National Anthem in Two languages
Posted on March 19th, 2015
Laya Alles Montreal, Canada
Allowing the singing of the National Anthem in the two languages is a good move towards reconciliation of the ethnic groups in Sri Lanka.
In Montreal, Canada, a concerted effort was made in the 1980s during the height of the crisis to bring together the fractured Sri Lankan community, albeit a very small one in Montreal.
One of the steps taken was to sing the national anthem both in Sinhala and Tamil. There were members from both communities who flocked together to make it happen.
Since then, at all events we have sung the national anthem in both languages.
We have a version that has both Sinhala and Tamils versus. This tactic allowed us to keep the same time as that would have been spent if the anthem was sung only in one language.
There were comments related to the constitutionality of this tactic. However, the community felt that if reconciliation is the objective then the constitution must be modified to enable more effective reconciliation to take place.
March 19th, 2015 at 1:04 pm
Rubbish!
NO COUNTRY in the world has 2 versions of the national anthem. SL has become FRACURED from the national anthem onwards.
For Sinhalese one national anthem. For Tamils another national anthem.
NO PEACEFUL country has this type of bullshitt.
In WC matches they sing the national anthem in SINHALA ONLY. In future they may have to sing in 2 languages!!
Even the Endian national anthem is NOT sung in Tamil!! What a FOOLISH decision to sing the national anthem in 2 languages. This panders into TAMIL RACISM.
Now the SL national anthem is also cursed. They did the same thing to the flag. At INDEPENDENCE SL flag didn’t have GREEN AND ORANGE. Now the flag is also FRACTURED into Sinhala territory, Tamil territory and Muslim territory.
To be fair, SL national anthem should also be in Arabic, Malay and Vedda languages too. Otherwise it is discriminatory.
March 19th, 2015 at 1:06 pm
I’m a TAMIL and I SING the SL national anthem in SINHALA. Even ANGELO MATTEWS does so. Murali did so. That’s how it should be.
2 national anthems ——–> 2 countries.
March 19th, 2015 at 1:17 pm
Look how this British child sings the REAL SL national anthem.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ggs3o3xJhwo
If she can, why can’t Tamil racists sing it!!
This is a Tamil racist joke to sing the national anthem in Tamil Nadu language.
March 19th, 2015 at 2:07 pm
Ms. Alles, with respect, this will be just as effective on ‘reconciliation’ as changing the ‘Shri’ in the number plates to a ‘Dash’ had on Prabhakaran changing his dream of a Tamil Eelam.
March 19th, 2015 at 2:34 pm
Does anyone with a sane mind think that Racist Tamils who are cat’s paws of the Christian West and India will be satisfied with anything till they have the whole of Sri Lanka. It will always be little now more later.
Sirisena will do anything his handlers will ask him to agree to. He has already been crowned as Udu Rawana II.
More jokes from Udu Rawana II will follow. He made a lot of jokes addressing the SLFP pussies on 18 March. They sat as if listening to a funeral oration from the village Kavi Kola Karaya!
March 19th, 2015 at 3:27 pm
This is really too much from Sirisena. NExt step will be to sing in both languages 80% Sinhala 20% Tamil.
March 19th, 2015 at 4:35 pm
The Funeral Orator has put the **Sarapaiy in his reddha assey** What a punk.!
March 19th, 2015 at 7:13 pm
Lorenzo,
There is no need for most Tamils to sing it. There heart is not there. Their brains are being taught evil from very young.
“Mata” in our national song is not even commonly used Sinhala word, it is a Pali word. They even object to it. Some times I wonder they hate Buddhism more than the language of ours.
Leaving aside everything, they must be tortured to say “Namo Namo Mata” phrase as it is without ANY change. Let the rest be Tamil if they want to do suicide attack to object.
March 19th, 2015 at 10:13 pm
Latest news !
National anthem has been pissed off by my3 tamil urethra
Next the Lion in National flag will be replaced by my3’s three!
March 20th, 2015 at 12:07 am
or Sinhalese one national anthem. For Tamils another national anthem.- We only have only one National anthem sing in two Language where ever majority people come like Canada what is the big deal here !!!
March 20th, 2015 at 12:10 am
any where this problem will be soon over as We need to sing in NPC Vanthe Matharam ( Thaye Vannakkam ) !!!
March 20th, 2015 at 12:14 am
This is really too much from Sirisena. NExt step will be to sing in both languages 80% Sinhala 20% Tamil.- good idea !!!
March 20th, 2015 at 7:48 am
Sing the Anthem in ONE Sinhala language.
He doesn’t know Indian politics at all, it seems. India is divided into separate states through language and NO state adjoining Tamil Nadu lets the Tamil language grow. In present times, the identity and security of a State is mainly through ethnicty, language and religion. These are the traits that determine the culture. Since India is Lanka’s large neighbor, Lanka is forced to think in terms of how India governs.
March 20th, 2015 at 8:35 am
India is divided into separate states through language – That what We will follow NEP is Tamil & other 7 is Sinhala if implement fully 13A & 16A.
what a point of sing Nation anthem in Sinhala Which We Tamil do not know what is meaning of it & visa versa.
end of the day
We are divided , We are Two nation, We are Language , We are Two Religion, We are different people ie I won’t propose My daughter to your son visa versa (unless love marriage like CM Viggie’s Sons) whether we like or not We divided Mother Lanka long time ago ( From Eela(Ela Rajah) to VP) !
NOW We should find a way to Unite mother Lanka which already divided.
Solution Fully implement 13A &16A together !!!!!
March 20th, 2015 at 5:12 pm
Canada is a different place to Lanka.
Canada was first held by the French but was ceded to Britain when France lost one of her inumerable European French/Brit wars to Britain. The English language was introduced to Canada after the French language had flourished there for some time as the only European language. Canadian experience with language is fairly recent, whilst the Sinhala language has flourished in Lanka for almost 2,500 yrs. Canada can afford to be generous e language as it is a large country in the developed world unlike Lanka struggling to survive in a ‘sea of economic sharks’.
I am not against the use of any language to express good emotions, but it is only fair that the Sinhala language be used to sing the National Anthem. As 72% of the people are Sinhala, it is right that the National Anthem be expressed in the Sinhala language.
Does Lanka have to depend on Tamil Labor ? No. Those days when tea was the main foreign exchange earner is no more. Lanka can produce her own labor within the country and not depend on illegal labor from Tamil Nadu. The singing of the National Anthem in Tamil is to please illegal Tamil labor ?
Sri Lanka has to stop depending on Tamil LABOR mainly in the tea estates by plucking tea with tea machines as done in India, China, S. Africa, Japan etc. Tea plucking machines can be bought fairly cheap from China. Any one or two people can operate these easily whilst bringing down the cost of tea production. Why don’t our people APPLY SOLUTIONS THAT WORK ?
March 20th, 2015 at 5:28 pm
Not only 72% are Sinhalse , 98% can understand Sinhala and talk a bit. So this is not about that 2%, it is more than that. This is why this stupid idea should be defeated.
But even Mahinda is least bothered about this because he likes it to be in both languages but scared to do it.
March 20th, 2015 at 9:56 pm
All this is beside the point when one considers that the Constitution clearly designates the National Anthem as an entrenched clause and clearly states that it can only be sung “in word and sound” as presented verbatim in Sinhala in its annexed Schedule.
As such, whether written in Tamil or in English, it can only be TRANSLITERATED. and cannot be TRANSLATED, or changed in “WORD AND SOUND” as things stand in the current Constitution.
In order to change the Constitution to whatever is further desired therefore, a 2/3 majority in Parliament followed by a Referendum are needed for it to be sung as a Tamil TRANSLATION despite it having one approved at some previous parliamentary sitting.
The problem seems to be that Parliamentarians do not reads the Constitution and debate these issues in a properly informed manner.
It is time that they follow mandatory courses in the Constitution of Sri Lanka.
March 20th, 2015 at 9:56 pm
All this is beside the point when one considers that the Constitution clearly designates the National Anthem as an entrenched clause and clearly states that it can only be sung “in word and sound” as presented verbatim in Sinhala in its annexed Schedule.
As such, whether written in Tamil or in English, it can only be TRANSLITERATED. and cannot be TRANSLATED, or changed in “WORD AND SOUND” as things stand in the current Constitution.
In order to change the Constitution to whatever is further desired therefore, a 2/3 majority in Parliament followed by a Referendum are needed for it to be sung as a Tamil TRANSLATION despite it having one approved at some previous parliamentary sitting.
The problem seems to be that Parliamentarians do not read the Constitution and debate these issues in a properly informed manner.
It is time that they follow mandatory courses in the Constitution of Sri Lanka.
March 20th, 2015 at 10:00 pm
Sorry….
LINE 3 FROM BOTTOM OF COMMENT SHOULD READ:
“….. despite it having been approved at some previous parliamentary sitting.”
Thanks!
March 20th, 2015 at 10:10 pm
Nilwala,
OK. You are correct. If even the constitution is not respected, this is a rogue state.
March 21st, 2015 at 1:46 am
NOW We should find a way to Unite mother Lanka which already divided since Eela Raja to VP time.
Sing National anthem in Both Language to feel Mother Lankan before Indian take over Thallai Mannar to Sampur !!!
March 21st, 2015 at 3:04 am
Most Tamils not only in the north but in the central hills do not understad a word of Sinhala,mostly because they have no use for it. Only those who come down from the hills learn Sinhala. If they are allowed to learn in Tamil and allowed to live in the country as citizens is it not a second class treatment to deprive them the use their language in singing the National anthem? Isn’t it a pleadge of allegiance to this country?Isn’t it better to have it willingly with the understading it comes with.
It should not be viewed as a victory to the seperatists but exactly the opposit.
March 21st, 2015 at 6:15 am
Nak
it should not be voirwed as a victory to the seperatists but exactly the opposit_- why can not this simple ligic not able to understand by our sinhala educated peple
also 13A is right opposit to separation to unite our divided community
What else can say modaya always modayas we sakkiliyas with them they are safe !
March 21st, 2015 at 6:47 am
NAK – It is not a question of being First Class or Second Class citizens – IT IS THE CONSTITUTION OF SRI LANKA/
So please go have Parliament pass an Amendment with a 2/3 majority, and follow it with a Referendum, and you can have the National Anthem sung in Tamil – NO PROBLEM! This is the LAW as it stands now.
March 21st, 2015 at 11:11 am
I do agree with Nilwala that the Lanka Constitution is not being followed by MPs and relevant others. For instance, the 6-A has NEVER been put into action. If the 6-A is not being acted on, why have it in the Constitution ?
March 21st, 2015 at 12:46 pm
Sri Lanka is the most curious place on Planet Earth. Lanka has a Constitution that the govt does not follow in some parts where it is legal to do so, but a part which was imposed on Lanka under Duress and is therefore illegal, is followed (13-A), and kept on instead of ditching it.
Also, Lanka govt should post signs along the coast saying ‘illegal migrants welcome’ !!
March 21st, 2015 at 3:41 pm
As long as UNP remains in power SL is a FAILED STATE.
Anyone can do whatever they want if they are with the govt.
1. Abduct an underaged girl and marry her – OK. As long as you are a govt. minister.
2. GRAB a land in the center of Colombo and a HSZ – OK as long as you are with the govt.
3. Violate the constitution as much as you want – OK as long as you are in the govt.
The cheap justice is the WORST political pawn SL has ever seen. Disgusting! But the BAR ASS-O-CIA-TION is silent as long as they support the UNP.
What a country! A FAILED STATE.
March 21st, 2015 at 3:54 pm
Bar association is an association of those who FAILED STATE EXAMS.