Adivasi Nayake, Uruwarige Wanniyalaththo who visited President’s House in Kandy on Tuesday, invited President Mahinda Rajapaksa to the Indigenous People’s Day festival which will be celebrated in Vakarai Sallathiv area on July 30 and 31 to mark World Indigenous People’s Day.
Wanniyalaththo told the President that all indigenous persons throughout the island, belonging to various groups will be brought together to commemorate Indigenous Day.
Wanniyalaththo requested the President to get the identity of indigenous persons living in various areas including Vakarai, Jaffna, Batticaloa and Trincomalee recognized.
These people who are known as Veddhas in maritime areas were in the grips of Tiger terrorists in the recent past.
Wanniyalaththo added that these people had been forcibly used for terrorist activities.
Wanniyalaththo requested the President to get the ancestral culture of Veddhas in maritime areas preserved and to prevent them from being used to get the needs and wants of others satisfied.
The President’s attention was drawn to the problems faced by the indigenous persons.
President Rajapaksa said that he had allocated Rs 500 million rupees for the welfare of the Veddha community and inquired from the ministers the activities for which that money had been spent.
The President issued instructions to inquire into the problems of the indigenous people and to fulfill their needs within three months.