Even post-war, discrimination runs deep in Sri Lanka
Repost This ArticleIt was one night some years ago that I realized how deep discrimination against Tamils runs in Sri Lanka. We were all stopped at a checkpoint and I happened to notice that my friend’s National Identity Card (NIC) had some extra lettering to mine. At a glance, it somehow seemed more crowded than mine. After going through the paces at the checkpoint, I asked for my friend’s NIC to have a closer look. It was only then that I discovered all Tamils have their names and addresses written in Tamil, in addition to and under the Sinhalese script. I realized then just how deeply ingrained discrimination ran in our system.
I’ve heard the justification that NIC’s are written in Tamil so that the “holder” is able to read it him/her self. Fair enough. I’ve also heard the explanation that there are Tamil officers in the forces, so this’ll enable them to check NIC’s as well. Correct me if I’m wrong here, but are only Tamils checked at check points? If not, how then can this “explanation” hold any water? If the justification is for both the holder and reader of an NIC to be able to read it, then all NIC’s of all Sri Lankans should be written in both languages. Yes, this should have been done way back in time, but, I’d say it’s better late than never especially in post-war Sri Lanka where we are told there are no majorities and minorities any more. Yet, discriminatory NIC’s are merely the ‘tip of the iceberg’.
Just yesterday I looked at a Tamil friend’s Birth Certificate and discovered that it has been filled up and signed in Sinhala. Of course the form itself is tri-lingual but, as far as my friend’s knowledge of what’s been filled in, her guess is as good as anybody else’s. She can’t read her own Birth Certificate! Yes, one can get a translation, but for a nation that “prides” its multi-ethnic, multi-religious, multi-cultural heritage and of course a newly established “Sri Lankan-ness” we all seem to claim with a gusto, should not all us citizens have our basic documents written in our respective mother tongues? Two friends of mine from Jaffna and Batticaloa told me that their Birth Certificates had been filled out in Tamil, possibly because it was difficult to locate a Sinhalese Registrar in the North and East around twenty years ago. But the reality remains that not all Tamils are from Jaffna or the East. Must they be born in a Tamil majority area to enjoy a fundamental right?
Another friend has five pages of ‘signed’ divorce papers she cannot read. Her husband (also Tamil), was provided with a one-line translation of this document, stating the clause under which she was filing for divorce, and by when he should appear/appeal to the Court.
Yet another friend was unable to get a withdrawal form in Tamil to withdraw some money at a State Bank. She was even reluctant to drop an ‘anonymous’ complaint into the complaint box for fear of being traced and possibly harassed or worse. If something as simple as an 8”x3” bank form cannot be translated by the State, what hope is there then for an official document?
I was also told of an instance where a Tamil had to make a complaint to the Police regarding an incident of assault on her husband. The entire statement was taken down in Sinhala and she had to sign it purely based on trust. In retrospect, she says that it could have said anything at all. Shouldn’t understanding and knowing what you’re signing be a basic prerequisite in a multi-lingual, multi-ethnic country?
I don’t even have to step very far out of my home to find examples of this systemic discrimination. A few weeks ago my domestic handed me a bunch of documents and told me that he was due some money for working in the plantations. He wanted me to see where he should go to collect the money and how much was due to him. The forms were all in Sinhala.
Think about something most people take for granted – ‘bus boards’, which are predominantly in Sinhalese only. A lot of State run buses have the tri-lingual stickers, but even here the font size of the destination in Tamil is much smaller than the name in Sinhala.
Responses to appeals made to the President’s Fund, notices at the Western Provincial Council Motor Vehicle Department, letters from the Grama Sevaka’s Office, notices in government hospitals – the list runs endless where Tamils cannot engage with the State in an official language guaranteed by the Constitution, also their mother-tongue. If Tamils are in fact “legitimate” citizens of this country, (as so vociferously proclaimed time and again) why must be there be a need for them to depend on/spend for translations, or rely on their Sinhala friends to interpret documents?
As a friend told me recently, “If I’m not “citizen” enough to be entitled to such basic rights as these, then don’t expect me to adopt or uphold a superficial “Sri Lankan-ness” that doesn’t even acknowledge my existence.”
I don’t need to tell you my friend’s ethnicity.
Hey; Jsut go to Canada, where forms are in french or english, you need transalaters there too. Don’t try to make an issue out of nothing.
Dear Marissa,
Thank you for your very descriptive insights on the NIC checking issue. I for one have still not got a satisfactory answer on ” what is that the security persons are cheking in examining one’s NIC????” To me what they are looking is for your ethnicity….(Sri Lankan names are obvious indicators of ones ethnicity.) The other thing they are looking for is the place of origin. If you have the North or East as your place of origina…God Bless you….
This is total descrimination….I have had similar experiences…where my friends have had to answer detailed questions….just because their names confirmed that they were not from Sinhala etnicity…
How can we call ourselves to be a ‘just society’ – ‘non- descriminational’ ….when in daily life this is what is taking place……
I have noticed this very much and have tried to get other people to notice to no avail… There are some instances where the translations are available but not printed or in stock cos of the excuse – “they were used up, but no one actually uses them” “kattiya wediya pawichchi karanne nehe, ithin iwara unama aluth ewa daanna oney nehe”
This kind of explanation is more indifference, ignorance, laziness and sheer idiocy… discrimination at its worst
The more disturbing is I have sometimes seen instances where, some boards which were done in all three languages having the tamil defaced… not even security officers standing next to them seem to notice it…
I can see the posters point. But it is also important to know that this is subject to the eyes of the beholder. The other way of looking at this is that most government servants are not highly qualified or tri-lingual. Even though the government may enforce certain things, it still does come on to the servant him/herself in the end. in most cases they are sinhalese and would fill forms or do any such work in it, cause thats the only way of communication for them. Long story short, yes some of the points need to be addressed but it is also important to note that some people have weakness in that
Any story has two sides and any one can have his own story. 12% Tamil population want everything as they want. best thing you have to do is learn other languages.in Germany and France u will find large no of Muslims. and all so all the boards in should be in Arabic? if u think it is a discrimination other can say you are trying to blackmail using this word to get what you don’t deserve by making false allegations
At this time we have finished 3 decades civil war and we need to have better understanding among all ethnic if to move forward positively towards success as one nation. Though I am a Sinhalese in race frankly I respect any ethnic equally.
Noting to hide as everyone knows majority of members of LTTE were Tamils and therefore I don’t see anything wrong with checking Tamils more at the check points until we completely eradicate LTTE menace. During JVP riots around 1988 more Sinhala youth got checked at the check points as the cause was Sinhala youths. E.g If Muslims get arms it is obvious that Muslims will get checked more at check points.
I too agree that government need to improve system to have more Tamil officers in government offices to arrange important documents such as birth certificate and NIC etc in their own language. As a better option why not Tamils make an effort to learn language of the majority. If that happen no one will speak about language discrimination.
Until I passed my A/L I was very bad in English but latter realized that this is the language that majority in the world uses. Because I knew that if I need to visit USA I can not ask US embassy to issue me the application in Sinhala language. Hence from that point I started to learn English and now I improved my English to some extent.
If the same thing apply here it will be much easier if minority learn language of majority than happening it other way. It is more practical and achievable.
I wonder in how many languages one could expect to be served in countries like the USA, Britain, Australia or Switzerland, given the fact that these countries have large multi-ethnic populations.
I do believe everyone in Sri Lanka should be able to fluently speak in Sinhala, Tamil and English.
Having said that, the time may nor be far off when we turn out to be a land of linguists in a truly multi-ethnic society with more diverse ethnicities adding colour, cuisine and culture to an already melting pot.
Well said Marisa, a very good essay. We need strong anti-discriminatory legislation and an anti-discrimination authority with teeth.
The enforcement of language policy is a sticky issue. Its ridiculous to see the road signs that came up for the uniflow traffic system, and even more so the signage and display material at the Amy’s 60th anniversary exhibition being almost fully in Sinhala only. One must understand though that the problem is merely one of awareness, sensitivity and capacity and not one of malice (at least in general.) Considering the education received by those who are now holding public sector positions, from the traffic policeman to the administrative clerk, it is not a surprise that they fail to issue orders and signs appropriately. This is the legacy of the language policy and educational practices of another era.
We must not forget that both these latter factors are now being actively addressed and have actually seen significant change towards recognizing the service requirements of the minority communities and indeed in securing their rights to basic service delivery. Actually, the current government has brought in some positive changes at least at the policy level in terms of pay incentives for public servants to learn tamil (or sinhala as the case may be). As faulty as the current processes associated with such policy may be, for example that in practice those who pass the relevant language standard tests in the public being unable still to maintain a basic conversation in the said language, it has been historically evident that the practical impact of language policy changes only kick in 10-15 years following their adoption.
This isn’t an ideal situation at all and one thing we can of course is to make a noise about it, but don’t ignore existing positive aspects of our language policy. In addition to writing interesting blog posts that raise public awareness, other, and in my opinion, more productive steps that we could take is to first embrace the multi-ethnic Sri Lankan identity that most liberals push and learn to speak and read Tamil (or Sinhala as the case may be) and also to forward the thoughts and sentiments of these interesting posts to officials at all levels of the Public sector. If not, ignorance and empty grandstanding liberal practices will only continue till a slower (unfortunately) “natural” process of policy implementation takes hold… in 10-15 years. Don’t hold your breath.
The Sinhalese are good at comparing an issue wit the world. Here in Sri Lanka there is a whole war fought because there was discrimination and confusion among the two races. So looking at this context there should be measures taken so that the ‘confusion’ and doubts do no exist any more or longer. Well, Shann 777 is all out to compare Canada with Sri Lanka. Gosh! do not compare with that country which upholds to human rights greatly. What a comparison…?
What the country needs and the people of this country needs is what matters. if so the Tamil Diaspora can go by what Fidel Castro claimed and what Yasser Arafat claimed for their people, their rightful claim of power and country. What Hammas trying to claim all that becomes an issue that can be argued. So stop comparing and get to the matter seriously. People with your kind of attitude has ruined this country, altogether.
@ shan777.
Where is the logic in your statement? The Tamil population on Canada is negligible when compared with the Tamil population in Sri Lanka. The fact that a country like Canada will have various forms/documents in both English and French means that their system is designed to facilitate native Canadians, just like Sri Lanka’s system needs to be changed to accommodate both Sinhalese and Tamils. The fact that Canada doesn’t have forms/documents in Tamil does NOT justify documents in Sri Lanka being printed predominantly in Sinhala.
shan777 and chikka just one little clarification. Tamils are NOT visitors, tourists or asylum seekers of Sri Lanka, they’re citizens! So it’s not about me making an “issue out of nothing,” it’s a very real and timely issue, especially in a ‘supposed’ post-war Sri Lanka.
barb, I know it must not be done out of “malice” but rather, out of sheer indifference or lack of interest in accomodating all citizens of this country. The language policy is in fact a crucial issue that must be dealt with now, not only because it should, but more importantly because it can.
Shan777,
In Canada – English and French are the mother tongues of 59.7% and 23.2% of the population respectively and the languages most spoken at home by 68.3% and 22.3% of the population respectively. And hence they have made English and French as their two official languages. Official bilingualism is defined in the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, the Official Languages Act, and Official Language Regulations; it is applied by the Commissioner of Official Languages. English and French have equal status in federal courts, Parliament, and in all federal institutions. Citizens have the right, where there is sufficient demand, to receive federal government services in either English or French, and official-language minorities are guaranteed their own schools in all provinces and territories.
Then why not in Sri Lanka? This is just because you took CANADA as an example to justify an ISSUE being made out of nothing.
We do not need to adopt things in our country just because the West does it? We are Sri Lankan who brag about Sri Lankan – ness and talk in being truly Sri Lankan. So why not?
Laksundara,
Laziness!!! Are we surprised? We always have a lame excuse when we have no justifications. Ignorance and sheer discrimination.
Oh no, they have better things to notice. The ID cards and interrogation in a language that the holder does not understand and enjoy the amusement passing comments amongst themselves. The worst part is when female security officers fail to respect their own gender and entertain their male colleagues. Atrocious!!!
Vinod,
How long can we again give this lame excuse “Mata Dhemala kathaakaranda ba, Sinhala Theriyuma?” (I cant speak Tamil, but can you speak Sinhala)???? When is the Government going to make Bi-lingual fluency a must while recruiting Government staff? Does the majority only serve the majority? Who will serve the minority?
Let us understand the point clearly that this does not mean that the Government starts recruiting more Tamil staff. It is an effort in making each and every Sri Lankan to respect and understand each other. Language is definitely a barrier for communication. And by having the need to learn and be able to understand the other persons language, only then can we call ourselves an empowered nation.
How long can you sit on your weakness?
Chikka,
France –92.1% French Vs 4.8% of Arabs.
Germany – 91.5% Germans Vs 6.1% of others.
What is that Tamils don’t deserve? The right to be able to understand what they see? Are you saying that belonging to the minority group is a good enough justification for being deprived of visual /reading and understanding?
What is Blackmail? It is the crime of threatening to reveal substantially true information about a person to the public, a family member, or associates unless a demand made upon the victim is met. As the information is substantially true, the act of revealing the information may not be criminal in its own right nor amount to a civil law defamation; the crime is making demands in exchange for withholding it.
So, what are the Tamils withholding here? A basic human right to be able to understand what is happening around them for crying out loud!!!! Is this too much to ask?
Why do you call Sri Lanka your home? Why would most of us often say “Nothing like home!!! It’s nice to be back to your own”? We say that because we belong here, we recognize each other, we understand each other, we connect with each other in many aspects such as culture, habits, beliefs and most importantly language.
How do you expect the Tamils to connect with the majority and feel that this is there home too and that we majority are happy to live with them in peace and harmony, when we shut ourselves by just not even communicating to them in a way that they understand?
And false allegations? Its time we all open our eyes wide and see the ‘Ugly Truth’…. my friend….
Barb,
It is actually the other way around when it comes to bi or tri lingual fluency. On average if you were to randomly pick 10 Tamils and 10 Sinhalese from Colombo you would find almost all of the Tamils will know how to read, write or at least speak Sinhala. But it would take one by surprise if you found even one Sinhalese who could speak Tamil.
The reason behind this is because living in Colombo, a Tamil has no choice but to learn the language of the majority so that he/she at least can feel in some instances that he/she belongs to this part of the world or in an emergency be able to shout for help in a language that the majority will understand.
Yes, we have finished 3 decades of war, it is time to look forward. We will have free movement between the North & South. Don’t we have the responsibility to make our ‘Uthuru Mithuru’ feel welcomed by their ‘Dhakunu Mithuru’ rather than giving them this feeling that they are entering an Alien’s world where they don’t understand, nor speak nor even be able to read? Are we going to ask them to finish a 6 months or 3 months crash course in Sinhala before they leave their home and come to the Southern part of the Island to be able to feel that they are still at home? Can we not at least create an environment in which they can at least read and understand what is happening around them?
Barb, with all due respects to the effort that you have put in to improve your fluency in English so as to be able to talk to the US Embassy and get your Visa to go to USA which is 7,843 km away, why have you not thought of improving your fluency in Tamil so that you can visit and experience the beauty of the northern part of your mother land and communicate fluently, humanly with people living just 304 km away from you?
Anything becomes practical and achievable if the right effort and positive attitude is put in.
The difference between try and triumph is a little umph.
when the london tube bombing took place, they didnt stop white skinned people, they stopped and killied a south american right… obviously check point will check tamils, and sinhalese dont have a tendency to go and blow them selfs up. what is the police guy at the checkpoint going to do if he cant read tmail?
get a life marissa!!!!!!!!
Thank you for raising the issue Marisa.
If in the private sector, in very progressive and successful multi-nationals, a communications’ manager is told not to create a fuss because people are already commenting that she is a Tamil, then what more can we expect from the public sector?
Incidentally, the incident I refer to here is something I personally experienced. It came up when we received an email from a visitor to one of our manufacturing plants commenting that all the safety and exit signs were in Sinhalese and not in Tamil. Apparently even some customer safety manuals were in Sinhala. The visitor was of Sinhalese ethnicity himself and commented that he thought it was somewhat dangerous to post something as important as a safety sign in a language which could possibly not be understood by all employees.
Of course the management felt we needn’t need to respond because
1) we had less then 1% of Tamil speaking employees (in a company that boasted over 43,000 people)
2) it was assumed that that portion of Tamil speaking employees knew to read Sinhala
3) they were worried that then they would have to translate employee application forms as well (application forms for production level staff are in Sinhala) and that that would raise the additional problem of not having anyone in the HR departments who could read/write Tamil to process these applications
4) and lastly, the (most priceless argument put forward by a very well educated lady in a very senior post) that if we conceded on this point and did in fact translate the signs etc, someone from the Muslim community might request that the same signs also carry an Arabic translation!
Welcome to Sri Lanka!
And don’t forget that the “registration” that is required of all people of Tamil ethnicity residing in Sri Lanka is done by police officers who do not speak Tamil (atleast they didn’t in the Police Station we went to in Colombo) and requires a form (in Sinhala only) to be filled out, which poses a slight problem because most people of Tamil ethnicity may be able to speak on a basic level but are lost when it comes to reading/writing.
And mind you this registration is not required only from people who have come in from the North or East. I was born and lived in Kandy my entire life before I moved to Colombo for work and I was always asked at checkpoints (atleast once every single day I stepped out of my house for work, or to meet a friend or get some groceries) what I was doing in Colombo and how come I was born in Kandy etc.
Again, welcome to Sri Lanka!
Marissa is talking sense. Sinhala and Tamil are official languages and English is a link language. Anyone would prefer to be served in the language of his/her choice. In my case it would be English. It is the duty of the state to provide tri-lingual officers in the public service. Giving excuses is not going to be of any use. Are we not looking at a multicultural country now that the war is over ?
Those who criticize check points can suggest something to find a way to identify LTTE suspects. Do they have labels as sue side LTTE carder ? Merissa can you tell us a way to find them easily. Those who criticize should come up with a solution. It is very easy to attack..using big eye catchy words like discrimination and human right. But no one talk how many lives been saved by checking those NIC and it was one main reason for the peace in the country. Every one have to sacrifice something to gain something. we all had problems with checking our NICs. What i can say is these people don’t have common understanding of life. very selfish thoughts from marisa. u support brutal killing by blowing a bus, train or building killing many civilians.Probably u are trying to get visa without a trouble to go out of sri lanka.
Hi raza..what do you mean obviously the tamils should be checked at the check point. Do you know how many military men and sinhalese have also worked for the ltte for money? They are very people who let the ltte cross the border and come to colombo. They are housed in colombo by the majority party. If he cannot read tamil ..then that is his problem. That’s what the south does for the tamils. If you cannot speak in sinhala at the police station, that is the tamil man’s problem. U know even the police fellows at the police station do not want translators to talk on behalf of tamils who have issues? They are asked to leave if cannot speak in sinhala. Now what do you do ? So the bottom line is work for the cause. Here in sri lanka tamils and sinhalese have a problem. Find a system to solve it rather look dubious into a tamil’s eyes. Get every document in all three languages including the id card birth cirtificates. My dad was rajasigham but the id says rajasinghe in sinhalese and my dad did not know it was written so in sinhala. Come on. You must be a minority to understand a minority.
Tnx @Ange, that really is Sri Lanka as we all know it!
@Raza, I think that maybe you’ve got your wires crossed somewhere down the line. Maybe it’s best you don’t comment if you find it difficult to fully comprehend what you’re commenting on.
Neither was my article about who should or should not be checked at a check point, nor have I said at any point in this post that all ID’s should be written in Tamil only. I’ve asked that there be an equal language policy, where some of our citizens don’t have to depend on translations to get about their day to day routine.
I encourage you to engage in a more meaningful manner, without resorting to nonsense. Have a good day!
Reality Bites
I never said that sinhalese should not learn tamil. As I have kids who are attending at Sinhala schools I know how hardd they learn tamil now than our time. In my comment I just prosed best option and faster option to come out this situation comment. Though I am too late I am sure my child will speak in tamil with his tamil folks in south in future. I will guide them towards that for sure.
I was growing with the war and didn’t have much hope to visit South at that time. Now I am trying to lear it as time permits.
for Reality Bites said
Small tree can complain about big tree that it is blocking light and resources. but big tree also can say same time that this tiny plant is seeking more than that it deserve.All those problems are minor compared to improving health, education and standard of life.Reality should be understood. small plant cannot be big tree.if small tree is a threat to big tree.big tree will make sure that it wont get anything.but co-existence will work for both . on the other hand it is slavish mentality that u think that u are not belong here because boards are not in u r language and lot of discrimination.you complain it in the south.but are u aware that if you go to north you will not be able to buy a property because of thesavalame law. they never sell their property some one other than Tamil. You cant get a seat in bus or train.my grandmother was going to jaffna by train in 30 years back. she was kicked out from her seat and when they were traveling by train.Before all the problems rise jaffna university Sinhalese students were chased away. those things are every where. Non of those never complain against LTTE for human right violations.cos they have to protect their life. but one their life is safe they can talk anything. throw any bullshit..for anything have two side..the side which is hidden may come later. it is like fake hunger striker having big-mac truth came late.
Please correcly read south typed by mistake as north. Tks
Hi Ranjit.
I lived in the US for some years, so I can address your question, at least for California, one of the most diverse states there.
Almost all state government and health care documents can be found in the following languages, where there are significant minorities speaking them: Spanish, Russian, Mandarin, Cantonese, and Tagalog. In Los Angeles you can also find translations in Armenian, Korean, and sometimes Arabic. In San Francisco I saw Lao, Khmer, and Ukrainian. Even some of the ATMs come in three or four languages!
I was surprised even to learn that driving license exams can be found in many of these languages, as well as tax forms.
I’m not as familiar with US Federal forms, but I believe that most of them can at least be found in Spanish.
Just FYI.
1) In my view, the article in general assumes a rather biased take on pretty complex ground realities;
2) Micro-point: it is NOT ONLY Tamils that are subject to scrutiny at checkpoints – perhaps some may argue that I am simplifying the message in this piece to the tale on Tamils/checkpoints – BUT a piece that begins on this note does carry considerable subjective, misleading baggage;
3) I agree 100% with the author on the need to remedy the language issue that has created havoc since the 50′s ASAP;
4) BUT to imply that making “anonymous” complaints on this front could lead to “harassment” (the State Bank story) is pretty far-fetched – I have in fact directly asked for official documents in English and in Tamil since I am not very conversant in Sinhala – and have not been harassed in anyway;
5) Reference to “systemic discrimination” against the Tamils smacks of a not so-pleasant syndrome called a “persecution complex”” ;
6)The thing is that I AM Tamil – and so I can say all this without running the risk of being called a racist;
7) As I see it we seem to be missing the elephant in the middle of the room – as recent events have shown it is not only Tamils that have been “harassed” – what we need is more meaningful discourse with national unity in mind, freedom of space for citizens to speak out (including media freedom) and a mature civil society.
Chikka,
May I assume that you never studied botany? Function of big trees in a forest is to protect small plants. If small plants blow themselves up, where will big trees get their nourishment?
mariza.. look in UK near the little indian part , you have places names (roads ) in english and then in hindi?, similarly in saigapore. so we have ID cards with sinhala and for tmails in both, what you are suggesting is to have both for all, like haveing tamil names in UK all over -say scotland , wales and where indians are not there?
you write a big article on such a minor issue.. lets talk about the burning issues such as education, growth in economy. GV needs a better set of writers…
Marisa,
Thank you for raising awareness on the issues at hand. However, I don’t think the discrimination in question should be depicted as necessarily malicious in nature. Painting such a picture ignores the positive changes that have been made, despite the multitude of issues that hamper progress.
Let’s keep in mind that we are still living in a 3rd world nation, so expecting cultural sensitivity equivalent to a 1st world country is probably unrealistic at this stage. We all know that the reality in Sri Lanka is that many govt. institutions are improving at a glacial pace at best as “barb” has noted. Mired by economic issues, political fiddling, resulting incompetence and what not, it’s a wonder that things are improving at all.
Most often, we Sri Lankans have to be happy with the smaller pleasures in life. Just think about it, I’m ashamed to say that I was exceedingly happy when they introduced the so called “1 day service” for many govt. services that would otherwise take months on end to get done. I was ashamed because we have such a low bar of expectation but nevertheless happy that something finally got done about it.
So to me, the fact that there has indeed been a fair amount of effort put into uplift Tamil language recognition should be mentioned when writing any critique of the outstanding issues. This is not so we should be satisfied with it, but to prevent people from accidentally getting the impression that only Tamils are being singled out for discrimination. In Sri Lanka, everyone is discriminated against unless you’re a politician or you have “contacts” to get the job done.
Take govt. websites. So far, I’m yet to see a govt. website available in Sinhala but not Tamil. However, take the immigration.lk website. It’s only available in English. Basically, that site is discriminatory towards almost all Sri Lankans.
None of this is to say that we should take any of this lying down. Nor should anything be glossed over. But let’s maintain perspective while doing so.
“Nero Fiddled While Rome Burned”
Your post while admirable does have it’s irrelevance in context to the present. Very much like Nero.
Sri Lanka stands as a world example on it’s war on terror. Especially with the problems the US and UK face in Iraq and Afghanistan. Terrorism must be irradiated at all costs.
The cost could be the existence of Guantanamo Detention Camp to Abu Ghraib in Afghanistan. From water boarding, water hosing, sleep deprivation, unspeakable torture to the many young British and American soldiers coming home in body bags. Some still teenagers.
There is always a cost. Always.
Jaffna was only second to Colombo as a commercial city before the LTTE. Any Tamil grievances in the current context is a given probable. It is after all a war on terror and utmost care must be taken to ensure we do not have a rebirth of the dreaded suicide bomber.
The same way you would say that the Tamils are subjugated by the SLGov, I wonder how people in the calibre of the Maharaja family, Hari or Mano Selvanathan would comment. The names were just plucked out, there are many others. Look at any professional from a Doctor to who serves on Board of Directors in mega corporations in Sri Lanka.
The time is now for us to unite and seek solutions, not speak in forked tongues to create more trouble than required.
Dissonance is good if expressed intelligently.
Marisa, I’m really glad u brought this topic out. I’ve been living with this all my life and i know how it feels. I agree with every word of “Reality Bites”. I don’t want to repeat all of it again. just to add to his./ her note Tamil government officers are suppose to go through a Sinhalese language exam. so that they can serve the people. Agree and understand the reasons for that. Are all those who speak our State language required to do the same so that they could to serve us who are also citizens of this country? How am i different to you? Please Explain? To those who have taken this as a small issue; Yes i agree comparing to all the other problems we have in this country this is a very small issue. But the fact is that this should not EVEN have been a topic of discussion. this is one of the most basic things that a state should have addressed for it people. ITS A SHAME THAT WE SRI LANKAN’S HAVE IT AS A PROBLEM AND NOT TO MENTION THE FACT WE ARE EVEN ARGUING ON THIS MATTER………
Malathy & Marisa >>
Malathy, thank you for sharing your viewpoint. The feeling one gets when reading this article and the comments so far is that all is lost, and that the situation has not see any improvement at all over the years. Thank you for setting the record straight.
Marisa, this quote in particular by your friend struck me: ““If I’m not “citizen” enough to be entitled to such basic rights as these, then don’t expect me to adopt or uphold a superficial “Sri Lankan-ness” that doesn’t even acknowledge my existence.””
What then, does your friend hope to adopt or uphold? And why does this person have such a condemning view which claims that the rest of Sri Lanka doesn’t even “acknowledge his/her existence”? I suppose the very trilingual forms/signs etc. which are printed at great expense are printed for those whose existence is not acknowledged or valued? Sure, there are problems, no one is denying that, but is the indignation displayed really proportionate to the offense committed? I do understand that people get frustrated, but let’s not interpret every occurrence in Sri Lanka as being racially motivated. It’s always racially motivated only in the minds of some people who cannot themselves see outside of a racial lense – the “persecution complex” that Malathy mentioned and also when the person in question seeks to rationalize his/her own racial attitudes by blowing things all out of proportion. Sometimes Marisa, the attitude that needs to be corrected, understandable as it may be, doesn’t always lie outside.
Good point Marisa. Some commenters here seem to love comparisons…that’s fair enough, but won’t help in the SL case.
Here’s a more practical solution to the mess:
1. A national ID with a new format – all key info in English, with a machine readable magnetic chip to verify authenticity at check points/airport terminals during local flights etc.
2. Use proper procurement channels, and begin to fill in Birth, marriage, death and other certificates ONLY in English characters, and that again on a computer (i.e. doing away with the practice of hand-written certificates). The authority to issue original copies can be entrusted to the relevant local bodies
Both measures are costly, but if the state is concerned about making life a bit more easier for our citizens, making the budgetary allocation is kein problem.
This is the only way out. Learning languages is a different story, and it is pointless to link it to the case of official documents. We live in a new century, and we need technologically advanced, presentable identity documents for our citizens. Delivering everything in English will also strongly facilitate the admin work of the large numbers of my countrymen who relocate abroad.
I like Chaminda’s ideas. But I can see many complaining about not being able to understand English – the same complaint many Tamils have about our current Singhaelse documents and signage.
So I say, let’s get really “Brazil” about it and have all documents in, oh I don’t know – Swahili? That way everyone can be equally confused!
I’m only joking, of course. But Chaminda’s ideas are worth looking at. If anything just having a legible, non-faded, non-smudged, easy-to-use ID card would make life easier. Which means it will never happen. So perhaps things are already “Brazil” here.
@chikka “Those who criticize check points can suggest something to find a way to identify LTTE suspects. Do they have labels as sue side LTTE carder ? Merissa can you tell us a way to find them easily.” I claimed to offer no solution to weed out terrorists from our society chikka, my argument is purely based on the language issue. Please don’t jump to conclusions just because you see the word ‘check-point.’ Read, understand, then comment. As for your next comment, “but big tree also can say same time that this tiny plant is seeking more than that it deserve……if small tree is a threat to big tree. big tree will make sure that it wont get anything.” I think you’re just shooting yourself in the foot here buddy, cos’ not only are you acknowledging that the majority has a superiority complex, but you’re actually endorsing and justifying it. Irrespective of the size of the “tree” chikka, all trees must be treated equally. That’s kinda the whole point of being a citizen isn’t it?
@raza I still don’t think you’re understanding me raza. Tamils are not just a minority group of tenants residing within our shores, they are citizens of Sri Lanka. So yes, they do need to be able to understand all their own documents and ID cards and public notices. What’s so difficult to understand here? As for GV needing new writers, maybe you should contribute, then maybe we’ll all have some sort of benchmark to measure up to.
@malathy I opened the story with the check point scenario only because that where I was actually enlightened on this subject. It has nothing to do with me trying to condemn or eradicate check points. If or not I think they should, is a whole different issue and can be addressed in a separate post. As for my friend being afraid to make the suggestion, I know to a rational mind that sounds ridiculous, but, it sadly is true of many a minority community even in post-war Lanka.
As for “what we need is more meaningful discourse with national unity in mind, freedom of space for citizens to speak out (including media freedom) and a mature civil society,” I’m in complete agreement. How would you propose we go about this? I’m almost out of ideas now.
@somewhatdisgusted “What then, does your friend hope to adopt or uphold?” Well, I guess he’d uphold and cling on to his Tamil-ness as long as he possibly can, cos’ there seems to be no point in embracing a Sri Lanka that is obviously not in a position to accommodate him as yet. And it’s not about being unable to “see outside of a racial lens,” I for one am forever trying to see outside of it, but some things are just impossible not to notice and so must be paid attention to.
Wouldn’t you agree?
“Sometimes Marisa, the attitude that needs to be corrected, understandable as it may be, doesn’t always lie outside.” I agree with you 200%, but sometimes it does lie outside, and this to me, is by all means one of those times.
It is time for ALL Sri Lankans to stand up and be counted instead of meekly watching what is left of their once legitimate SL government as it tramples human rights and freedoms in all corners of the Island… starting with the 300 000 innocent civilians who are now prisoners of war in a Country no longer at war. Their continued interment is despicable and unlawful and an insult to democracy.
Sri Lanka will never awake from its troubled sleep so long as so many are willing to enjoy the kool-aid offered by the GoSL.
In the end it will be more than the Tamil minorities who suffer as the present rot will eventually turn what should be a paradise on earth into nothing more than a despotic regime bent on enabling a smaller and smaller elite in their quenchless thirst for money and power.
Marisa >>
You said: ” there seems to be no point in embracing a Sri Lanka that is obviously not in a position to accommodate him as yet”
I think I may not have come across clearly on the point I was trying to make. Just look around us. We still live in a neo-colonial world where the bulk of economic power lies in the hands of a few English-speaking brown sahibs of various ethnicities and the political power is traditionally divided amongst a few brown sahibs, an assortment of thugs and/or their sycophantic goons. It’s their will that will generally see sweeping changes being made and not so much the will of an inconvenienced public.
Think about it. Isn’t it unfair that when we go to a govt. institute to get something done, the more affluent people, those with “contacts” etc. are preferentially treated? Isn’t it unfortunate that the phrase “Colombata kiri – apita kakiri” still holds true to this day? That our development is skewed heavily in favour of an urban elite and the poorer segments must wait with their mouths agape for the so called “trickle-effect” that will eventually emancipate them?
Isn’t it unfortunate that if a suburb has a politician living in it, it’s likely to be cleaner, have less pot-holes on the roads etc. than a suburb without one?
Getting back to my example of “one day services”, isn’t it the case that many of these one day services were put in place when some elite person coudn’t get his/her car transferred on time or get his/her passport on time and not because the general public is being massively inconvenienced in so many other aspects of their daily lives? Ever waited a few hours for a single bus that eventually arrived overflowing with people?
So this is the callous reality that confronts us. Very few people really care much about the swathes of underprivileged people who are uniformly being discriminated against due to their relative lack of access to power.
So coming back to why Tamil language adoption is still lagging and why some of these issues still haven’t been fixed, I think at least part of the answer lies in our power structures. The brown sahibs, Sinhalese and Tamil, are not too bothered by whether or not the forms are available in native languages, because they themselves fill them in English. The politician won’t care because he/she will get an assistant to do it. The inertia and bureaucracy inherent in the system will bulldoze any other additional reason to do it. This is the reality that hampers not just Tamil language adoption, but almost any form of change in our bureaucracies. The general public mostly don’t matter, unless it’s election time.
So the fact that Tamil language adoption has proceeded slowly but steadily and most govt. forms/signs etc. has Tamil use in it, is indicative of the fact that *something* is being done at some level. Obviously, this has not been good enough, but when when you do judge the situation, keep in mind that practically everything in Sri Lanka lags behind in someway and relative to that, Tamil language adoption has proceeded at some pace. So I don’t think Tamils should necessarily think they are being singled out for discrimination. This is why I said, not everything should be necessarily viewed through a racial lense.
So this is something I believe that Malathy attempted to highlight by saying that your critique ignores certain ground realities. Not that any of what I said so far is an excuse to not do anything about the pathetic state of affairs in Sri Lanka today, but it’s important to maintain perspective before anyone proceeds to denounce one’s “Sri Lankan-ness”.
“I agree with you 200%, but sometimes it does lie outside, and this to me, is by all means one of those times.”
Marisa, there is doubtless a great deal that needs to be fixed on the outside but your friend’s failure to maintain perspective is something that needs to be fixed on the inside, don’t you think? Why is it that Malathy is understanding of the situation but not your friend?
Did somebody claim that the country was united?
Reading the comments above, one may realise just how divided we are.
FYI to those of you who believe translations are some kind of inconvenience.
I’m a Sri Lankan Australian, born in England and raised in Sydney for 20+ years and although English is the most commonly spoken language, government documents, websites and information in general is translated into Mandarin, Cantonese, Arabic, Hindi and Vietnamese to name a FEW.
To say that any individual, regardless of their ethnicity, concerned with the OBVIOUS institutionalised racism is making somehting out of nothing, is a joke.
Try walking in the Tamil’s BATAs for one day and see how you like being checked at every checkpoint, humiliated for not understanding the language and treated like an alien in your own country.
My grandparents told me stories of a SL that once was – a paradise of sorts ie Serendib. Pull your thumb out (an Aussies saying [of your ARSE]) and get rid of the joke of a government.
Wake up SRI LANKA! The time for change is NOW.
why dont some NGO offer 500Mn USD for a NIC card with a magnatic strip and each policemand to have a handheld scanner which states out the name – in which lanhuage he/she wants…
Every document in Sri Lanka should be given in 3 offical languages of the state.
They are English, Sinhala and Tamil.
3 copies should be issued to ALL people.
The national ID card the same. It must be re-newed every 5 years. New photo taken and old one discarded.
ALL information required by the state should be in the national id card. IN all 3 languages.
Once again somewhatdisgusted I agree with your whole heartedly, but, as much as I can’t speak for my friend, my understanding is that just like your reality would be different to mine, Malathy’s reality can also be very different to that of my friends couldn’t it? Malathy’s background, experience, exposure and approach might be quite different to that of my friends. Merely cos’ they’re both Tamil cannot be reason enough to see life the same way right?
And you’ve asked why the racial lens? This particular issue cannot be viewed without one, cos’ it is “racial.” It is the Tamils essentially who are discriminated by an unequal language policy. It affecting a specific community only makes it racial doesn’t it? This is not to deny that all the other issues you mentioned are not legitimate or as important, but, for the time being at least, this is the battle I’ve picked to fight, and it happens to be “racial,” that’s all.
@ Malathy and @Marissa – it is perfectly normal and even rational for an ordinary tamil person in Sri Lanka to not ask for tamil forms for fear of being identified for standing up for rights or just getting noted. It happens every day in a lot of places. I dont think it is correct to characterise it as ‘far-fetched’ or irrational. It is mostly a function of ‘power relations’
I have also seen the authorities concerned apologise, rectify when it is brought up, as well some instances (for example in colombo university) where they demonstrated complete indifference, and some other instances where the response was in line with what marissa pointed out.
Veedhur >>
I’m not sure Tamils are the only people who are afraid of demanding their rights for fear of reprisals. I believe many Sri Lankans are. Just to recall one incident, I spent no less than 3 full working days at the RMV to get some trivial car issue sorted out, which was being delayed on false pretexts (possibly the anticipation of a bribe). Since one cannot offer bribes on principle, I had to grit my teeth and endure it all. I didn’t raise a ruckus because I didn’t like to debase myself getting into verbal fisticuffs with some cranky individual with a surly attitude, who might subsequently make my life even harder. So I hope you don’t assume the power relations are skewed only for Tamils? It’s a general problem in public service as I see it.
I don’t intend to dismiss the issue that Tamils may be experiencing more problems than I because of inadequate language support, but I’ve been seeing too many instances where practically everything is portrayed as being motivated by racial concerns, which simply does not strike me as true. It’s an incorrect portrayal of systemic problems in govt. services as racial problems.
That kind of thing hides the fact that the real issues stem from different causes altogether, which actually hinders addressing the actual issues. I hope you understand the point I’m making.
So part of what we must do is also to identify what actually constitutes racial discrimination and what may stem from more general problems in our bloated and sadly lacking public service.
Marisa, an interesting intervention. Thanks.
There are other examples too (two of which I highlighted in an article published elsewhere), such as: i) the lack of persons who could write down a complaint in the Tamil language/the Colombo High Court complex having a single Tamil typewriter (as pointed out by Victor Ivan), and ii) a notice written in the Sinhala language which stated ‘This is only for non-Sinhalese police officers’, at the Batticaloa Police Station (as was once witnessed and pointed out by Rohan Edrisinha, during an interview).
Marisa >>
I don’t disagree with you, but perhaps my response to Veedhur better clarifies the point I’ve wanted to make, which is that not everything stems from racial discrimination alone and that systemic problems in govt. service should not be confused as racial problems.
I wholeheartedly applaud your attempts to set things right, but I believe this is a point to keep in mind: When your only tool is a hammer, every problem looks like a nail.
1.Information in NIC depends on the language application made not only the secuirity reasons but also the convenients of holder to proof his iditity all over the Island for the official as well as private purposes it has been written in Sinhala
.2. Information in birth certificate written the language which the birth and deth registrars language . that is depends on the area. there are Sinhala people they have their birth certificate in Tamil because their parent/s lived in Northen or Eastern province.same as some tamils may have in Sinhala their birth certificate
3. I feel showing this as discremation only show the ignorence of the writer or some unwanted intention.
Marisa has mentioned many incidents of discrimination. We know that all that and much more has happened, is happening and will continue to happen. The question is as to what to do about it. Now D.J. suggests that “we need strong anti-discriminatory legislation and an anti discrimination authority with teeth”. Though this sounds nice this is a very cynical way of avoiding the very factors that cause such discrimination. Which is the authority that is going to bring on ‘anti-discriminatory’ legislation? In fact, which is the authority that can bring any legislation in Sri Lanka? Within the authoritarian system (not at all quintessentially democratic), legislation depends on the wish of one single man called the Executive President. All the matters that are mentioned in Marisa’s article such as sheer neglect in providing proper translations, the way the police powers are abused at checkpoints and the like are the product of a system which has lost all internal checks and balances. Therefore the sheer neglect exercised by the authorities concerned intentionally or otherwise, is a product of a system about which nobody can do anything. Therefore to talk about having better legislation and to leave it in the hands of the same accursed system of absolute power as we have had for several decades is just senseless talk.
As for having an anti-discrimination authority with teeth there is no authority in Sri Lanka except for the Executive President who has teeth (and perhaps the military). All that we need to remind ourselves of for this absence is what happened to the 17th Amendment. The president has more teeth than he needs and they are used to bite all the authorities and deprive them of any will to have any kind of independence. So from where will this anti-discrimination authority come from? Again, this is just senseless talk.
Under a normally functioning system the types of discrimination mentioned in the article can be resolved by the officers in charge of various aspects of civil administration. Translations relating to registrations of births and deaths can be done by the registrar of that department. So also are other facilities for providing translations. However, for these things to happen in the normal course of business civil administration needs to be functioning with the required independence. Other authorities like the police and the Attorney General’s Department can do their roles only if there is that independence.
In a country where the state fails to carry out its duties to develop a civil administration on the basis of laws acceptable to ALL such acts of discrimination will continue despite that the internal civil war type condition has ceased. No significant improvement regarding these things can happen until the people themselves can gain the capacity for participation by interventions to replace this authoritarian system through a system of the rule of law and democracy.
there are racial issues that we need to deal with in Lanka….this is NOT one of the dire ones!
Stop looking for problems girl. There’s tamils with REAL needs who could use your help.
Dear Chikka,
“…Non of those never complain against LTTE for human right violations.cos they have to protect their life. but one their life is safe they can talk anything. throw any bullshit..for anything have two side..the side which is hidden may come later. it is like fake hunger striker having big-mac truth came late….”
Hi chikka, I like that. We all soaked in the same pool. It is the reality which bites all of us.
When it comes to thamils (in particular) neither “LTTE” nor “SLGOVT” are cool. Both are hot. However, thamils take a side of less hot stuff.
When you say “anything has two sides” we are divided. We don’t know the boundary, of course. It is a bad sign.
“…Small tree can complain about big tree that it is blocking light and resources. but big tree also can say same time that this tiny plant is seeking more than that it deserve….”
This statement it self is “B*!!%$&@t”. The intellectual capacity of human beings is way above that of trees. In fact, trees don’t have intellectual capacity. Don’t compare the apples with oranges.
Sinhaleese want the whole of the island and thamils want the piece of this island. There may be exceptions, though. This is the problem. Probably, you don’t know what you are talking about.
Marisa, why aren’t you complaining about the English only world in many parts of Colombo, Kandy and other cities. Go to a restaurant for example, why are the menus in English only? Signboards in the mall and in hotels – why only in English? Shop signs – why only in English? Isn’t this discrimination against the vast majority of Sinhala and Tamil speakers?
@Nimesh:
You seem to be a bit slow in the head. English is a universal language. It’s the language that educated people anywhere in the world use to communicate with each other.
Heshan, it doesn’t matter if English is an “international language” – it is not an official language of Sri Lanka, while both the official languages Sinhala and Tamil have been sidelined in the examples I have mentioned above. Isn’t this discrimination against possibly almost 90% plus of the Sri Lankan population who are not conversant in English? A scenario: I guess then you wouldn’t mind if the Tamil language was shown the door with the Sinhalese claiming that only the ignorant masses spoke it, whilst only educated people spoke Sinhala.
@Suren:
It is not discrimination because English is a neutral language. One cannot say that it discriminates against this group of people or that group of people since it does not offer any single race of people an advantage over another race. On the other hand, it may leave out some rural people, but that is the fault of the Government for not educating rural people in English. If Sri Lanka had an English model such as Singapore did, then we would not need to be having this discussion.
Marisa,
Thank heavens that you have the gonads to say it out loud!
As much as I am hopeful for peace and prosperity for all in the future: I believe the end of the war has ensured that, I fear for the identities of our Tamil and Muslim brethren.
Our conditioned responses to uncomfortable questions betray a deep-rooted angst, that has its origins centuries in the past. Our ideological hegemonies run deep indeed.
Personally, I believe all three languages must be made mandatory in our school curricula, and subjects, such as Social Studies, revamped, to better reflect the multi-dimensional aspects of our Sri Lankanness and not our ethnicity.
I am not so naive enough to believe that this change can happen overnight or two years hence; but, a decade into the future, we can all, finally be truly Sri Lankan.
The Present, I hate myself for saying it, must be endured.
Cheers!
Nimesh,
There are two pockets of English speaking people in this country. Those in Colombo and in Kandy. They make up a minority. English is a link language under the Constitution. The 13 amendment made English a link language in 1987. Therefore it has Constitutional protection. From 1956 to 1987 English was not a part of any Constitution as far as I am aware.
Even now no Government is serious enough to educate our population in English which is an international language even though the President has launched a scheme to train our teachers in India. English is still a politcal issue. Sinhala and Tamil are official languages and will remain so. Therefore sign boards/menus etc should also be in Sinhala and Tamil as well as in English.
In a unitary state how can we speak of a big tree and a small tree? All citizens are equal and that means they are equal. There are no big ones or small ones as far as their citizenship rights are concerned. If someone thinks that I am big and the other is small at that point he or she simply does not understand the nature of citizenship. It would be utter hypocrisy to talk and double talk about a unitary state and then talk about the big tree or the small tree. All citizens are entitled to equal treatment.
This big tree and small tree talk is not new. In South Asia it goes back to the very origins of the caste system. The Brahmin said that they came from the mouth of God and they are therefore entitled to the first place in everything. Thus was created the Indian system of graded humanity. (The wonderful book, White Tiger by Aravind Adiga powerfully illustrates this experience).
Writers like Martin Wickremasinghe expressed that somewhere around the 6th or 7th century of the Common Era the radical Hindu influences came from India to Sri Lanka and virtually undermined the culture of the Anuradhapura period. At least from this time caste was a well entrenched factor in Sri Lanka among Sinhalese as well as Tamils. The idea that some people are bigger than others is therefore culturally very much entrenched.
In the very early times arguing against this kind of mentality Gautama Buddha told his friend Ananda that as far as he knew all human beings are borne of the yoni of women and asked Ananda if he knew anyone who was not born in that way. The same thing can be asked from those who claim that they are part of the big tree. (Elsewhere there is a common saying that we all put our trousers on one leg at a time). That this type of big tree nonsense is an entrenched part of a national ideology is a reflection of a pathetic lack of intellectual and rational development.
A unitary state cannot be built on that kind of childish claim. A modern state can only be built on the foundation of law and reason and not on nonsense. Those who refuse to abandon their nonsensical claims are the ones who are primarily responsible for the failure to develop humane relationships and the human cooperation which can only be the basis of dynamism in a society and a culture. Big tree talk is a rejection of culture and is not an assertion of a better culture. In fact, being irrational that kind of thought militates against the development of civilization.
so it shold be noted that things cant change over night.. in 3 years time – maybe
1.no IDP,
2. less seurity check points
3. no PTA
4. better access
5.better interagtion -through infrastructure and IT
6. better everything
given there are no bombs and no revival of LTTE. for those who waited 30 years, 3 years shouldnt be too abd. (10% or less_)
Unitary State,
Thank you for taking the time to remind people what equal citizenship is about.
Disgusted>
As a person living in a state that has apparently successfully integrated a multitude of races into a cohesive problem free society could you enlighten us on the policies adopted in Singapore on..
1) Land
2) Housing, State & Private (with special reference to any govt funded schemes)
3) Language
4) Judicial review process
5) Education (Govt as well as Private)
6) Equality
7) Power sharing
8.) Access to free Medical Care
9) Media Freedom
Thank You
The use of English (Universal Language?)
The Mother Tongue has a special position in a child’s mind and the performance of a mother tongue educated child is far superior to that of a child forced to study using a foreign language (English for example). For this reason the Mother tongue has to be used primarily.
Education in the following countries are not based on the use of English. Germany, France, Russia, Japan, China and probably Korea as well (There would be more). The advancement achieved by these countries is sufficient proof if proof is needed.
English is not that “Universal” as some seem to think.
Studies show that we learn better in our mother tongue.
In the United States, a research unit at George Mason University in Virginia has monitored results at twenty-three primary schools in fifteen States since 1985. Four out of six different curricula involved were partly conducted in the mother tongue. The survey shows that, after eleven years of schooling, there is a direct link between academic results and the time spent learning in the mother tongue.
In New Zealand, a recent study showed that Maori children who received basic education in their own language performed better than those educated in English only, notes Don Long
Many were outraged in 1998 when Californian voters, by a 61% majority, imposed English as the state’s sole language in publicly-funded schools despite opposition from a coalition of civil liberties organizations.
Approval by referendum of Proposition 227, as it was called, meant resident foreign-born children, mostly Spanish-speaking, could no longer be taught in their own language. Instead, they would have an intensive one-year course in English and then enter the general school system.
Though I would be against it, imagine the uproar if Sri Lanka followed the example set by California?
Source – UN
Dear Marisa de Silva,
Recently the Supreme Court ordered that all Public buildings provide wheel Chair access to the disabled. It was also required to provide wheel chair accessible Toilet facilities in such buildings. Things started to happen even before the order was issued.
This was as a result of a disabled civic minded civilian who prosecuted the Govt. The plaintiff claimed that his rights under the Constitution were being trampled. The Supreme Court upheld his claim.
This shows that there are alternate ways to obtain what is needed.
The Sri Lankan Constitution guarantees equality of her Citizens. This is the Supreme Law of the country. I believe that the language issues mentioned in your article can be solved in the same way that access for the Disabled were won.
I would urge aggrieved Tamils to file fundamental rights petitions in the Supreme Court asking for redress. I also urge the lawyers within the community to offer their services free to the aggrieved, to file such petitions in the Supreme Court. I am sure that many lawyers would volunteer their services free of charge irrespective of ethnicity.
The Law is there, please make use of it.
Hmm… Interesting comments indeed. What equality is, what rights/expectations we can/ought to have in a multi-ethnic society, what’s pragmatic and what’s not, what democracy means and what constitutes discrimination are all topics on which there seems to be an understandable confusion about, given the delicacy of the Sri Lankan situation. I hope the debate continues.
The Good Lord (for those of us who believe in him) gave Sri Lanka a second chance,therefore let us not make a hash of this chance.
Look at Israel, how many cease fires came their way, none held.
Look at Iraq, Afganisthan, and many others, who have NOT got a second chance.
Case in point to follow is Ireland.
They genuinely decided, that enough is enough.
Are we going to permit a resumption of the WAR or violence and once again permit the slaughter of innocent civilians??
Soldiers, Servicemen.
The thousands of families yet grieving.
Have we forgotten so soon?
What does it matter to have 3 or even 4 national languages recognised by the Government.
Case in point, USA, how many immigarnts are living in harmony.
They have opened their doors, inspite of 9/11.
Each year thousands are permitted to migrate to the USA.
Even little Sri Lanka receives a quota.
NOW is the time for Rehabilitation of the displaced.
Now is the time to care for the internally displaced persons. Many owned land, businesses etc.
Let us also not forget our heroic servicemen who boldly laid down their lives, their families too should receive immediate assistance.
And the 3rd catagory being innocent victims, of all races who got caught up in the cross fire,trapped in buildings, roadside bombs etc., etc., their families too should be assisted.
Let us all call it a day, have done, put all our shoulders to the wheel and ensure, like in Germany,”Never ever another Holacast”.
Capt. Nihal C.I. De Silva (Sri Lanka Rifle Corps 1st Battalion Volunteers.)
Member Foreign Correspondent’s Association.
@Off the Cuff As much as I’d like to believe that “The Sri Lankan Constitution guarantees equality of her Citizens. This is the Supreme Law of the country.” I’m sure you understand the ground reality, especially now. If there are still Tamils who are afraid to make an anonymous complaint at a bank, what are the chances that you’ll find many willing to file petitions in the SC? Agreed, that this battle can be ideally fought via the legal system but, I’m afraid today’s political climate doesn’t seem to be the most conducive to that sort of interventions.
@Nimesh, your point is quite valid, I stand corrected. The introduction of a proper functioning equal language policy would resolve all these issues however.
@dimitri, “there are racial issues that we need to deal with in Lanka….this is NOT one of the dire ones!” Not being able to read your own personal documents is not important an issue to discuss Dimitri? Yes, I agree there are many other issues that need to be highlighted, but, I believe in winning one battle at a time is better than none at all.
@Sitheeg AKMI, “Information in NIC depends on the language application made not only the secuirity reasons but also the convenients of holder to proof his iditity all over the Island for the official as well as private purposes it has been written in Sinhala.” Please clarify what you mean by this, cos’ it’s not very clear.
“2. Information in birth certificate written the language which the birth and deth registrars language . that is depends on the area. there are Sinhala people they have their birth certificate in Tamil because their parent/s lived in Northen or Eastern province.same as some tamils may have in Sinhala their birth certificate.” I wasn’t aware that there are in fact Sinhalese who hold Birth Certificates written in Tamil. If so, by all means, that’s wrong too. Every person should have their vital documents filled out in their respective mother tongues. That’s the main point of this article Sitheeg. The implementation of an equal language policy. I would have thought was more or less understood by now.
My NIC issued in 1974 has all information in sinhala and in tamil. My wife’s NIC also issued in 1974 has all information only in sinhala. It appears that there was no set procedure in 1974. I do not know about now. When police wanted me to sign something written in sinhala, I always wrote “I do not understand written sinhala” at the end below,and sign,write my name,date and time. Even after four decades, there is no implementation of tamil as an official laguage.
The use of English (Universal Language?)
The Mother Tongue has a special position in a child’s mind and the performance of a mother tongue educated child is far superior to that of a child forced to study using a foreign language (English for example). For this reason the Mother tongue has to be used primarily.
Education in the following countries are not based on the use of English. Germany, France, Russia, Japan, China and probably Korea as well (There would be more). The advancement achieved by these countries is sufficient proof if proof is needed.
English is not that “Universal” as some seem to think.
Studies show that we learn better in our mother tongue.
In the United States, a research unit at George Mason University in Virginia has monitored results at twenty-three primary schools in fifteen States since 1985. Four out of six different curricula involved were partly conducted in the mother tongue. The survey shows that, after eleven years of schooling, there is a direct link between academic results and the time spent learning in the mother tongue.
In New Zealand, a recent study showed that Maori children who received basic education in their own language performed better than those educated in English only, notes Don Long
Many were outraged in 1998 when Californian voters, by a 61% majority, imposed English as the state’s sole language in publicly-funded schools despite opposition from a coalition of civil liberties organizations.
Approval by referendum of Proposition 227, as it was called, meant resident foreign-born children, mostly Spanish-speaking, could no longer be taught in their own language. Instead, they would have an intensive one-year course in English and then enter the general school system.
Though I would be against it, imagine the uproar if Sri Lanka followed the example set by California?
Source – UN
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Source UN? I have trouble believing the source is the UN. When I typed parts of the above into Google, nothing came up. Why don’t you provide a direct link.
“The Mother Tongue has a special position in a child’s mind and the performance of a mother tongue educated child is far superior to that of a child forced to study using a foreign language (English for example). For this reason the Mother tongue has to be used primarily.”
That is not necessarily true. How exactly does the Mother Tongue occupy a special position in a child’s mind? Within a certain age range, any child will easily pick up a new language. It does not matter what the language is, the child will pick it up. It is a well-known fact that small children learn new languages much faster than adults.
“Education in the following countries are not based on the use of English. Germany, France, Russia, Japan, China and probably Korea as well (There would be more). The advancement achieved by these countries is sufficient proof if proof is needed.”
Five of the countries you named, except for China, are industrialized. Ironically, despite such industrialization, the vast majority of people in all of these countries can speak English fairly well. You mentioned three European countries… most Europeans can speak 3 or 4 different languages fluently. Clearly, this is a contradiction of your “mother tongue is best” theory.
“English is not that “Universal” as some seem to think.”
It is even more universal than we perceive it to be. It is the language of science and technology, and one of the main languages of business and commerce. Try visiting all seven continents and getting by with just French.
“In the United States, a research unit at George Mason University in Virginia has monitored results at twenty-three primary schools in fifteen States since 1985. Four out of six different curricula involved were partly conducted in the mother tongue. The survey shows that, after eleven years of schooling, there is a direct link between academic results and the time spent learning in the mother tongue.”
I don’t see any link between academic results and the “time spent learning in the mother tongue,” unless the learner is a recent immigrant. But even if he is a recent immigrant, his fluency in the mother tongue will not make any difference in his performance in certain subjects. Subjects like math and science have their own “language”… this language is then used to derive various relationships between objects. On the other hand, the logic behind such derivations is independent of any so-called mother tongue… in fact, it is a scientific fact that such logic involves areas in the left-hemisphere of the brain and not the right. In contrast, the right hemisphere of the brain is responsible for reading and writing activities (while the left one is responsible for abstract thought). It is obvious why the “mother tongue” does not make a difference in the mastery of subjects which require abstract thinking. That is because everyday language by itself is imprecise. This includes all possible “mother tongues.” On the other hand, the language of math and science is not native to anyone… it can only be learned.
“In New Zealand, a recent study showed that Maori children who received basic education in their own language performed better than those educated in English only”
Language is not the only factor. If language is the only factor that the study considers, then the study is faulty. Let us take the case where two Maori twins, from the exact same socio-economic background, are separated at birth. If one Maori twin sticks with his own family, and attends a special school for Maori children, and the other twin is adopted by an upper-class New Zealand family, and attends a private English-medium school, which twin is likely to perform better?
Many were outraged in 1998 when Californian voters, by a 61% majority, imposed English as the state’s sole language in publicly-funded schools despite opposition from a coalition of civil liberties organizations.
“Approval by referendum of Proposition 227, as it was called, meant resident foreign-born children, mostly Spanish-speaking, could no longer be taught in their own language. Instead, they would have an intensive one-year course in English and then enter the general school system.”
Bilingual education is very expensive. California schools are already overcrowded and underfunded. So taking away Spanish due to racism, or was it simply a way to deal with a growing budget deficit?
“Though I would be against it, imagine the uproar if Sri Lanka followed the example set by California?”
Children who learn only English can still cope with fast-paced technology and commerce. On the other hand, children who learn only Sinhala (or only Tamil) will not be able to do so.
“Source – UN”
Once again, do provide a direct link. I have trouble believing the UN would conduct such erroneous studies.
I would agree entirely that everyone in Sri Lanka should learn English (in addition to both vernacular languages). Sinhala simply does not have critical mass at this point to generate a knowledge base adequate to the challenges we face in these globalized times. Maybe Tamil does, I’m not sure.
Having said that, in my opinion people communicate far more effectively in their mother tongue than in a foreign language. Even in thoroughly anglicised Singapore, I’m surprised at how much everyday conversation (and even business) is still conducted in Chinese, Malay and Tamil.
Also, Heshan brings up a good point, although probably not in the way he intended. Language is not the ONLY factor. English is not going to solve all our problems. There are plenty of Anglophone countries in Africa who are in miserable shape. A good work ethic, an entrepreneurial spirit, a sense of honour, intellectual curiosity, thrift – these are far more important.
And when Heshan says that the ‘vast majority’ of people in Germany, France, Japan, Russia, Korea and China speak English ‘fairly well’ – and that ‘MOST Europeans speak 3 or 4 languages fluently’ – well he reminds us that English is not a magic cure for ignorance!
Dear Marissa,
You said …..”As much as I’d like to believe that” ….The Sri Lankan Constitution guarantees equality of her Citizens. This is the Supreme Law of the country.
Seeing is believing. Please visit http://www.constitution.gov.lk/downloads/Chapter%20III%20-%20Fundamental%20Rights.pdf
Perception of fear is different for each person. Some fear more and some fear less. Being afraid to make an untraceable anonymous complaint at a bank is unusual. The existence of such people is not an excuse for not asserting ones rights. There are many respected and fearless Tamils in the legal profession (lawyers, judges, SC judges, etc). To state that all Tamils are such cowardly is a slur on the Tamil community.
I gave an example of how a civic minded disabled person won the rights for the Disabled and the changes that started to occur after that. Actually changes started to take place even before the order was delivered.
Discrimination against the coloured races in the US did not vanish in a day just because the laws were in the statute books. It took courageous people to test the enforcement of those laws.
I hope the legal profession would get together on this issue and sue the Govt under the FR in every instance that they receive complaints of FR violations.
The problem is how many leading lights of the Law profession will be willing to sacrifice their time to sue the Govt without charging any fee from the aggrieved.
Dear Rajivmw,
The gist of the UN document that I quoted is what you stated in your second para, “communication”. That the mother tongue has a special place in the “process of understanding” is universally recognized.
Any meaning can be conveyed more effectively using the mother tongue than by the use of English alone. Problems come up when you try to “coin” words instead of “adopting” them from another language. English Language adopts many words from diverse languages without coining Anglicanised versions for them.
I have not stated anywhere that “only” the mother tongue should be used but “primarily” the mother tongue should be used. It implies the use of a supplementary language.
As in the case of analyzing a problem with many variables where we keep all but one variable constant, in assessing the effectiveness of instructions delivered primarily in the mother tongue we have to compare results by using mother tongue as the primary source to one group and using English exclusively for another group. The two groups should be otherwise identical. My intent was to underscore, that the blindly slavish, “English is best” attitude was faulty.
Your last paragraph requires no comment from me
Sigh, as usual, Heshan’s highly-confident opinions on every conceivable subject leaves one breathless with awe. Such erudition comes with an attached caveat however. It appears that the facts must twist themselves in order to fit in with his preconceived notions.
Heshan claims that the ‘vast majority’ of people in Germany, France, Japan, Russia, Korea and China speak English ‘fairly well’ .
Here are the facts, which are likely to put a damper on his opinion.
Country – Percentage of english speakers
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Germany – 56%
France – 36%
Japan – 11.75%
Russia – 4.9%
Korea – not provided
China – 0.77%
Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_English-speaking_population (primary references contained within, feel free to follow)
Except for Germany, which manages 56% (is that a vast majority?), the rest prove to be quite pitiful in their English speaking skills. Even little ‘ol Sri Lanka has a 9.9% English speaking population.
As for whether “most” Europeans speak 3 or 4 languages fluently. Only 50% of Europeans are able to ‘participate in a conversation in another language than
their mother tongue’, never mind 3 or 4 languages.
Source: http://ec.europa.eu/public_opinion/archives/ebs/ebs_237.en.pdf
amused heathen- How come Sri Lanka has a “9.9% English speaking population ?”
I am sure the figures are wrong. I am quite sure that Sri Lanka does not have even 1% English speaking population in this country of 21 million or so.
I would be happy if it is 9.9%.
English is absolutely vital for our progress in this day and age. The “Sinhala only” policy was a disaster. All Sri Lankan school children should be given an opportunity to learn English. To do so we must give our teachers a proper training in English teaching. The role of the teacher is crucial because a vast majority of our school children come from non-English speaking homes.
I agree with Rajivamw that “Sinhala simply does not have critical mass at this point to generate a knowledge base adequate to the challenges we face in these globalized times.” I would also add Tamil to that.
@amused heathen:
The figures you cite do not give the true picture.
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English compulsory in Japan
In an attempt to stay competitive and produce graduates able to work in a bilingual environment, the Japanese government has decided to make English compulsory at elementary school by 2008. Since neighbouring China and South Korea have made English compulsory in school, this move by Japan is seen as a national strategy.
http://www.suite101.com/blog/bhumikaghimire/568
In the next decade, every Japanese, Korean, and Chinese child will study English for a full 8 years whether he likes it or not.
@rajiivm:
“English is not going to solve all our problems. There are plenty of Anglophone countries in Africa who are in miserable shape.”
I agree that English is not a cure all for every malady. On the other hand, neither is a Sinhala medium or Tamil medium curriculum. How do we know this? Well, we already know that the affluent class in Sri Lanka sends their children to private schools and international schools, where English is a compulsory subject. In international schools, it is the only medium of instruction. The medium of instruction in all Sri Lankan universities is English. Clearly, everyone who can afford it prefers to have their child educated up to some useful standard of English. Only the children of very poor people will be educated entirely in SInhala-medium or Tamil-medium schools. Now when you think about it, by pushing for “swabasha” – by emphasizing the mother tongue over English, you are doing these poor children a disfavor. They will never be able to compete with their more affluent counterparts who have learned English pretty much through osmosis. It remains to the Government to become cognizant of such a reality, and go one step further: institute a mandatory English-medium curriculum all public schools. There is no point glossing over the wonders of the mother tongue in the face of such economic realities.
Thanks Marisa. This sort of writing is important & necessary. Sri Lankans need to confront these issues and discuss them if they really want to make SL a better place to live for all. I think making English the common language for all should make things easy.
But then, this is not much of a worry for many Tamils now. For Tamils in SL if the Sinhalese could simply let us live in peace with dignity, without any harassment, kidnapping, illegal-imprisonments, rape, torture and murder. That is all we need!
AboutSriLanka.WordPress.com,
“For Tamils in SL if the Sinhalese could simply let us live in peace with dignity, without any harassment, kidnapping, illegal-imprisonments, rape, torture and murder. That is all we need!”
What you said is probably true. Sadly it reflects the extreme success of Sinhalese terrorism.
Hi,
Nice article, well put together, i must say you have given it your all.
If you look at the world in a way where you feel that everything that happens to you is because you belong to a certain race/religion then you will always continue to see every injust in the world as been racially motivated.
When you look at the rest of the world i can firmly say with facts that Sri Lankan tamils are treated well, look at the plight of non muslims in Saudi Arabia or the lack of liberties for minorities in the middle east, change begins at home i guess, i was blessed to have two parents who always told me to see a man/woman for who they were and not by what race they belonged too, dont take me wrong peeps i love my heritage, i love been singhalese and i feel that things twenty years from now are going to be much better, Sri lanka is changing, the silent machine of justice is working but we cannot see it as we are clouded,
Change is needed i do agree, we need reforms in our education system so the next generation of Sri Lankans are truly bilingual. Most singhalese state offcials cannot read tamil and tamil offcials cannot read Singhalese.
Asking why or going against the machine so as to say is not the way forward, bringing change, true change for every man,woman and child in this country should be by bridging gaps and by not fueling the gaps that divide us, making people understand through education and awareness is the way forward, more tamils should learn Singhalese, Singhalese should learn tamil.
Thank you
Suresh
PS: I am a singhlaese with a tamil first name and i love it!!!
If a person goes to any country and obtain citizenship then he/she may not called by Tamil or Sinhalese! Certainly German. British or American!! So the same policy applied to Sri Lanka too. If some one come to our country and want to take the citizenship, then first things to do is learn the language. Not that we must learn their language. All the Tamils who migrated to other countries like UK, Germany or Swiss, do they have right to work in Tamil? I wonder why this applies only to Sri Lanka! Still we managed to open many Tamil schools in the country. Can you tell me how many Sinhala schools were open in the Northern part of the country..I do remember the days when traveling by train to Jaffna. From the Madawachchiya railway station we have to sit on the floor until you reach Jaffna.
Marisa!
Where have you been those days? May be not born! But then ask your elders what kind of discrimination occurs..even at the examination department, most of the Tamils got highest marks (bogus) ..we have thousand things to write..not only about the N.I.C.
This is not the time to wash dirty linen..but time to look forward..forget about the past and build a solid future for all of us without racism.
Remember you cannot change the entire legislation because you have few Tamil friends. I too have many friends around the Globe but no one helped me to get Sinhala as an official language. So why only in Sri Lanka. Just a thought!!
So please do not beat the bush! We have long way to go!!
Hope you will tell your young Tamil friends the truth..nothing but the bitter TRUTH!
Thank you
Senaka Rajapakse,
“If a person goes to any country and obtain citizenship then he/she may not called by Tamil or Sinhalese! Certainly German. British or American!!”
You seem not to be able to tell the difference between ethnicity and nationality.
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“All the Tamils who migrated to other countries like UK, Germany or Swiss, do they have right to work in Tamil? I wonder why this applies only to Sri Lanka!”
Maybe because the Tamils have a very long history of settlement in Sri Lanka, have been there for more than a millenia, and were there at the creation of the nation? Usually, that is how nations are created, by accomodating the rights of all those present at its emergence.
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“…’we’ managed to open many Tamil schools in the country”? How utterly magnanimous of you! Who is ‘we’, by the way? Have you, by any chance, heard of “equal rights”? You know, that belief that is associated with democracy, which ‘your’ country adopted (only to totally sully its meaning).
I am rewarded in seeing Marisa, a friend, come forward on an issue of fair play. Her generation may see the revealing of the organisers of the burnings of Tamil homes. This will exorcise those masters who still profit from communal bickering in the island and diaspora. The masters of the universe at BP are now revealing that the same Reaganomics era opened the door to massive criminality everywhere preached, including the USA where the taxpayer paid to propagandise a doctrine, now a rod for his own back.
I am rewarded in seeing Marisa, a friend, come forward on an issue of
fair play.
Her generation may see the revealing of the organisers of the burnings of Tamil homes. This will exorcise those masters who still profit from communal bickering in the island and diaspora.
The Reaganomics era thew in huge criminality everywhere it was
promoted. The masters of the universe at BP are now revealing how this
includes the USA where the taxpayer paid to propagandise a doctrine that has become a rod for his own back.