A Call for Unity: SL President Dissanayake Vows to Protect Multi-Religious Identity, Rejects ‘Racist Traps’

Colombo, Sri Lanka – November 22, 2025

President Anuradha Kumara Dissanayake has issued a powerful call for national unity and reconciliation, emphasizing the government’s commitment to ensuring every Sri Lankan citizen can live freely while respecting all religious and cultural identities. The President stressed that the country must not be allowed to fall into any “racist trap” and invited all citizens to support the government’s program to achieve this.

The President made these remarks while addressing a meeting held at the Presidential Secretariat yesterday afternoon (November 22). The purpose of the gathering was to inform and seek input and suggestions from Tamil and Muslim party leaders and representatives from the opposition regarding the planned programs for the upcoming ‘Sri Lankan Day’ scheduled for December.

The Vision of ‘Sri Lankan Day’

The ‘Sri Lankan Day’ celebration is being organized with a clear vision: to create a reconciled Sri Lanka by enhancing understanding among communities. The plans aim to bring all ethnic groups together to celebrate their shared nationhood.

The initiative to organize the ‘Sri Lankan Day’ involving all nationalities was highly appreciated by the participating party leaders and representatives, who subsequently offered their ideas and suggestions related to the commemoration.

The President’s directive emphasized that the programs and plans for the ‘Sri Lankan Day’ celebration—being organized primarily by the Ministry of Buddha Sasana, Religious and Cultural Affairs—must be structured to enable everyone to work together on a common platform, transcending political, religious, and cultural differences.

Opposition Vows Unconditional Support

During the meeting, the opposition representatives highlighted their full commitment to supporting two key government initiatives without preconditions:

1. The nationwide “Rata Ma Ekata” (The Whole Country Together) program aimed at eradicating the drug menace.
2. The ongoing national program focused on building national and religious harmony within the country.

This commitment from opposition leaders signals a strong bipartisan will to tackle issues of national cohesion and social health.

Key Political Figures in Attendance

The meeting was a high-level convergence of political leaders and government officials, underscoring the importance the administration places on achieving a broad consensus for reconciliation efforts.

Key attendees included:

• Dr. Hiniduma Sunil Senewi: Minister of Buddha Sasana, Religious and and Cultural Affairs.
• Muneer Mulafar: Deputy Minister of Religious and Cultural Affairs.
• Prince Senadhira: Secretary to the Ministry of Buddha Sasana, Religious and Cultural Affairs.

Representatives from major opposition parties were also present, including:

• Tamil Progressive Alliance (TPA): Mano Ganeshan and Palani Digambaram.
• All Ceylon Makkal Congress (ACMC): Rishad Badiudeen.
• Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC): M.L.A.M. Hisbullah.
• Sri Lanka Labour Party: Kader Mastan.
• Democratic Tamil National Alliance (DTNA): Amirthanadan Adaikkalanadan.
• Ilangai Thamil Arasu Kachchi (ITAK): Ilayathamby Srinath, Kavindaran Kodiswaran, and T. Raviharan.
• Independent Group: Ramanadan Arjuna.

The President’s strong stance against racial polarization and the commitment shown by opposition figures to support national unity programs mark a significant, collective step toward fostering a more inclusive and harmonious future for Sri Lanka. The upcoming ‘Sri Lankan Day’ in December is intended to be the major platform for this renewed drive for national cohesion.