(Lanka-e-News -26.Nov.2025, 9.30 PM) In a significant gesture towards national reconciliation, President Anura Kumara Dissanayake has called on all communities to support the creation of a Sri Lanka where every citizen can live freely, with full respect for religious and cultural identity, and without the shadow of ethnic nationalism.
The President made these remarks during a meeting held at the Presidential Secretariat on the afternoon of 22 November, convened to brief Tamil and Muslim party leaders—representing the parliamentary opposition—on the planned programme for the upcoming “Sri Lankan Day”, scheduled for later this month. The discussions also sought their views and proposals to ensure broad national participation.
The initiative, framed around fostering greater understanding among communities, aims to celebrate Sri Lankan identity beyond ethnic lines. According to officials, the event has been conceived as a unifying platform, bringing together all groups in a shared commitment to peace and coexistence.
Party leaders and representatives attending the meeting welcomed the proposal to celebrate Sri Lankan Day with cross-community participation, offering suggestions and reflections on how best to shape the programme.
They also reaffirmed their unconditional support for two key government efforts: the nationwide “One Country” operation combating the narcotics crisis, and the broader framework for rebuilding ethnic and religious harmony across the island. Both initiatives, they said, were essential to restoring social confidence and ensuring long-term stability.
The discussions delved into the organisational arrangements for the national celebration, coordinated under the Ministry of Buddha Sasana, Religious and Cultural Affairs. The President instructed the organising committee to design events that enable all Sri Lankans—regardless of political, religious or cultural background—to take part on an equal footing, within a common civic space.
Those present included Minister of Buddha Sasana, Religious and Cultural Affairs Dr. Hiniduma Sunil Senevi; State Minister for Religious and Cultural Affairs Muneer Mulafer; and Ministry Secretary Prince Senadheera.
They were joined by a broad cross-section of Tamil and Muslim political leaders: Mano Ganesan and Palani Digambaram of the Tamil Progressive Alliance (TPA); Rishad Bathiudeen of the All Ceylon Makkal Congress (ACMC); M.L.A.M. Hizbullah of the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC); Kader Mastan of the Sri Lanka Labour Party; Amirthanathan Adaikalanathan of the Democratic Tamil National Alliance (DTNA); and representatives of the Ilankai Tamil Arasu Kachchi (ITAK), including Ilayathambi Sreenath, Kavindaran Kodiswaran and T. Raviharan. Independent MP Ramanathan Archuna also took part.
With the government positioning Sri Lankan Day as an annual moment of national unity, the December celebration is set to become a test of whether the country’s political leadership can place reconciliation above rivalry—at least for a day.
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by (2025-11-26 15:57:57)
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