President, PM to grace National Thai Pongal Day in Jaffna

President Mithiripala Sirisena and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremasinghe will be in Jaffna, 15 January, to grace the National Thai Pongal Festival. 

The President and Prime Minister will participate in the Rajarajeswary Amman Temple Pooja and grace the National Thai Pongal festival at the Weerasigham Hall in Jaffna. Minister of Prison Reforms, Rehabilitation, Resettlement and Hindu Religious Affairs D.M.Swaminathan has organised the Program in close cooperation with Prime Minister’s Office and the Ministry of Women and Child Affairs.  The President will launch the Hindu Religious Aranery School (Daham Pasala) Development Program on this date. Former President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga and a number of foreign dignitaries will grace this occasion.

Thai Pongal is a key festival of Tamils in Sri Lanka and around the world and signifies the birth of the first month in the year that will pave the way for prosperity and new opportunities. It also signifies a thanks giving day of the farmers to the god of nature - the Sun.

Ministry of Prison Reforms, Rehabilitation, Resettlement and Hindu Religious Affairs Secretary V.Sivagnanasothy  informed that on the advice of the Minister D.M.Swaminathan, over 563 recently resettled families in Tellippalai and Kopay D.S. Divisions have been provided with a package of assistance to celebrate Thai Pongal Day in their places of origin. 

The 701 acres of lands released on the directions of President Sirisena, will be cleared and handed over on 22 January to the IDP families by Minister Swaminathan.  All these initiatives signify the enabling environment for reconciliation and moving towards permanent peace with prosperity said Ministry of Prison Reforms, Rehabilitation, Resettlement and Hindu Religious Affairs Secretary V.Sivagnanasothy.