{"id":98758,"date":"2020-02-06T15:46:30","date_gmt":"2020-02-06T22:46:30","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/?p=98758"},"modified":"2020-03-09T17:54:12","modified_gmt":"2020-03-10T00:54:12","slug":"singing-the-national-anthem-in-tamil-part-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/2020\/02\/06\/singing-the-national-anthem-in-tamil-part-2\/","title":{"rendered":"SINGING THE NATIONAL ANTHEM IN TAMIL Part 2"},"content":{"rendered":"

KAMALIKA PIERIS<\/em><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n

Rev 7.3.20<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

There\nare two opposing sets of views on the matter of the Tamil version. One group\nfirmly wishes to see the anthem sung only in Sinhala. It is imperative to sing the national anthem\nin one voice not two, they said. A national anthem is a symbol of\nunity. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

When you\ntalk about a National symbol, be it a flower, animal or flag there can only be\none of them,\u201d said Sandagomi Coperahewa. There can\u2019t be two or three national\nsymbols. There may be two official languages, but the national anthem is one\nsymbol. If it is sung in a language other than Sinhala, there has to be a\nConstitutional Amendment as well,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2018The national anthem of Sri Lanka should be\nthe original song sung in the language it was written in,\u2019 said one commentator.\u2019 That is Namo\nnamo matha and it was written to be sung in Sinhala. . Every citizen, whether Sinhalese, Tamil, Moor, Malay, Burgher,\nor Veddah should sing in one voice in the language the anthem was written in,\nin this case Sinhala\u2019,  added another\ncommentator, Stanley Gunaratne. A\nreader commented,\u2019\u2019 Yes, one national anthem in Sinhala only\u2019.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This\ngroup dismisses the notion that\nTamils cannot think of themselves as Sri Lankan when the national anthem is in\na language that they cannot understand. Why can\u2019t the\nTamils learn to sing the national anthem in Sinhala, asked one critic. If they\nare able to learn other languages in the countries they live in now, why can\u2019t\nthey learn Sinhala? They do not askthat\nthe national anthem of the countries they now live in be translated to Tamil so\nthey can sing it with fervor and loyalty.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There is no\nneed to sing the national anthem in Tamil as singing it in Sinhala is\nsufficient, said  Ravi Kumar , President\nof   Tamil Buddhist Association of Jaffna. There was no\ndemand from any Tamil in Jaffna to sing the National anthem in Tamils. It was\nnot an issue, said Rear admiral Sarath Weerasekera, speaking in 2016. When I was the commanding officer of the Karaingar naval\nbase in 1993 Tamils sang it in Sinhala at various functions.  Today the north is all Tamil, and they have\nwith all impunity sung the national anthem in Tamil, he concluded. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

These\ncritics point to India. India has Hindi and English as official languages but its National\nAnthem is highly Sanskritised Bengali. It\u2019s not even Hindi, but all Indians\nsing it. In\nIndia the national anthem is sung in only one language. All Indians sing it\nregardless of whether they understand it or not. India stipulated that all\nschools in India have to start the day with the national anthem. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

 India\u2019s national\nanthem was originally a patriotic song \nwritten in Sanskritised Bengali, by Tagore, later adopted as the\nnational anthem. Even before independence the Bengalis had sung ‘Jana gana\nmana’ at their rallies. The\nBengalis played a significant role in the nationalist struggle, more than any\nother ethnic group. The Tamils did not play that kind of role in Sri Lanka.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The\nnational anthem should be  multi lingual\nsaid  some. They suggested a  single \nnational anthem   with verses in\nSinhala and Tamil. A single\nbi-lingual anthem, with verses in both Sinhala and Tamil.  Let there be at\nleast a few lines in Tamil \nincorporated into our national anthem, they said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

One suggestion is to sing one verse of the\nnational anthem in Tamil, whilst the balance is sung in Sinhala. The first two verses can be sung in Sinhala\nand the last verse can be sung in Tamil. Then the entire anthem is sung by all\nSri Lankans, where the Sinhala speaking population sing the Tamil verse in\naddition to the Sinhala verses, and the Tamil speaking population sing the\nSinhala verses in addition to the Tamil verse.\u2018Including a Tamil verse in the national anthem\nwill also help chauvinistic Sinhalese to remember that there are people other\nthan the Sinhalese living in this country\u2019, said one commentator.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

There\nis also a request to sing the national anthem in three or four languages.\nThe anthem should be  sung in at least 3\nlanguages , English, Sinhala and Tamil said Mohamad Zaharan .\nI personally would prefer that the national anthem be sung in four languages ,\nincluding Arabic he added. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This will be then even understood by the\nforeign dignitaries from other countries who will be attending this ceremony.\nThe other advantage is that it may even kindle the interest of people to learn\nthese languages. By singing it in three or four languages will give diversity\nand ensure that people of other faiths are also given due recognition, ours\nbeing a multi-religious, multi-racial and multi-ethnic country, Zaharan\nconcluded.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A\nwhole bouquet of examples have been given to justify singing the anthem in\nTamil. In South Africa, the national anthem of four stanzas is in five\nlanguages, Xhosa, Zulu, Swasotho, Afrikaans, and English. First stanza is in Xhosa and Zulu,\ntwo lines each, next stanza in Sesotho, third in Afrikaner, fourth in \u2018English. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Canada\nhas English, French and a bilingual version. The lyrics in the English and\nFrench versions differ in the Canadian anthem.\nIn the bilingual version beginning and end is\nin English middle verse is in French. Canada has an Inuit version too.  The national anthem\nin New Zealand, the first verse in Maori and the second in English. In Belgium the national anthem is sung\ntrilingual in French, Dutch and German.In Suriname, national anthem has\ntwo verses, one in Dutch and the other in Sranan Tongo.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Switzerland\u2019s\nanthem has different lyrics in each of the country\u2019s four official languages\n(French, German, English, and Romansh). Fiji\u2019 has lyrics in English and Fijian\nwhich are not translations of each other. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

There were\nother alternatives. Spain has no words at all\nin its national anthem. In Spain the\nnational anthem has been played without words since 1978.  In Singapore, there\nare Tamil, English, Malay and Chinese people, but their National Anthem is sung\nin Malay. National anthem is in Malay, because\nSingapore was earlier linked to Malaysia. The Irish national anthem was\nwritten in English. An Irish translation although never formally adopted, is now\nalmost always sung. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Those supporting  a Sinhala only national anthem have dismissed\nthese examples. None of\nthese have any relation to Sri Lanka ,they said. Sri Lanka need not take new\nnations such as Canada, New Zealand and South Africa as examples. Eight\nof the countries with multilingual national anthems are in Africa, where there\nis no record of land borders before colonization, they added. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

They\nalso pointed out that the United Nations comprises 193 member\nstates. Less than 25 of these countries have multilingual national anthems. The\ncountries with monolingual national anthems  \nalso have minority communities. But the national anthems of such\ncountries are invariably in the language of the majority community. Lastly, some countries, with bilingual\nnational anthems, such as Canada ,are about to break up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Those who support the singing of the national\nanthem in Tamil use strong language. It is injudicious and even the wicked\ndecision to sing the National Anthem only in Sinhala, they said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In an already fractured society, it is\ndifficult to understand  this suggestion\nof departing from such a simple practice which could be so meaningful to substantial\ngroups. On the contrary, departing from it may convey a message which does not\naugur well for our future progress as a united and peaceful society, they said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

But others decided to take a more conciliatory\nline. We have only one National Anthem, and that is in Sinhala. What is sung at\nthe end of the official commemoration is only a Tamil language version of the\nSinhala Anthem. A Tamil version of the\nNational Anthem  has been created for\nthis very purpose. This version  is now\naccepted andhas    been in use for some time. \u2018The Tamil\nversion has been in use from 1951 or so, and the practice was  restored in 2015,\u2019 they said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This group decided to take an emotional approach, emphasizing music and song.\nThe content of the national anthem is universally appealing and can create an\nemotional response in persons who differ in other respects. It is capable of\nbeing a unifying force, said Friday Forum. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Listening\nto the singing of the national anthem in either or both language is indeed a\nmoving experience. It is most moving when it is sung in our mother tongue or\nboth languages, said Devanesan Nesiah.\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We\nmust voluntarily learn the national anthem in each other\u2019s language, so we can\nall sing it together, said Rev Duleep de Chickera. Far from banning\nthe singing in one language, we must ensure \nthat it is sung with dignity, in both languages, on Freedom Day and all\nnational occasions.. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Satyajit Andradi\nhas looked at the music aspect of the anthem. Music is, in fact, the language\nof emotions. It could break through language barriers as far as expression of\nemotions are concerned. It builds bridges and binds people together, he said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

A national\nanthem, like any other song, is a union of poetry and music. Hence, whilst the\nmusical element is critically important, the linguistic component should not be\nunder-rated. It is a widely accepted view that, a person is able to express her\nor his innermost emotions through the medium of her or his native language\nrather than through a different one. Hence, it is important that everyone be\nactively encouraged to use their native language. Needless to say, this applies\nin the case of singing one\u2019s national anthem as well. Use of one\u2019s native\nlanguage will stimulate creativity, whilst learning other languages would\nenrich it further, continued Satyajit. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

We celebrate the\nfact that Sri Lanka is a bio-diversity hot-spot of the world. Likewise, why\ncannot we celebrate its wonderful linguistic diversity? The Sinhala and Tamil\nversions of the national anthem of Sri Lanka epitomizes the immense linguistic\ndiversity of the country. The native Sinhala speaker, who is not very\nconversant with the Tamil language, would find it extremely difficult to\nunderstand the Tamil lyrics. However, this is not a cause for disappointment or\nalarm. On the contrary, it is a fact to celebrate. It speaks volumes of the\nlinguistic diversity of the country, continued Satyajit. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Singing our\nnational anthem in Tamil as well as in Sinhala at the official Independence Day\ncelebrations is a small but vital step in this journey. Let\u2019s sing it with\ndevotion and enthusiasm in the two main native languages of our land \u2013 Sinhala\nand Tamil. Let us also learn to sing it in the language of each other in the\nnear future, said Satyajit. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Satyajit however, makes doubtful observations\non the two languages. The Sinhala language, like Hindi,\nBengali, Marathi, and Nepali, is considered to be an offspring of Sanskrit, the\nsacred language of ancient India. Sinhala is most probably the living eldest\ndaughter of Sanskrit, said Satyajit. He \ndoes not say  anything about the  considerable \nSinhala literature.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

 Tamil , on the other hand, says Satyajit,\nbelongs to the Dravidian family of languages. Like Sanskrit, Tamil is an\nancient classical language of India. It possesses a great literature. Sinhala and Tamil have been spoken in the\ncountry for more than two millennia,\nsaid Satyajit,  ending with a flourish,\nthis brief sequence of incorrect statements. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

All sort of\nwoolly, sometimes incoherent,  emotional\nstatements, including at least one howler were made by supporters of the Tamil\nnational anthem. Here is a selection.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

**to sing our national anthem in both national\nlanguages, does not undermine or desecrate either of them. To the contrary,\nwhen we venerate Mother Lanka as one people, in both Sinhala and Tamil, we\ndemonstrate the magnanimity of our cultures in which our respective languages\nflourish. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

**What will the Sinhalese majority stand to\nlose by allowing the Tamil version of the anthem also sung on the Independence\nDay celebrations following the Sinhala version? In my view this is a simplest\ngesture to show the Tamil brothers and sisters (who had suffered directly for\ndecades due to the war) that the majority Sinhalese can respect the Tamils\u2019\ndesire to use their mother tongue to express their sentiments. .<\/p>\n\n\n\n

**It is difficult to fathom why it has now\nbecome necessary to deny Tamil citizens the privilege of praising our\nmotherland in song, in their mother tongue, especially when the convictions,\naspirations, and devotion are identical. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

 ** The\nTamil community have been hurt so much on the language issue. Firstly in 1956\nby not recognizing the Tamil language \nThe idea sown recently to sing the national anthem at Independence Day\ncelebrations in Sinhala only, is one such sad and recurring wound. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

** The constitution provides for singing the\nNational anthem in Sinhala and Tamil, but this is not followed.  The anthem says \u2018eka mawakage\u2026.\u2019 If we truly\nbelieve that we are the children of one mother we must provide the opportune\nfor the Tamil speaking people to sing our national anthem in their mother\ntongue.\u2019  This is a howler. Children of\none mother will not speak in different languages. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

**  Other countries having ethnic minorities would\nhave been over the moon had a minority community expressed the wish to sing the\nnational anthem in their own mother tongue. It would have been a matter of\nnational celebration, joy and hope if a minority community once driven to take\nup arms to establish a separate state on the country\u2019s soil, attendant with its\nown national flag and national anthem as the sole means of redressing their\nperceived grievances, should now express their desire to sing with fulsome\nheart in their own mother tongue the national anthem of the country from which\nthey wish to secede ( Don Manu) <\/p>\n\n\n\n

**\nex-President Sirisena\u2019s gesture to include the Tamil version also in the day\u2019s\nagenda spoke volumes to assure the Tamil populous that they were equal sons and\ndaughters of this blessed island and enjoyed the right in the same measure to\nbask in the self-same rays of the Lankan sun as did the Sinhalese. The\nPresident\u2019s extended hand which was quickly grasped by the Tamil minority was a\nlong leap forward on the road to reconciliation between the two communities.The\nmessage was sent to all that the sovereign state of Sri Lanka was an undivided\nco-owned property.( Don Manu) <\/p>\n\n\n\n

**\nFurthermore, even as court proceedings are conducted in Tamil and English in\nTamil speaking areas in the north in the same manner Sinhala and English are\nused as the medium of language in court proceedings conducted down south and\nelsewhere where the majority language is spoken, so too is the national anthem\nsung in Tamil in Tamil speaking schools in the north, and sung in Sinhalese in\nthe rest of the country. ( Don Manu)  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

** So what\u2019s\nthe fuss? What\u2019s wrong in singing the national anthem in Sinhalese and in Tamil\nby the Tamils at an official function where both communities meet as but one?\nIsn\u2019t it far better and more meaningful for the Tamils to sing the nation\u2019s\nsong in their own mother tongue which they can understand and sing with feeling\nrather than merely give lip and sing the national anthem in Sinhalese in parrot\nfashion? ( Don Manu) (CONTINUED)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

KAMALIKA PIERIS Rev 7.3.20 There are two opposing sets of views on the matter of the Tamil version. One group firmly wishes to see the anthem sung only in Sinhala. It is imperative to sing the national anthem in one voice not two, they said. A national anthem is a symbol of unity. When you […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":true,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[104],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-98758","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-kamalika-pieris"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/98758","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=98758"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/98758\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=98758"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=98758"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=98758"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}