The Agriculture Day of the “Wayamba Abhiman 2026” Educational, Cultural and Trade Exhibition was held under the patronage of Mr. K.D. Lal Kantha, Minister of Agriculture, Livestock, Land and Irrigation.
Mr. K.D. Lal Kantha, Minister of Agriculture, Livestock, Land and Irrigation, took part yesterday (13th) in the Agriculture Day of the “Wayamba Abhiman 2026” Educational, Cultural and Trade Exhibition. The event, held at the Janakala Padanama premises in Kurunegala, was attended by a large gathering including the Governor of the North Western Province, Mr. Tissa Warnasuriya, along with Members of Parliament and officials of the Kurunegala District and numerous artists.
This event had been organized to showcase history, art and literature, as well as to bring forward the creative talents of artists, designers, entrepreneurs, schoolchildren and the younger generation as a whole.
Speaking on this occasion, the Minister expressed the following views.
“First, let me share something I learned after coming here. Both the Governor and MP Dharmapriya mentioned ‘Jahuta’ earlier. Back in the day, we used to say, ‘They’re performing Jahuta over in that area, shall we go watch?’ But it was only today that I learned what Jahuta actually is. So, coming here was well worth it for me. The Governor explained that Jahuta is unique to the Wayamba (North Western) region. The performer in Jahuta doesn’t speak dialogues; it is called a spoken-dialogue ballet (mute drama). That’s something I learned today.
Someone told me that once you’ve been invited to speak, you shouldn’t ask for permission to begin your speech. I just did that. I’ve noticed on stages that people take up the most time just asking for formal permission. They say if you enter an assembly without permission, then you ought to seek permission.
My date for this event was requested about a month and a half ago. Until I arrived here, I didn’t have a clear idea about what this event was. The philosopher V.I. Lenin expressed an idea regarding science. ‘If things were as they appeared, there would be no need for science.’ It appears to us that the sun revolves around us. Only later we discovered that we revolve around the sun. What appears to be true is not always the reality. It is through science that it has been proven.
This is a cultural festival. Everything that we created ourselves, which nature did not give us, constitutes culture. Worshiping adults or respecting teachers are things we created. Animals do not create anything. What we have here today is a cultural effort. Back in my school days, an unofficial school taught us a particular statement. Why do we learn? To understand. Why do we understand? To shape the world for the better. The most important subject in the world is politics. Yet, that is precisely what had been turned into the least important subject in our country in the recent past. Now, we are living in an era of renaissance.”
