The preparations for Sri Lanka's 65th independence day ceremony in Trincomalee are in full swing and all arrangements are in place.
This year's theme is (in Singhalese) 'Asirimath Mawubimak - Isurumath Heta Dinak', or 'A Glorious Motherland - A Flourishing Tomorrow' for the majority population of Trincomalee, who mostly speak Tamil.
President Rajapakse will be part of the celebrations, along with 2,500 other invited guests, which will include members of the Sri Lankan Army and foreign embassy staff.
Public Administration and Home Affairs Minister W D J Seneviratne said over 3,000 personnel representing the Army, Navy, Air Force, Police, Civil Security Department, National Cadet Corps and National Youth Corps will take part in a parade followed by a cultural pageant comprising 860 artistes belonging to 16 cultural groups.
At a press conference in October, Prime Minister D.M. Jeyaratne was reported to have said that the decision was made “under the direction” of the president, Mahinda Rajapakse and the “celebrations” will be a unique opportunity for the people in the North-East to witness “symbolic unity” of the country.
The ancient port town of Trincomalee is one of the largest cities in the Tamil homeland and is a significant cultural and religious centre of the Eelam Tamil nation.
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