Amma meets Sri Lankan Prime Minister

[Guest guest]

Amma & The Prime Minister

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Today Amma travelled by helicopter with Sri Lankan Prime Minister

Mahinda Rajapakse to a Sinhalese tsunami relief camp in Hambantota,

where She participated in the camp's foundation-stone-laying

ceremony. Amma then flew back to Colombo, where She and the PM are to

meet with President Chandrika Kumaratunga later this evening.

 

Earlier, Amma had spent more than one hour with the PM discussing the

Ashram's tsunami-relief efforts, including its plan for building

tsunami-proof homes. Amma told the PM that She is willing to

establish an orphanage for Sri Lankan children and a free-pension

scheme in the country. If the circumstances permit, Amma said, She

would do more. Upon the conclusion of their discussion, the PM

expressed the Sri Lankan government's gratitude for the help and

compassion Amma is showering upon the country.

 

LTTE & Tamil Special Task Force Come for Amma's Darshan in Ampara

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On 17th, Amma visited a Tamil relief camp in the district of Ampara,

where she distributed 15,000 free saris and dhotis. At the camp, Amma

gave darshan to 5,000 people, including 15 LTTE officials and 20

members of a Tamil Special Task Force. Maheswari Velayudham, the

political secretary to Minister Douglas Devananda, was also in

attendance. The secretary was overwhelmed at seeing the two groups

peacefully together. "Amma is the unifying force," she said

later. "She is the catalyst. Only Amma can bring all these people

together."

 

At a press conference earlier that morning, one of the reporters had

asked Amma whether she could predict when Sri Lanka would enjoy peace

in full spirit. To this Amma responded, "We can awaken a person who

is sleeping, but cannot awaken a person who is pretending to be

sleeping. We should keep trying for peace. Feeling sympathy alone is

not enough. We should work hard for it,'' Amma said, adding that

peace is possible only when spirituality is practiced.