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Lanka National Day rings with Tamil national anthem
Sri Lanka celebrated its 68th Independence Day yesterday with a liberating moment for its ethnic Tamils. In a ceremony to mark the event, the country did away with the ‘unofficial’ ban and allowed its national anthem to be sung in Tamil, in an effort to achieve reconciliation with the ethnic minority community.
By
migrator
migrator
Colombo
School children rendered the Sinhala and Tamil versions of the national anthem at a colourful celebration at the Galle Face Green park to mark the 68th anniversary of Sri Lanka’s independence from Britain.
The move, despite opposition from some quarters, is being seen as an effort by the government to reach out to the Tamil minority after the nearly 26-year civil war with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) that ended in 2009. About 100,000 people were killed during the civil war.
“A new journey begins by reinstating the singing of the national anthem in Tamil,” said Deputy Minister for Public Enterprise Development Eran Wickramaratne.
Fonseka could be minister:
Interestingly, on Wednesday, Sarath Fonseka, the Sri Lankan army general who vanquished the LTTE, joined the ruling coalition amid indications that he may be inducted as a minister soon. 65-year-old Fonseka, whose Democratic Party signed an agreement to join the ruling United National Front for Good Governance, said he has “nothing to hide” and was willing to face a war crimes inquiry.
“I have always said that I am ready to face any inquiry,” Fonseka, the country’s first five star General told reporters.
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