{"id":90557,"date":"2019-06-19T15:45:42","date_gmt":"2019-06-19T22:45:42","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/?p=90557"},"modified":"2019-06-19T15:45:42","modified_gmt":"2019-06-19T22:45:42","slug":"sinhala-languagethe-defining-element-of-the-national-culture-of-sri-lanka","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/2019\/06\/19\/sinhala-languagethe-defining-element-of-the-national-culture-of-sri-lanka\/","title":{"rendered":"SINHALA LANGUAGE:THE DEFINING ELEMENT OF THE NATIONAL CULTURE OF SRI LANKA"},"content":{"rendered":"

Dr. Daya Hewapathirane\u00a0<\/em><\/span><\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n

All salient\naspects of the Sinhala Buddhist culture, tangible and intangible, either grew\nor evolved within the borders of Sri Lanka. Sinhala language and literature\nevolved and developed in Sri Lanka. All other languages used in Sri Lanka\noriginated in other countries and therefore belong to or are associated with\nother nations. From historic times, the primary\ndistinguishing characteristic of the people of Sri Lanka has been their Sinhala\nlanguage. Their collective identity as a distinct nation and community was\nestablished by their unique language that developed solely within the island. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Language\nis the defining element of any advanced culture and it gives the strongest form\nof identity to a community and nation. Sinhala is one of the world\u2019s oldest\nliving languages and as a vibrant language Sinhala has a celebrated history of\nover 2300 years. The Sinhala language grew out of Indo-Aryan\ndialects and exists only in Sri Lanka and has its own distinguished literary\ntradition. The script used in writing\nSinhala<\/a> evolved from the\nancient Brahmi script<\/a> used in most Aryan languages, which was introduced to\nthe island in the 3rd century BC<\/a>E. In 1999, the Sinhala\nscript won international recognition from a group of reputed international\nscholars as one of the world\u2019s most creative alphabets. It has been named as\none of the world\u2019s 16 most creative alphabets among today\u2019s functioning\nlanguages, and some of them among the oldest known to mankind.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is\nsignificant to note that the overwhelming majority of people of Sri Lanka are\ndistinguished by their language \u2013 Sinhala. Sinhala language has not only been  a means of communication for our people but also a strong unifying\ninfluence providing solidarity and strength to the Sinhala community as a\nunique cultural entity in the world. From historic\ntimes virtually all place names of the country are in the Sinhala language \u2013 in\nthe North, South, East, West and Central regions. This unifying effect\nhas prevailed from historic times, but was threatened to some degree with the\narrival and impact of European colonial powers, especially with the\nwide-ranging socio-economic changes to which the country was subject during the\nBritish period of occupation, particularly since the early 19th<\/sup>\ncentury.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

SINHALA LANGUAGE AND\nBUDDHISM<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sinhala language in both its oral and written,\ninformal and formal forms developed as the language of Buddhism in our country.\nThe primary activity of Buddhist vihares, then and now, has been\n\u2018dharma-desanaa\u2019, bana\u2019 or sermons which were invariably conducted in Sinhala.\nFrom historic times, our Buddhist bhikkhus and our royalty were responsible for\nthe development, preservation and promotion of the Sinhala language. \nBhikkhus were in the forefront in the propagation of education in general, both\nreligious and secular. The Mahavihara, Abayagiriya and Jetavanarama Buddhist\nfraternities and associated monasteries were outstanding places of learning\nequivalent to universities of today. They had international affiliations with\ninternational students. The medium of instruction and all scholarly activities\nin these institutions were conducted in the Sinhala language. Large libraries\nwere a part and parcel of these institutions. Particularly in these\ninstitutions, scholar Bhikkus were involved in translation into Sinhala of Pali\nand Sanskrit literary works pertaining to Buddhism, on a large scale. The\npatronage received from Sinhala royalty played a dominant role in the\npropagation and preservation of Sinhala language. We had kings who were\noutstanding Sinhala scholars compiling Sinhala literary works of high quality,\nboth in prose and verse.      <\/p>\n\n\n\n

EARLIEST\nSINHALA LITERARY WORKS  <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

According\nto Prof. Senarat Paranavithana the earliest specimens of Sinhala metrical\ncompositions may be dated to the first century BCE. Four of the early Brahmi\ninscriptions of Sri Lanka have been identified as poetical compositions. The\nMahavamsa composed in Pali in the 5th century CE was based on ancient Sinhala Commentaries\nknown as Sihala-Atthakatha-Mahawamsa. The Sigiri graffiti scribbled on the\nmirror wall are dated to 7th-8th centuries and are on fascinating secular\nthemes- many of the verses of an amorous or romantic nature. Some of the oldest Sinhala literary works date from the 9th century CE. The Dhampiya-Atuva-Getapadaya is the oldest Sinhala prose work\nwhich dates back to the 9th century.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sinhala literary work flourished during the Polonnaruwa and Dambadeniya\nperiod from 10th<\/sup> to 13th<\/sup> century CE which is considered\nas the golden age of Sinhala literature. Among prominent Sinhala prose of this\ntime is the Amavatura written in the 13th<\/sup> century by Gurulugomi.\nDharmapradipikava is another of his compilations. Gurulugomi\u2019s works are\ncharacterized by the use of pure Sinhala (Elu) words and limiting Sanskrit and\nPali loan words to the minimum. Other literary works of this period include the\nButhsarana by Vidyachakravarti, the Pujavaliya and Saddharma-Ratnavaliya. The\nlatter is renowned for the beauty of its style and the simplicity of its\nlanguage. Other notable prose work is the Saddharmalankaraya by Jayabahu\nDharmakirti in the 14th century, Thupavansaya, Elu-Attanagalu Vansaya and the\nDambadeni Aasna. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

SINHALA\nPOETRY<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Sinhala\npeople have excelled in poetry. The Pujavaliya of the 13trh century refers to\ntwelve famous Sinhala poets who flourished during the reign of king Aggabodhi-I\n(568-601 CE). The Sinhala language is a poetical language. It lends itself\neasily to metre and rhyme due to its grammatical flexibility and rich\nvocabulary comprising of a large number of synonyms. Sinhala is a mellifluous\nlanguage with a smooth sweet flow, with high vowel content and is comparable to\nFrench and Urdu, widely regarded to be the two most romantic languages in the\nworld. One of the greatest literary monuments of the medieval period is the\n“Kavsilumina” a 13th century “Maha-Kavya” composed by King\nParakrama Bahu-II (1234-1269). The oldest Sandesha poem of which we have any\nevidence is the “Mayura Sandeshaya” (Peacock\u2019s message) dating back\nto the 13th century, if not earlier. The work no longer exists, though examples\nfrom it are cited in the classical Sinhala grammar “Sidath-Sangarawa”\n(13th century). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

During the Kotte period (15th-<\/sup>16th<\/sup> centuries)\nSinhala poetry was receiving greater attention especially by way of Hatan\nKavi\u201d or war poems and Sandeshas\u201d or message poems.  This period marks\nthe efflorescence of Sinhala poetry with secular “Sandesha” poems\ngaining much popularity. Among the popular Sandesha poems of this period are\n“Thisara Sandeshaya” (Swan\u2019s message, dated 14th century), “Gira\nSandeshaya” (Parrot\u2019s message), “Hansa Sandeshaya” (Goose\u2019s\nmessage), “Parevi Sandeshaya” (Dove\u2019s message), “Kokila Sandeshaya”\n(Cuckoo\u2019s message) and “Selalihini Sandeshaya” (Starling\u2019s message)\nbelong to the 15th century. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jataka tales formed the thematic content of most Sinhala poetry of the\nmedieval period. “Kavya-Sekharaya” written in mid 15th<\/sup>\ncentury by Sri Rahula Mahathera narrates the “Sattubhasta Jataka” and\nGuttilaya of Vetteve Thera (15th century) is based on the “Guttila\nJataka”. Other\nSandesha poems include the “Sevul Sandeshaya” (Cocks message),\n“Hema Kurulu Sandeshaya” (Oriole\u2019s message) “Ketakirili\nSandeshaya” (Hornbill\u2019s message), “Nilakobo Sandeshaya” (Blue\ndove\u2019s message) and “Diyasevul Sandeshaya” (Black swan\u2019s message). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

THREATS\nTO SINHALA LANGUAGE IN THE PAST<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is recorded that many Sinhala literary works of the Anuradhapura\nperiod were lost when South Indian Dravidian invaders destroyed places of\nLearning and Buddhist establishments in Anuradhapura and Polonnaruwa. In the distant past, the Sinhala language faced serious threats from\nSouth Indian Tamil-speaking Dravidian invaders who caused untold damage to\nSinhala writings. Vast libraries of \u2018ola\u2019 palm-leaf manuscripts   in\nthe thousands were set fire to and destroyed by these foreign invaders in\nancient capital Anuradhapura at various times since the 1st<\/sup> century\nBCE until the city was abandoned, and later in Polonnaruwa during the 11th to\n13th century period when the greatest destruction was caused to thousands of\nola manuscripts stored in ancient libraries, Buddhist temples and monasteries. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

CATHOLIC PORTUGUESE\nATROCITIES<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

This\nwas followed in early 16th<\/sup> century by the Portuguese and later by\nDutch invaders, with their gun powder and soldiers, who brought in a reign of\nterror to the country, killing and undermining Sinhala and Buddhist\nscholars,  causing widespread destruction to Sinhala and Buddhist places\nof learning and setting fire to ola manuscripts.  All Buddhist temples and\nplaces of learning in the maritime areas under the Catholic Portuguese control\nwere demolished. Monasteries were razed and their\npriceless treasure looted. Libraries were set on fire. In 1588, the world\nrenowned Buddhist educational institution <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wijayaba Pirivena at Totagamuwa and Padmawathi Pirivena of Keragala,\nwhich had carried on the traditions of ancient Taxila and Nalanda universities\nwere destroyed and their incumbent killed. Weedagama Privena in Raigam Korala,\nSunethradevi Pirivena of Pepiliyana Kotte were burnt and destroyed. The\nvaluable books of the temple were destroyed. The great Poet monk Weedagama\nMaithree Thero who wrote Lowedasangarawa and Thotagamuwe Sri Rahula were living\nin that temple at the time of its demolition by Catholics. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ratnapura Samandewalaya was destroyed. In 1575, the Portuguese set fire\nto the historic Kelani viharaya which was at the time the foremost Buddhist\nplace of worship in the country. All lands that belonged to the viharaya were given\naway to the Catholic church. The Colombo fort was constructed with the stones\nof the destroyed and plundered Kelaniya temple. King Buwanekabahu’s five\nstoried Royal palace and the seven storied palace called Kithsimewanpaya built\nby Dambadeniya king were demolished. The three-storied Dalada Maligawa of Kotte\nwas pulled down to the ground. Buddhist religious edifices, which had taken\ngenerations to build, were completely destroyed by Catholics. Never were a\nglorious civilization and a noble culture more brutally destroyed. The work of\ncenturies was undone in a few years. The Catholic Portuguese period (1505 – 1658)\nconstitutes a long and poignant chronicle of oppression and injustice meted out\nto the Sinhala Buddhists. The Catholic Portuguese were the first colonial power\nto pave in this country the way to almost continuous religious tensions \u2013 the\nrepercussions of which is felt to this day in Sri Lanka. The Dutch, who\nousted the Portuguese in 1640, occupied the places under Portuguese control.\nThey continued similar trade activities and started converting people to their\nform of Protestant Christianity. They too were instrumental in destroying\nBuddhist temples, monasteries and the royal palace at Hanguranketa.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

VENERABLE\nVELIVITIYE SARANANKARA THERA<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Before\nthe arrival of the Portuguese, during the Kotte and Mahanuwara kingdoms under\nSinhala kings, there was a great revival of Sinhala language and literature.\nThe same patronage to Sinhala learning was not forthcoming from the Tamil\nspeaking Nayakkar or Malabar kings of the Mahanuwara period. Bhikkhus who had\ncontributed much to the advancement of Sinhala writings were not accorded\nnecessary recognition. This state of affairs continued until the emergence of\nVenerable Velivitiye Saranankara Mahathera (1698-1778) a great Sinhala patriot\nand an outstanding scholar. His initiatives, patronage and contribution to the\nrevival and strengthening of the Buddha Sasana, Sinhala language and Buddhist\nculture are immeasurable and unsurpassed by anyone during the colonial and the\npost colonial period of over five centuries. His impact was so strong, that in\nthe second half of the 19th<\/sup> century, it was students and their\nsuccessors who established outstanding places of learning such as Vidyodaya\nPirivena at Maligakanda, Vidyalankara Pirivena at Peliyagoda, and Parama Dhamma\nCetiya Pirivena at Ratmalana.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

 
\nBRITISH PLUNDER AND CRUELTY<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The\nBritish finally in the early 19th century, capturing the entire country, did\nthe most catastrophic and shattering damage to our Sinhala Buddhist cultural\nheritage and thereby to our language. They not only introduced their language\nas the medium of communication in all affairs of governance and economic\nactivities, but took direct measures to undermine the Sinhala language and\nculture. English was forced upon our people as the language of administration,\nthe language in which justice was meted out, the language in which government\nrecords were kept. The Sinhala language and ordinary Sinhala people, suffered\nimmensely during the British period of occupation.   <\/p>\n\n\n\n


\nTo serve their self-interests they practiced the “divide and rule”\npolicy by setting one community against the other. It is a well known fact that\nthe British gave special privileges to the Tamil minority and those of the\nChristian faith. They were provided with better opportunities for education,\nemployment and other government services. They soon became privileged\ncommunities. In terms of the density of schools per unit area, the Jaffna\ndistrict had the highest density. In 1870 there were only two Buddhist schools\nleft in the country – in Panadura and Dodanduwa, with an attendance of 246\nchildren as against 805 Christian Schools with an attendance of 78,086\nchildren. As far as the Sinhala community is concerned, for generations in the\npast, their traditional places of learning were the Buddhist temples where\nBuddhist monks were teachers of both religious and secular subjects. These\ncenters and Buddhist monks were not accorded the same privileges\/support\naccorded to Christian missionary schools and teachers. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

As an act of revenge against the 1817-1818 rebellion against them, the\nBritish ordered their troops to destroy all property belonging to the Sinhala\npeople. They destroyed houses by setting fire, destroyed home gardens and\ncattle. Thousands of acres of paddy land, irrigation works, reservoirs and\nwater ways were destroyed to starve the population to death. Water that spilled\ninto surrounding areas turned Wellassa into a large malaria mosquito breeding\nground killing thousands of people. Almost all Sinhala nobles and bhikkhus\nlinked to the rebellion were beheaded to terrorize the population.  During the Kandyan rebellion of 1818, every man over 14 years was\nordered by the British to be killed and some sixty thousand Sinhala people were\nmassacred. Large numbers of local leaders were annihilated by the British –\nVeera Keppetipola, Veera Puran Appu and Veera Gongalegoda Banda are the better\nknown. These are the same hypocritical British who now talk of \u2018Human Rights\u2019!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After the rebellion was crushed the British embarked on a policy of\nappropriating millions of acres of land belonging to peasants in the Hill\ncountry regions and selling them to British capitalists to develop commercial\nplantations. Thousands upon thousands of Sinhala peasants were rendered\nlandless and homeless by this inhuman act perpetrated in mid 19th<\/sup>\ncentury. To make matters worse for ordinary people, the British imposed a\nhighly discriminatory direct tax system on our people which included
\nlicense fees on guns, dogs, carts, and shops. Labour was made compulsory\non plantation roads, unless a special tax was paid. A mass movement against\nthese oppressive taxes developed in 1848, centred in the Matale region which\nwas soon suppressed by the British using brutal force.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Traditional agriculture was a way of life for the people. It had the\ninfluence of bringing about social cohesion, or a sense of togetherness among\npeople. They worked jointly helping each other in their farm activities. It\nprovided them with sufficient leisure time to be engaged in other productive and\ncreative pursuits including cultural, literary and religious activities. This\neconomic independence of the country was destroyed by the British by converting\nthe long-standing self sufficient sustainable economy of our country to an\nouter-oriented, instable commercial economy dependent on fluctuating external\nworld markets. Sri Lanka’s economy was transformed to become a cheap source of\nagricultural raw material for industries in Britain. The economy became so\nbadly outer-oriented; a greater part of essential food requirements of the\nlarge mass of our people had to be imported from other countries. With the\ndecline of traditional farming vast areas of former productive land were forced\nto be abandoned owing to neglect of irrigation facilities or acquired by the\nBritish for development of export agriculture – coffee, tea and rubber. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

As\nfar as the ordinary people were concerned, the loss of freedom and privileges\nthat they enjoyed under their kings and traditional leadership had a strong\nnegative psychological impact on people. This situation did not permit the\nemergence of leaders from rural areas where the large mass of the dominant\ncommunity lived. Besides, royal patronage was the strongest form of motivation\nand support for those involved in creative cultural and literary pursuits in\nancient times. These supports were no longer available to our people.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

POST\nINDEPENDENCE DILEMMA <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

When\nthe British left Sri Lanka in 1948, they made sure that power remained in the\nhands of the English educated and English speaking few, who were toeing their\nline. To make matters worse, power -political, administrative, and economic was\ninherited by those belonging to the westernized Colombo sub-culture dominated\nby Christians. Most of the qualified professionals subscribed to this\nsub-culture. It is most unfortunate that we did not have political leaders of\nthe caliber of the Mahatma Gandhi, Sarojini Naidu, Rabindranath Tagore,\nJawaharlal Nehru, Rajendra Prasad, Lal Bahadur Sasthri, S. Radhakrishna, Zakir\nHussain, Krishna Menon, Subash Chandra Bose, Sardar Vallabhai Patel and\nAmbekar, to name a few. Indian-ness was the common characteristic in all of\nthem although they were highly exposed to western culture. They were self-less\nleaders committed to work for the welfare of the common mass of people. They\nwere inner oriented, true representatives of Indian culture, who were able to\nfeel the pulse and listen to the heart beat of ordinary Indian people. They\nwere proud of being Indian. They were strongly supported by a bureaucracy that\nwas equally Indian.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

During\nthis time, most of the prominent local people involved actively in political\nand professional fields were products of a non-national education given by the\nBritish imperialists or the Missionary establishment who were not conversant\nwith the history and the culture of their country. Some of them were token\nBuddhists who did not belong to the culture of the people. Among them were some\nwho had returned from education in Britain,\ninfluenced by leftist ideals and were known as leftists\u201d or Marxists\u201d of the\ntime. These “intellectuals” were also inheritors of the Colombo urban\nsub culture and were actively involved in translating the knowledge created by\ntheir masters in the west into the “vernacular”.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Temperance movementENGLISH\nLANGUAGE AND WESTERN CULTURAL NORMS<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

During\nthe British colonial era (1796-1948) and a good part of the post-independence\nperiod, the promotion of the English language and Western cultural norms was\nthe order of the day as far as the political establishment of the country was\nconcerned. The same was true in regard to most professionals at decision-making\nlevels in the public and private sectors and big businesses. Their attitudes\nand actions either directly or indirectly had the effect of denigrating Sinhala\nlanguage and Sinhala cultural norms and the simple Buddhist way of life to an\ninferior state.  The influence and authority of\nthe village temple was reduced to a level of parasite owing to the willful\nneglect and undermining of these traditional institutions by the rulers. The\nstudy of history was dropped from school curriculum thereby preventing children\nfrom being exposed to their history and cultural heritage. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The\nurban English education system had much to do with this undesirable\ndevelopment. School educational services during this time were basically the\nmonopoly of Catholic and Christian missions and English was the medium of instruction\nin these schools. European cultural norms were promoted vigorously by these\nschools. Under the circumstances, the social status and recognition were based\non one\u2019s exposure to western culture and especially one\u2019s ability to\ncommunicate effectively in the English language and familiarity with and often\nthe observance of western cultural norms. Opportunities for advancement in\nfields such as education and professions were almost exclusively the monopoly\nof people with such exposure. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Higher\nlearning at this time was basically bifurcated; the rural masses and bhikkhus\nstudied Sinhala and other oriental languages whereas in the urban areas English\nwas the medium of instruction and communication. Opportunities for advancement\nwere highly limited to the former. They were low-paid and distant from the\ngovernment whereas the latter were better paid and enjoyed more benefits from\ngovernment. It is simply a miracle that Sinhala language was able to survive\nthis tragic situation for over four and a half centuries. It was the dedication\nof the Sinhala scholars, especially our Buddhist scholar Bhikkhus, and the\ninherent strength of the Sinhala language that may be cited as main reasons.\nAmong the most prominent who contributed to that miracle were the Venerables Velivitiye\nSaranankara Mahathera, Hikkaduve Sri Sumangala Nayaka Thera (early 20th<\/sup>\ncentury) who was the founder of the Vidyodaya Pirivena, Venerable Waskaduwe Sri\nSubhuti Nayaka Thera (early 20th<\/sup> century), Ven. Kahave Sri\nRatanasara Nayaka Thera, Ven. Baddegama Sri Piyaratana Nayaka Thera, Ven.\nVelivitiye Sri Sorata Nayaka Thera and Ven. Panangala Sri Piyaratana Nayaka\nThera<\/p>\n\n\n\n

RISE\nOF A NEW COSMOPILITAN URBAN ELITE     <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

These\npeople formed a class of their own with undue privileges which were not\navailable to the large majority of those without similar exposure. It was a new\nelite that developed on the basis of its member\u2019s knowledge of the English\nlanguage and was associated with the Greater Colombo region. A wider more\ncosmopolitan outlook differentiated this urban elite from the more \u2018old\nfashioned\u2019 predominantly Buddhist, Sinhala speaking rural folk. What developed\nhere was a form of sub-culture which was referred to by some Sinhalayas as\nThuppahi culture\u201d which accorded a highly step-motherly treatment to Sinhala\nlanguage and culture. This had a strong negative impact of undermining and\ndecimating the commonly spoken indigenous language of the nation to an inferior\nposition. The step-motherly treatment of the Sinhala language by the\n government and the urban elite running affairs of the economy, business\nand private sector activities, and the Catholic and Christian missionary\neducation establishment, continued even after the country attained political independence\nin 1948. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

There\nare many aspects of western culture which are commendable and helpful to enrich\none\u2019s life. But most of these outer-oriented urban elite which included the so\ncalled Sri Lankan political leaders, held to half-baked foreign values, superficialities\nand strange ways of living. They were barely conversant with the plight of the\nmajority of people – the ordinary Sinhala people in particular. They were not\nrepresentative of the large mass of people, but became the trusted servants of\nthe British administration. Almost all of the qualified professionals belonged\nto or subscribed to this sub-culture. The British left no room for the\nleadership to emerge from the truly indigenous people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The\nexcessively poor living conditions of the large mass of rural folk led to\nmigration of youth to Colombo and other big towns. Some were subjected to the\ninfluence of the extremes forms of undesirable urban culture that was gaining\nground in urban areas. Alcohol abuse, crime and underworld activities of later\nyears may be explained in terms of this urban migration. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

BUDDHIST RESURGENCE OF LATE 19TH<\/sup> CENTURY <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In\nlate 19th<\/sup> century, a series of public debates took place in Panadura\nbetween Anglican Christian clergymen of Sri Lanka and Buddhist bhikkhus led by\nthe fearless Migettuwatte Gunananda Thera, culminating in the defeat of the\nChristians. There were some fearless Bhikkhus who openly spoke out against\nBritish rule and the colonial mentality of our so-called leaders. The Buddhist\nrevival that followed was aided by the Theosophists led by American Col. Henry\nSteele Olcott. When Olcott visited this island, the Sinhala Buddhists, although\nformed the majority in the country were a highly underprivileged group in their\nland of birth. To the 802 Christian schools that had come up there were only\nfour Buddhist schools. Nor was Sinhala taught at a privileged school like Royal\nCollege even at the beginning of the 20th century. Olcott was instrumental in\nestablishing Buddhist schools in Colombo and other important urban centres in\nthe country. Among these national schools were Ananda College, Colombo\nestablished in 1886, Dharmaraja College Mahanuwara, Maliyadeva College\nKurunegala, Mahinda College Galle and Meuse us College Colombo as a Private\nGirls’ school founded in 1895 by the Buddhist Theosophical Society managed by a\nBoard of Trustees. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It was during the late19th century that one notices a surge in secular\nSinhala literature. The Sinhala novel had its beginnings during this period.\nPiyadasa Sirisena, Sagara Palansuriya, Munidasa Kumaratunga, Hemapala Munidasa,\nW.A. Silva and J.H. Perera were prominent among the Sinhala scholars of this\nperiod.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In\nlate 19th<\/sup> and early 20th<\/sup> centuries, Anagarika\nDharmapala(1864-1933) was a leading figure of Buddhism in Sri Lanka. He spearheaded a movement to revive Buddhism and Buddhist\nculture in Sri Lanka. He spoke of the superficiality of the lives of\nthose of the Colombo sub culture who have joined up with the colonialists to\nrun the country.  Then there was another\noutstanding patriot – Dr. Ananda Coomaraswamy who urged our people to develop a\nsense of their own traditions and national culture. He challenged the intrusion\non eastern values by the expansion of western society.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

CHANGES\nSTARTNG IN MID 20TH<\/sup> CENTURY<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In\nthe middle of the 20th century, Mr. W. W. Kannangara and a few others led a\nmovement which made Sinhala the medium of instruction for all Sinhala children\nup to Grade V in all government schools. Subsequently, Sinhala and Tamil became\nthe languages of government and higher education. In the 20th century, there\nwere many Sinhala patriots who helped to enrich and save our language and\nculture. The late fifties and sixties in particular was a period when we saw\nthe emergence of outstanding personalities and cultural pursuits. Among them,\nW. F. Gunewardena Martin Wickramasinghe, Senarath Paranawithana, Munidasa\nKumaratungha, L.H. Mettananda, G. Malalasekera, Ediriweera Sarathchandra,\nMahagama Sekera, Madawala S. Ratnayake, Gunadasa Amarasekera, K. Jayatilaka,\nAmaradeva, Premasiri Khemadasa, Chitrasena and Vajira, Solias Mendis, Lester\nJames Pieris and a few others including their students. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Their\nliterary works appealed to the hearts of a generation\nthat was just beginning to shed the last vestiges of European socio-cultural\ndomination in the island. The basis of their work which made them\nprominent was Sinhala language, Sinhala culture and Sinhala Buddhist values.\nAmong outstanding Buddhist monks who assumed global status at the time were\nVenerables-Walpola Rahula, Ananda Maithriye, Narada, Piyadassi, and Madihe\nPangnaseeha. One of the essential text books used in courses on Buddhism in\nmost universities in the western world has been “What the Buddha\nTaught” by Venerable Walpola Rahula written initially in Sinhala. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

With\nthese developments after the mid 20th century, Sinhala language started to\nrevive and books on diverse subjects were written by those competent in the\nlanguage. New forms of poetry and drama were introduced and Sinhala songs and\nmovies became popular forms of entertainment. Among positive trends during this\nperiod was the  official recognized of Sinhala as the national language,\nthe establishment of a Cultural Affairs Ministry, the elevation of two\nPirivena\u2019s to University status, the take-over of Missionary schools by the\ngovernment. It was the Sinhala Buddhist leadership, including leading Buddhist\nmonks who were in the forefront in the initiative to take-over schools and\nmaking higher education accessible to all irrespective of religious\naffiliation. It is an accepted fact that this enabled rural youth to come to\nthe forefront. Many were able to secure university education and excel in their\nprofessional fields. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Unlike\nIndia’s Shantiniketana or Vishva Bharati and its strong Indian cultural\ninfluence on up-coming leaders of that great nation, the first University of\nCeylon at Colombo and subsequently at Peradeniya catered to and promoted the\ninterests of the colonial masters and western culture until recent times. As\nfar as the promotion of our national culture is concerned, it is questionable\nwhether the several universities that we have today have made any significant\ncontribution. They in fact should be in the forefront in this initiative. The\nmajority of our university students are Sinhala Buddhists from provincial\nschools. There may be a diversity of reasons for their lack of initiative to be\nactively involved in activities that relate to the promotion of our national\nculture. Whether the undue interference of Marxist political elements on\nuniversity students lives is a reason for this unfortunate state of affairs, is\nyet to be known.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

CATHOLIC\nACTION<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

A\nsignificant development during the 1960’s was the emergence of the outspoken\nMr. L.H. Mettananda and his Bauddha Jatika Balavagaya (BJB) which was\ninstrumental in exposing the work of Catholic Action and its control over Sri\nLanka’s mass media. The seeds for the current Buddhist Revival campaign were\nlaid by Mr. Mettananda who played a singular role in writing the Buddhist\nCommission Report in 1956. This report had strong impact on political\ndevelopments in the country at that time. The Press Commission Report of 1964,\nof Justice K.D. de Silva, makes glaring references to the work of Catholic\nAction in the media and its control of leading newspapers in the country. The\nBJB presented invaluable evidence to the Press Commission on Catholic Action.\nCatholic Action was behind the failed Catholic Army Officers Coup in 1962 to\noverthrow the legitimately elected government of Mrs.Sirimavo Bandaranaike. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

PERIOD\nOF INSTABILITY<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

This\nperiod of healthy growth which began in 1956, was short lived and with the\npassage of about two decades, there emerged distinct signs of a downward trend\nin the importance accorded to the Sinhala language and national culture in\ngeneral. During the last few decades, it was the Sinhala Buddhist community who\nunderwent traumatic experiences and all fatalities, owing to the efforts of the\nlocal Marxists to counterbalance the imbalance created by the outer-oriented\nColombo clan. The situation in the country was\nworsened by the youth uprising in the south and the north and the widespread\nviolence and bloodshed. Leadership at all levels – political, professional and\nsecular – deteriorated during the past few decades. This was also a time which\nsaw extreme divisiveness, animosity and criminal activity among people\nsupporting opposing political parties. This was a time when bribery and\ncorruption was institutionalized, and crime and underworld activities became\nrampant. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

DOWNWARD\nTREND WITH GLOBALIZATION<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

A\ndistinctly downward trend had its beginnings in the late 1970s, and continued\nfor about four decades. This was with the adoption of the so called policy of\n\u2018open economy\u2019 and unrestricted globalization which resulted in a drastic degeneration of local culture and values. What\nfollowed was the excessive outer orientation of the entire system with anything\nwestern being respected and accepted as necessary for the furtherance of so\ncalled development process\u201d of the country and enrichment of lives of our\npeople. The emphasis was on western systems of governance, development,\neducation, language, social dynamics and organization English language became\nthe means to get things done during this time.  A striking attitudinal\nchange was observed in people caught in this trend who were largely the English\neducated urban folk, dominated by non Buddhists. Their life-style was becoming\nhighly materialistic and superficial, competitive, self-centred and corrupt.\nWith the expansion of urban areas and sub-urban neighborhoods, the impact of\nthis sub-culture was spreading inland. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

These\ntrends were strengthened by the influx into the country of foreign NGO\u2019s and\ninternational schools and expansion of tourism and related business activities,\nforeign travel for education and employment and also the arrival of\nforeign-funded Evangelical and Christian unethical conversion business\npractices in the country which paid little heed to local cultural norms and\nvalues. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

UNDESIRABLE\nINFLUENCES<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

This\nattitude was further promoted by the importance accorded to western attire,\nwestern music and dancing, partying, foreign trips and watching televised\ncricket matches for long hours. Youth became more and more prone to popular\nwestern youth lifestyles characterized by partying, loud and sensuous music,\ndisco and break dancing, and associated smoking, drinking, use of drugs and\nlaxity in sexual behavior. They were inclined to dress like, speak like, act\nlike, do things like and live like westerners being brainwashed by what they\nsee on television and read in popular mass media. They were not conversant with\nthe superficial nature of lives of most westerners. Unethical conversions to\nChristianity was rampant during this time and being Christian was considered\nfashionable in a society that was blindly following western norms and\nlifestyles. Catholic Action which remained dormant until 1977 raised its head\nagain, and has been a key player in the moves to create religious and communal\ntension in our country by playing one community against the other -against the\nso – called ‘majoritarianism’ of the Sinhala Buddhists.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Foreign\nexposure through foreign employment, tourism and commercialized relationships\nwith tourists, popular screening of adult movies, increased availability and\nuse of illicit drugs and alcohol continue to have a very harmful impact on our\nyouth in particular. There was a significant increase in the sex trade,\ncasinos, gambling and other extreme forms of underworld activities often\npatronized by political leaders. Disharmony and abuse in families, family\nbreak-ups, divorces, abortions, alcoholism, drug addiction, and other forms of\nvice and family crime and disruption became commonplace. Among the many complex\nreasons for this trend is employment of women in the Middle East and in local\ngarment factories, especially in urban and sub-urban areas, separation of\nspouses occasioned by such employment. All these global\u201d changes have directly\nand indirectly affected negatively the traditional cultural norms and have resulted\nin undermining of Sinhala culture and Sinhala language.   <\/p>\n\n\n\n

IMPACT\nOF MASS MEDIA <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

There\nwas excessive publicity and importance accorded to these trends by the media,\nespecially the electronic media.  Television was introduced during this\ntime with little restriction if at all, on the nature and type of programs that\nwere presented, and all English newspapers and media in general, was basically\npromoting the  thuppahi\u201d Colombo sub-culture and life-styles. This led to\nexcessive impacts of western culture and values and the blind adoption of\nforeign customs, behavior patterns and organizational systems by our people. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In\ngeneral, what became the order of the day were  irresponsible, unethical\nand highly commercialized mass media programmes, television in particular, with\nundue emphasis on commercials and misleading and mind-polluting propaganda\ncontrary to the cultural norms of the country. These became harmful especially\nto the innocent minds and psyches of children and youth. These so called modern\ntrends were largely responsible for the drastic change of attitudes and\nthinking observed in most people, especially in urban neighborhoods even in\nrecent decades. Promotion of western commercialized values had been the order\nof the day, especially for the English mass media. The administrative and\neditorial staff of the national news media continues to be  dominated by\nnon Buddhists and people with little sense of nationalism or interest in its\npromotion. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The\ndirect and indirect impacts of these \u2018developments\u2019 have been the sheer\ndisregard for and undermining of our national cultural norms and values. It had\nled to significant change of attitudes and priorities of our people especially\nin urban areas. This brought about divisiveness and confusion among Sinhala\nBuddhists. This has seriously affected the significance of the Sinhala language\nas the traditional medium of communication among the people. Besides, it has\nbegun to seriously affect the unity and long-established cohesiveness of the\nSinhala Buddhist community. Western systems including western religious\nbeliefs, norms, and traditions that have been thrust upon the Buddhist\ncommunity have introduced divisiveness and disharmony among Sinhala Buddhists.\nThis has been clearly manifest during the last few decades. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

ATITUDINAL\nCHANGES WITH ENGLISH COMMUNICATION <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

During\nthe past six decades, the language of government in our motherland has been\nEnglish for all purposes, and not Sinhala or Tamil. Knowledge of English has\nbeen a big advantage and sometimes an essential requirement for better\nemployment in both the public and private sectors. It was difficult to get\nahead in society without a knowledge of English. In\nmost urban settings in the country, teaching children to communicate in English\nhas become quite fashionable even today. The western oriented education\nsystems, media, television, tourist industry, foreign employment \u2013 all\ncontribute to this peculiar change of attitude among our people in recent\nyears.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The\nmost striking influence of all these developments and trends was the strong\nouter orientation of people, especially the youth. The heightened importance\naccorded to spoken English at the expense of Sinhala was clearly evident during\nthis time, so much so, those who spoke English were considered by many as the\nmore educated ones that should be emulated. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Also,\nthere is the tendency among some people to give undue importance to those who\ncould speak the English language.  They are considered to be smarter,\nrefined and better calibre as opposed to those who could not speak English. It\nis common observation and experience generally in the urban settings that\npeople who communicate in English draw more attention and respect and find it\neasy to get things done as compared to those communicating in Sinhala. \nSuch disregard and disrespect for the Sinhala language has the tendency to push\nother aspects of Sinhala culture to the background. Owing to the lack of a\nstrong exposure to their own cultural values, learning English has made these\nmisinformed and misguided people to move further away from their culture and\nvalues. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\nis not the language per se but its cultural dimension that has become a serious\nproblem in our country. There is a tendency among some of the English educated\nfolk, to observe western mannerisms and attitudes and consider themselves to be\nmore refined, more cultured and a step above the others. Often in superficial\nways, they tend to observe peculiar mannerisms and deportment that are\ndifferent to or contrary to our long established cultural norms. This\nunwarranted and ridiculous attitudinal changes that learning English or being able\nto speak the language has brought about not only tends to alienate this group\nof individuals but also has led to divisiveness among our youth. This trend has\nmade some of our youth to shy away from their own language and culture.\nSpeaking English or mixing English with Sinhala, or adding English words while\nspeaking in Sinhala became the fashionable and accepted practices. This we\ncommonly observe in some television programs to the dismay of many.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

There\nis no question that there are many positive aspects and much to be learnt from\nother cultures. However, unfortunately it is those superficial, worthless and\nundesirable aspects of other cultures that have been of appeal to some people.\nOften the immature, na\u00efve, careless and slapdash individuals get trapped in\nthese western superficialities. The youth of this period – 1980’s and 1990’s\ngrew up at a time when there were extreme forms of political unrest and\nviolence in the south and north. There was polarization of ethnic communities.\nThe economic and social trends and developments at this time such as\nglobalization without a human face, introduction of television characterized by\nhighly commercialized and often crude programs, expansion of tourism industry\nwithout restrictions, and increase in overseas employment encouraged outer\noriented attitudes and lifestyles of most youth and the disintegration of many\nfamilies. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

There\nis no dispute that on many counts, knowing English is highly advantageous,\nespecially for our youth. A working knowledge of English has become a\nrequirement in a number of fields, occupations and professions such as medicine and computing. It is very helpful in\nlearning and improving many useful skills. It is a global language and over a billion people speak English to at\nleast a basic level. Besides, it is one of six official languages of the\nUnited Nations. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Most\nyouth of last two decades were not conversant with the history of their\ncountry. They do not know that our country is the oldest continually Buddhist\ncountry in the world. They do not know that history and culture of our people\nhave been shaped and mounded by Buddhism since its introduction to the island\nover 2200 years ago. Being unaware of the richness of their cultural heritage,\nmost youth have become indifferent to their culture. Our youth did not have\nproper role models to follow and genuine youth leaders to guide them. It is the\ngreatest tragedy that befell our nation, because youth are our greatest\nresource and they determine the future of our country and its cultural\nheritage. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

There\nis definitely no case for not learning English. But what is necessary to\nemphasize is that the Sinhala language needs equal emphasis as English. Undue\nemphasis on learning English will have the effect of undermining the Sinhala\nlanguage faster. Equal importance should be accorded to the learning and use of\nSinhala language.  Otherwise it will be a cultural genocide much like the\neffects of the propagation of western culture and evangelism in our country, in\nthe name of globalization. The learning of Sinhala literature, Sinhala culture\nand history by our children is fundamental to bringing about an attitudinal\nchange in our younger generation. This will make them develop a sense of pride\nin their outstanding cultural heritage. They will begin to be appreciative of\nthe wholesome values of their glorious culture. And, this will help them to\ndevelop a lifestyle and livelihood that is beneficial to them and the society\nin general. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

GANGODAWILA\nSOMA THERA<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Venerable\nGangodawila Soma Thera who came to the limelight in the 1990’s, stands out as\nsomeone unique. He spearheaded the cause of reviving Buddhism and Sinhala\nculture, and restoring a sense of nationalism and pride among our people. He\nwas a charismatic figure who earned island-wide popularity\nand reputation as a bold bhikkhu who campaigned for the Sinhala Buddhist cause\nat a time when many prominent luminaries of the Maha Sangha either kept silent\nor took up ambivalent positions.  At a time when the country was\nexperiencing a burgeoning open market economy which was destructive of\ntraditional values and increased terrorist activities by the racist Tamil LTTE,\nVenerable Soma was a forceful defender of the traditional way of life\nidentified with the Sinhala Buddhists of the country. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

One\nof his outstanding missions was to mould the younger generation to live\naccording to the Dhamma. He guided the young and old\nto live according to Buddhist teachings. Thousands flocked to listen to his\nsermons, which were delivered effectively in simple Sinhala language. His\nmission was to mould the younger generation to live according to the Dhamma and\nsoon they rallied round him in an organization called ‘Thurunu Saviya’. With\nthe rapid change in cultural values and the escalating crime rate of the time, Soma\nThera started various programmes to address the minds of the young. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Through his television and radio programs\nhe highlighted how the practical side of Buddhist theories could help ordinary\nlives. Television stations clamoured to get him to discuss religious and social\nissues.  ‘Andurin Eliyata’ and ‘Nanapahana’ Sinhala television programmes\nsoon became the most popular Sinhala television programmes that provide him\nwith a sound platform to address an increasingly wide audience. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

He had the extra power of enticing the\naudience, especially the young crowd. He was listened to by many and watched by\nmany and read by many. Sinhala news media highlighted his campaigns. He\nstrengthened the Jathika Sanga Sammelanaya headed by outstanding scholar monks.\nHis untimely death had a strong impact on the\nmobilization and coming to the forefront of concerned Buddhists and prominent\nBhikkhus of the country to confront the forces that were undermining the\ncultural ethos of the country and to bring about a change in the political\nculture of the country by restoring Buddhist norms and principles in running\nthe affairs of the country.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

FEW\nENCOURAGING DEVELOPMENTS <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Our\ncountry is now witnessing the beginnings of a revivalist movement, especially\nwith the eradication of Tamil LTTE terrorism and the dawn of an era of\npolitical stability where people across the country are enjoying long-awaited\npeace and freedom. What we see is a movement to revive cultural nationalism\nwith a sound leadership given by a popularly elected Executive President, to\nsave the country from disintegration, to halt the rapid erosion of social\nvalues, and to direct our society towards cultural rejuvenation based on\ntraditional Buddhist values. We now have a leader who is not a product of the\nouter-oriented Colombo sub culture, but a true son of the soil. His concern is\nthe welfare of the ordinary citizens, particularly the marginalized Sinhala\nBuddhists and the protection of our Buddhist culture and value system which are\ncharacterized by non-violence, tolerance and peaceful co-habitation with all\ncommunities who have made our country their home.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Among\nthe encouraging developments in the country during the last five years is the\n introduction of the teaching of the History of Sri Lanka in schools which\nwas stopped by the government in late 1970s. This has been made a compulsory\nsubject for children right up to \u2018O\u2019 levels. Also evident is an increasing\ninterest in development and promotion of Sinhala performing arts, especially\ntraditional dances. The teaching and study of Sinhala Aesthetic studies has\nbecome generally popular school curriculum. Sinhala music and songs have\nreceived a boost owing to the influence of  television, radio and the\nincreased production of CD\u2019s, DVD\u2019s and associated electronic devices, although\nthe cultural pollution promoted by some of the Super Star\u201d programmes and\ntele natya\u201d have been subject to criticism. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The\nextreme degree of popularity attained by some Sinhala television programmes\nfocused on discussions among reputed professionals on important national issues\nand Buddhist issues had a definite positive impact on reinforcing our\ntraditional cultural norms, Sinhala language.  Another blessing in\ndisguise during the last stages of military action against LTTE Tamil\nterrorists was the popularly watched on-site Sinhala television programmes\nhighlighting the untold sacrifices and heroic deeds of our Sinhala youth in the\nwar front. People were made to realize that these gallant Sinhala youth were\nengaged in activities that were focused on protecting not only our land and\npeople but also, most importantly, the glorious national culture that forms the\nfoundation of this great nation of ours. Among Sinhala songs during this period\nthat attained the highest degree of popularity were those on our military\npersonnel-  – <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Muhudha\ndebaa karanaa, Ahasa polova simbhinaa,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ratata\nsenehe pudhanaa, Leyin masin saduna\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sabaa\npiyeki Daru dahaseki. Mulu ratema lay nayeki<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ape\nekeki siya dahasaki , May dharu hata maw dahasaki<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yawwanaye\nmay sagayaa, Apata noheki may karanaa<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ape\nekeki may minihaa— May Minihaa\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2026Ratak\nRaajyayak Vatinaa –  May Minisaa<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Api\nVenuven Api\u201d,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

uqyqo fonE lrkd<\/p>\n\n\n\n

wyi fmdf,dj isUskd<\/p>\n\n\n\n

rgg fifkfy mqokd<\/p>\n\n\n\n

f,hskA uiska ieoqkd<\/p>\n\n\n\n

An\nencouraging development well evident in our country in most recent times is the\nincreased popularity of the use of meaningful Sinhala names for children and\nfor government development programmes. Also, Sinhala publications by way of\nbooks, magazines and newspapers have increased in recent years.   <\/p>\n\n\n\n

A\nsomewhat awkward and somewhat silly development of recent years, especially\nwith the popular use of the electronic media such as television and radio, is\nthe tendency for people to struggle speaking formal written Sinhala instead of\na readily understood form of Sinhala. This is often seen in television and\nradio interviews of ordinary people on common happenings. Both the interviewers\nand those interviewed resort unnecessarily to formal often grammatical Sinhala\nlanguage thereby preventing people from expressing their views in a clear and\ndirect manner. The spoken form of the Sinhala language is rich and most\nexpressive and it is a pity why the spoken form is forgotten the moment one\nencounters a microphone. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

There\nis much to be desired in the way Sinhala is used in most Sinhala television\nprogrammes.  The thematic content of some Sinhala television programmes\nare contrary to our cultural norms and values.  For some westernized\nSinhala elements, both men and woman, it has become fashionable to mix English\nwords while communicating in Sinhala and there appears to be undue importance\nattached to western and foreign attire among most youth appearing on\ntelevision. Given the fact that most people are quite sensitive to what is\npromoted via television and that it has a strong impact on children and youth,\nit is important that this media is not permitted to resort to programmes that\nare contrary to our cultural norms. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

FATE\nOF SINHALA LANGUAGE<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Of\nsome 7000 languages that exist in the world, about 2500 are expected to\ndisappear from the face of the earth in a hundred years. This means 25\nlanguages will disappear every year. Languages live when people use them in\ntheir daily lives. The preponderance of the Sinhala community continues to use\ntheir language at home, in schools, in public places such as temples and in\ncommunications with government and other establishments. Under these\ncircumstances, in spite of emphasis on learning and use of the English\nlanguage, Sinhala will continue to be used and the possibility of losing our\nlanguage is remote. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The\nlarge majority of Sinhala people are Buddhists and the language of Buddhism in\nSri Lanka is Sinhala. Buddhist culture and the Sinhala language are integral and\ninseparable components of our nation\u2019s cultural heritage. The preservation and\npromotion of the Sinhala language is directly affected by the preservation and\npromotion of Sinhala Buddhist culture. Buddhist cultural activities, ceremonies\nand festivals are invariably conducted in Sinhala. Sinhala terminology\ncharacterizes all tangible items and aspects associated of Sinhala culture. Our Bhihhkus have been in the forefront in protecting and propagating\nthe Sinhala language. All names and titles of our Bhikkus from ancient times\nhave been exclusively Sinhala.  All Buddhist functions and activities in\nBuddhist temples are conducted in the Sinhala language. All Buddhist temples\nand establishments have Sinhala names. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In\nany event, the present President of our country has openly accorded the\nrightful prominent place to our national culture when he, for the first time in\nthe history made his maiden speech at the United Nations General Assembly in\nthe Sinhala language. His regime has given due prominence to the Sinhala\nlanguage and the glorious visual cultural heritage of our nation in all\nimportant national functions. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

There\nare no signs that Sinhala culture or its integral component the Sinhala\nlanguage are in the process of decline and deterioration. No patriotic Sri\nLankan will allow the defining element of their glorious cultural heritage to\nbe sacrificed for the sake of accommodating foreign modes of the so called\n\u2018modernization\u201d, westernization\u2019 and globalization\u201d of our country. The Tamil\nlanguage has not suffered as much as Sinhala language in its usage and\ndevelopment in recent times. It will continue to be studied in Tamilnadu and\nescape the challenges to which the Sinhala language is subject owing to the\npresent day overemphasis on learning English and the negative cultural impacts\nof this development. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dr.\nDaya Hewapathirane <\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Dr. Daya Hewapathirane\u00a0 All salient aspects of the Sinhala Buddhist culture, tangible and intangible, either grew or evolved within the borders of Sri Lanka. Sinhala language and literature evolved and developed in Sri Lanka. All other languages used in Sri Lanka originated in other countries and therefore belong to or are associated with other nations. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":true,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[101],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-90557","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-dr-daya-hewapathirane"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/90557","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=90557"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/90557\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=90557"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=90557"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=90557"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}