Archives

Peace and unity, main theme of Independence Day

by Ravi Ladduwahetty

Peace and unity is the principal theme shared by President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe as Sri Lanka celebrates the 54th anniversary of independence.

President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga, in her Independence Message to the Nation, said:" Together, we must relentlessly strive to build a nation brimming with the vitality and the joy of renewal where all of us, whatever race, religion or caste we belong to, shall together build one nation drawing strength from the richness of our diversity.

With the great Indian Poet Tagore, I shall say: "Into that heaven of freedom let my country awake." Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe in his Independence message, said:" "We are dedicated to restore this fractured unity and awaken the hope of peace. It is no easy task. Let us all determine on this day of Independence to surmount the most arduous of challenges and usher in an era of long lasting peace where all segments of our society can live in harmony."

There will be countrywide ceremonies to celebrate independence. The main ceremony will be at Independence Square. There will be observances of all religious denominations in Colombo and the outstations.

President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga will preside over the main ceremony. Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, Speaker Joseph Michael Perera, Cabinet Ministers, members of the Diplomatic Corps, Commanders of the Armed Forces and the IGP and other dignitaries will grace the occasion.

Western Province Chief Minister Reginald Cooray and Mrs Cooray will be the first to arrive and will be received by the Secretaries to the Ministries of Home Affairs, Defence, Interior, District and Divisional Secretaries of Colombo.

This will be followed by the arrival of the Minister of Home Affairs, Provincial Councils and Local Government Earl Gunasekera who will be received by the Ministry Secretary. The next to arrive will be Western Province Governor Alavi Mowlana and Minister of Home Affairs, Provincial Councils and Local Government Alick Aluwihare.

Chief Justice Sarath.N. Silva and Mrs Silva will be the next to arrive followed by Speaker Joseph Michael Perera and Mrs Perera who will be received by Minister Alick Aluwihare.

The statue of Sri Lanka's first Prime Minister D.S Sennanayake will be garlanded by the Minister of Home Affairs, Provincial Councils and Local Government Alick Aluwihare, Minister of Power and Energy Karu Jayasuriya, Minister of Environment and Natural Resources Rukman Senanayake and Colombo Mayor Omar Kamil. Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe will arrive at 8.30 am and will be received by Ministers Alick Aluwihare, Earl Gunasekera and their wives.

President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga will arrive at 8.35 am. The trumpets of the Sri Lanka Army will announce her arrival and she will be received by Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and Ministers Aluwihare and Gunasekera.

The President will hoist the National Flag amidst the resonant sounds of Magul Bera and the blowing of the conch shells of the students of D.S. Senanayake Vidyalaya and Nalanda Vidyalaya.

The National Anthem will be sung by a bevy of 100 school girls from Visakha Vidyalaya, Sirimavo Bandaranaike Vidyalaya, Devi Balika Vidyalaya, Janadhipathi Vidyalaya, Hindu Girls College, Muslim Ladies College and St. Bridget's Convent.

The Jayamangala Gatha will be sung by a bevy of 24 students from Sirimavo Bandaranaike Balika Vidyalaya and Devi Balika Vidyalaya.

Two minutes silence will be observed in memory and honour of all patriots who have laid down their lives to preserve and protect the freedom, unity, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Sri Lanka.

The next items on the agenda will be the salute to the President which will be followed by the 21 gun salute. The march past of the three Armed Forces and the Police and schoolchildren of all Provinces will follow.

There will be a 25 gun salute to the Nation by the Sri Lanka Navy with the departure of all the invitees.

Religious observances will also be held in other venues. There was an all night pirith ceremony at the Independence Hall at Independence Square yesterday which was sponsored by the Ministry of Buddha Sasana which was followed by Alms Giving (Heel Dana) at the Jayasekeraramaya, Kuppiyawatte today at 6 am.

There were simultaneous religious ceremonies of all religious denominations in Colombo. Buddhist religious ceremonies were held at the Dharmakeerthiaramaya Pirivena, Polwatte in Kollupitiya, Catholic Services at All Saints Church, Borella, Christian Services at St. Lucia's Church, Kotahena and prayers at the Maradana Mosque.

News | Business | Features | Editorial | Security
Politics | World | Letters | Sports | Obituaries |

Produced by Lake House
Copyright 2001 The Associated Newspapers of Ceylon Ltd.
Comments and suggestions to :Web Manager