Sri Lanka’s Catholic Church has decided to boycott the 75th Independence Day celebrations on the 4th of February.
Speaking at a media briefing in Colombo earlier today (Feb. 01), Rev. Fr. Cyril Gamini took issue with the government’s move to allocate a sum to the tune of Rs. 200 million for the event, slamming it as a “crime against the people” and a “huge waste”.
Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith and the other members of the Catholic Church will not attend the Independence Day celebrations, he added.
The government has made plans to organize a celebration for Independence Day at a time when people are struggling with food insecurity, child malnutrition and job insecurity, Fr. Gamini said further, noting that daily power interruptions, collapse in the rule of law and violation of human rights are adding to the issues faced by them.
