimal Weerawansa, Member of
Parliament, Gunadasa Amarasekera, eminent author, Arjuna Ranathunge,
Member of Parliament, Anura Dissanayake, Member of Parliament, Piyal
Parakrama, environmentalist, Dr. Chandana Abeyratne, Dr. Wansanthe
Bandara aprticipated at this session.
The session lasted
for more than three hours and it was unanimously decided to
formulate a parogramme of action for the New Year.
The National
Executive Council of the PNM has decided to launch protests against
the laws that enable to sell lands to foreigners, a movement to act
as teetotalism against the process of ruining the country with
alcoholism and a gigantic programme against the declining of
culture. To realize these it has been decided to establish
sub-committees within the next few weeks.
The attention of the
National Executive Council of the PNM was drawn towards the
expansion of Christian fundamentalist cliques and the religious
conflicts that would be created as a result of it. It was decided
that any attempt to create conflicts between Buddhist or Catholic or
Christians should be prevented by all means and a united movement of
Buddhists, Catholics, Christians, Hindu and all religions against
the invasion of these fundamentalist cliques should be established.
It was emphasized that it is the necessity of the foreign forces to
divide the country on religious basis and the country should not be
allowed to get entrapped in this snare.
Since, the National Executive
Council meets again at the end of January; it was decided to frame a
plan of action relevant to these proposals at that session. It was
also decided to hold the Convention of the Patriotic National
Movement which is scheduled to be held in February in a grand scale.
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