Stanley Gunaratne
After Sarath Weerasekera finally stating what patriots have long
stated regarding the Indo Lanka Accord (in stark contrast to the “India
first” mantra foolishly and treacherously stated by other members within
the government), I share part 2 in the hope that citizens will call for
an urgent correction of our nation’s laws.
This article is a continuation of the previous suggestions raised
in the Lankaweb article “No more excuses. Get things done. 13A and Indo
Lanka Accord be Gone” – https://www.lankaweb.com/news/items/2020/08/11/no-excuses-now-2-3-so-get-things-done-13a-indo-lanka-accord-be-gone/
Correcting the disastrous Language
laws, Education Mediums and Lack of Opportunity for the Sinhalese
Before the disastrous segregation and
disparity of resources (rural schools got neglected) of the Mrs. Bandaranaike
administration, Ceylon had an excellent education system. Kannagara instituted
free education for all under the DS government. The plan was to have “Central
Schools” funded by the taxpayer, providing scholarships to all rural
children based on merit. They would be taught in the English medium, whilst
also learning their mother tongue. Thus resulting in a bilingual Ceylonese
– much like the Singapore education system today (except on a much larger scale
given the size of our island).
Singapore
In Singapore, you do not get
Singaporean Tamils (or Sinhalese) learning in their own mother tongue
segregating from other children. They learn their mother tongue, BUT THE
MEDIUM is either Mandarin, or English. This makes sense from the demographics
of Singapore to publicly fund Mandarin, or English schools. It would make little
economic sense to spend good money on having 4 mediums there (the country has 4
official languages) – money which could be put to better use at providing
computers to all schools, and giving a proper science education etc.
Similarly, it makes more sense in
Sinhale/Ceylon to have Sinhala, and English medium schools. Any child will
learn in one of these two mediums (depending on which school they choose to
attend). They will also learn their own personal mother tongue (from a choice
of Sinhala, or Tamil).
ALL students will therefore become
bare minimum bilingual in their mother tongue and English. They will know both
of these languages to a first class standard. This does not account for any
other foreign languages (Mandarin, Spanish, French, Korean etc) that the
education curriculum might opt to offer also.
Tamil students in Singapore, learn
with their fellow Singaporeans in English medium schools (a few might even
attend Mandarin medium schools there). They do not segregate themselves to
Tamil medium schools.
Similarly, in Ceylon, in the past,
especially in places like Kandy, you used to get Sinhalese, Burgher, Tamil,
Moor children all learning in ONE CLASSROOM in the same school. There were even
Burghers who spoke Sinhala.
This is all from the primary school
age (kindergarten). So a child already will become ready and able to learn in
English if that is their chosen school.
The future
The rationale why Sinhala and English
should be offered is the same reason as Singapore. The overall demographics.
Around 70% of the population is Sinhalese and the national language that
developed here was Sinhala. Therefore, that is why Sinhala medium is proposed
as one of the mediums. English of course is the lingua franca of international
business, trade and diplomacy (at present). Therefore it makes sense for us to
ensure our children have the best possible grasp of English irrespective of
their families’ connections, or affluence.
It seems very unlikely – just like in
Singapore – that those of other ethnicities would want to segregate from
everyone else, just to learn in their own mother tongue just for the sake of
it. In an integrated Ceylon – just like pre 1956 (when the Settlement Schemes
were aborted by Bandaranaike) and just like Singapore today – they would be
interacting with their fellow ethnicities from birth. It is not like a
Ceylonese Tamil is going to only encounter a Sinhalese, or Burgher at secondary
school age. They would already have been pals from the day they could walk. In
Singapore also there is national service, which some have proposed here to
further mix people together (and develop skills/training).
Ethnic Integration Policy
I reiterate the economic argument
that we must focus taxpayer’s money on providing a first class teaching of
English, sciences, computing etc. And we must not segregate students.
All of this would be in conjunction
with mixed districts without ethnic ghettos. Like in Singapore, as I have
stated above, ALL citizens of Ceylon would have the right to fill in forms, to
have assistance in their affairs with public institutions, courts etc in any of
the 3 official languages (Sinhala, Tamil and English). Thus jobs in the Civil
Service, Police, Hospitals etc, would most likely have roles where there are
designated on duty personnel who can translate at a moment’s notice if a
patient/citizen needed assistance in a different language. The working language
of administration of the nation should be in Sinhala and/or English.
The Official Languages of the nation
must be corrected in a brand new constitution that undoes that disastrous
nonsense of the 1958 language Law, the 13th, 15th and 16th amendments – all of
which impose Indian style ethno-linguistic states, regional languages
and separate education mediums which is contrary to “one law”.
The national flag
The national flag should be restored
to the ORIGINAL flag raised in 1948 which has been our historic national Lion
flag representing one people. This flag used since ancient times represented
the Sinhalese kingdoms of old. EW Perera of the Independence movement
rediscovered the same flag lowered in 1815 at the Royal Chelsea Hospital in
London. It was duly returned by Britain and re-raised on February 4th 1948 upon
the Sinhalese nation regaining its independence. Sinnalebbe, MP for Batticloa,
was the member of the State Council who proposed it be made the national flag
once more. The flag had zero stripes, or Indian motifs demarcating separate
identities. Instead, the Lion represented us all. If necessary, the pinnacles
present then can be made the four bo leaves that are present today. However,
there should be no stripes or division.
A national language and official
languages are different things
There seems to be a total lack of understanding of
what a national language is. In Singapore – part of peninsula Malaya –
Malay is the national language since it is the language that originated there.
English is not the national language, but is an official language.
Similarly, the only language which originated here
is Sinhala and thus Sinhala should be the only national language. For some
absurd reason, some Sinhalese “nationalists” (who are actually
Marxists) want to remove English, yet promote Tamil as a national language
which makes little sense.
English is the language of international business
and like Singapore, it would serve us well to ensure every child knows it. In
order to avoid politicians removing this on a whim, it would be best to make it
official which will also give us a business edge.
As for Tamil, we must either take the Burma route
or the Singapore route as shown below. Tamil can be official, or not official.
But it cannot be a national language here. It would be the height of stupidity
to force the Sinhalese to learn Sinhala only, or Sinhala and Tamil, and deny
them English (a worldly language).
Proposed Constitutional clause on
Languages
Either of the following options must
prevail regarding languages islandwide:
OPTION 1
National
Language and anthem – Sinhala
Official Languages – Sinhala and English
Working Languages/Mediums – Sinhala and English
OR
OPTION 2 (The
Singapore Model)
National
Language and anthem – Sinhala
Official Languages – Sinhala, Tamil and English
Working Languages/Mediums – Sinhala and English
Whichever option is chosen, the law
must apply nationwide with zero regional laws.
Proposed Ethnic Integration Housing Clause
We must ensure zero ethnic ghettos.
All areas must have mixed populations conforming to the overall national
demographics.
An “Ethnic Integration
Policy” (EIP) for Ceylon must be put in place to preserve the Ceylonese
identity and promote ethnic integration and harmony. It will ensure that there
is a balanced mix of the various ethnic communities in all Districts, monitored
by a designated Civil Service Housing Board. The EIP limits shall be set at
block/neighbourhood/estate levels based on the ethnic make-up of
Sinhale/Ceylon.
– For the purchase of a flat,
land, or house, a household with members of different ethnic groups can choose
to classify their household ethnicity under the ethnic group of any owner or spouse
(co-owner or occupier)
– Bands will be set for each district
that conform to the overall national demographic of the country according to
the latest population census (e.g. a minimum of 60% Sinhalese, and a maximum of
20% of another ethnicity)
(This policy of EIP is the same as the
one maintained by Singapore’s Housing Board, HDB)
– This is easily achievable by
restarting the Gal Oya Schemes that were started by DS Senanayake.
I hope sanity will prevail. But with
the same pack of useless Parliamentarians (the old Parliament simply reshuffled
for the most part) and continued Indian bootlicking with “India
first” being publicly announced by policymakers, our nation appears to be
on a slow path to nowhere.
Can we regain our former glory?
Lambasting China, Britain, the US, ASEAN, Japan, the UN etc and remaining
silent on India is like fiddling whilst Rome burns. The number one problem is
India.
ABOLISH THE INDO LANKA ACCORD – which
is illegal under the Vienna Conventions on Treaties and has stripped us of
our independence. ABOLISH THE 13A NOW.
