Mahinda Rajapaksa Responsible for People Celebrating New Year in Freedom: Sanjeeva Edirimanna
15-Apr-2026.
Former SLPP MP Sanjeeva Edirimanna has stated that former President Mahinda Rajapaksa was responsible for liberating the country from the LTTE, and that it is because of this that the people of Sri Lanka are able to celebrate the Sinhala and Tamil New Year freely today.
He made these remarks while addressing a New Year celebration held on April 14 at Mahinda Rajapaksa’s official residence. The event was attended by Mahinda Rajapaksa, Shiranthi Rajapaksa, Namal Rajapaksa, Madura Vithanage, family members, political figures, and party supporters.
Edirimanna said that from the early 1980s until mid-2009, Sri Lankans spent nearly three decades celebrating the New Year in fear. He recalled that mothers of soldiers, police officers, and Civil Defence Force members endured New Year periods with deep anxiety over their children serving on the frontlines.
He said the country had suffered bomb attacks from the North to Akurassa, including attacks on major religious sites such as the Sri Maha Bodhi and the Temple of the Tooth Relic. He added that even the Madhu Church altar had once been used to conceal explosives.
Edirimanna claimed that it was Mahinda Rajapaksa who ended that era of terror and built a peaceful nation.
He further stated that Rajapaksa represents cultural pride and heritage, and emphasised that the New Year is a time for Sri Lankans to reconnect with their cultural roots despite modern globalisation and digital connectivity.
He added that passing down cultural values to future generations is a responsibility, and claimed that Rajapaksa has played a key role in safeguarding these traditions, including through the example set by MP Namal Rajapaksa in teaching such values to his children.
Edirimanna concluded by stating that regardless of political views, Sri Lanka’s children are living in a country free from fear today due to Mahinda Rajapaksa’s leadership, and that the freedom people enjoy celebrating the New Year in 2026 is built upon that foundation.
