India's 77th Republic Day celebrated in Lanka

Colombo, Jan 26 (PTI) The Indian High Commission here organised the Republic Day celebrations, which began with a commemoration at the IPKF memorial to pay tributes to the soldiers of the Indian Peace Keeping Force 1987-90.

"It may be recalled that it was on January 26, 1950, that the Indian Constitution, the world's longest written Constitution, entered into force. The Preamble to the Constitution declares India to be a Sovereign, Socialist, Secular, Democratic Republic," the High Commission release said.

The High Commissioner of India to Sri Lanka, Santosh Jha, unfurled India’s national flag at India House– the residence of the High Commissioner of India– and inspected the Guard of Honour.

The High Commissioner also read out excerpts from the President of India's Republic Day address.

The highlight of the cultural events was the milestone 150th anniversary of 'Vande Mataram', the National Song of India.

Written by Bankim Chandra Chatterjee in 1875 and later immortalised in his novel Anandamath, Vande Matarammeans “Mother, I bow to thee.” The timeless composition is a heartfelt tribute to the motherland. The performances paid homage to this iconic anthem, reflecting not only its melody but also its enduring message of love, reverence, and unity.

Commemorating the Republic Day, a concert, “Timeless Bollywood Melodies: Anuradha Paudwal Live in Sri Lanka” was organised on January 23, 2026, to celebrate the enduring cultural bonds between India and Sri Lanka.

Further, two Indian Coast Guard Ships, Varaha and Atulya, arrived in Sri Lanka, and they will visit Colombo and Galle during their stay during January 24-27, 2026.

India had lost around 1,200 soldiers during the Indian Peacekeeping Force's stay in Sri Lanka between July 1987 and March 1990.

India and Sri Lanka signed a historic peace accord on July 29, 198,7 following which New Delhi deployed the IPKF in the island nation to bring peace in Tamil-dominated areas that had witnessed widespread violence and civil strife for years.

However, peace eluded the regions and the IPKF was eventually pulled out.

While the decision to send the IPKF was taken by the Rajiv Gandhi government, the troops were pulled out of the island nation when the VP Singh dispensation was in power. PTI CORR AMS