Cabinet Sub-Committee tasked to plan 75th Independence Day celebrations

• National anthem to be sung in official languages of Sinhala and Tamil

The Government has appointed a Cabinet Sub-Committee to organise celebrations of the 75th Independence Day next year with plans underway to recommence singing the national anthem in the official languages of Sinhala and Tamil.

The Committee comprises President Ranil Wickremesinghe, and Subject Minister and Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardana.

The Committee also includes; Ministers Douglas Devananda, Susil Premajayantha, Bandula Gunawardena, Keheliya Rambukwella, Ali Sabry, Vidura Wickramanayaka, Kanchana Wijesekera, and Tiran Alles. 

The proposal to this effect was submitted by Premier Gunawardena in his capacity as the Public Administration, Home Affairs, Provincial Councils, and Local Government Minister, and was approved by the Cabinet of Ministers on Monday.

“The national anthem will be sung as usual in both Sinhala and Tamil, as both are national languages,” Cabinet Co-Spokesman and Minister Bandula Gunawardena told journalists in response to a query at the post-Cabinet meeting media briefing held yesterday.

The national anthem was not sung in Tamil at an Independence Day celebration since the change of Government in November 2019 following the election of former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa.