First Joint Sinhala-Tamil Women Recruitment, a Stimulus to Co-existence &;amp; Reconciliation

Wanni-resident 45 young Tamil women and 10 Sinhalese women amid blessings of their parents and guardians, on Monday (26) joined Sri Lanka Army Women’s Corps (SLAWC) as new Army recruits for training, creating a milestone phase as far as such simultaneous Tamil-Sinhala collective recruitment to the Army was concerned.

The ceremony of recruitment at Wanni Security Force Headquarters auditorium, seen as a strong incentive to the ongoing reconciliatory process after the conclusion of the humanitarian operations, was organized by Major General Boniface Perera, Commander, Security Force Headquarters, Wanni (SFHQ-W) who has also been serving as the competent authority for northern resettlement of the displaced.

Major General A. W. J. Crishanthe De Silva, Chief of Staff graced the recruitment ceremony as the Chief Guest and Major General Jagath Wijesiri, Provost Marshal of the Army as a special guest.

Religious observances of all major denominations invoked blessings on the new programme as all Tamil and Sinhala recruits lined up prior to the formal recruitment in the company of their parents and guardians.

Ven. Nugethenne Pannananda Nayaka Thero of Sri Jayanthi Viharaya, Anuradhapura, Chief Sanghanayaka for Northern and Central Province Ven. Etambagaskada Kalyanatissa Nayaka Thero, Rev. Shivasri M.K Kandaswamy Kurukkal, Rev. Moulavi Siddique Mohammed of Vavuniya mosque, Rev. Victor Susei of Vavuniya-Mannar Diocese, Rev. Emaliano Pille of Madu Shrine and a few other members of the clergy assembled there to bless the occasion at the invitation of the SFHQ-W.

The SFHQ-W, though earlier scheduled to restrict Tamil recruitment only to 40 due to accommodation and other constraints, had to increase the numbers by five more, owing to overwhelming interest, shown by those female youngsters as well as their adults when they were called for preliminary interviews. Among the recruits were three from Jaffna, Mullaittivu and Batticaloa districts.       


These Tamil recruits after training are to be deployed for civil relations roles in the Army camps, closest to their residential places in Wanni, enabling all of them to report for duties from their own residential places. Both these new Tamil and Sinhala recruits will undergo training together as members of one family, a novel experience to the Army instructors of all spheres of training, too.

Senior military officers, Divisional Secretaries for Vavuniya and Mannar, Additional Divisional Secretary for Mullaittivu, senior Tamil and Sinhala community leaders, parents, relatives of the recruits, friends and well-wishers, civilians and invitees witnessed the recruitment ceremony.  

A few months ago, a similar Tamil women recruitment project got underway at the Security Force Headquarters, Kilinochchi (SFHQ-KLN), following a concept of Major General Udaya Perera, Commander, SFHQ-KLN.