All set for 76th Independence Day celebrations
January 31, 2024- Held under the theme “Let’s Build a New Country”
- Prime Minister of Thailand will grace the event as the Chief Guest
- A tree planting programme and the inauguration of an island-wide herbal cultivation programme
- Multi Religious ceremonies to be held
- Special traffic plan in place
‘The 76th Independence Day celebration is an opportunity to share our values and customs with the world. All arrangements are set in place for the Independence Day Celebrations under the patronage of His Excellency the President Ranil Wickramasinghe at the Galle Face, Colombo on February 4, 2024’, said State Minister of Home Affairs Hon. Ashoka Priyantha today (Jan 31).
Speaking at a media conference conducted in view of the 76th Independence Day celebrations at the Government Information Department Auditorium, he said that the Prime Minister of Thailand will grace the event as the Chief Guest.
Joining the press briefing, Defence Secretary General Kamal Gunaratne stated that the ‘Independence Day parade as the major event of the Independence Day Celebrations will be held with the participation of 259 officers and 6227 other ranks belonging to the Tri-forces, Police, Civil Defence Force and the National Cadet Corps’.
‘Three (03) Sri Lanka Navy ships, nineteen (19) Sri Lanka Air Force aircraft and forty (40) paratroopers representing the Tri-forces and Police will make the event colourful while Sri Lanka Navy Ship ‘Sayura’ will perform its customary 25-Gun Salute to the nation at the sea off 'Galle Face’ he further said.
Secretary to the Ministry of Public Administration, Home Affairs, Provincial Councils and Local Government Pradeep Yasarathna said that ‘a tree planting programme and the inauguration of an island-wide herbal cultivation programme are in place on February 2, parallel to Independence Day celebrations at the Independence Square in Colombo under the patronage of Prime Minister Hon. Dinesh Gunawardena.
Religious observances including an all-night Pirith Chanting ceremony at the Independence Square and the following-day almsgiving will also be held on February 2nd and 3rd. Further, floral tributes will be paid to the statue of the ‘Father of the Nation’ Hon. D.S. Senanayake as well as to the statues of several national leaders in front of the President’s Secretariat who spearheaded the country’s independence move, in parallel to the main event.
Acting Inspector General of Police Deshabandu Tennakoon said that a special traffic plan has been setup in order to ensure the smooth function of both rehearsals and the main ceremony without causing interruptions to general traffic flow and commuters.
Commander of the Army Lieutenant General Vikum Liyanage, Commander of the Navy Vice Admiral Priyantha Perera, Commander of the Air Force Air Marshal Udeni Rajapaksa, Additional Secretary (Home Affairs) H.M. Nandasena and Director General of the Government Information Department Dinith Chinthaka Karunarathna were also associated with media conference.
