Prime Minister and Minister of Public Administration, Home Affairs, Provincial Councils, and Local Governments Dinesh Gunawardena said that legal amendments would be introduced to change the name Slave Island to Kompagngna Veediya, as it is presently called in Sinhala, in all three languages henceforth. 

Premier’s Secretary Anura Dissanayake had instructed Public Administration, Home Affairs, Provincial Councils and Local Governments Ministry Secretary Neel Bandara Hapuhinna to take urgent steps in this regard on the advice of Gunawardena. This decision has been taken in line with Sri Lanka celebrating 75 years of Independence tomorrow (4) and has also been notified to the Postmaster General and the Colombo Municipal Commissioner. 

Sinhala and Tamil are the national languages of the country, while English is the link language.