‘Kamban Pugazh’ Award Presented to President Anura Kumara Dissanayake
The All Ceylon Kamban Kazhagam honored Anura Kumara Dissanayake with the prestigious ‘Kamban Pugazh’ Award for 2026 in recognition of his efforts to unite a nation affected by ethnic divisions and to ensure inclusive governance by supporting minority communities.
The award was presented during the final day ceremony of the Kamban Festival 2026, held on Sunday (3) at the Ramakrishna Mission Hall in Colombo at 5:30 PM. The event commenced with the ceremonial lighting of the traditional oil lamp by businessman N.S. Vasu. Justice Pa. Sasi Mahendran delivered the keynote address, while the inaugural speech was given by Dr. Mohamed Rela, who attended from Tamil Nadu, India.
During the ceremony, six distinguished individuals were also honored for their contributions, including former Speaker Karu Jayasuriya, businessman C. Thanapala, senior engineer C. Uruthiralingam, Dr. Prathap Ramanujam, Dr. ‘Kaapiyako’ Jinnah Sharifudeen, and A. Umamaheswaran. As Karu Jayasuriya was unable to attend, the award on his behalf was received by his son-in-law, Naveen Dissanayake.
The highlight of the event was the presentation of the ‘Kamban Pugazh’ Award to President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, accompanied by the title “The One Who Changed History.” The event was also attended by K. Annamalai, who participated as a special guest from India.
