The passing-out parade of 55 woman recruits, including 45 Tamil woman soldiers, who completed the initial three-month training in the Sri Lanka Army Women’s Corps (SLAWC), took place at 4 Sri Lanka Signal Corps parade ground at Anuradhapura in a glittering flood-lit ceremony on Wednesday (18).
This was the first time in the history of the Army, such a vast number of Tamil woman recruits, joined the Army en masse on voluntary basis, although the Army continues to have Tamil woman officers and other rankers serving.
Endorsing the concept that Sri Lanka runs as ‘One Country - One Nation’, the recruitment of Tamil woman soldiers to the Army, marked a new turning point in the history towards further strengthening of ethnic harmony, reconciliation, co-existence and broader understanding among both Sinhalese and Tamils.
Major General Boniface Perera, Commander, Security Force Headquarters - Wanni (SFHQ-W), received the salute of those woman soldiers before he delivered a special address to them.
A drill and physical training display of those woman soldiers added colour to the occasion and the passing out ceremony afterwards, followed a mini tattoo, band displays, cultural and musical features, fireworks, acrobatics and many other entertaining features that recorded a new chapter in the Army annals of recruitment.
Recruit Divya Dharmanayagam, who joined the Army from Annamalai area, was honoured as the Best Recruit in the 55 - strong contingent while Recruit G.D Wijeratne who scored the highest aggregates in all subjects during the training, received accolades.
Those woman soldiers underwent training in warfare and military strategies, internal security duties, civil-military relations and non-military spheres, like beauty culture, cookery, bridal dressing, etc in addition.
Religious leaders of all denominations, tri-service officers, senior Police officers, parents of those recruits and a large gathering of people witnessed the event which was of historic nature.
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