Sri Lanka’s Independence Day is celebrated on 4th of February to commemorate its internal political independence from British rule on that day in 1948 and also to remember Sri Lanka's struggle for independence from various regimes (Office Holidays, n.d.).

CPSC sends its warm wishes to its Sri Lankan brothers and sisters for this very auspicious and historically significant event.

History

Due to its location and geography, Sri Lanka was an attractive acquisition to other countries. In the 16th century, The Portuguese were the first to make a serious attempt to colonize the country. Then the island was coveted by the Dutch which led to clashes between Portuguese and Dutch. Eventually, the British took control of the coastal areas in 1796, naming it Ceylon. By 1815 they were the first colonial power to control the whole island. On February 4, 1948, the country was granted independence as Ceylon. Hence, the country became a dominion within the British Empire with Don Stephen Senanayake as its first Prime Minister. In 1972 Ceylon changed its name to Sri Lanka and became a republic within the commonwealth (Office Holidays, n.d.).

Celebrations

The Independence Day in Sri Lanka is celebrated all over the country with flag-hoisting ceremonies, dances, military parades and cultural performances (Lakpura, n.d.). The main celebrations take place in the largest city, Colombo, where the President hoists the national flag and delivers a speech which is a nationally televised event. In the President’s speech, he highlights the achievements of the government during the past year, raises important issues and requests the people to join together in commemorating this historic day (Lakpura, n.d.). In addition to celebrating its independence, the National Day is also a day of remembrance for Sri Lanka’s past and present national heroes. Hence, two minutes of silence is observed in tribute to these heroes during the presidential address (Office Holidays, n.d.).

2022 Celebrations

Military personnel wearing face masks take part in a rehearsal for the Independence Day parade in Colombo, Sri Lanka, on Jan. 31, 2022. Sri Lanka will celebrate its Independence Day on Feb. 4. (Photo by Ajith Perera/Xinhua) Source: Xinhua. (2022, February 1). Sri Lanka to celebrate Independence Day. Xinhua Net. http://www.news.cn/asiapacific/20220201/1a4cf7fa16aa4ccbb10fe449e7cc282b/c.html

In preparation for the celebrations this Friday, February 4, 2022, the military personnel rehearsed for the 74th Independence Day parade in Colombo, Sri Lanka while wearing masks in accordance with the COVID health guidelines (Xinhua, 2022).

The parade will compose of 3,463 soldiers from the Sri Lanka Army, 919 sailors from the Sri Lanka Navy, 804 Airmen from the Sri Lanka Air Force, 363 Police Officers, 282 personnel from the Police Special Task Force, 437 members from the Civil Defense Force, and 257 cadets from the National Cadet Corps. Altogether, a total of 6,500 personnel will take part in the Independence Day parade.

The Independence Day parade will feature two segments, the first will be the foot columns march of the Three-armed Force, Police, Civil Defence Force, and the National Cadet Corps, and the second will feature the Mechanized Column of military hardware which includes approximately 111 military vehicles. Customarily, a two-minute silence will be observed on Independence Day in memory of all the patriots and War Heroes who laid their lives for the noble cause of defending the Nation (Farzan, 2022).

References:

  1. Farzan, Z. (2022, January 31). 6,500 personnel, 111 mechanized vehicles & 26 aircraft for Independence Day parade. Sri Lanka News. https://www.newsfirst.lk/2022/01/31/6500-personnel-111-mechanized-vehicles-26-aircraft-for-independence-day-parade/
  2. Lakpura. (n.d.). National Independence Day. Lakpura LLC. Retrieved February 1, 2022, from https://lakpura.com/pages/national-independence-day
  3. Office Holidays. (n.d.). National Day in Sri Lanka in 2022. Office Holidays. Retrieved February 1, 2022, from https://www.officeholidays.com/holidays/sri-lanka/sri-lanka-national-day
  4. Xinhua. (2022, February 1). Sri Lanka to celebrate Independence Day. Xinhua Net. http://www.news.cn/asiapacific/20220201/1a4cf7fa16aa4ccbb10fe449e7cc282b/c.html