The leader of Adi Vaasi (Vedda) community Uruwarigaye Vanniyala Attho assured Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena that the community will participate in the 75th Independence Day ceremony .
"As per the invitation of the Prime Minister all the leaders of Vedda community will participate in the independence ceremony" he said when the community leaders met the Prime Minister at the Parliament premises.
Uruwarigaye Vanniyala Attho said the community is honoured to accept the invitation extended by the Prime Minister on behalf of President Ranil Wickremesinghe.
During the meeting he handed over a document listing out various problems faced by the indigenous groups living in Uva, Eastern, North Central and other provinces in the country. He urged the Parliament to intervene to pass a bill to protect the rights of the indigenous community who are facing various problems. The problem of microfinance loans faced by the women in their community was also discussed during the meeting.
Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena instructed the State Minister Ashoka Priyantha to find appropriate measures to solve the problems faced by the indigenous people within the regions.
The Prime Minister said that he would look into the measures that can be taken in this regard through the committees in the Parliament.
For this discussion, Uruwarigaye Vanniyala Attho, Rathugala regional leader Danigala Bandalage Sudu Banda, Pollabedda regional leader Thala Bandalage Gunawardena, Henanigala regional leader Thala Warigaye Guna Bandia, Wakere regional leader Nallathambi Velayudhan, Muthur regional leader Nagaratnam Vardhan, N. Kanakaratnam, A.Sree Selvam, indigenous leaders and members were present. Chief organizer of the ruling party, Minister Prasanna Ranatunga, State Minister of Home Affairs Ashoka Priyantha, and Lionel Guruge, Lalinda Wickramaratne and M. Pradeepan of the Centre for Policy Alternative (CPA) were also present.