India has awarded the Padma awards to two Sri Lankans for their contribution to the fields of arts and literature for the year 2020.
Vajira Chitrasena, Sri Lankan dance icon, was awarded for her contribution to promoting traditional dance forms of Sri Lanka in India and Indra Dassanayake was awarded posthumously for her contribution in promoting Hindi in Sri Lankan schools and universities.
The Padma awards are one of the highest civilian honours conferred by India every Republic Day. The awards had been postponed last year due to the covid-19 pandemic.
Dassanayake's daughter, Vathsala Dassanayake Ishtaweera, travelled to India from Australia to receive the award on behalf of her late mother.
Sri Lankan newspaper Daily Mirror said: "the contributions of veteran Kandyan dance exponent and guru Vajira Chitrasena, and linguist Prof. Indra Dassanayake, a well-known professor of Hindi at the Kelaniya University, to their individual fields, are noteworthy. They have both played important roles in further strengthening the cultural relations and the bonds of friendship between the people of India and Sri Lanka".The Indian Government had in 2002 honoured musician and Magsaysay award winner Wannakuwattawaduge Don Amardeva with the Padma Shri.
