The first thing we should do on National Day must be to remember our national responsibilities, Minister of Arts, Culture and Heritage Heena Waleed has said.
The minister made the remarks while speaking at the National Day ceremony.
This year’s National Day is being celebrated in Utheemu, Haa Alif Atoll. Speaking at the ceremony, Minister Heena said National Day was being commemorated in Utheemu as an expression of love and respect for Ghazi Bandaarain. She said the government was giving particular importance to protecting the heritage associated with the island and keeping those memories alive, in order to express gratitude for the victory and good fortune brought to the nation through the struggle and sacrifices of the people of Utheemu.
Minister Heena also thanked President Dr Mohamed Muizzu for initiating and overseeing a national project aimed at reviving and commemorating the legacy of Ghazi Bandaarain as a national symbol.
The minister said National Day was a day that encompassed the meaning of everything connected to the nation.
She described it as a day to connect the past with the present, reflect on both, and prepare for the future. She said the first thing people should do on National Day was to remember their national responsibilities.
“Remembering that preserving the independence and security of the nation is an individual responsibility of every person. Renewing our courage to build the nation and move forward with it. These are ideas and actions rooted in deep awareness and sincerity that emerge from the very depths of our hearts. These are matters that change according to circumstances. In the Maldives’ present circumstances, what we need to reflect on in relation to National Day is the reasons why our nation became a nation.” Minister Heena said.
Minister Heena said a nation is a community of people and that there are many conditions and characteristics that must be fulfilled for such a community to become a nation. She said the Maldives had become a nation because these conditions had been fulfilled and because those characteristics and qualities had become deeply established.
The minister said that, when looking back at these matters in the context of the present day, there were several questions that needed to be asked. These included questions such as why the nation became a nation and under what circumstances those reasons came about.
“When we look at all these matters together, what we see is that we are on the cusp of changes in the circumstances surrounding each of them. Today, our greatest responsibility is to steer these changes back towards a positive path. The President has formulated a policy to revive and elevate national identity and restore it to its rightful position in order to achieve such national objectives.”
Minister Heena also called on today’s youth to draw strength from national characteristics, foster and strengthen unity, and build and maintain trust in every sense of the word. She further called for National Day commemorations to place greater emphasis on learning lessons from the past, defending and preserving national sovereignty, building society and fostering patriotism.