National Day of Sri Lanka is celebrated annually on February 4. Srilanka Independence Day celebrates the country’s political independence from British rule in 1948.
It is celebrated all over the country by flag-hoisting ceremonies, dances, parades, and performances. Usually, the main celebration occurs in Colombo where the President raises the national flag and gives a nationally televised speech.
So many struggles were made in the history of Srilanka. On Independence Day, all the struggles and sacrifices are remembered and celebrated. The Independence Day movement is specially recalled, which is against the British.
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How is the Independence Day Celebrated in Srilanka?
The following is about how Independence Day is celebrated in Srilanka. Singing and other performances that showcase national unity and culture are organized on Independence Day in Srilanka.
Religious observances are also made in many places of worship in the country, where people wish for peace and prosperity. Bravery, confidence, dedication, national unity, patriotism, nationalism, peace, national responsibility, and awareness of national history in people’s minds are encouraged by their ideas in the media.
Traditionally every year, the Srilanka Navy accords a 21-gun salute to the nation from the ceremonial naval gun battery at the Colombo Lighthouse A Google Doodler reaching only Sri Lanka celebrated the occasion in 2013 and from 2017 continuously onwards.
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When and how was the first National Day of Sri Lanka Celebrated?
The 1st Independence Day of Srilanka was celebrated on February 4, 1948, when the constitution of 1947 came into effect. Greek geographers in the Ancient period called it Taprobane.
Arabs referred to it as Sere dib. Later European mapmakers gave it a name called Ceylon, which is still used occasionally for trade purposes. It officially became Sri Lanka in 1972.
Sri Lanka became a full republic country on May 22, 1972, formally known as the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka.
The first Prime Minister of Sri Lanka was Don Stephen Senanayake, considered the Father of the Nation. The first President of Sri Lanka is William Gopallawa.
Independence Day is considered an important national holiday, so banks, post offices, and other public institutions will be closed. In the capital city, Colombo, traffic detours and road closures are common on Independence Day.
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Srilanka Independence Day History
Srilanka Independence Day History Sinhala is about the act which became famous during independence. The various political and economic discontent factors were found after 1955, and Sinahalese nationalism was unleashed.
It found a spokesman in S.W.R.D Bandaranaike. In the 1956 elections, the UNP was defeated, and Bandaranaike’s Sri Lanka Freedom Party won and came to power.
The new government immediately set to change the political structure. With the Sinhala there was only Bill which made Sinhalese the sole official Language, and it took measures to provide state support for Buddism and Sinhalese culture.
It also wedded a new nationalism to a form of socialism in which the state was given a powerful role in sectors like economic development and the creation of economic equality.
Sinhalese nationalism had begun to recede. In political issues, Language has become less important. The Sinhala party gained the support of minorities, and in 1965 it returned to power with Dudley Shelton Senanayake, who, as the son of Don Stephen Senanayake, had served as prime minister.
Buddhism was then given “the foremost place,” and Sinhalese was again recognized as the official Language. Sri Lanka began to recover during Rajapaksa’s second term from its 26-year civil war.
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The Economical Situation of Srilanka:
The economy showed stable growth and reduced poverty levels, though some were concerned about increasing debt and overreliance on foreign investment from China.
The government continued to enjoy the strong support of the country’s large Sinhalese majority, which was reinforced by a string of UPFA victories in provincial council elections in 2012.
Rajapaksa’s administration became increasingly associated with strong-arm tactics and other repressive measures against political opponents and various forms of dissent as he centralized greater power in the executive branch and among his family members.
A major development project was a core port in his home district of Hambantota, funded by loans from China but with low investment returns. In addition, relations with Western countries were strained over allegations of human rights abuses in Sri Lanka and the government’s refusal to allow independent investigations of the military’s treatment of Tamils at that phase of the civil war in 2009.
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Significance of National Day of Sri Lanka:
The Sri Lankan Independence Day movement is considered a peaceful political movement aimed at achieving independence and self-rule for the country of Sri Lanka, then British Ceylon, from the British.
Sri Lanka’s democratically elected government implemented majoritarian policies after the country became independent in 1948. To establish Sinhala supremacy, it adopted Majoritarianism.
On May 22, 1972, it became a republic and was renamed the Republic of Sri Lanka.
