Colombo, February 11 (Indian High Commission): The Jaffna Cultural Center (JCC), which was built with grant assistance of Government of India (GOI), was dedicated to the people on Saturday by the President of Sri Lanka Ranil Wickremesinghe in the presence of the Indian Minister of State for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry & Dairying and Information & Broadcasting, Dr. L. Murugan.
The High Commissioner of India Gopal Baglay, Douglas Devananda, Minister for Fisheries, Vidura Wickramanayake, Minister for Buddhasasana, Religious and Cultural Affairs, Kadar Masthan, Minister of State for Rural Economy, several Parliamentarians and dignitaries from various walks of life graced the occasion.
The state-of-the-art JCC consists of multiple facilities such as a museum of two floors; an advanced theatre-style auditorium for more than 600 people; an 11-storeyed learning tower; a public square which could also act as an amphitheatre; exhibition galleries (Air conditioned), Open exhibition and a 100-seat Conference facility, among others.
The foundation stone for JCC was laid by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in May 2015 during the first-ever visit by an Indian Prime Minister to Jaffna. Following the construction of JCC, the iconic facility was virtually inaugurated during the visit of External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar to Colombo in March 2022.
Describing JCC as a gift from Prime Minister Narendra Modi, President H.E Ranil Wickremesinghe thanked him and GOI for the Center. He thanked India for the support extended to Sri Lanka during the economic challenges. Highlighting cultural similarities between the two countries, he noted that India and Sri Lanka were the two sides of the same coin.
Speaking on the occasion, Minister of State Dr. L Murugan underlined that India’s partnership with Sri Lanka was guided by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ‘Neighbourhood First’ policy. He also announced a special financial assistance scheme to 100 students from economically weaker families in the University of Jaffna. He also highlighted that GOI has implemented numerous people-centric projects cutting across sectors in Northern Province.
Ranil Wickremesinghe and Vidura Wickramanayake handed over a special token of gratitude to the Indian Minister Dr. L Murugan for JCC. The wide array of cultural performances showcased the richness and diversity of Sri Lanka’s culture.
The JCC is an outstanding example of GOI’s ongoing commitment to the people of Sri Lanka including in the Northern Province. GOI’s development partnership with Sri Lanka which touches upon all aspects of daily life such as infrastructure development, education, health, housing, livelihood development etc currently stands at USD 5 billion.
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