The Sinhala Only Policy, Tamil “rights†and the validity of calling Buddhists extremist in Sri Lanka
Posted on January 17th, 2013
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Shenali Waduge
To sufficiently address a global and local campaign that has as its clear objective to project Buddhists in Sri Lanka as extremists, chauvinistic and even militant is not easy and impossible given that the gavel has concluded its verdict. Then there is also the notion that the Sinhala Only was the root to Tamil discrimination. When Tamil was never an administrative language used in governance during colonial rule and even upon post-independence how can Tamils claim they had been denied this right? The politicians that claimed ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-grievanceƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ in denial of Tamil usage were studying and using English in employment along with their Sinhala counterparts. Tamil language was never used on an official basis. These Tamil leaders had taken the Sinhala politicians for a ride ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢¢”š¬…” from no Tamil use, they got ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-reasonable useƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ and then ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-official useƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ after the Indian intervention in 1987. All through the entire process Buddhists and Buddhism had been demonized and continue to be so.
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ No amount of theories placed by opponents has succeeded to nullify the fact that the Sinhale race of Buddhists has an embedded and historical lineage in the land of Sri Lanka. That centuries old historical civilization collapsed only after the arrival of the European colonials. The very exponents of human rights were responsible for the murder, mayhem, looting and raping of thousands of natives in territories that belong to the people of Africa and Asia. These very nations that today demand ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-inquiriesƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ have failed to even say ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-sorryƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ for their crimes. These very nations that speak of ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-equalityƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚, ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-freedomsƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚, ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-rightsƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ came to take over by force nations, to plunder their wealth and to convert the people to Christianity. That objective remains and explains why the majority of humanitarian and charity organizations describe themselves as ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-Christian/Catholic OrganizationsƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚. It is these movements that use Tamil grievance as a ticket to create a Catholic enclave like East Timor to eventually create a Christian base in a geographically strategic location like Sri Lanka.
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ The European policy to marginalize Buddhists lasted for 500 years.
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Their policy of divide and rule created the majority-minority gulf. The process of pauperizing and eliminating the Buddhists took the form of violence, murder and mayhem, acquisition of land, destruction of Buddhist paddy fields and animal husbandry, addicting people to liquor, importing Indian labor to bridge the Sinhala-Tamil gap and the denial of education. Minorities were given the best of missionary education once they converted and enjoyed employment and social status while Buddhists who refused to give up their language or their religion were confined to the village. With time Buddhists that converted also enjoyed English education and it was these who became the politicians of post-independence ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢¢”š¬…” the vernacular speaking Buddhists saw little change to their status quo.
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ At post-independence both Sinhala and Tamil politicians were those who had by conversion obtained English education and belonged to the elite. It was the Vellala caste Jaffna Tamils who were to decide what they thought was best for all Tamils in Sri Lanka and it was no different for the Sinhalese elite. By independence in 1948, 80% of public service jobs were secured by Christian Tamils (all from Jaffna elite Vellala caste) and the rest by mostly elite Christian Sinhalese. Both the army and navy were headed by Christian Tamils.
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ The situation that befell Sri Lanka no sooner independence was given was the fact that no minority was willingly to accept a reversal in the manner ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-theyƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ had been dominating the Buddhist majority for over 200 years. ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-TheyƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ meant a handful of elite English speaking Christian converted Tamils who belonged to the Vellala caste. While we cannot blame the minorities for feeling arrogant and superior to the majority natives who were confined to the village, we should also understand the sense of loss the Buddhist natives would have felt by the injustice. This was not how the ancient Buddhist kings had envisaged would happen to Sri Lanka in the manner they ran the country over centuries.
Yet, this was the British legacy to Sri Lanka. All nations became ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-independentƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ of colonial rule only after these nations became connected to the international banking system and world markets. There is not much difference in nations under colonials in the past and neo-colonials in the present.
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ The Sinhala Only Bill
With the departure of the British and with Sri Lanka left to run its own country ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢¢”š¬…” there was an imbalance that no one could ignore. Could a country run with over 95% in the villages with only the knowledge of Sinhalese and little education while a handful were enjoying English education and automatic employment opportunities? The Tamil/Sinhalese elite class was faced with a looming problem. 3% English educated elite Tamils and Sinhalese were in no position to run a country on its own. Could Sri Lanka run a country with just 180,000 English educated Tamils and Sinhalese, and treble the number of vernacular educated youth who knew little or no English when the population stood at 6.6million.
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Sinhala as a State language was not an injustice perpetrated against the Tamils as is promoted but against the English educated elite of both Tamils and Sinhalese who had been enjoying undue privileges over the majority Buddhists. It was really a case of Non-speaking English majority vs the handful of English speaking people who were Tamil and Sinhalese Christians. The uprising of Sinhala youth in later years was to show their dissatisfaction that even upon independence the injustices prevailed for Buddhists. Reiterated again is that it was the Buddhists who suffered discrimination.
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ It was J R Jayewardene who brought a resolution in 1944 to make Sinhalese the official language in Ceylon. The resolution was amended by JRJ making Sinhalese and Tamil as official language and passed though Dudley Senanayake and 4 others voted against it. Incidentally, SWRD voted in favor while in the UNP. However, everything was done in English so it made little difference to non-elite Sinhalese or Tamils.
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Nevertheless, tardiness of politicians since independence to systematically introduce English to rural Sri Lanka whilst protecting vernacular languages and cultures have failed. This remains a challenge but one that has to be done.
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ In 1914, only 37,500 pupils attended English schools of a total population of 4.1m while 347,500 were registered in ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-vernacular schoolsƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢¢”š¬…” for both Buddhists and Tamils.
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ In 1931, there were 84,000 pupils in English schools while 476,000 went to vernacular schools.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ In 1948, 180,000 were in English schools while 720,000 attended vernacular schools.
The choice was to either educate that 97% in English or to get the 3% to learn and function in a language that the majority spoke in order to congregate the entire populace. The 2nd choice made logical sense.
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Any shrewd politician would have done what SWRD Bandaranaike did ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢¢”š¬…” it was the only practical thing to do. He gave up Christianity, left the UNP and using the 5 power centers ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢¢”š¬…” he won a landslide victory. However, it was not articulated properly and this opened doors for the rift that ensued because elite Tamil politicians thought it the perfect opportunity to make their demands. What elite Vellala Tamil politicians wanted to do was to continue the privileges they had been enjoying since colonial rule by using a bogus discrimination theme to maintain their status quo above all Tamils. There was no real love for the ordinary Tamil people or for the Tamil language. Always hidden was that these VellalaƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s did not want any low caste Tamils getting education even in Tamil.The caste issue was not as rigid in the Sinhalese as in the Tamils but it certainly did prevail in education, employment and marriage. These are issues that the international community cannot understand or link to political decision making.
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ What must be remembered at all times is that elite Vellala Tamils did not want to give better opportunities to their own people ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢¢”š¬…” with or without Sinhala Only. They wanted to remain rulers of all these low-caste Tamils and that has not changed still.
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ No one seems to have asked at which time in governance, administration was run in Tamil language for them to feel that making Sinhala Only denied them a right ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢¢”š¬…” Tamil language was never used administratively to claim denial? Elite Tamils and Sinhalese were studying in English and employment was also in English ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢¢”š¬…” Sinhala Only did not mean Tamil was prohibited from being spoken ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢¢”š¬…” vernacular schools taught in both mediums upto grade 5 only!
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ The truth was that no one wished to admit that Tamils did not want a reversal to what they had been unfairly enjoying for 200 years and instead it worked well to create a notion of ethnic-discrimination and language-discrimination ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢¢”š¬…” when in reality those creating these notions were English educated and probably did not even speak in Tamil at home or cared to uplift the lives of Tamils who studied in Tamil upto grade 5 only!
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Permission had to be sought in Parliament to speak in Sinhala prior to 1956! While parents had to sign that they did not mind their children learning the Bible.
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ So what exactly were these elite Tamils missing to feel a ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-grievanceƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ when Tamil was never the language of governance in Sri Lanka until it came to be ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-reasonably usedƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ after the Sinhala Only bill and thereafter made an official language following the Indian intervention in 1987?
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Obviously, even SWRD Bandaranaike fell for the ruse when politicians could have easily nullified these unnecessary demands because all those demanding for Tamil language rights studied in English ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢¢”š¬…” so what was this new demand for Tamil language status? SWRD in an interview however did say that there would be ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-reasonable-useƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ to Tamil as a language of a minority in education, examination, public service and correspondence.
http://www.times24.in/swrd-bandaranaike-interviewed-by-the-british-national-television-bbc/
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ However, situations like 1983 worked perfectly to nullify the truth. Not many were willing to say that it was J R Jayawardena, a few UNP goons and external hired forces that unleashed the riots ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢¢”š¬…” the Sinhalese provided safe haven to their Tamil neighbors. JRJ was never a friend of the Buddhists and many other leaders join that list.
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Those that side with Tamils and their reasons to demand separation may first like to provide answers to
- Why in 1941 Tamils demanded a separate Tamil state from the British Empire?
- Why Tamils refused the British policy of one-man/one-vote system?
- Why Tamils created an ethnic-based political party (All Ceylon Tamil Congress) in 1944 if they wanted to live in peaceful co-existence?
- Why Tamils demanded 50-50 representation in Parliament when Tamils at independence were just 733,000 and Sinhalese population was 4.6million? Lord Soulsbury declared the request a ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-mockery of democracyƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚. If the other Tamil-speaking communities can co-exist with the majority without making extremist demands why is it that only the Jaffna Tamils need special rights to live in peace and harmony?
- Why in 1949 an imported Chelvanayagam would establish the ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-Federal PartyƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢¢”š¬…” its English term hiding the Tamil meaning of ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-separate stateƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ in its party name?
- Why was it acceptable for LTTE to declare ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-Tamil OnlyƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ in 1990 in a defacto region in which LTTE had its own post offices, police, currency/notes, stamps etc?
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Lets now move on to the argument that promotes the notion that BUDDHISTS run Sri Lanka?
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Though Article 9 of the Sri Lanka Constitution makes special mention of ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-BuddhismƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚, can we be happy that the State has fulfilled its duty of ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-protectingƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ and ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-fosteringƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ the Buddha Sasana?
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ The economic conditions of Buddhists remain dismal in comparison to that of minorities even after the open economy in 1977. So, when media, organizations and individuals take pains to promote the theory of Buddhist chauvinism ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢¢”š¬…” why is it that Buddhists remain paupers compared to the other ethnic groups? Can anyone give valid points as to what Sinhalese enjoy over Tamils?
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Yet,
- In a ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-SinhalaƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ state ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢¢”š¬…” how is it that Muslims and Tamils make up more than 2/3 the population in Colombo?
- In a ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-SinhalaƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ state ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢¢”š¬…” how is it that the main wholesale trading is virtually run by either Muslims or Tamils?
- If Buddhists run Sri Lanka why is the commercial activity of Sri Lanka in the hands of non-Buddhists and in the capital itself the Sinhalese remain the minority populace?
- In a ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-SinhalaƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ state ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢¢”š¬…” how is it that Tamils and Muslims can purchase property, land and live wherever they like but when a Sinhalese want to live in the North it is termed as ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-colonizationƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚?
- In a ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-SinhalaƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ state ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢¢”š¬…” how is it that no Tamil, Muslim child is denied education in any school be it national, international, semi-private etc?
- In a ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-SinhalaƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ state ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢¢”š¬…” where does it deny Tamils or Muslims employment in either Public or Private sector because of their ethnicity? Yet, do Tamils and Muslims not openly declare they do not sell to Sinhalese (Buddhists), they do not employ Sinhalese (Buddhists)
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Is it wrong for Buddhists to reclaim their rightful heritage? Those that promote the notion that Buddhists discriminates against non-Buddhists because the Government is Buddhist are mistaken. The Government is not Buddhist and no one can give a single example as to how any Government has given special privileges to Buddhists over non-Buddhists except to grace events and cultural programs. This was not so in ancient times ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢¢”š¬…” Kings ran the state for a) protection and b) prosperity of its citizens following the dasa rajya dharma providing for all the needs of the citizens within a fair and pure administration. Even the enemy Elara was certainly not like Prabakaran as the Mahavamsa refers to Elara as a noble man who rules ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-with even justice towards friend and foe, on occasions of dispute at lawƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚.
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ All that the Buddhists wanted at independence and especially through the Sinhala-Only bill was for Buddhists to reclaim their cultural and religious heritage that had been targeted for elimination. Have Buddhists significantly gained anything post-independence apart from an internationalized continuation of what they suffered from during colonial rule? Is there really a place given to the Temple, Tank and Paddy that characterized Buddhist rule of yonder years? ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Therefore repeated again is the question what do the Buddhists have that a Tamil does not have ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢¢”š¬…” the question is never answered? Instead Buddhists are accused of chauvinism, Mahavansa mentality and discriminating Tamils simply because Buddhists realize the dangers of extremism and are now exerting pressures to stop extremism that would lead to a scenario that Europe is now experiencing.
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ However, minorities have made it a habit to use sporadic events as ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-grievancesƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ to create a scenario of state oppression and thereafter to exert undue pressure and force politicians to officially provide them legal rights when there is little to substantiate their claims. As such Buddhist opinion has subtly been excluded from discussions between GOSL and Tamil leaders and whatever opinions expressed on behalf of the Buddhists has been by mostly Christians. At no point in time however the land rights of the Buddhists that had been acquired by force ever come into discussion or inquiry. It is on these grounds that Buddhists have a greater reason to accuse the Church of attempting to undermine Buddhism in Sri Lanka and the Catholic Action movement cannot deny this.
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ If unbiased coverage is what media promises can media claim to provide Buddhists the same place it gives to non-Buddhists when publishing critiques of religions? Buddhism is not about division of nikayas, stone stupas, idol worship, monks living in luxury, similarly Christianity is also not about conversions, pedophiles, homosexualism and Islam is not about Wahhabism or vandalism. Politicians have not helped in the least as power and money often ends up determining their actions. The truth is priests belonging to all religions are not without their vices but that cannot change the message propagated by the leaders of these faiths.
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Certainly we have come to another phase of extremism. It was elite Vellala Jaffna Tamils that first started making extremist demands which turned into terrorist demands with time. Now, Wahhabism and Sharia laws have come to take the newest phase of extremism. If majority of Tamils did not party with the 1st extremism and the new extremism is not shared by Muslims, it is time to take proper actions instead of diverting the issue by promoting Buddhist extremism to hide the truth.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ If the people of Poland could recover their culture and language despite it being governed by Germany, Russia, Hungary and Austria ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢¢”š¬…” what is wrong with the Buddhists recovering their culture and language ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢¢”š¬…” it was that which the colonials denied?
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Are these arguments abusing Buddhists and Buddhism all coming down to promote the notion that everyone would be happy if we go back to colonial rule where minorities enjoyed all the privileges and the Buddhists remained confined to the villages?
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Sri Lanka does not belong to any individual, group or even the State. It belongs to all those who are committed to act as trustees, sharing it in common, protecting each other and the environment which includes all the animals as well. Both man and animal have a right to life.
January 17th, 2013 at 5:27 pm
New definitions
“Racist” or “Extremist” – a member of the majority who speaks up against minority hidden agendas. Even anyone who is proud of being a member of the majority can be classified as a racist.
“Reconciliation” – acknowledging that a minority has a hidden agenda and endorsing it.
“Multiculturalism” – caving into intolerant minority demands, letting minority hidden agendas go on unabated and pretending that nothing is wrong (until its too late!)
“Activist” – someone from the majority (due to financial incentives or shear idiocy) who supports minority hidden agendas
“Peace” – when hatred filled individuals at the forefront of a minority hidden agenda can finally be relieved that they have reached their goal, the country has been homogenized into zombies who cannot think for themselves and the enemy (those who dare question their doctrine) have been completely annihilated.
The golden rules for the future…..
“Never tolerate the intolerant”
“Learn from your stupid mistakes” (we ditched the “Shri” letter from our license plates… was it any good?)
January 17th, 2013 at 6:25 pm
If English is national language in England, German in Germany, French in France, Norwegian in Norway, Italian in Italy, Russian in Russia, Chinese in China, Japanese in Japan what is wrong of Sinhala is national language in Sri Lanka.
No matter tamil minority speak tamil language or English or French or Norwegian or German or where ever they are either in Sri Lanka or England or U.S.A or Norway or Germany or France or Canada or South Africa or Fiji, or Mauritius or Trinidad or Kenya or Tanzania elsewhere.
Minority right doesn’t mean they have a right to limit majority’s rights. Sinhalese have a right to have their national language as an official language in Sri Lanka. What is the logic saying only Sinhala nation cannot make their language as an official language in their own country?
January 17th, 2013 at 8:50 pm
So called Sinhala Only Bill was Official Language Bill.
Sri Lanka must resort back to Sinhala only as the official languages (pre-13A). English can be a national language with Tamil. Even in India Tamil is not an official language so there is no reason for Sri Lanka to have it.
Did making Tamil an official language resolve the problem? No; it made it worse.
However, there are bigger forces at play here. Sri Lanka could not enforce the law because of India’s lack of foresight. Hindi is the only official language of India. State communications are made in English as a “temporary” measure to communicate with Tamil Nadu. Had India compelled Tamil Nadu just like 27 other states to accept Hindi only, Sri Lanka would have followed. It was India’s indecision that boiled over.
In 1938-40 British rulers made Hindi the medium of instruction in all Indian schools. Tamil Nadu erupted and held violent protests. Ultimately it was dropped in 1940. When the policy was introduced in India, the Hindu Educvation Board of Ceylon voluntarily instructed all Tamil schools under its control to compulsorily teach Sinhala to every Tamil student. However, when the British rulers reversed it in India in 1940 due to war and pressure, the Hindu Educvation Board of Ceylon also retracted its circular.
Maintaining Tamil as an official language is one of the gravest threats to national integrety. Abrogating 13A corrects this problem.
January 18th, 2013 at 2:26 am
As I have said millions of times that SRI LANKA is only for Sri Lankans of all races who were born to this beloved island.America or any other country cannot dictate to us in anything because we have sons and daughters who have the knowledge and education equal to most dynamic persons in this world.
Our current President and his team has shown the world that we Sri Lankans can do which no other country can do after a bloody war of thirty long years. We have shown the world how to treat the enemy who waged war with us and killed innocents in cold blood. We dont need any advise from uncle sam or the brits or any other white goons who preached democracy and kill millions of innocents daily in our planet. We can run our own democracy thank God we have a capable true Sinhala hero to lead our tiny nation not like the traitors of Motherlanka Ranil,Tilwin,ANURA,KANTHA,MANGALAYA,Ponnaseka and the TNA and Tamil daspora. Sri Lanka belongs ro SINHALESE period. The rest of all ethnic minorities can live as Sri Lankans in peace and harmony and help to build this nation without trying to destroy it with the help of white war mongers. Unity is the key word for prosperity.
January 18th, 2013 at 5:35 am
Shenali Waduge
there was an imbalance that no one could ignore. Could a country run with over 95% in the villages with only the knowledge of Sinhalese – Why you are not thinking about 95% in the villages with only the knowledge of Tamil !
Dilrook
Sri Lanka must resort back to Sinhala only as the official languages (pre-13A). English can be a national language with Tamil- You stupid sinhala moddaya WHY English can be a national language with Sinhalese (if it ok with Tamil than why not with sinhalese)!
13 plus will be Thamil Eelam !!!
mjaya
New definitions- Fully agrred with all your new definition – our chinhala sakotharaya never learn livetogther,
Eelam war V will bring permenat solution forever !!!
January 18th, 2013 at 4:17 pm
Andy phallus the bigger modaya is the sakkiliya who carries the shit of sinhala modaya on his head. Anwway its good to know that there people who has the wisdom to guagd what swrd did to safeguard sinhala. People like mahinda rajapakse are far more worried about the vote and they dont want to hurt muslims or tamils. A new breed has now emerged among sinhala fools as andy puts it who argue that sri lanka or colombo is for everyone and we sinhalayas need to accept muslim encroachment especially colombo these idiots are the so called left elite thinkers. There is a real threat to buddhism and sinhala and it now comes within the sinhala community a pathetic situation indeed this is why i insist that MR should go he is too unwise to rule the country in fact the whole country is now of colomban thinking but they are simply helpless. A strong hela movement is the only option left
January 19th, 2013 at 5:27 am
Islamiya modaya pork kanna yodaya!
LOL!
What happens in Saudi (Islam killing Islam) and Mali are good examples.
January 19th, 2013 at 6:47 am
Under the British English was the official language and the villgers were there. The villagers did not appear from thin air fter independence. I dont care whether Sinhala or English is the official language, but not Tamil. We should not teach Tamil to Sinhala kids.
SWRD policies were made by his Indian mates he met with while in London. His election was finaced by Indians. Indian merchant had a motgage over his residence. So he had to do what they directed him. Why didnt Sirimavo sent their kids to Widyodaya and Vidyalankara universities instead of Oxford and Soborn.
By 1956 the poor village kids who studied at Cental schools in English medium were coming out of Peradeniya and Colombo Universities.They were a challenge to the Pancha Maha Balavegaya.
WE should make English the medium of instruction from secondary level ae it was the plan under the Kannagara vision.
Sakwithi the English Tutor is a product of Sinhala policy.
Let us change Business language of the country from Tamil to English or Sinhala.
January 19th, 2013 at 3:20 pm
Some points to note :
(1) English as a strong second language in schools would prove to be a winner for all re jobs, commerce, use of computers,
communicating with the rest of the world. Sinhala has to be the main language used in Sri Lanka. The respective mother tongue languages should be taught in Primary Schools mainly, both Sinhala & Tamil.
(2) To find solutions to the problem of Sinhela people being treated unfairly – A Sinhela Research organisation with branches in all provinces (so far as the Province is the unit) should be established and accurate assessments made of progress of Sinhela people re education methods, jobs, health, welfare, housing, etc. Suggestions for improvements can be made to respective MPs concerned and also (so far) via PCs. GoSL ultimately held responsible for improvement of various factors.
(3) Agree with Dilrook that the 13-A should be removed for the sake of a sense of security for the vast majority of people in Lanka.
January 19th, 2013 at 4:26 pm
Hussain, you have again opened your mouth talking rubbish. The only time Sinhalaya became modaya is when Sinhala King allowed the Arab merchants, your ancestors to stay in the East when British threw your theives out. Unfortunately the king was not a Sinhalaya. What British saw he didn’t see. That is why they say “Never allow Thambiya to put the head in as before you know thambiya will have the whole body in”. Sinhalaya is modaya to trust a Thambiya and I agree with that Hussain, because they thought Thambiya is honest and trustorthy like Sinhalaya not knowing that Thambiya follow the footstep of Mr. Mohamad, a xxx, xxxx, xxx and x xxxxx. See you are correct in some aspect. Thank you for reminding these Hussain so now we all know.
January 19th, 2013 at 11:01 pm
Christie english medium of instruction Absolutely not pl dont join the anglo saxon propaganda machine which attempts to Condition pathetic fools like sinhalese chinese indians we did swallowed the bate our results at exams turned better when you use mother tongue its the cheaq colombon mentality they presume sinhala as labourer’s language music in most peoples ears to know we will be kicked out of Commonwealth the defunct org. Diversion spoke to a dutch girl who is doing a research here shocked to hear poor school kids dont get a proper meal! Mahinda chintana at work gdp divided by population gives the income of an invidual in sl which stands at app 4000 which in my opinion gives a false fig. Since the filthy rich including the wahhabis are probably less than 10 perc. Anyone may challenge this
January 20th, 2013 at 1:46 am
“On the 18th of May 2009 when the war drew to a close”
RUBBISH!
On 18th May 2009 SL armed forces WIPED OUT Tamil nationalists and UNCONDITIONALLY WON the war.
Lets not introduce BS words into it to DIVERT reality.
2009 incident is not an isolated incident. Sinhalese repeatedly DEFEATED Tamil trouble makers.
Making this type of FOOLISH and racist statements shows the loser is not interested in peace.
“sin-hela-ya Modaya Kawun Kanna Veeraya”
That is OK. We CAN WIN ANY WAR, UNCONDITIONALLY.
January 21st, 2013 at 4:45 am
Sunil says “Mahinda chintana at work gdp divided by population gives the income of an invidual in sl which stands at app 4000 which in my opinion gives a false fig.” Sunil is absolutely correct. GDP is not the correct way to measure human well being at all. It is misleading.
Some of the World Systems that have been set up for various measurements do not work.
The Physical Quality of Life Index (PQLI) measurements are far more accurate in measuring real well being, although that too falls short of reality. Here is a write up from the web on the
PQLI. It has to be stated that there is no real way to measure Human Happiness & Wellbeing, we can only perhaps invent some indices to suit us in Sri Lanka. That is why a Sinhela Research Centre is important to us at this point in time.
Re : PQLI (extract from web) :
The Physical Quality of Life Index (PQLI) is a measure developed by sociologist Dr David Morris (USA) in the 1970s, based on basic literacy, infant mortality, and life expectancy. Although not as complex as other measures, and now essentially replaced by the Human Development Index, the PQLI is notable for Morris’s attempt to show a “less fatalistic pessimistic picture” by focussing on three areas where global quality of life was generally improving at the time, and ignoring Gross National Product and other possible indicators that were not improving.
The Happy Planet Index, introduced in 2006, is unique among quality of life measures in that, in addition to standard determinants of well-being, it uses each country’s ecological footprint as an indicator. As a result, European and North American nations do not dominate this measure. The 2012 list is instead topped by Costa Rica, Vietnam and Colombia.
Gallup researchers trying to find the world’s happiest countries found Denmark to be at the top of the list. uSwitch publishes an annual quality of life index for European countries. France has topped the list for the last three years.
A 2010 study by two Princeton University professors looked at 1,000 randomly selected U.S. residents over an extended period. It concludes that their life evaluations – that is, their considered evaluations of their life against a stated scale of one to ten – rise steadily with income. On the other hand, their reported quality of emotional daily experiences (their reported experiences of joy, affection, stress, sadness, or anger) levels off after a certain income level (approximately $75,000 per year); income above $75,000 does not lead to more experiences of happiness nor to further relief of unhappiness or stress. Below this income level, respondents reported decreasing happiness and increasing sadness and stress, implying the pain of life’s misfortunes, including disease, divorce, and being alone, is exacerbated by poverty”.
In Sri Lanka we ought to have our own standards & indices to measure well being of, say, for a start, the bulk of the Sinhela people, who have felt marginalised in their own country. That is why a Sinhela Research Centre is important. Do our own thing, and the tell the rest of the world to go its own way – at least, as much as is possible.
(2) Another point to note: Misleading rubbish can be written in good English. It is important to know good English in order to communicate with others in the world. Truth written in any language is a winner. Countries can be bought and sold through misuse of Media. Sinhela people should mind that only true facts are presented in Media.
January 21st, 2013 at 6:58 am
Question : Do some Tamil people (especially Tamil Nadu Tamils of Dalit origin) think that Sri Lanka exists for ‘Tamil liberation’ ?
Tamil people with caste based problems must realise that the problem has to be corrected in Tamil Nadu, through understanding and education, modernisation (especiallly of the sanitary systems) and Mechanisation – with harm to none. No other way. Then Separatist land grabs off Sri Lanka will cease.
Sri Lanka exists so that ALL Sri Lankans (predominantly Sinhela/Buddhists) can seek Security, Happiness, Wellbeing & Contentment. Religious extremism NOT welcome in Sri Lanka.
January 21st, 2013 at 12:59 pm
Fran,
Some people don’t think like you.
We have to find a way to FRUSTRATE them in SL.
As long as SL is BETTER than Tamil Madu or Saudi for these people, they will land here in maggot loads.
January 21st, 2013 at 1:21 pm
Lorenzo,
Who is allowing them to land here in loads ?
Don’t we have a government here to handle such matters ?
Who is to be held responsible for our sense of Security here ?
How did these new types enter Sri Lanka e.g. Muslim women in black garbs; large built, dark South Indians, obviously fresh off Tamil Nadu shores ?
January 21st, 2013 at 2:11 pm
We honestly do not mind so much the looks of a person, provided such people are harmless members of society. Here we have aggressive people, it appears Wahabis and new arrival Tamils (came in during ltte control times, and now off loaded by Australia back to Sri Lanka).
Who is to be held responsible for such arrivals here ?
Can’t these people be deported ?
January 21st, 2013 at 3:14 pm
Fran,
The stupid politicians!
I’m pretty sure we can deport them but the stupid politicians won’t.
SL is a VERY SMALL country. It cannot hold these outsiders. SL is BARELY sufficient for REAL SLs – Sinhala people and Tamils who love UNITARY SL (they were living in SL for 3,000+ years). Others GO BACK.
January 21st, 2013 at 3:45 pm
Totally agree with you, Lorenzo !
What do we do ? Petition the Parliament to act ?
January 21st, 2013 at 5:28 pm
Fran,
I dunno!
I doubt the parliament will act on it UNLESS they see it affecting their future (which it does).
January 21st, 2013 at 8:44 pm
Lorenzo,
I am going to write to Pillay Nona of UN Human Rights Council as my comments appear only after 2 days. No “truly interactive” for me. Pillay Nona will surely make a UN statement condemning the Moderator.
January 22nd, 2013 at 6:56 am
Lorenzo,
We agree that the presence of Aggressive ILLEGAL MIGRANTS IN SRI LANKA will affect the future of the present GoSL & Jnt. Opposition.
The Petition should be to deport ALL ILLEGAL MIGRANTS IN SRI LANKA. This is a legitimate Democratic action, to protect the Nation. All other nations will/have to agree that this our legitimate right.
We have to PETITION Parliament (present the Petition to the Speaker ?). Request Mr Mahindapala to start a Petition at this website ?