Sri Lanka issued a commemorative postal stamp and a First Day Cover on the occasion of 150th birth anniversary of notable Italian inventor, and creator of the radio Gugliemo Marconi at the Studio 6 of Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation on April 29 with Prime Minister Dinesh Gunwardena, as the Chief Guest.
Prime Minister addressed the guests and stated,
“Hon. Bandula Gunawardena, Minister of Information Transport and Railways, Excellency the Ambassador by Italy in Sri Lanka, Honorable Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena, Members of Parliament and the Director of the Institute who came all the way from Balogna.
Once again I would take leave from you before I say a few words and dear friends on an important day we join when we turn back what Gugliemo Marconi has contributed, invented and created for the world is an immense chapter in the world’s development.
For us all we have the highest recognition of this important personality. His contribution to wireless communication, radio, not only in Italy, not only as our director showed us in his own garden but across the world, is something the entire world remembers and so grateful to him on this anniversary of 150 years of his birth.
I do not want to delve much into the technicalities of his findings. A never -ending personality is such was his life what is seen for a very simple beginning of science, to a most advanced stages of its application, but the never -ending contribution to science.
It not only has changed lives, changed different patterns of development, different patterns of communication, but his everlasting foundation that he laid will develop further. A new institute in Bologna, researching further the contribution that you’re making to carry the message across is an immense asset to the world.
Excellency, ambassador, that’s why we are all present here today. That’s why Sri Lanka decided to issue a first day cover for his glorious contribution to mankind, but also to Sri Lanka, because he had decided to visit Sri Lanka, which we remember, as our historians had recorded, this radio Ceylon as it was known. The Director General, Hudson Samarasinghe also mentioned, my good old friend, these were great personalities of radio Ceylon.
Of course, today there is no radio and there is no Ceylon. We are Sri Lanka broadcasting cooperation, because Ceylon became a Republic, and Sri Lanka was adopted as its name. But the visit of Marconi and his family to this radio station was a tremendous recognition of the importance of radio Ceylon, which was the leading institutional body in communication and radio at that time.
In the entire Asia, Radio Ceylon was an important place. So obviously, the founder and inventor decided to visit this little island in the South Asian continent and contributed what he could at that moment to radio Ceylon with some of the equipment which helped to develop radio Ceylon, the new areas of broadcasting. Once again, we are very grateful to that institutional contribution, which have been able not only to develop radio Ceylon, our communication, as mentioned, by Hudson Samarasinghe, our Chairman, which picked up the communication of Hillary and Tenzing as they climb all the way up to Mount Everest.
That is enough of an achievement for this small radio Ceylon, and the connection to Marconi with his visits and contribution even prior to his visit to Sri Lanka. Once again, this adds to our strong, friendly relations with Italy. Italian institutions, I hope this moment that we are together today will contribute to further strengthening and developing into new areas of study between our two countries. And our friendship and close cooperation that could contribute to further in assistance to all other countries, other nations that could work together on this specific areas of subject.
With that known, on behalf of the government, I thank the Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation, Hon. Minister, Bandula Ganawadena, for assisting us, his Excellency Ambassador and the members of Parliament who have taken leadership from the Friendship Society to create it.
And to Hon. Speaker, it’s a memorable day for me to be here at this special moment which we’ll all remember forever, the contribution that have been made. Before I end my short note, may I remind also of Arthur C. Clarke who came from all the way from the United States, decided to live in Sri Lanka and explore further the space from Sri Lanka, being the best location for his expeditions. Going right down to the South Pole, there is no other island in between Sri Lanka and the South Pole.
Let us see another angle, Excellency, I hope our two countries can further go into new areas similar to that for the success of development in the world. Thank you and I wish you all success.”
Minister Bandula Gunawardena, the Speaker of the Parliament Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena, MPs Udaya Kirindigoda, Chiratha Herath, Yadamini Gunawardena, Chrles Nirmalanathan, Karuna Kodituwakku, Italian Ambassador Damiano Francovigh, Secretary to the Prime Minister Anura Dissanayake, SLBC Chairman Hudson Samarasinghe and senior officials of the SLBC were present on this occasion.
Prime Minister’s Media