Colombo: Sri Lanka’s new government declined to sing the national anthem in Tamil, the country’s second national language, during the island’s Independence Day celebrations, a departure from the previous government which sang the anthem in the country’s two primary languages to promote ethnic harmony in the aftermath of a decades-long civil war.

President Gotabaya Rajapakse was elected last year largely with votes of majority Buddhist Sinhalese. Minority Tamils overwhelmingly voted against him. Rajapakse was a top defence official in the civil war and played a major role in defeating the rebel Tamil Tigers. Many ethnic Tamil civilians were killed or went missing in the war, Dawn reported.

Rajapakse supporters opposed singing the national anthem in the Tamil language during the previous administration.

Tamil politicians had requested Rajapakse to continue the tradition of singing the Tamil translation of the national anthem recognised by the constitution in order to give the Tamil community a sense of belonging to the country after decades of estrangement with the state.

At a separate location a group of civil activists from both Sinhala and Tamil communities sang both versions of the anthem in a show of support to the Tamils.