Gajalakshmi Paramasivam

30 January  2020

SINHALESE NATIONAL ANTHEM?

[I think requesting or threatening someone to write a language as his or her mother tongue is wrong. No one can be forced or lured to write a language as his or her mother tongue. It is important what a person chooses to be] Mr Abdul Khaleque  - Congress MP - Barpeta , Assam

By singing the National Anthem in Sinhala language, Sinhalese confirm that  that they are Sinhala Nationalists. Likewise Tamils in Tamil and Burghers in English. As Mr Abdul Khaleque has stated – it is the citizen’s prerogative to confirm her/his nationalism. Like different religions one is entitled by the Constitution to sing the National Anthem in her/his own language. Article 14 (1) (f) of the Constitution provides as follows:

[Every citizen is entitled to the freedom by himself or in association with others to enjoy and promote his own culture and to use his own language]

But a subdued mind would be brainwashed to please the custodian of power. As per the Telegraph :

[Khaleque’s statement came days after Assam cabinet minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said the BJP would create an atmosphere where immigrant Muslims would not dare to say that they were not Assamese, and the Asam Sahitya Sabha and Opposition AIUDF appealed to immigrant Muslims to write Assamese as mother tongue in 2021 census.]

The parallel of this mindset in Sri Lanka was observed in Mr Ali Sabry – the current President’s legal representative. This effectively weakens the provisions under 14 (1) (f).

Sri Lanka is referred to as ‘Matha / Mother’ in the national anthem. If Sri Lanka is to be a nation and this is to be confirmed through the National Anthem – then it must be expressed in each person’s mother tongue. At Government level it needs to be expressed in the languages of all those who contributed to national governance through their own cultures.  If this is cumbersome then as per the principles of democracy the mother language of the smallest minority needs to be used – as in Affirmative action. This is English in Sri Lanka. To the extent we use English law – we use English minds. By using English – we respect those minds and therefore inherit their structures. By artificially painting the surface with our own language of convenience – we fail to develop deep thinking as per the inherited laws.

In his article ‘Why 19A must be revised but not repealed’ Dr Dayan Jayatilleke makes the following :

[In his extensive and repeated remarks on Sri Lanka over decades, right up to the year of his death, the most sagacious of Asian statesmen Lee Kuan Yew praised Ceylon’s independent public service as one of the several factors that put it way ahead of most countries at the time of Independence. We dismantled that public service, starting with the abolition of the Ceylon Civil Service and ending with the scrapping of the independent Public Service Commission with the adoption of the 1972 Republican Constitution]

Mr Lee Kuan Yew was a hard working leader who developed new governance structures on the basis of his own inheritance which included the British mind. Not so the Sri Lankan politicians who were fearful of Tamils amongst them. The fear happened due to converting heritage as benefits. Where the structure becomes weak – our conduct becomes more and more unregulated. This is the reason for moving towards Business Unit approach in Democratic Public Service. The parallel of that is the recognition of each community as an independent unit.

The truth as per my experience  is that I do not understand Sanskrit but with certain mantras  I feel uplifted. The power of the mantra is in the Sound (Energy). The feeling of ownership of a true believer is also an Energy usually Light – as in visual relationship. The two Energies combine when they meet through us.

As per the Island article ‘NPC wants quick decision from President on singing of national anthem in Tamil’:

[The National Peace Council (NPC) yesterday urged President Gotabaya Rajapaksa to decide whether the national anthem will be sung in Tamil on Independence Day as soon as possible.

"An issue that has surfaced and which is causing heartburn among Tamil-speaking citizens is the likelihood that the national anthem will not be sung in Tamil at the forthcoming National Independence Day celebrations. Government members have been making contradictory statements on this issue. Some of them have openly declared that the national anthem will not be sung in Tamil on this occasion whereas Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa has said that no final decision has been taken on this matter," the NPC said in a statement.]

As per Article 157A(1) of the Constitution, which became effective after the Black July massacre in 1983 –

[No person shall, directly or indirectly, in or outside Sri Lanka, support, espouse, promote, finance, encourage or advocate the establishment of a separate State within the territory of Sri Lanka]

Separate State is confirmed when a particular area is given ‘form’ and is completely separated in terms of Government. Since the Sovereignty of the Nation known as Sri Lanka comes from its People – all those who have actually achieved that goal by identifying with their Sovereignty – naturally contribute to that power of the whole. This is inalienable soul-power. Any person or group that acts to deny this power is guilty of separation. The above was not in the Constitution in 1956 when the Sinhala Only language Act was introduced. By objecting to it intellectually and non-violently – Tamils contributed to maintaining the Sovereignty that we had already contributed to. When that which is common is separated – the damage is exponential. Hence the violence.

The above provision through the 6^th Amendment to the Sri Lankan Constitution happened due also to the ‘separatism’ interpretation of the Vaddukoddai Resolution 1976, by rebels who felt they have to ‘show’ to confirm ownership.

After the 13^th Amendment claiming Sinhala Nationalism or Tamil Nationalism is in breach of Article 157A (1). Hence the National Anthem by the Government has to be sung in both official languages or in a neutral language – English.  

There is a difference between Official language and National language. Former is relative and is limited to Government functions. Falsely presenting an official language as National language is to establish a separate Sinhala state which is punishable by law under Article  157A of the Constitution.

The National Peace Council has the Opportunity to apply to the Supreme Court if the Government makes a ruling to sing only in Sinhalese. The Political Party responsible – i.e. SLPP – must be stated as respondent. If found guilty, the penalties are heavy.

Makes one wonder whether Mr Ranil Wickremesinghe did not fight to remain as Prime Minister to manifest this kind of breaches. If he respected the minds of those who gave us the higher structures – then by effect – that becomes the purpose.