Sri Lanka: Thoughts on Chilcott and English

Tue Dec 11 15:05:30 UTC 2007

Thoughts on Chilcott and English

English is our gateway to world culture and world literature. English
is absolutely necessary for international communication and it is the
medium by which we can acquire scientific knowledge. But all these
undeniable facts do not constitute an argument to discard and
disregard the national languages or to -give them a subordinate
place." Martin Wickramasinghe " Aspects of Sinhalese culture " 1952.
Mr. Chilcott perhaps had not evaluated the underlying reasons for the
introduction of Sinhala as the national language and thus provoked
divergent thoughts to be expressed in newspapers. I was two years in
employment, serving in an outstation financial institution, 100 miles
away from the parental home at the time the new legislation was
introduced. Having passed the SSC in the English medium and having
read prose and verse of the Shakespearean era and of the subsequent
authors and studied Economics, Latin and Mathematics, many divergent
thoughts innately engulfed me.

Among them were the absence, immediately of books in Sinhala for all
subjects taught in schools, possibility of translating terms used in
science, mathematics and in other subjects, availability of few
Sinhala books for general reading, other than the books of Martin
Wickramasinghe, Piyadasa Sirisena and others, the ability to
correspond and transact business with organizations in foreign
countries and the ability of the Tamil and Burgher communities to
discharge their responsibilities in Sinhala. But over the years such
fears have been overcome, although the legacy of an ill planed and
hasty political blunder is still trailing us.

The author of the Sinhala only concept with his western education in a
prestigious University and with his inherent astute political
awareness was conscious and not ignorant of the damage to the
educational and social framework of a united nation by introducing a
language policy change within twenty four hours. Yet, he sacrificed
the harmonious living environment that prevailed among the many
nationalities for the personal prestige of becoming the head of state.
He was aware that a Sinhala only campaign could win the sympathy,
mainly of the rural masses that constituted the majority of the
voters.

Sinhalese masses carried away by platform politics, sacrificed the
future of their children by not insisting that English language as a
subject should be taught in schools, so that they would be competent
to read books written in English, mainly on science and technology and
gain knowledge. But his children were not educated in their mother
language, instead he sent them abroad to prestigious universities to
study in the English language and compelled the natives to study in
Sinhala. Now there are books written by Sinhalese and Tamil authors
and books translated in Sinhala and may be Tamil too, but reading in
the original language of eminent scientists and philosophers, would
unmistakably give a clear insight to the thoughts and analytical
conclusions of the authors.

Educating a child in the mother should be the arrangement, with
English as a compulsory subject, which will enable the students to
have excess to internet, read books written about scientists,
philosophers and of other eminent persons, attend foreign universities
for higher studies and be able to participate in conferences and
lectures abroad. Mahatma Gandhi during his visit to then Ceylon in
November 1927, addressing the students of Mahinda. College Galle had
expressed a cogent view, " I am certain that the children of the
nation that receives instruction in a tongue other than their own
commit suicide. It robs them of their birthright. A foreign medium
means an undue strain upon the youngsters, it robs them of all
originality." The Father of Sinhala Only would have been aware of this
dictum, but political success was the critically important factor and
sacrificed the national amity that prevailed.

But now if a Sinhalese student lives in Jaffna, the studies have to be
in the Tamil language. But Tamils and Muslims living in Colombo and
many other towns may have Tamil schools but in places where there are
no Tamil schools, they have no choice but study in the Sinhala medium.
If this political visionary without announcing Sinhala only in 24
hours had announced that within a period of two years on a provincial
basis a language change would be introduced, he still would have been
successful in his election campaign and would have been the head of
state.

In the pre-1956 era, English was the language of the provincial
Courts. Those who did not understand the language had the benefit of a
translator. A similar situation prevailed in all other government and
private organizations. A villager who received a telegram in English
was compelled to go in search of a person who was able to read
English. As such within the two year period as promised he could have
first introduced an administrative language change on a provincial
basis.

Tamil should have been made the administrative language of the
Northern and Eastern Provinces. In the South Sinhala should have been
the administrative language. A division of the Eastern Province could
have been made in respect of the people living in Monaragala, Ampara
and other areas where the majority were Sinhalese.

For another quarter century a Sinhalese family may not be allowed in
the Northern Province and they also may not desire to live in the NP,
as they will not be warmly welcomed. Thus in the NP a Sinhalese will
not visit a Police Station, a Post Office or any other Office and
request that the discussions and the recording should be in Sinhala.

But a Tamil living in Colombo or in any other district may request an
official that all discussions and recordings should be conducted in
Tamil. In Colombo few had requested that their discussions and
recordings be in Tamil and not even in English, while their official
functions are conducted in English. Thus in the deep South in a
Sinhalese village, where the majority are Sinhalese, a Tamil may
request that discussions and recordings should be in Tamil, thus the
State has to ensure that all Government Offices are staffed with a few
Tamil speaking persons. For Tamil speaking persons irrespective of the
nationality it will be a mass scale government employment opportunity.

Thus, a Provincial language policy will resolve many divergent issues.
English Language should be a compulsory subject for students, to
benefit from English books on science, computer and technology. They
could then access the inter-net and also listen to English language
programmes conducted on TV. Currently most parents send their children
to private tutors to learn the English language, to converse and also
to read books. Some such children are four year olds but their parents
are unable to speak, read and write in English, For school holidays
children are burdened with an unbearable volume of homework, but in
addition the schools should give a list books, Sinhala/ Tamil and
English books for them to read.

An opportunity arose to be in a school hall audience, where a private
bank, the Nations Trust Bank made donations worth over three to four
hundred thousand rupees, including computers to Amunuthera Kanister
Vidyalaya, a school situated in a village 22 kilometers from Ratnapura
Town. There were three votes of thanks, two in Sinhala prose and verse
and one in English and the girl proved that if the opportunity is
provided for the village students to learn English. The Department of
Education should engage the services of retired English teachers to
train new teachers and even with shortcomings an attempt should be
made to commence to teach every child to speak, read and write in
English.

Thus a provincial language policy should be able to resolve some
burning issues that have caused mayhem in certain parts of the
country. Amor Patriae

http://www.island.lk/2007/12/11/features2.html
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