A government ministry should be entrusted with the responsibility of handling affairs relating to the Adivasi Community, Community leader Uruwarige Wanniyalaaththo said at a ceremony to mark ‘World Aborigines Day’ at Kotabakiniya, Dambana on Wednesday.
The ceremony was held under the State patronage.
Uva Governor M. P. Jayasinghe, Central Cultural Fund Director Prof. Priyashantha Gunawardene, Badulla District Secretary Nimal Abeysiri and Mahiyangana Divisional Secretary Nimal Dissanayake were the Chief Guests.
The ceremony began with the placing of floral tributes at the statue of late leader of the Adivasi Community, Uruwarige Thisahamy.
Wanniyalaaththo said as the leader of his community, he had never clamoured for any personal privilege. His sole endeavour was to protect and safeguard the culture and traditions of his community. Every year, he had been submitting a memorandum to the government highlighting problems and grievances of his community and some of them had been attended to by successive governments. But his request to develop the Dambana Junior School attended by children of his community had fell on deaf ears.
Sri Lanka is a heterogeneous society with several communal and religious groups. A country became a pleasant place to live in when rights of all groups were protected and safeguarded. The National Languages Ministry should undertake the task of protecting the language of the Adivasi community, Wanniyalaaththo said.
He said his community would never engage in violence or protest campaigns to win their demands.
Central Cultural Fund Director Prof. Priyashantha said there were nearly 300 million aborigines throughout the world. A vast majority of them were struggling in poverty. This year’s theme of the celebrations was ‘Adivasi Rights.’ The objective of the theme was to create a social dialogue about the rights of adivasi’s to draw world attention towards attending to their needs and requirements.
He said Education Minister Akila Viraj Kariyawasam who was billed to attend the ceremony as the chief guest could not make it due to other pressing official engagements. The Minister had however extended his greetings for the success of the ceremony. He said steps have been taken to conserve traditional Adivasi medical system with the blessings of Minister Kariyawasam.
Uva Governor M P Jayasinghe said steps would be taken to develop Dambana as a cultural heritage site on the directives of President Maithripala Sirisena. Mahiyangana SLFP Chief Organiser K P Gunawardene and Mahiyangana UNP Chief Organiser Upali Senaratne and several others also spoke.
Members of the Adivasi community from Nilgala, Rathugala, Pollebedda, Dalukana, Henanigala, Wakare attended the ceremony.
Wanniyalalaththo also opened the new “Veda Piyasa” (Medical centre) renovated at a cost of Rs 1.2 million by the Central Cultural fund.
Marriages of six Adivasi couples were also registered during the ceremony. Secretary of the Ministry of National co-existence Dialogue and state languages Ranjith Uyangoda presented a computer and a photoset machine to the Adivasi Cultural centre.
A memorandum containing the problems and difficulties of the Adivasi community was handed over to Prof Gunawardena by Wanniyalaaththo. Parcels of dry rations were distributed among members of the Adivasi community by several invitees.
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