Son Appointed New Rathugala Indigenous Leader After Father's Passing

Nishantha Kumara Aththan has been appointed as the new leader of the indigenous community in Rathugala, succeeding his father, Sudawannila Aththan, who recently passed away after a period of illness. The funeral rites for Sudawannila Aththan were conducted on May 9th in Rathugala, with his burial taking place on his ancestral land. During the ceremony, Dambana indigenous leader Uruwarige Wannila Aththan symbolically handed over the traditional bow and arrow, previously used by the late leader, to the newly appointed chief. The funeral proceedings reportedly received government patronage, with representatives including Deputy Minister R.M. Jayawardena in attendance.