“The poet in Ashraff made him understand the heart-beat of his people...” President
[October 24, 2002  - 11.30 GMT]

“The poet in Ashraff gave him the ability to understand the heart-beat of his people. His humanity and artistic sensitivity enabled him to break through the shackles of ethnic and racial isolation moving into the realm of national unity, within a multi racial, multi lingual and multi cultural society. Ashraff did not remain only a visionary. He was a dynamic pragmatist. 

 Ashraff never forgot that this has to be achieved within a wider frame of a nation, where all the communities of different racial and religious entities would live together in dignity and with equal rights,” the President has gone on record as saying. 

The President was Chief Guest at yesterday’s launch of late M. H. M Ashraff’s book, Mamada Obama Vemi. Madurugiriye Wijayaratne did the Sinhala translation. The book was ceremonially launched at the Sri Lanka Foundation Institute on Mr. Ashraff’s 54^th birth anniversary. 

Ferial Ashraff expressed regret that her husband’s views were not available to the Sinhala speaking public during his lifetime. 

“ Mr Ashraff represented the Muslims of the Eastern province. During his lifetime he did not have enough time to express his views to the Sinhala speaking public. 

We see this translation of his poetry as the perfect medium to make his views available to the Sinhala speaking community. We are grateful for this opportunity,” said Ferial Ashraff.

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Last Updated Date: October 24, 2002  - 11.30 GMT.