Sri Lanka marks its 78th Independence Day today, February 4, under the theme “Rebuilding Sri Lanka.”
The national ceremony commenced at 7:30 a.m. at the Independence Square under the patronage of President Anura Kumara Dissanayake.
The celebrations honour those who made sacrifices to win independence from British rule in 1948.
“I hold an unshakable faith that by realising in the twenty-first century the dream of a proud nation that was born in the twentieth century but later became blurred, we can build Sri Lanka into the developed, prosperous and virtuous country that our people expect, and thereby certainly create the new era for which we have long aspired. In this endeavour, we place our firm confidence in the strength of all our citizens, in their collective spirit and in their unwavering character,” President Dissanayake said in his Independence Day message.
More than 4,500 personnel from the Security Forces and Police, along with around 400 invitees including foreign diplomats are scheduled to take part in the event.
Meanwhile, a special security and traffic management plant has been implemented, with over 2,000 Police officers deployed across the city to ensure public safety and smooth traffic flow. (Newswire)
