The Jaffna Cultural Centre (JCC) was declared open by President Ranil Wickremesinghe today (11 Feb.), to celebrate 75 years of friendship with India and Sri Lanka.
Expressing his views at the vesting ceremony, the Head of State called on all citizens of Sri Lanka to ‘join hands in brotherhood to rebuild this fallen nation’.
In his speech, the President emphasized the government’s policy of reconciliation, development, and culture, and called for all citizens to come together in brotherhood to rebuild the country.
He noted the significance of the first elected leader in Sri Lanka, Ponnambalam Ramanathan, and pointed out that the country’s development could be accelerated with a combination of Sinhala and Tamil leadership.
The JCC was completed with funds of Rs 13,500 million provided by the Indian Government, while the foundation stone was laid during the visit of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in March 2015.
The event, which was also held in line with Sri Lanka’s 75th Independence Anniversary, was also attended by Indian State Minister of Fisheries, Dr. L. Murugan.
While commenting on the assistance Sri Lanka has received by India thus far, including the USD 04 million provided during the economic crisis in 2022 and India’s financial assurances to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) pertaining to Sri Lanka’s USD 2.9 billion bailout, Dr. Murugan revealed that Premier Modi has an idea to introduce a scholarship for 100 children from low-income families in the Northern Province, thereby further extending India’s assistance to Sri Lanka.
