{"id":107557,"date":"2020-10-13T23:52:54","date_gmt":"2020-10-14T05:52:54","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/?p=107557"},"modified":"2020-10-13T16:26:20","modified_gmt":"2020-10-13T23:26:20","slug":"abolish-the-13a-and-urgently-correct-the-language-laws-of-the-country-no-more-india-first","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/2020\/10\/13\/abolish-the-13a-and-urgently-correct-the-language-laws-of-the-country-no-more-india-first\/","title":{"rendered":"ABOLISH THE 13A AND URGENTLY CORRECT THE LANGUAGE LAWS OF THE COUNTRY – NO MORE “INDIA FIRST”"},"content":{"rendered":"

Stanley Gunaratne\u00a0<\/em><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n

After Sarath Weerasekera finally stating what patriots have long\nstated regarding the Indo Lanka Accord (in stark contrast to the “India\nfirst” mantra foolishly and treacherously stated by other members within\nthe government),  I share part 2 in the hope that citizens will call for\nan urgent correction of our nation’s laws.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This article is a continuation of the previous suggestions raised\nin the Lankaweb article “No more excuses. Get things done. 13A and Indo\nLanka 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\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Correcting the disastrous Language\nlaws, Education Mediums and Lack of Opportunity for the Sinhalese<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Before the disastrous segregation and\ndisparity of resources (rural schools got neglected) of the Mrs. Bandaranaike\nadministration, Ceylon had an excellent education system. Kannagara instituted\nfree education for all under the DS government. The plan was to have “Central\nSchools” funded by the taxpayer, providing scholarships to all rural\nchildren based on merit. They would be taught in the English medium, whilst\nalso learning their mother tongue. Thus resulting in a bilingual Ceylonese\n– much like the Singapore education system today (except on a much larger scale\ngiven the size of our island). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Singapore<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In Singapore, you do not get\nSingaporean Tamils (or Sinhalese) learning in their own mother tongue\nsegregating from other children. They learn their mother tongue, BUT THE\nMEDIUM is either Mandarin, or English. This makes sense from the demographics\nof Singapore to publicly fund Mandarin, or English schools. It would make little\neconomic sense to spend good money on having 4 mediums there (the country has 4\nofficial languages) – money which could be put to better use at providing\ncomputers to all schools, and giving a proper science education etc.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Similarly, it makes more sense in\nSinhale\/Ceylon to have Sinhala, and English medium schools. Any child will\nlearn in one of these two mediums (depending on which school they choose to\nattend). They will also learn their own personal mother tongue (from a choice\nof Sinhala, or Tamil). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

ALL students will therefore become\nbare minimum bilingual in their mother tongue and English. They will know both\nof these languages to a first class standard. This does not account for any\nother foreign languages (Mandarin, Spanish, French, Korean etc) that the\neducation curriculum might opt to offer also. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tamil students in Singapore, learn\nwith their fellow Singaporeans in English medium schools (a few might even\nattend Mandarin medium schools there). They do not segregate themselves to\nTamil medium schools. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Similarly, in Ceylon, in the past,\nespecially in places like Kandy, you used to get Sinhalese, Burgher, Tamil,\nMoor children all learning in ONE CLASSROOM in the same school. There were even\nBurghers who spoke Sinhala. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is all from the primary school\nage (kindergarten). So a child already will become ready and able to learn in\nEnglish if that is their chosen school. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The future<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The rationale why Sinhala and English\nshould be offered is the same reason as Singapore. The overall demographics.\nAround 70% of the population is Sinhalese and the national language that\ndeveloped here was Sinhala. Therefore, that is why Sinhala medium is proposed\nas one of the mediums. English of course is the lingua franca of international\nbusiness, trade and diplomacy (at present). Therefore it makes sense for us to\nensure our children have the best possible grasp of English irrespective of\ntheir families’ connections, or affluence. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It seems very unlikely – just like in\nSingapore – that those of other ethnicities would want to segregate from\neveryone else, just to learn in their own mother tongue just for the sake of\nit. In an integrated Ceylon – just like pre 1956 (when the Settlement Schemes\nwere aborted by Bandaranaike) and just like Singapore today – they would be\ninteracting with their fellow ethnicities from birth. It is not like a\nCeylonese Tamil is going to only encounter a Sinhalese, or Burgher at secondary\nschool age. They would already have been pals from the day they could walk. In\nSingapore also there is national service, which some have proposed here to\nfurther mix people together (and develop skills\/training). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ethnic Integration Policy<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I reiterate the economic argument\nthat we must focus taxpayer’s money on providing a first class teaching of\nEnglish, sciences, computing etc. And we must not segregate students.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All of this would be in conjunction\nwith mixed districts without ethnic ghettos. Like in Singapore, as I have\nstated above, ALL citizens of Ceylon would have the right to fill in forms, to\nhave assistance in their affairs with public institutions, courts etc in any of\nthe 3 official languages (Sinhala, Tamil and English). Thus jobs in the Civil\nService, Police, Hospitals etc, would most likely have roles where there are\ndesignated on duty personnel who can translate at a moment’s notice if a\npatient\/citizen needed assistance in a different language. The working language\nof administration of the nation should be in Sinhala and\/or English.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Official Languages of the nation\nmust be corrected in a brand new constitution that undoes that disastrous\nnonsense of the 1958 language Law, the 13th, 15th and 16th amendments – all of\nwhich impose Indian style ethno-linguistic states, regional languages\nand separate education mediums which is contrary to “one law”. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The national flag<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The national flag should be restored\nto the ORIGINAL flag raised in 1948 which has been our historic national Lion\nflag representing one people. This flag used since ancient times represented\nthe Sinhalese kingdoms of old. EW Perera of the Independence movement\nrediscovered the same flag lowered in 1815 at the Royal Chelsea Hospital in\nLondon. It was duly returned by Britain and re-raised on February 4th 1948 upon\nthe Sinhalese nation regaining its independence. Sinnalebbe, MP for Batticloa,\nwas the member of the State Council who proposed it be made the national flag\nonce more. The flag had zero stripes, or Indian motifs demarcating separate\nidentities. Instead, the Lion represented us all. If necessary, the pinnacles\npresent then can be made the four bo leaves that are present today. However,\nthere should be no stripes or division. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

A national language and official\nlanguages are different things<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

There seems to be a total lack of understanding of\nwhat a national language is. In Singapore – part of peninsula Malaya –\nMalay is the national language since it is the language that originated there.\nEnglish is not the national language, but is an official language. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Similarly, the only language which originated here\nis Sinhala and thus Sinhala should be the only national language. For some\nabsurd reason, some Sinhalese “nationalists” (who are actually\nMarxists) want to remove English, yet promote Tamil as a national language\nwhich makes little sense. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

English is the language of international business\nand like Singapore, it would serve us well to ensure every child knows it. In\norder to avoid politicians removing this on a whim, it would be best to make it\nofficial which will also give us a business edge. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

As for Tamil, we must either take the Burma route\nor the Singapore route as shown below. Tamil can be official, or not official.\nBut it cannot be a national language here. It would be the height of stupidity\nto force the Sinhalese to learn Sinhala only, or Sinhala and Tamil, and deny\nthem English (a worldly language).  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Proposed Constitutional clause on\nLanguages<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Either of the following options must\nprevail regarding languages islandwide:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

OPTION 1<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

National\nLanguage and anthem \u2013 Sinhala <\/strong>
\nOfficial Languages \u2013 Sinhala and English 
\nWorking Languages\/Mediums \u2013 Sinhala and English <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

OR<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

OPTION 2 (The\nSingapore Model)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

National\nLanguage and anthem \u2013 Sinhala <\/strong>
\nOfficial Languages \u2013 Sinhala, Tamil and English 
\nWorking Languages\/Mediums \u2013 Sinhala and English <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Whichever option is chosen, the law\nmust apply nationwide with zero regional laws.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Proposed Ethnic Integration Housing Clause<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

We must ensure zero ethnic ghettos.\nAll areas must have mixed populations conforming to the overall national\ndemographics.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

An “Ethnic Integration\nPolicy” (EIP) for Ceylon must be put in place to preserve the Ceylonese\nidentity and promote ethnic integration and harmony. It will ensure that there\nis a balanced mix of the various ethnic communities in all Districts, monitored\nby a designated Civil Service Housing Board. The EIP limits shall be set at\nblock\/neighbourhood\/estate levels based on the ethnic make-up of\nSinhale\/Ceylon. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

– For the purchase of a flat,\nland, or house, a household with members of different ethnic groups can choose\nto classify their household ethnicity under the ethnic group of any owner or spouse\n(co-owner or occupier)<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

– Bands will be set for each district\nthat conform to the overall national demographic of the country according to\nthe latest population census (e.g. a minimum of 60% Sinhalese, and a maximum of\n20% of another ethnicity)<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

(This policy of EIP is the same as the\none maintained by Singapore’s Housing Board, HDB)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

– This is easily achievable by\nrestarting the Gal Oya Schemes that were started by DS Senanayake.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I hope sanity will prevail. But with\nthe same pack of useless Parliamentarians (the old Parliament simply reshuffled\nfor the most part) and continued Indian bootlicking with “India\nfirst” being publicly announced by policymakers, our nation appears to be\non a slow path to nowhere.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Can we regain our former glory?\nLambasting China, Britain, the US, ASEAN, Japan, the UN etc and remaining\nsilent on India is like fiddling whilst Rome burns. The number one problem is\nIndia.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

ABOLISH THE INDO LANKA ACCORD – which\nis illegal under the Vienna Conventions on Treaties and has stripped us of\nour independence. ABOLISH THE 13A NOW.<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Stanley Gunaratne\u00a0 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 […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":true,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[100,6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-107557","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-new-constitution","category-politics"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/107557","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=107557"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/107557\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=107557"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=107557"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=107557"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}