RELIGIOUS AND CULTURAL AFFAIRS INTRODUCTION
01. Sri Lanka is a country of religious tolerance. Though the main religion is Buddhism, all other religions are treated at the similar respect as of Buddhism. Every citizen of the country can enjoy their freedom of faith. The long history in to the mixture of religious beliefs developed into a stage where no single person can particularly point out which tradition belongs to which culture.
02. Accordingly, each province has its own dominant culture based on majority of the ethnicity. KILINOCHCI in this regard becomes vital since the liberation from the iron fists of the ruthless terrorists and at present enjoys cultural and religious rights of their own.
03. Sri Lanka Army playing a vital role in this regard and always found a foot step ahead of others in supporting the local population in all religious activities ranging from Hinduism to Buddhism including Islamic, Christianity. One major factor of many other which is needs to be bridged in order to minimize the gap between the local population and the Army.
OBJECTIVES
04. To improve knowledge of other religions among communities along with the security force personnel.
05. To improve the knowledge on different cultural affairs among the local communities.
06. To build up good friendship and understanding between different local communities by creating the required environment to celebrate every religious and cultural festivals of the local community.
07. To bridge the gap between local population and the security forces.
08. As a means to reach local population.
Important Religious days of the Sri Lankan Calendar.
S/No |
Date |
Month |
Event |
01 |
Wednesday 1st |
Jan |
New Year Day |
02 |
Tuesday 14th |
Jan |
Tamil Thai pongal Day |
03 |
Tuesday 14th |
Jan |
Milad-Un-Nabi (holly prophet's birth day) |
04 |
Thrusday 27 th |
Mar |
Maha Sivarathri Day |
05 |
Friday 18 th |
Apr |
Good Friday |
06 |
Sunday 20th |
Apr |
Easter Sunday |
07 |
Monday 14th |
Apr |
Sinhala & Tamil New Year Day |
08 |
Wednesday 14th |
May |
Wesak Full Moon Poya Day |
09 |
Thursday 12th |
Jun |
Poson Full Moon Poya Day |
10 |
Tuesday 29th |
July |
Id-Ul-Fitr (Ramazan Festival Day) |
11 |
Saturday 05th to Sunday 13th |
Oct |
Nawarathree Day |
12 |
Sunday 05th |
Oct |
Id-Al-Alha (Hadji Festival Day) |
13 |
Wednesday 22nd |
Oct |
Deepavali festival Day |
14 |
Thursday 25th |
Dec |
Christmas Day |
Table 1
Civil Population as per Ethnicity in SFHQ(KLN)AOR.
S/No (a) |
Div (b) |
Sinhala |
Tamil |
Muslim |
Total |
||||
Family (c) |
Members (d) |
Family (e) |
Members (f) |
Family (g) |
Members (h) |
Family (i) |
Members (j) |
||
1 |
57 Div |
26 |
58 |
27542 |
84119 |
252 |
775 |
27820 |
84952 |
2 |
65 Div |
6 |
23 |
9393 |
32033 |
335 |
1304 |
9734 |
33360 |
3 |
66 Div |
-- |
1 |
4960 |
17177 |
2 |
12 |
4962 |
17190 |
Total |
32 |
82 |
41895 |
133329 |
589 |
2091 |
42516 |
135502 |
Proposed events plan for Religious & Cultural Affairs.
a. Tamil Thai Pongale Day.
(1) Along with the SF Comd’s message, Greeting cards distribution among the Hindu community.
(2) Main Thai Pongal ceremony to be held at Kandasami Pulleyar Kovil in KILINOCHCHI.
(3) Participate & conduct of Thai Pongal Pujas by all units.
(4) Select Kovil and Cleaning the Kovil premises.
b. Maha Shivarathri Day.
Observe Participation of Maha sivarathri Pujas.
e. Sinhala and Tamil New Year.
Organize on 05 Apr 2014 at Central College ground in KILINOCHCHI.
g.Vesak Full Moon Poya Day.
(1) Conduct in Div HQs level.
(2) Organize "Vesak Kalapaya" at Central College ground in KILINOCHCHI.
(3) Conduct of various type of dansal in unit level.
h. Poson Full Moon Poya Day.
(1) Conduct in Div HQs level.
(2) Organize "Poson Kalapaya" at Central College ground in KILINOCHCHI.
(3) Conduct of various types of Dansal in unit level.
i. Ramazan festival Day .
(1) Along with the SF Comd’s message, Greeting cards distribute among the Muslim community
j. Nawarathri Day.
Conduct Pujas at every night of the 9 nights of Nawarthri Day in selected Kovils by all units.
k. Deepavali Festival Day.
(1) Along with the SF Comd’s message Greeting cards distribution among the Hindu community.
(2) Conduct of special Pujas.
l. Christmas Day.
Organize Christmas main event at Central College ground in KILINOCHCHI
CONCLUSION
14. The community needs to bring together to achieve main laid down objectives. In order to achieve the objectives religious harmony and paving a path to understand each other’s values related to the sensitivities of cultural and religious beliefs. Understanding and respecting each other’s values would minimize the possibility of impairing the achieved peace in the country. Observance of the all religious and cultural events is the first option to achieve above. The activities which were already conducted by the Security Force Head Quarters were positively absorbed by the local community in the KILINOCHCHI area.