A four digit number of Army personnel serving the Security Force Headquarters - Jaffna (SFHQ-J) successfully completed a one-month long Tamil language proficiency course and received their credentials during a grand ceremony at Kankasanthurai on Friday (29).
Teaching of Tamil language to troops serving the SFHQ-J got underway a few months ago on the directions of the Commander of the Army who wanted soldiers to interact with Jaffna civilians, using their own mother tongue as means of effective communication.
A total of 1815 Army personnel under several sub divisions commenced the training programme a month ago as trainees of 3rd and 4th batches of the project, directed by Major General Udaya Perera, Commander, SFHQ-J.
Similarly, the language course would really help the civilians feel that Sri Lanka Army is a national organization, in which all ethnicities are respected and accommodated equally, irrespective of differences of many kinds.
Earlier, under the batch number 1 & 2, a total of 1476 officers and other ranks underwent Tamil Language Proficiency Course and received their certificates.
During Friday’s certificate awarding ceremony, it was revealed that all soldiers serving the SFHQ-J are to be competent in Tamil language by September 2015.
Prof Vasanthi Arsaratnam, Vice Chancellor, University of Jaffna, gracing the certificate awarding ceremony as the Chief Guest appreciated the SFHQ-J’s moves in this direction and held the view that effective communication between soldiers and Jaffna civilians, would herald a new era of understanding and cooperation between the South and the North.
Members of the clergy, Prof Balasundaram Pillai, former Vice Chancellor at University of Jaffna, Major General Udaya Perera, Mr Pujitha Jayasundera, DIG for Northern Province and several other invitees were present at the occasion.
Course attendees, displaying their newly acquired Tamil proficiency staged a brief drama during the ceremony amid applause of the spectators.
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