<div dir="ltr"><h1 class="" style="margin:0px 0px 10px;padding:2px 0px 4px 6px;border-width:1px 0px 1px 16px;border-top-style:solid;border-bottom-style:solid;border-left-style:solid;border-top-color:rgb(239,239,239);border-bottom-color:rgb(239,239,239);border-left-color:rgb(205,23,19);outline:0px;font-size:22px;vertical-align:baseline;font-weight:normal;font-stretch:normal;line-height:1.1em;font-family:'palatino linotype',palatino,'times new roman',times,serif;letter-spacing:-1px;background-image:initial;background-repeat:initial">Breaking The Language Barrier</h1><p style="margin:0px;padding:0px 0px 10px;border:0px;outline:0px;font-size:14.4px;vertical-align:baseline;font-family:georgia,'palatino linotype',palatino,'times new roman',times,serif;line-height:20.16px;background-image:initial;background-repeat:initial"><strong style="margin:0px;padding:0px;border:0px;outline:0px;font-size:14.4px;vertical-align:baseline;background:transparent"><em style="margin:0px;padding:0px;border:0px;outline:0px;font-size:14.4px;vertical-align:baseline;background:transparent">by</em></strong><em style="margin:0px;padding:0px;border:0px;outline:0px;font-size:14.4px;vertical-align:baseline;background:transparent"> Easwaran Rutnam</em></p><div style="margin:0px;padding:0px;border:0px;outline:0px;font-size:14.4px;vertical-align:baseline;font-family:georgia,'palatino linotype',palatino,'times new roman',times,serif;line-height:20.16px;background-image:initial;background-repeat:initial"><a href="http://www.thesundayleader.lk/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/109.gif" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;border:0px;outline:0px;font-size:14.4px;vertical-align:baseline;text-decoration:none;color:rgb(205,23,19);background:transparent"><img class="" title="10" src="http://www.thesundayleader.lk/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/109.gif" alt="" width="365" height="490" style="margin: 5px 10px 0px 0px; padding: 2px; border: 1px solid rgb(170, 170, 170); outline: 0px; font-size: 14.4px; vertical-align: baseline; float: left; background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial;"></a>Singing of the National anthem in Tamil at the National Independence Day celebrations this month went a long way in giving the Tamils a sense of optimism towards government efforts in breaking the walls dividing some Tamil and Sinhalese communities.</div><p style="margin:0px;padding:0px 0px 10px;border:0px;outline:0px;font-size:14.4px;vertical-align:baseline;font-family:georgia,'palatino linotype',palatino,'times new roman',times,serif;line-height:20.16px;background-image:initial;background-repeat:initial">However, in the public sector the language barrier still remains and, if not addressed soon, will continue to give the Tamils a feeling their rights are still being suppressed.</p><p style="margin:0px;padding:0px 0px 10px;border:0px;outline:0px;font-size:14.4px;vertical-align:baseline;font-family:georgia,'palatino linotype',palatino,'times new roman',times,serif;line-height:20.16px;background-image:initial;background-repeat:initial">The language issue was noted by some couples who had visited marriage registrars to obtain pink forms for their marriage.</p><p style="margin:0px;padding:0px 0px 10px;border:0px;outline:0px;font-size:14.4px;vertical-align:baseline;font-family:georgia,'palatino linotype',palatino,'times new roman',times,serif;line-height:20.16px;background-image:initial;background-repeat:initial">One marriage registrar in Colombo had told a couple that she has been instructed to ensure the details in the forms are written in Sinhalese.</p><p style="margin:0px;padding:0px 0px 10px;border:0px;outline:0px;font-size:14.4px;vertical-align:baseline;font-family:georgia,'palatino linotype',palatino,'times new roman',times,serif;line-height:20.16px;background-image:initial;background-repeat:initial">The couple had filled the relevant document in English to obtain the pink form but the registrar had written the pink form in Sinhalese.</p><p style="margin:0px;padding:0px 0px 10px;border:0px;outline:0px;font-size:14.4px;vertical-align:baseline;font-family:georgia,'palatino linotype',palatino,'times new roman',times,serif;line-height:20.16px;background-image:initial;background-repeat:initial">Another couple had to bring a translator with them to have the forms filled in Sinhalese as they were not fluent in Sinhalese.</p><p style="margin:0px;padding:0px 0px 10px;border:0px;outline:0px;font-size:14.4px;vertical-align:baseline;font-family:georgia,'palatino linotype',palatino,'times new roman',times,serif;line-height:20.16px;background-image:initial;background-repeat:initial">When the issue was raised with the Minister of National Dialog Mano Ganeshan, he said that he will look into it as it is key that the public can fill the forms in Tamil or Sinhalese.</p><p style="margin:0px;padding:0px 0px 10px;border:0px;outline:0px;font-size:14.4px;vertical-align:baseline;font-family:georgia,'palatino linotype',palatino,'times new roman',times,serif;line-height:20.16px;background-image:initial;background-repeat:initial">“I will have my language commissioner loom into it,” he said.</p><p style="margin:0px;padding:0px 0px 10px;border:0px;outline:0px;font-size:14.4px;vertical-align:baseline;font-family:georgia,'palatino linotype',palatino,'times new roman',times,serif;line-height:20.16px;background-image:initial;background-repeat:initial">Under the official languages policy, the fundamental law pertaining to the languages in Sri Lanka is enshrined in Chapter IV of the Constitution of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka (1978).</p><p style="margin:0px;padding:0px 0px 10px;border:0px;outline:0px;font-size:14.4px;vertical-align:baseline;font-family:georgia,'palatino linotype',palatino,'times new roman',times,serif;line-height:20.16px;background-image:initial;background-repeat:initial">The provisions thereof have been amended by the 13th and 16th Amendments to the Constitution respectively in 1987 and 1988. Moreover, Article 12 (2) of Chapter III of the Constitution recognizes the right to language as a fundamental right.</p><p style="margin:0px;padding:0px 0px 10px;border:0px;outline:0px;font-size:14.4px;vertical-align:baseline;font-family:georgia,'palatino linotype',palatino,'times new roman',times,serif;line-height:20.16px;background-image:initial;background-repeat:initial">The Sinhala and Tamil languages are both Official and National Languages in Sri Lanka while English is the link Language. Apart from the statutory provisions for the implementation of the Official Languages Policy, administrative provisions have been made in implementing the same.</p><p style="margin:0px;padding:0px 0px 10px;border:0px;outline:0px;font-size:14.4px;vertical-align:baseline;font-family:georgia,'palatino linotype',palatino,'times new roman',times,serif;line-height:20.16px;background-image:initial;background-repeat:initial">“Provisions of Chapter IV of the 1978 Constitution provides for the use of Sinhala and Tamil as the official languages of Sri Lanka. They also provide for the rights of ordinary persons in any part of the country with regard to the use of Sinhala, Tamil or English in communicating with officials of the government and receiving responses thereto, and, for the rights of persons to give information with regard to the commission of an offence to a police or peace officer in any of the three languages.</p><p style="margin:0px;padding:0px 0px 10px;border:0px;outline:0px;font-size:14.4px;vertical-align:baseline;font-family:georgia,'palatino linotype',palatino,'times new roman',times,serif;line-height:20.16px;background-image:initial;background-repeat:initial">“It is not only the lack of staff capable of working in the Tamil language that had been the main cause of non implementation of the provisions of the Constitution with respect to Language, but the indifference of many heads of departments that had resulted in this situation, and consequently, Tamil speaking persons (i.e. Tamils and Tamil-speaking Muslims) have been encountering difficulties in their interaction with the State,” Chairman of the Akhila Ilankai Tamil Mahasabha, Dr. K, Vigneswaran said.</p><p style="margin:0px;padding:0px 0px 10px;border:0px;outline:0px;font-size:14.4px;vertical-align:baseline;font-family:georgia,'palatino linotype',palatino,'times new roman',times,serif;line-height:20.16px;background-image:initial;background-repeat:initial">Dr. Vigneswaran says he has even proposed to the committee accepting proposals for a new constitution that a person must be entitled to give information as regards any birth, death or marriage in any of the national languages, and to receive the original certificate of such birth, death or marriage in the language of record of the area together with a translation thereof in any national language, or, in the official language of the person’s choice if both official languages are languages of record of the area, together with a translation thereof in any national language.</p><p style="margin:0px;padding:0px 0px 10px;border:0px;outline:0px;font-size:14.4px;vertical-align:baseline;font-family:georgia,'palatino linotype',palatino,'times new roman',times,serif;line-height:20.16px;background-image:initial;background-repeat:initial">He also says that in order to facilitate better communication among the ethnic groups and to promote national integration, Sinhala, Tamil and English languages must be made compulsory subjects at the GCE (O/L) examination.</p><p style="margin:0px;padding:0px 0px 10px;border:0px;outline:0px;font-size:14.4px;vertical-align:baseline;font-family:georgia,'palatino linotype',palatino,'times new roman',times,serif;line-height:20.16px;background-image:initial;background-repeat:initial">Implementation of the official languages policy will help compliment what has already been achieved by singing of the national anthem in Tamil at the Independence Day anniversary.</p><p style="margin:0px;padding:0px 0px 10px;border:0px;outline:0px;font-size:14.4px;vertical-align:baseline;font-family:georgia,'palatino linotype',palatino,'times new roman',times,serif;line-height:20.16px;background-image:initial;background-repeat:initial">Singing of the national anthem in Tamil earlier this month drew the praise of the Tamil community and the international community as well.</p><p style="margin:0px;padding:0px 0px 10px;border:0px;outline:0px;font-size:14.4px;vertical-align:baseline;font-family:georgia,'palatino linotype',palatino,'times new roman',times,serif;line-height:20.16px;background-image:initial;background-repeat:initial">Northern Province Chief Minister C. V. Wigneswaran visited the Naga Vihara Temple in Jaffna the very next day to show support to the decision taken by the government to sing the national anthem in Tamil.</p><p style="margin:0px;padding:0px 0px 10px;border:0px;outline:0px;font-size:14.4px;vertical-align:baseline;font-family:georgia,'palatino linotype',palatino,'times new roman',times,serif;line-height:20.16px;background-image:initial;background-repeat:initial">Speaking to reporters at the Temple, Wigneswaran said that if the Sinhalese people take one step forward and move towards the Tamils then the Tamils will take ten steps forward towards the Sinhalese community.</p><p style="margin:0px;padding:0px 0px 10px;border:0px;outline:0px;font-size:14.4px;vertical-align:baseline;font-family:georgia,'palatino linotype',palatino,'times new roman',times,serif;line-height:20.16px;background-image:initial;background-repeat:initial">“We are very happy that the national anthem was sung in Tamil yesterday,” Wigneswaran said.</p><p style="margin:0px;padding:0px 0px 10px;border:0px;outline:0px;font-size:14.4px;vertical-align:baseline;font-family:georgia,'palatino linotype',palatino,'times new roman',times,serif;line-height:20.16px;background-image:initial;background-repeat:initial">The Northern Province Chief Minister said that while singing the national anthem was a small gesture, it went a long way.</p><p style="margin:0px;padding:0px 0px 10px;border:0px;outline:0px;font-size:14.4px;vertical-align:baseline;font-family:georgia,'palatino linotype',palatino,'times new roman',times,serif;line-height:20.16px;background-image:initial;background-repeat:initial">The cabinet in 2010 had decided that the national anthem will remain only in Sinhala and that the Tamil version will no longer be sung at any state function.</p><p style="margin:0px;padding:0px 0px 10px;border:0px;outline:0px;font-size:14.4px;vertical-align:baseline;font-family:georgia,'palatino linotype',palatino,'times new roman',times,serif;line-height:20.16px;background-image:initial;background-repeat:initial">However, the new government decided to lift the unofficial ban on the Tamil version of the anthem as part of moves to reconcile the Tamil and Sinhala communities.</p><p style="margin:0px;padding:0px 0px 10px;border:0px;outline:0px;vertical-align:baseline;background-image:initial;background-repeat:initial"><font face="georgia, palatino linotype, palatino, times new roman, times, serif"><span style="font-size:14.4px;line-height:20.16px"><a href="http://www.thesundayleader.lk/2016/02/21/breaking-the-language-barrier/">http://www.thesundayleader.lk/2016/02/21/breaking-the-language-barrier/</a></span></font><br></p><div><br></div>-- <br><div class="gmail_signature">**************************************<br>N.b.: Listing on the lgpolicy-list is merely intended as a service to its members<br>and implies neither approval, confirmation nor agreement by the owner or sponsor of the list as to the veracity of a message's contents. Members who disagree with a message are encouraged to post a rebuttal, and to write directly to the original sender of any offensive message.  A copy of this may be forwarded to this list as well.  (H. Schiffman, Moderator)<br><br>For more information about the lgpolicy-list, go to <a href="https://groups.sas.upenn.edu/mailman/" target="_blank">https://groups.sas.upenn.edu/mailman/</a><br>listinfo/lgpolicy-list<br>*******************************************</div>
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