Northern Breeze recalls how during the civil war, late Most Venerable Prof. Bellanwila Wimalarathana Anunayake Thera, did travel together as an Inter-religious group to many parts of the country including the war zone to promote peace and understanding; at International Fora sponsored by “Religions for Peace”; involved with interreligious harmony in Sri Lanka, in particular with regard to easing ethnic tension in the country. Late Anunayake Thera was a respected academic, his service and contribution to restore multi-religious, multi-ethnic peace, unity and reconciliation is immeasurable.
People born with many talents, skills or exceptional abilities are reported from time to time. Where such abilities are concerned, late Most Venerable Prof. Bellanwila Wimalarathana Anunayake Thera belonged to that category of illustrious personalities born with such intellectual abilities and followed the footsteps of many intellectual generation of monks the country has produced was a great national peace crusader like late Most Venerable Maduluwawe Sobitha Thero, who has been referred to many times in postings in Northern Breeze. Late Anunayaka Thera was able to win the highest veneration and admiration as a monk who pioneered to resolve any issues in unbiased manner, without any hidden interests, whenever the country was faced with various national and religious issues. His service in support of the national effort to build up lasting national reconciliation and development through national and religious harmony by his fearless articulations and critical writings was not second to his scholarly contributions to literary and Dhamma publications.
At a time extreme politicians of the minority communities and their supporters in the country use a wide brush to tarnish the image of all Buddhist Monks as their anti-heroes, there are many heroes among them who championed the cause of peace with justice and dignity for all deserve due respect. Northern Breeze agree with many people from different walks of life including minorities in the country, who grief that the demise of one such hero in Venerable Thera is a great loss to the whole country and that advocates of good governance will miss him as he was an erudite and deeply religious prelate in pursuing the cause of peace in a multi-religious context and the void left behind only leaves the nation poorer.
Northern Breeze 