Bringing Lanka to town

Every year they fulfil their pledge. Every year, it gets bigger and better. More and more Sri Lankans converged to celebrate the Independence Day of their country and the show was grand.Colourful cultural performances and the happy skits were reminiscent of the general mood of the people celebrating their 68thNidahas Udanaya (Independence Day). More singers, performers and artistes came from Sri Lanka this year than before to make the day a special one for the Sri Lankan community living in Qatar.LIGHTING UP: Sri Lankan ambassador Prof Dr W M Karunadasa lights up the traditional oil lamp to kickstart the celebrations.The celebrations began with Prof Dr W M Karunadasa, the Sri Lankan ambassador, hoisting the national flag on the new premises of the embassy on the morning of 4th February. The following day, he lit the traditional oil lamp to kick start the cultural programme and musical show organised by the embassy in collaboration with Sri Lankan Coordinating Committee (SLCC) Qatar.The committee members welcomed Karunadasa as the chief guest and received members of Sparrows Dance Troupe from Sri Lanka on the stage. The souvenir for 2016, compiled by SLCC General Secretary Lenny Cramer and Graphic Designer Shanaz Shabdeen, was unveiled and the celebrations officially began.COMEDY: Artistes presenting a comic skit.“It is my pleasure sending greetings to all the Sri Lankans in Qatar on the occasion of our 68th Independence Commemoration Day that we proudly remember as the historic milestone of our freedom and independence from the colonial rule,” said Prof Dr W M Karunadasa in his message for the day.“We, as Sri Lankans today, could be proud of what we achieved as a nation among the comity of nations that joined the United Nations with the acceleration of decolonisation process after the World War II,” he added.Mentioning his country’s economic achievements, starting with the Colombo Plan in 1951, the ambassador said Sri Lanka was the first Asian country in 1978 to introduce free economy, followed by other South Asian nations.STAR-TURN: A performance by Ruwan and actress Sheril Romen Dekker.It brought gigantic outcomes where Sri Lanka has been upgraded from Low Income country to Middle Income country despite the negative impact of the 30-year war, he pointed out.“My message to you on this special day of national importance is to work together, live together and go together for the benefit of our future generations and in safeguarding our cultural heritage we inherited from our great forefathers,” he told the community.Karunadasa had a special word of thanks to the host country, Qatar. “I convey my Independence Day greetings on behalf of my government to His Highness the Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani and the royal family including the cabinet ministers, officials and the nationals of Qatar.”Tenison De Silva, president SLCC, in his address to the audience said the key significance of celebrating Independence Day is to commemorate the great heroes who sacrificed their lives to gain freedom for the country.“SLCC being the co-ordinating arm of the Sri Lankan embassy brings all the community groups together under one umbrella and along with the embassy is glad to present the annual Independence Day Cultural Show to mark the Independence Day of Sri Lanka in Qatar,” he observed.Tenison welcomed the community members to the show and thanked them for making it a success. An appreciation plaque from the Ministry of Interior for the support given towards community related activities organised by Ministry of Interior was presented by Lieutenant Waleed Abdulla to the SLCC president.SLCC, in turn, presented a plaque to the Ministry of Interior for the close co-operation between the two parties towards community related activities.The Sparrows Dance Troupe together with singers Ruwan Hettiarachchi, Vishadara Jagath Wickramasinghe, Nihal Pathiranage (Guitar), Sanjaya Sooriya Arachchi (Tabla), Uditha Wijeratne (Violin) who was flown in by SriLankan Airlines enthralled the audience with song and dance.The dance performances showcased the rich cultural diversity of the island country, also known as the ‘Pearl of Indian Ocean.’ Students from the dance academy of Dinu Rangayathanaya, attired in traditional outfits representing different areas and people of Sri Lanka, choreographed by Dinuk Lawrance, also showcased their talents at the celebrations with traditional dances to mark the occasion.Sparrows are a leading dancing academy in Sri Lanka that began in the early 90s. They perform traditional dances and have enthralled audiences across the globe with their scintillating performances on stage.This was their first visit to Doha and the audience was entertained throughout the evening with dazzling performances.Singer Ruwan Hettiarachchi who is also visiting Doha for the first time regaled the enthusiasts with his popular songs. Vishadara Jagath Wickramasinghe and his musicians sang patriotic songs to mark the occasion.Actress Sheril Romen Dekker also made an appearance on stage amid thunderous applause from the audience. The Giwana Hall of Radisson Blu was filled to capacity.Sri Lankan Community Benevolent Fund (SLCBF) President Nimal Thudewatte while addressing the community highlighted the need for its active participation in community related matters. He urged them to come forward and join hands in lending their support to SLCBF in their activities towards assisting the needy in the community.On the occasion, the SLCC also presented appreciation plaques to Salinda De Silva (founder member SLCC), George Bandula (immediate past president of SLCC), Lalith Jayasekera (immediate past president of SLCBF) and Lokitha Karavita (past president of SLCC) for their services towards community related activities.The Platinum Sponsor of the programme was Ooredoo, the Gold Sponsor Readymix Qatar, Airline Sponsor SriLankan Airlines. Others who lent their support included McDonald’s, Gulf Lights and Al Bateel Securicor with Lankadeepa as the Media Sponsor.Dhammika Jayasena, Assistant General Secretary Sri Lankan Co-ordinating Committee, presented the vote of thanks. The programme was hosted by Hema Nalin Karunaratne and co-ordinated by A M Liyanage, Vice President, SLCBF. Sri Lanka Business Council (SLBC) President Mahesh Abhayapala was also prominent amongst those present.Among others present were Faisal al Hudawi from the Public Relations Department of the Ministry of Interior; Khalaf al-Khalaf, Manager, Field Marketing and Communications Ooredoo; Sujeewa Ranasinghe, Chief Financial Officer, Readymix Qatar; Arfaz Nuwaiz, Sales Manager SriLankan Airlines; Fouzi Mohideen, General Manager, Gulf Paradise Hotel; and others.