India's Trilingual School Gift: How Education Bridges Sri Lanka's Ethnic Divide

Sri Lankan Prime Minister and Minister of Education, Harini Amarasuriya and Indian High Commissioner to Sri Lanka Santosh Jha jointly inaugurated the school.

Several other dignitaries from Sri Lanka, including T B Sarath, Deputy Minister of Housing, Construction and Water; Secretary, Chief Ministry of North Central Province; Secretary and senior officials from the Ministry of Education, Higher Education and Vocational Education, attended the event.

The school would provide opportunities to Sinhala, Tamil and Muslim students to learn in a multi-ethnic, multi-cultural environment. The project would also contribute to the Lankan government's efforts to promote and strengthen reconciliation and unity in Sri Lanka.

According to the Indian High Commission in Colombo, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed in February 2017 between India and Sri Lanka to establish the school as a High Impact Community Development Project aimed at providing quality education opportunities in a multi-ethnic and multicultural environment. The Indian financial assistance to the project stands at over Sri Lankan Rupees 320 million.

The MoU was signed by then Indian High Commissioner Taranjit Singh Sandhu and Sunil Hettiarachchi, then Secretary to Sri Lanka's Ministry of Education. The project envisaged construction of class rooms, laboratories and library, as well as procurement of furniture and other equipment.

Earlier this month, Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake attended the launch of the Indian Housing Project Stage 2 Phase IV, with the Indian High Commission stating that the drive encompasses a commitment to the construction of 60,000 houses, while this particular phase covered 4,700.

More than 2,000 beneficiaries and their family members were present during the event.

Besides them, Sri Lanka's Minister of Plantation and Community Infrastructure, Samantha Viddyarathna, the Minister of Fisheries, Deputy Ministers of Plantation, Tourism and Youth Affairs, Indian High Commissioner Santosh Jha, MPs, Governors Uva and Sabaragamuwa, Chief Secretaries and senior officials of Provinces with plantation areas, Mayors, Government Agents and officials of districts in plantation regions also attended the event.

In a statement shared on X, the Indian High Commission said: "Indian Housing Project Stage 2 Phase IV launched in the presence of President H.E. Anura Kumara Dissanayake, HC Santosh Jha, Minister of Plantation & Community Infrastructure Hon. S Viddyarathna, Minister of Fisheries, Dy. Ministers of Plantation, Tourism and Youth Affairs."

"Among the largest development initiatives of Indian overseas, IHP encompasses an overall commitment to build 60000 houses for Sri Lanka beneficiaries with grant assistance of over INR 18 billion. Around 50000 houses constructed to date. Phase IV Stage 2 to cover 4700 beneficiaries," it added.

- IANS