Anagarika Dharmapala is the true father of the modern Sinhala nation which was trampled by foreigners for nearly five centuries, Minister of Technology and Research Patali Champika Ranawaka said in Australia yesterday.

“Anagarika Dharmapala to Sri Lanka is what Mahatma Gandhi to India and Mohammad Ali Jinnah to Pakistan’” the Minister said addressing the 150th bith commemoration ceremony of Anagarika Dharmapala Thera. The event was held at a Buddhist temple in Melbourne which was established by the late Gangodawila Soma Thera.

“Those who feared that Dharmapala would be the first leader of the independent Sri Lanka, made attempts to make him disappointed about Sri Lanka. Their attempts actually bore fruit as Dharmapala finally decided to leave Sri Lanka and chose to reside in India. But one should never undermine the contribution made by him towards the betterment of the Sinhala-Buddhist nation,” he added.

The Minister, who is a stalwart of the Jathika Hela Urumaya, said time was ripe to re-adopt Dharmapala police as the existence of Sinhala-Buddhists has been threatened by various external factors. “Sinhala-Buddhists have become the minority in many areas where they previously formed the majority. For instance, in areas such as Colombo, Dehiwala, Mount Lavinia, Kolonnawa, Gampola, Galle and Kandy Sinhala-Buddhists are becoming a minority. If the present trend continues, this will be the last century in which Sinhala-Buiddhists exist,” Ranawaka said addressing the Dharmapala commemoration in Australia.

“It is in this context that re-adoption of Dharmapala principles is of pivotal importance,” he added.

“There are some who strive to make the economy prosperous by introducing Casino, gaming and night racing. They should go back to the ‘economic lessons’ preached by Dharmapala and learn to develop the country’s economy in a sustainable way,” Ranawaka said expressing his viewpoints on the economic policy of the government of which the JHU is a stakeholder.