Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya stated that the Government is committed to building a Sri Lanka that respects the language rights of every citizen, safeguards equality, and transforms diversity into a national strength.
The Prime Minister made these remarks while addressing the closing ceremony of the Inter-School Debate Competition held in conjunction with the National Languages Week.
The closing ceremony of the Inter-School Debate Competition, organized by the Official Languages Commission to mark the School Day of National Languages Week, observed from 1 to 5 July, was held on the 2nd of July at the Lotus Hall of the Bandaranaike Memorial International Conference Hall in Colombo. The event was attended by Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya and the Minister of Justice and National Integration, Attorney-at-Law Harshana Nanayakkara.
During the ceremony, the Prime Minister presented awards and certificates to the winning school teams of the debate competition, which was conducted in Sinhala and Tamil under the theme, "Building National Reconciliation through the Official Languages Policy and Its Implementation."
A concept paper prepared by the Official Languages Commission on promoting the sustainable use of bilingualism among school students was also presented to the Prime Minister.
Addressing at the event, the Prime Minister stated:
National Languages Week is not merely a week dedicated to celebrating languages. It is a week that reaffirms every citizen's right to receive public services in their own language. It is also an opportunity to remind ourselves of our responsibility to protect, strengthen, and effectively implement that right.
At the same time, we are working to strengthen the Official Languages Commission through the necessary legal reforms and to establish an institutional framework that will enable language rights to be implemented more effectively. This will further reinforce the constitutional right of every citizen to receive public services in either Sinhala or Tamil.
The country we aspire to build is not one where one language is considered superior to another. We aspire to build a nation where every language is accorded equal respect, where every citizen enjoys equal rights, and where the State is fair, inclusive, and compassionate.
Addressing the schoolchildren, the Prime Minister also emphasized the importance of learning Sinhala, Tamil, and English, as well as sign language.
"While embracing your mother tongue as your source of pride, bridges the friendship through other languages. Never forget that every new word you learn is a step towards strengthening understanding, trust, and reconciliation among people.'
Addressing the event, Minister of Justice and National Integration, Attorney-at-Law Harshana Nanayakkara, noted that when looking at Sri Lanka's decades-long ethnic conflict, it demonstrates that lasting peace cannot be achieved by suppressing diversity but only by embracing it with respect. The Minister emphasized that building a country where every citizen enjoys equal dignity and equal rights, regardless of language, religion, ethnicity, or culture, is the most valuable legacy that should be passed on to future generations.
He further stated that national unity does not require everyone to speak the same language; rather, it requires mutual respect for one another's languages and cultures. He stressed that peace is built not through power or hatred, but through respect and shared humanity.
The event was attended by the Chairman of the Official Languages Commission, Senior Attorney-at-Law Nimal R. Ranawaka; Commission Members Senior Professor Sandagomi Coperahewa, Professor S. J. Yogaraja, and Dr. C. D. H. M. Premaratna; Commissioner General of Official Languages Tilak Nandana Hettiarachchi; officials of the ministry, invited guests, teachers, and students.
