Sri Lankan Government has said that the national anthem will be sung only in Sinhala and not in Tamil, during the main Independence day celebrations to be held in Colombo tomorrow.<br />''<br />'' The national anthem in Tamil has not been included in celebrations for the first time since 2016, when previous government under President Maithripala Sirisena had initiated it in an attempt of reconciliation with Tamil minorities. Minister of State for Home Affairs Mahinda Samarasinghe said that the use of Tamil version will be permitted at province-based ceremonies although there will be only Sinhala version at the main ceremony. Tamil political parties had demanded to keep both versions of national anthem.<br />''<br />''Tamil politician and former Minister for National Integration Mano Ganesan said, the national anthem in Tamil is not just another song, but the Sri Lankan identity of the Tamil speaking community. The intent to sing national anthem in Sinhala only was made by a Minister soon after new President Gotabaya Rajapaksa took over though it was not announced earlier. Mr. Rajapaksa was overwhelmingly rejected by minorities at the Presidential polls held last November.<br />''<br />''<span style="color: #222222;">Meanwhile, the President has granted pardon to 512 prisoners on the occasion of 72nd Independence Day which marks Sri Lanka's freedom from British rule in 1948. Sri Lanka has around 12 per cent Tamil ethnic population and LTTE had led a three-decade long separatist war for a separate nation. </span><br />