Chairman of the State Administration Council Prime Minister Senior General Min Aung Hlaing attended the Deepavali lighting festival which is the noblest one in Hinduism traditional festivals at Shree Maha Lakshmi Temple in Yankin Township of Yangon Region yesterday evening.
The Senior General and party offered flowers, water and oil lights to the Buddha image at Maha Bawdi banyan tree in the compound of the temple and paid homage to Shree Maha Lakshmi image in Hinduism tradition.
The ceremony of paying respect was held in accord with the Hinduism traditions. Chairman of the organizing committee vice chair of Interfaith Friendship Organization (Central) U Zaw Zaw Naing garlanded the Senior General, Indian Ambassador to Myanmar Mr Vinay Kumar and Russian Ambassador to Myanmar Mr Listopadov Nikolai Alexandrovich in accord with the Hinduism traditions and honoured them with shawls.
The Senior General, the Indian Ambassador and wife, the Russian Ambassador and Chair of the organizing committee lit the oil light to mark the Deepavali festival, and the organizing committee chair explained the purpose of holding the festival.
In his speech, the Senior General explained his attendance to the Deepavali lighting festival, saying that the lighting festivals of Myanmar Buddhists and Hindus are different in backgrounds but holding of lighting festival is the same. Section 362 in Chapter VIII of the 2008 Constitution of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar stipulates the Union also recognizes Christianity, Islam, Hinduism and Animism as the religions existing in the Union at the day of the coming into operation of this Constitution, and Section 363 mentions the Union may assist and protect the religions it recognizes to its utmost.
As such, the Senior General continued to say that the government provides necessary assistance for holding the religious ceremonies of four major faiths in the nation whereas the Head of State and Union ministers join the relevant ceremonies. The Republic of the Union of Myanmar allows all the people to have relevant faiths in an independent manner. It is a good tradition that as the government has been assisting in all major religions including Hinduism as much as it can, all people in relevant faiths can celebrate the religious ceremonies with essence.
The Interfaith Friendship Organization was formed with those from four major religions of Myanmar on 31 January 2008 with principles: to peacefully exist among the people of all religions with mutual respects, to give a helping hand to those needy persons in religious and social conflicts and to negotiate losses related to religions under the law. The Senior General urged all Hindus to support the unity of four major faiths in accord with the noble principles.
The Senior General expressed his wishes that may all ethnic national people residing in the Republic of the Union of Myanmar in different faiths upholding the four cardinal virtues and advice of relevant religions to stay away from two kinds of extremism be serving the interests of the mother land.
Moreover, the Senior General made wishes that may all Hindus disperse mutual loving-kindness, compassion and empathy to all humans based on the occasion of Deepavali lighting ceremony with auspiciousness and may the people in all religions disperse loving-kindness to each other and join the undertaking of peaceful, prosperous and modernization processes of the nation with loyal and dutiful spirit.
Next, the Indian ambassadors to Myanmar said Myanmar and Indian governments and peoples have been maintaining the good relations and they have to further cement the friendly relations. The Russian ambassador expressed his wish in Myanmar language, saying that he dispersed lovingkindness to the peoples in Myanmar and India in all faiths to be peaceful and tranquil and may all be strengthen the good relations and halt the hatred measures as a gesture of honouring the festival. Missionary Ven Dr Hla Tun of Thanantana Dhammapala Federation prayed for all of various religions to be physical and mental wellbeing.
The Senior General and attendances were entertained with Hinduism traditional dances and songs. The Senior General presented a flower basket to the Hinduism cultural troupe.—MNA
