Steps taken for national unity will not be reversed – President

President Anura Kumara Dissanayake emphasised the need for a country in which Sinhalese, Tamil and Muslim communities live together in harmony and brotherhood and reaffirmed that the strong steps taken towards national unity will not, under any circumstances, be reversed.

The President made these remarks while attending the “Kamban Festival” held at the Ramakrishna Hall in Wellawatte.

President Dissanayake, who attended the Kamban Festival, one of the principal literary and cultural events of the Tamil community, was received in accordance with traditional Hindu rituals.

Addressing the event, the President further stated that literature and culture bear a significant responsibility in the creation of a new society that places humanity at its forefront.

In recognition of President Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s efforts to foster an environment in which all communities in the country can live together in unity and equality, he was conferred with the Kamban Award, the President’s Media Division said in a statement.

The All Ceylon Kamban Kazhagam was established in Jaffna in 1980 in the name of the great Tamil poet Kamban. The organisation aims to guide the younger generation along a righteous path rooted in culture and patriotism and it annually organises the Kamban Festival.

Individuals who have contributed to the advancement of Sri Lankan society are honoured at the event without distinction of ethnicity or religion. In previous years, many distinguished personalities from both India and Sri Lanka have been recipients of these awards, the PMD noted.

Among those present at the occasion were Kurukkals, Fisheries, Aquatic and Ocean Resources Minister, Ramalingam Chandrasekaran, former Malaysian Minister and Member of Parliament, M. S. Aravanan, former State President of the Bharatiya Janata Party in India K. Annamalai, internationally renowned liver transplant specialist Dr. Mohamed Rela, Court of Appeal Judge P. Sasimahendran, and Colombo Kamban Kazhagam patron and former Court of Appeal Judge Vishvanadan, among others.