BBC Hard Talk – National Anthem in Tamil?
Posted on January 30th, 2012

Selva Gnanam Melbourne, Australia

In his 9 part series(made 2010) BBC ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”Hard TalkƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ host Stephen Sackur looks at the Sri Lankan government’s child soldier rehabilitation programme (parts 7-9) ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ He talks to the programme director, teachers ….. and to the teenagers themselves, about their horrific experiences and new lives. The programme, he says, poses a troubling question ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢¢”š¬…” ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-Should the victorious Sri Lankan military be responsible for the rehabilitation of traumatised and vulnerable Tamil teenagers?” He always stresses the point that the people engaged in this whole operation are ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-SinghaleseƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ and the overall control is still with the ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-victorious Sri Lankan militaryƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  In his eagerness to harp on the fact that ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-SinghaleseƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ are in total control, he calls the English teacher of the school, Bernadine Anderson a
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-SinghaleseƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ ??ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Earlier in his commentary, he says that the Sri Lankan army was their enemy, but now they raise the national flag and sing the national anthem in ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-SinghaleseƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ (giving the subliminal message that the students have no choice) At the end ofƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  part 9 he asks the OIC,ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Brigadier Sudantha Ranasinghe whether he is trying to ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-reprogramƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  the minds of these ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-TamilƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ youth by getting them to sing the national anthem of Sri Lanka in ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-SinghaleseƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ I would have burst out laughing at the question but the Officer, very seriously, gives the right answer …ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  which was that no country in the world has her national anthem sung in different languages. He should have answered Sackur, who is British,ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  by asking him whetherBritain has her national anthem sung in English as well as Scottish, Welsh andƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Irish!!

Right throughout all the interviews he conducted in 2010, including those with Frederica Janz, Sarath Fonseka and R.Sampanthan the words ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-Terrorism /TerroristƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ is not used even once but ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-War crimesƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ is mentioned several times and one question comes to mind always. Is he collecting evidence against the ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-victorious Sri Lankan militaryƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  and the ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-SinghaleseƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ people, ….. to be used as evidence of ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-war crimesƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ ??

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ We have to remember that the Anglo-American Empire supported the LTTE terrorists for thirty years and these Anglo-Tigers have not changed their stripes even if the situation has changed ….. which they consider to be ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-TemporaryƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  They targeted Colonel Gadaffi ofLibyafor forty years …. sometimes wined him and dined him …. and even hugged him ….. and finally murdered him …. to steal the oil wealth of that country.

To safe-guard our country, ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ we have to protect the people who saved us from the clutches of terrorism … and never forget that the Tigers were nurtured and fattened by milk from all the Western nations.

5 Responses to “BBC Hard Talk – National Anthem in Tamil?”

  1. Vis8 Says:

    Thanks for speaking out. The innocent majority of expatriate Tamils are not afraid to speak now. Good for them!

  2. geoff Says:

    Well said Mr Gnanam.

    Please write more often.

  3. lingamAndy Says:

    Ref:which was that no country in the world has her national anthem sung in different languages.
    My own brother (En udan pirappe ) Selva Gnanam please explain me if We sing our National Anthan in Sinhala will we understand what it means !
    let me sing Our mother lanka National Anthom for you !
    eg: Mamo mamo matha …..( than what sorry I can not remember…. any more sir ….)
    eg: Mamo mamo Thaaye , Nam olipira sura niee Nalankal Navi nirai Srilanka , Na mo Na mo Thaaye……
    You see tha different Sir !!!

    Nationa antham is not Actor Thanu’s Kola veri Kola veri ( No Tamil… Only english – Handila glassu , glasila scotshu ….) Song Sir ……….

  4. Lorenzo Says:

    Andy,

    If you can’t understand it, learn it!

    You learned English didn’t you? English is not your mother tongue. So why can’t learn the language of SL? Tamil is Tamil Nadu’s language. Sinhala is SL’s language. Found nowhere else.

    Selva Gnanam is a peace loving anti-racist gentleman you are a racist.

  5. lingamAndy Says:

    Lorenzo
    why can’t learn the language of SL- Agreed
    I stongly support all Tamil must learn (& write) Sinhala & Bhuddisum In mother lanka !
    Eg:if a old Tamil man want to go to other village to get permise from Sinhala Bhuddish Army in N&E P If He can ask Sinhala ( Putha abeyta janda poluvantha ….) I am sure 100% that Sinhala army will take in to his bycycle ( thats what Bhuddist sinhalese are ! including you Sir )

    But singing Nation anthem in chinhalan – not agreed
    does not matter how many language a person can learn but if he sing Nation anthem in his mother tang that make sence !!!!
    unit with diversity ! no short cut Lorenzo !
    We are two different culture people We have lived last 2500 years & will live another 3500 years in our Bhuddhas Holy land ! whether We two live it or not Lorenzo 1

Leave a Reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.

 

 


Copyright © 2024 LankaWeb.com. All Rights Reserved. Powered by Wordpress