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Everyone wants to live freely, to breathe in a free country. Not only humans but also animals love it very much. No one wants to live their life under anyone's control and be trapped. How would you feel if you lost the freedom you are currently enjoying..? How would you feel if you had to work as someone else says.? What would that experience be like? I know that people in many countries know the answers to these questions very well. Because many people have lost their freedom and have gained a lot of experience living in bondage.

My country is a beautiful, small island. Since ancient times, many foreigners have been looking towards my country because of its rich resources such as gold, silver, pearls, gems, diamonds and the geographical location of Sri Lanka. Many invaders have come to plunder my small country and they have taken the resources of my country to their countries. In terms of geographical location, Sri Lanka has a very special place. Because of this, many foreigners have come to Sri Lanka from time to time and have ruled my country as a colony.

Also, Sri Lanka is a country with a good culture. Those invaders wanted to destroy the culture of my country and accustom the people of my country to their culture. Somehow, in some way, they were able to influence the culture of my country. And my country is a Buddhist country. The foreigners wanted to divide the Buddhist people and convert them to their religion. Somehow, they were able to spread their religion in our country.

Before 1948, the Portuguese, Dutch and English came to this country and from time to time kept Sri Lanka as their colony and plundered the resources of my country and carried out a wicked rule. Many heroes of that time sacrificed their lives and fought to free my country from slavery. But on several occasions they failed, losing the lives of many heroes valuable to my country. All the people, regardless of Sinhala, Tamil and Muslim, have fought to save the country from foreigners, regardless of their lives.

On February 4, 1948, that is, on a day like today, the noble heroes were able to liberate my country from the British by winning the freedom struggle. Sri Lanka, which had been a colony until then, has been an independent and peaceful state since then.

So, every year since 1948, February 4th is celebrated as National Independence Day with great pomp. This time, the 77th Independence Day celebration was held with great pomp at the Independence Square in Colombo under the patronage of the new President, Mr. Anura Kumara Dissanayake. The theme of this year's Independence Day was "Let's rally for national renaissance".

_{The President sings the Jaya Mangala hymn during the Independence Day celebrations.}

Every year on February 4th, all television channels broadcast information about the Independence Day celebrations. This day is a very important and unforgettable day for all Sri Lankans. The people of my country, who suffered from slavery for many years, are breathing happily and freely in a free land today because of our heroic heroes of the past. Stories related to the events that took place on this day are broadcast on various television channels.

_{Salute parades conducted by officers of the tri-forces and security forces.}

The main Independence Day celebration is held under the patronage of the President and various ministers, and on that day, the President's special speech, tributes to the fallen heroes, and special salute parades are held by the tri-services, namely the Army, Navy and Air Force, related to each branch. In addition, officers of various state security forces also conduct various processions to make the Independence Day celebration even more beautiful.

Independence Day celebrations are also held in other areas in various ways. Also, the national flag is displayed in homes. In every school in our country, children and teachers gather together to conduct various activities related to the respective events on Independence Day.

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Although we gained freedom from foreign invaders in 1948, the countrymen later had to suffer from domestic terrorism. However, a few years ago, our country's leaders were able to end that brutal terrorism. Now we are living in a free country without any fear. I pray that my country will never again be targeted by foreign invaders or terrorists. Mother Sri Lanka will continue to shine like the pearl of the Indian Ocean.

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🌼Thanks for reading🌼

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