By Rajeewa Jayaweera –
Rajeewa Jayaweera
We approach the 72nd anniversary of independence with yet another Sinhala Tamil issue looming before us. By lunchtime on February 4th, the national anthem may or may not have been sung at the official Independence Day function, including or excluding the stanzas in the Tamil language, a practice adopted since 2016. The current dispensation has stubbornly refused to clarify beforehand if the rendition of the national anthem at the official ceremony will be mono or bilingual.
Meanwhile, many individuals have expressed their opinions on the subject. Many that I read has been in favor of the bilingual rendition. One or two have opposed it. A regular contributor had proposed the Sinhala version in the Sinhala majority areas and Tamil translation in the Tamil majority areas. Whereas it may be a practical suggestion, it does not address the issue, what happens at the official ceremony.
Those in favor have quoted examples of countries such as Singapore and Canada. I read an interesting article titled ‘Tug of war continues over Maatha and Thaaye’ in an English daily which had listed names and flags of 17 countries with multilingual national anthems. Eight of them belong to the African continent with no record of land borders before colonization. Colonial powers permanently erased the tribal boundaries of pre-colonial Africa.
The United Nations comprises of 193 member states as of date. Less than 25 countries have multilingual national anthems. The number of countries with monolingual national anthems by far outnumbers the former category. These countries, too, have minority communities. The national anthems of such countries are invariably in the language of the majority community and most widely used in the country.
It had been said, in Singapore, the national anthem is sung in Malay though the Malays are a minority. That is a misnomer. Singapore gained full internal self-government in 1959. However, Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew felt the historical and economic ties between Singapore and Malaya were too strong for them to continue as separate nations. He campaigned vigorously for a merger. With such an outlook, he introduced Malay, the language of the majority community in Malaya as the official language of Singapore since he envisaged Singapore becoming an autonomous Province in such an arrangement. In 1963, the leaders of Singapore, Malaya, Sabah, and Sarawak signed the Malaysia Agreement. The Federation expelled
Singapore in 1965. Always the pragmatist and with more critical issues to be addressed, Lee Kuan Yew maintained the status quo on the language issue.
The original lyrics of ‘O Canada’ was written in 1880 and the English version in 1908. and officially adopted as the National Anthem in 1980. The two versions are not the same. On Canada Day, the Federal Government in Ottawa and elsewhere in the country sing the English verse 1, followed by French verse 2. That is understandable as both the English and French-speaking groups belong to the Caucasian tribe. ‘O Canada’ has been translated and is sung in the languages of the Indigenous Peoples i.e., First Nations, Inuit, and Metis. However, all such versions have no official status.
The United Kingdom of Great Britain consists of the regions of England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. It is also the great democracy our political pundits from both sides of the divide revert to when in need of guidance.
English, Gaelic (Scottish), Welsh, and Irish Gaelic are the languages of the peoples in the said regions. They have official language status in Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland, respectively. English is also considered an official language in all regions and the working language of the UK of GB.
There has been no demand for the three regional languages to be given equal status as the English language outside their region of origin.
There has also been no demand to sing ‘God save the King/Queen’ as applicable in Gaelic, Welsh, nor Irish since its introduction in 1745. It has always been sung in English since.
Human beings are creatures who will not part easily with what has been given. Certainly not without a fight. At this point in time, it would be futile and counterproductive to visit the rights and wrongs of the past 72 years.
The fact is, stanzas of Sri Lanka Thaayae has been part of the official Independence Day Ceremony since 2016.
Its discontinuation now will have many negatives. It will give reasons for the Northerners to challenge and vilify President Rajapaksa’s swearing-in pledge to be President to all Sri Lankans and unnecessarily distract the recently elected Presidency. It will give additional ammunition to the intransigent Tamil politicians who make it their mission to oppose most government initiatives. The same would apply to the insolent diaspora. The only positive will be the pleasing of a few ultra-nationalists and some men in yellow robes.
Sri Lanka is currently facing a massive debt crisis besides numerous other serious issues. This country does not need the toxicity of another divisive Sinhala Tamil issue, bound to arise from the discontinuation of the practice commenced in 2016.
Therefore, one hopes Sri Lanka Thaayae will be part of the national anthem at the Independence Day celebrations, and the matter put to rest by lunchtime on February 4th.
Mariaseelan Vinod / February 3, 2020
Thank you, Rajeeva. The Tamil rendition is an exact word for word translation of the Sinhalese and was part of the Independence Day celebrations in 1949. The National Anthem is a beautiful paen.
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Native Vedda / February 3, 2020
Mariaseelan Vinod
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“The Tamil rendition is an exact word for word translation of the Sinhalese and was part of the Independence Day celebrations in 1949.”
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Don’t expect Rajeewa Jayaweera to remember minor matters that relates to the history of this island and the region. He seems to remember only the frivolous year of 2016.
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Earlier Harsha Gunasena wrote a piece
Singing The National Anthem In Sinhala & Tamil Harmonizes The Different Ethnicities In Sri Lanka
on DECEMBER 28, 2019 published in CT.
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Don’t expect Rajeewa Jayaweera to accept facts and apologise for misleading the readers.
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Thanga / February 3, 2020
Jayaweera for a change – change for the better – has written some sense. Sri Lanka’s national anthem has been sung in the minority Tamil language at official independence day celebrations since 1949. It was Mahinda Rajapaksa who discontinued the practice in 2010. The Sirisena – Ranil government reintroduced singing of Tamil national anthem in 2016.
Democracy is not the rule of the majority, certainly not in a heterogeneous country, it is rule by consent.
There are only two languages spoken in Ceylon and both are recognized as official languages. That recognition came in 1987, thirty-one years after the passing of the Sinhala Only Act in 1956. It came after a prolonged struggle by the Tamil people for the recognition of Tamil also an official language.
It is a pity politician like Wimal Weerawansa, erstwhile Marxist comrade, claims that use of Tamil anthem will end in the creation of Tamil Eelam. How stupid he is? His counterpart Uthaya Gammanpila (Uthayan Gammanpillai) also maintains that the National Anthem should not be sung in Tamil. Both are frogs in the well myopic to the extreme.
In Canada, the National Anthem is sung in both English and Fresh. As pointed out by Jayaweera it is also sung in native languages. It is also sung in Tamil and the Tamil translation is recognized by the government of Canada.
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ralph sharratt / February 4, 2020
Sri Lanka has 3 languages you have written in one of them.
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Dr. Gnana Sankaralingam / February 3, 2020
Dear Rajeewa, you say colonial powers permanently erased the tribal boundaries of pre-colonial Africa. This is exactly what Tamils are saying, that colonial powers permanently erased the tribal boundaries of pre-colonial Sri Lanka, and want their sovereignty restored, for which Sinhalese like you are against.
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Eagle Eye / February 3, 2020
Dr. Gnana Sankaralingam,
You are right. Colonial powers erased the boundaries in Sinhale. Before colonial parasites came Sinhale was divided into three regions; Ruhunu, Maya, Pihiti. British erased those boundaries and drew new boundaries and created ‘Provinces’ for their administrative purposes. Now, as an independent country we should erase Provincial boundaries and go back to ‘Pre-Colonial’ Administrative set-up.
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Dr. Gnana Sankaralingam / February 4, 2020
Eekel Guy, the first colonialists are the bunch of crooks from Bengal who destroyed the peaceful existence of Dravidians on the north and north-west and Veddhas on the east and south-east. This is the original demarcation of Sri Lanka and not anything else. It is these historically recorded first kallathonis who created new regions. Prior to 10,000 years there was a single land mass called Kumarikandam incorporating Sri Lanka with Tamil Nadu. Now that Chinese have filled sea with sand and created Port City, it is time that Tamils should fill the Palk Straits with sand and reclaim their original status.
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S. C. Pasqual / February 5, 2020
My dear Dr. Gnana Sankaralingam,
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You can dream on about Kumarikandam all you want.
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Who cares.
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We, Sinhalese are the majority now. And whether you like it or not majority rules.
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And….. If you want…
You can fill the Palk Straits with sand and live in sand dunes…..
Your original status…….
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Jayasuriya / February 3, 2020
Dr. Gnana Sankaralingam,
Putting most of the schools available only in the tamil areas, having mostly tamils in govt. positions, making tamils have more power than anyone else in the country despite being such a small population. You guys like colonialism because it put you people up high and us Sinhalese down on the ground. It didn’t erase boundaries it created boundaries and opened our eyes to what will happen if we let foreigners have a say in our country and you people aren’t trying to get your “sovereignity” back, you people just want to go back to the good old days of colonialism where only the tamils could go to school and get government jobs while the Sinhalese are reduced to selling things on the street.
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Dr. Gnana Sankaralingam / February 5, 2020
Jayasuriya your statement “putting most of the schools available only in the Tamil areas” is totally wrong. The only school put up by British government was Royal College in Colombo. All the schools in Tamil areas were put up by missionaries first Methodist followed by others. When Methodist missionaries started putting up schools 200 years ago, the first was in Galle (Richmond) followed by Jaffna central and Batticaloa central. When Anglican missionaries put up schools, the first was Christian college Kotte followed by St. Thomas’, Trinity and St. John’s Jaffna. Several Catholic schools were put up in the south before they put up schools in Tamil areas. Only American missionaries put up schools only in Jaffna, because British did not permit them to function in other parts of the country. Col Olcott put up schools only in the south and not a single in Tamil areas, when no one prevented him to do so. Is this not discrimination by him. Tamils lost their economic livelihood after British conquest whose economic activity was centered around plantations in the south. To get jobs in the south they needed education and for this they welcomed missionaries. Do you say that it is the fault of Tamils to do so. Tamils got jobs on merit and nothing else, which the fun loving Sinhalese could not match. In my class at Royal where the Sinhalese were double in number to Tamils, there were more professionals among Tamils than Sinhalese. See how Tamils are prospering in foreign countries. Please stop your racist attack on Tamils who are more industrious than Sinhalese.
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Hamlet / February 3, 2020
Why should People sing a National Anthem in a Language they do not Understand? Especially since Both Sinhala and Tamil are National Languages!
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JD / February 3, 2020
The way Mr. Jayaweera suggests, it will never work. It has to be only in Sinhala. You can get point by point what you have written and prove that Only one version, the majority language should be the only version. Even the people, in your article, who said, it is OK to sing National anthem in Tamil do not understand it’s political and future repercussions.
I heard, that constitution allows only one version and two govts one is the last allowed it for political reasons. Particularly, I heard that CBK in BMICH, may be in Thiruchelvam- Oration mentioned that Sinhala majority backbone has to be broken. She suggested more than one step, among those even Ananda school will have to get Tamil students (That was not assigned to Tamil schools in Colombo suburbs.
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N.Perera / February 3, 2020
80 years back Sinhalese Aryan’s population was 85%. No needs 2 national anthems. Let them sing Sinhalese National song in Sinhalese or let others die.
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Native Vedda / February 3, 2020
N.Perera
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“80 years back Sinhalese Aryan’s population was 85%”
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Due to European Tribal war there was no Population estimates carried out between 1931 and 1946. Therefore it is surprising where you managed to get this statistics, perhaps from updated Mahawamsa Census.
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The 1946 census states the Sinhalese formed 69.41% of the total population and according to the 2011 census the population increased to 74.90%, a net increase of 5%. Does it mean some of the Sinhala/Buddhists were actively involved in procreation than producing anything else?
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Or does it mean the Sinhala/Buddhists have been very actively
engaged in genocide of the OTHERS?
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In fact Aryan population was Zero % throughout the history of this world.
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Eagle Eye / February 3, 2020
Native Vedda,
At the time Portuguese came to Sinhale, population in this country was predominantly Sinhala Buddhists. There were few Muslims in the West coast who came from Hindusthan as refugees when they were persecuted by Hindus. There were few Demalu in the North who were the remnants of Dravida invaders who invaded Sinhale 52 times since 3rd Century BC.
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Demographic composition of Sinhale was drastically changed during the colonial rule because of bringing millions of Dravida slaves from Hindusthan to work in plantations. Colonial parasites brought slaves illegally to this country, exploited them to the maximum to make money, abandoned them here and vanished. Sinhala Buddhists gave citizenship in Sinhale to ‘Para’ Demalu and ‘Para’ Muslims who were Stateless. Thambi Mudiyanselage President gave citizenship to 75,000 Demalu who were about to be deported to the cesspool across the Palk Strait to get their votes.
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Malays were brought from Malaya by British to be employed as mercenaries to kill Native Sinhalayo and Vedda Eththo.
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Demalu, Muslims and Malays are ‘Para’ people in the Land of Native Sinhalayo and Vedda Eththo.
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Dr. Gnana Sankaralingam / February 4, 2020
Eekel Guy, at the time Bengali parasites came to Sri Lanka, the population in the country was predominantly Dravidian Saivites and not a single Sinhala Buddhist. It is time that Australia deports you back to the cesspool from where you came.
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Hamlet / February 5, 2020
N. Perera:-
For Starters, if you are a Sinhala Speaking Sri Lankan, why do you have a Portuguese Surname?
Aren’t you an ‘Aryan’?
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rbh / February 3, 2020
Due to the language barriers anthem is an integral part of every country how will the move be successful, Hardly any of us know that. It is important that we respect the national anthem, understand what it is trying to convey rather than stand up with no sense of what is happening. Understand The Meaning Of Our National Anthem First, anthem praising the beauty and people of Sri lanka , all regions and people included. When a live action is going on play a short Film i when the anthem is going on
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Eagle Eye / February 3, 2020
‘Yahapalana’ don keys got the whole thing messed up because they wanted to please Demala politicians on whom they were relying to stay in power.
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If National Anthem to be sung in another language, it should be in Vedda language because they are the ‘Native Minority’ in Sinhale whereas Demalu are ‘Para’ minority. Demalu are slaves brought from Hindusthan by colonial parasites. Their presence in Sinhale is less than 500 years whereas Vedda Eththo have lived with Sinhalayo from time immemorial and fought with Sinhalayo against British rule. ‘Para’ Demalu licked the a@@ of British and oppressed Sinhalayo. So why should the National Anthem be sung in a language brought to Sinhale by Demalu from Hindusthan who were imported illegally and helped British rulers?
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Eagle Eye / February 3, 2020
It looks like Mano Ganeshan has been given the contract by Wellala politicians to demand that the National Anthem should be sung in Demala. Who the hell is this guy to tell Native Sinhalayo what to do? It is high time that he realize that this is the Land of Sinhalayo and Vedda Eththo and he is in this country because Sinhalayo gave citizenship to Dravida slaves brought by colonial parasites.
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There is a danger in allowing the National Anthem to be sung in Demala. In future, ‘Para’ Demalu might use that to justify their outrageous demands such as ‘Separate State’ or a ‘Federal System’. Some of our dumb Sinhala politicians do not understand the tactics of ‘Para’ Demalu.
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Sandy / February 3, 2020
You’ve been insulting our Tamil friends long enough.please stop it.specially the last two words you keep repeating..on and on .
The words p.d.
We don’t want to hear this anymore.
Thank you.
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Native Vedda / February 3, 2020
Sandy
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Take it easy
Para Demela is historically correct, para means foreign.
What Eagle Brain Dead Blind Eagle misses in his typing is that he/she/it fails to mention the para Sinhalaese who have been mostly arriving from South India or the long term conversion among themselves from Hindus and Tamils to Sinhala/Buddhists or Sinhala/Buddhism.
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Historically both Sinhalese and Tamils are Paras foreigners whose ancestors arrived here on Kallathonies.
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Eagle Eye / February 4, 2020
Native Vedda,
“Historically both Sinhalese and Tamils are Paras foreigners whose ancestors arrived here on Kallathonies.”
Give us concrete evidences that support your claim Sinhalayo came from some other bloody place in this planet.
Please do not talk about DNA. I thrashed Amanasiri’s attempt to use DNA by misusing data from a research conducted by Ranaweera et. al.
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Now Sinhalayo can give solid scientific evidences to their claim that Sinhalayo evolved in this country. But some don keys refuse to accept the truth.
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Native Vedda / February 5, 2020
Eagle Brain Dead Blind Eagle
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“Give us concrete evidences that support your claim Sinhalayo came from some other bloody place in this planet.”
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Give us concrete evidence that your head is not struck in HLD M’s bum then only we can give you supporting scientific and other evidence. Until then you better stay where your head is stuck and unable to remove it.
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soma / February 4, 2020
Native
Don’t waste time on history or genetics. Let’s begin the discussion with the EXISTING demographic distribution of Tamils – all Tamil language speaking people irrespective of their religion, caste or the date of arrival scattered across the island.
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Soma
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Niro / February 3, 2020
Seems you will never learn, dear Eagle Eye. This kind of naked racist hatred will only ensure that your next birth will be in the minority community that you loathe so much. Then you can be at the receiving end of the hatred that now spills out of you. Multiplied a thousand times over. Karma will follow you, make no mistake. It’s law is inescapable and you will be served what you deserve. Life is very short and your hatred will soon catch up with you. I presume you are a Buddhist…..what a disgrace you are to the noble teachings of Lord Buddha. I wonder, if he were here to witness your vicious hatred, would he accept you as one of his followers?
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chiv / February 3, 2020
Here comes the RACIST. Rajeewa, please answer to this question so that you can ask us the above . Do you want the minorities to exist in Silly Lanka, with silly people like you ????? Your answer is hidden with in the questions you ask us.(like a riddle, I call it a fake news spin) Does Sam need a house ??? Muslims are behind Easter ????Why we need anthem in different language ?????
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chiv / February 3, 2020
Read last two paragraphs , and readers will understand why this not so hidden racist, wants the anthem in Tamil. Not because of diversity but because of international criticism, bad economy, reasons for Tamil parties to complain—-etc. If none of this were issue then , what is Rajeewa,s stand ????? Same as Muslim Community is behind Easter murders and we the Sinhalese do not want Tamils /Sam to have any privileges.
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Sandy / February 3, 2020
We not only hope but look forward to hearing the national anthem sung in both beautiful languages tomorrow..
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Niro / February 3, 2020
So true. How can we expect people to feel love and loyalty to the country when the words of its national anthem are in a language they do not understand.
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Tamil from the north / February 6, 2020
Thank you Sandy. I as a Tamil who lives abroad and ran away back in the early eighties as a child due to the impending war, want absolute peace in SL, hence we can prevent further carnage and financial loss. There are certain Sinhala elements in SL and Tamil elements abroad will keep the civil unrest going forever, because many have profited from this war and want to keep their profits growing.
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Historian / February 3, 2020
Just to correct a dangerous mistake in the article.
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‘Gaelic’ is in fact the language of the Irish, and not the Scottish, as indicated.
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Watch out because many wars have been fought on freedom for the Gaelic speaking people.
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Stan / February 3, 2020
Whereas the author recommends that the National Anthem be sung in both languages, he puts forward only negative arguments for adopting this measure when there are so many positive reasons for doing so.
This is like a chap saying he refrains from stealing not because it is unethical to do so, but because he does not want to take the risk of getting caught and punished.
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ajith / February 3, 2020
The arguments for singing national anthem in Sinhala & Tamil or only in Sinhala did not brought at the time of change which happened in 2016 and why now in 2020. The decision must have made after one regime change which lost people’s mandate. When I say people that includes Sinhala, Tamil, and Muslim communities those who own this land. If Sinhalese are not willing to consider Tamils and Muslims as equal in Srilanka this land should be divided to give independence to Tamil speaking people who are majority in the North Eastern part of this island.
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Eagle Eye / February 3, 2020
Ajith,
“If Sinhalese are not willing to consider Tamils and Muslims as equal in Srilanka this land should be divided to give independence to Tamil speaking people who are majority in the North Eastern part of this island.”
Native Sinhalyo gave citizenship to Dravida slaves brought to Sinhale illegally by Portuguese, Dutch and British colonial parasites when those colonial parasites abandoned them here and vanished.
Muslims who came to Sinhale as refugees when they were persecuted by Hindus in Hindusthan were given refuge and later they were saved when Portuguese wanted to slaughter them by allowing them to settle down in interior parts of the country. Later they were also given citizenship in Sinhale by Sinhalayo.
After Sinhalayo did such a favor to these ‘’Para’ people, these BPs want to calve out a piece of land from the Land of Native Sinhalayo and Vedda Eththo for themselves. Ungrateful ‘Para’ BPs who bite the hand of the person that fed them.
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Eagle Eye / February 3, 2020
Ajith,
You talk about equal status for Demalu and Muslims. Can you please tell us:
• What is it that the Sinhalayo are enjoying that the other communities are not enjoying because they are not Sinhala?
• What is it that the minorities do not enjoy because they are the minority which the majority enjoys because they are the majority?
• What is legally, constitutionally and legislatively given to the majority that is not given to the minorities”?
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I asked this several times before but did not get an answer from Demalu or Muslims. If you cannot give an acceptable answer, please stop talking BS.
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soma / February 4, 2020
In preparation all Tamils (Tamil language speaking people irrespective of their religion, caste or the date of arrival) scattered across the island should be physically relocated in to the area envisaged as the Homeland.
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Soma
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JD / February 3, 2020
Tamils argue their point as they please. At one time, Sinhala buddhists are Low caste Tamils who became Sinhala. In another time Sinhala people are just former Tamils.
Native Veddha does not know that in 1831 or 1881 so, the first census began and no mention of Tamils. They were taken into books later. The Reason, they were migrant tobacco farmers. Sinhala people refused even to work Up country Tea estates. One reason may be, Sinhala people chased out from those lands in order to acquire for plantation. I think those days, Kalusuddhas, DS, SWRD like people ( I think he was still in Oxford completing his BA) did not think about British incorporating Tamils into Census. Later only they want, that is again estate workers, back to India. Myanmar sent those, not all, back to India. Some of those came to sri Lanka, they graduated from the Medical college and while living and working Britain, they were funding LTTE and asked for Homeland in the North while denigrating sinhala modayas.
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Native Vedda / February 5, 2020
JD the Jim Softy
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“Native Veddha does not know that in 1831 or 1881 so, the first census began and no mention of Tamils. “
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I suggest you pull your head from wherever it is now and search for information or fact check before you type.
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Please read excerpt from:
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Politics of Ethnicity and Population Censuses in Sri Lanka
Kalinga Tudor Silva
Department of Sociology
University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka
Population censuses have a long history in Sri Lanka. The earliest reported
enumeration of people in Sri Lanka was in the Dutch period. In 1779, the Dutch
governor Van de Graff ordered a census of population in the coastal regions
under their control. The first country wide population census was conducted in
1824 under the regime of the British governor Sir Edward Barnes. The coverage
of this census, however, was incomplete and the reported population in the entire
country was 850,000. The first systematic countrywide population census to be
organized along modern principles was conducted in 1871 under the direction of
W.J. MacCarthy, the Registrar General in the British colonial regime in Ceylon.
The tradition of decennial censuses began since then.
….
…..
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Lester / February 3, 2020
There should only be one national anthem in one language. When you translate, the meaning is lost. The language should reflect the dominant culture. However, no one should be forced to sing the national anthem, only to stand up respectfully at official functions.
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ajith / February 4, 2020
Why should some one should stand up respectfully if you don’t respect them? Respect should be earned not forced.
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Eagle Eye / February 4, 2020
Ajith,
This country gave citizenship to your ancestors who were brought to this country as slaves by colonial parasites when those colonial parasites ran away abandoning the slaves in Sinhale. Isn’t that enough to earn respect? Of course, only civilize people behave like that. May be Sinhalayo are naïve to expect that kind of a behavior from ‘Para’ Demalu.
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kali / February 4, 2020
Lester you stupid. If the meaning is lost when you translate why do you copy all the Tamil Songs ( Dominant Language) into Sinhalese and enjoy. Whenever I visit Sri Lanka my Sinhalese driver quite happily plays for example “Muthalavan Songs” from A R Rehman. Talk sense man You only write Primitive Byla songs
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Lester / February 5, 2020
I have never heard of a Sinhalese song copied from Tamil. Tamil is not a good language for music or dance. That is why Bollywood/Hindi music are world famous, but only Tamils watch Tamil movies. By the way, Baila is Portugese origin, not Sinhala.
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kali / February 5, 2020
Lester
Then you are either not Sinkalam or dont listen to music. I take it you never heard of AR Rehman He turns Tamil songs into Hindi
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kali / February 5, 2020
Lester
*** Envy doesnt get you anywhere . You are either born with or without and we know where you fit. In the Hindi music world there is no one to match AR Rehman , Ilaiyarajah. Shankar Mahadevan
We make music and others copy it just listen to
” Kurukku Siruthvale “
Can you name couple of Oscar Winning Sinkala Music Directors. and some songs . I love to listen
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Dr. Gnana Sankaralingam / February 5, 2020
Lester the bigoted idiot, most of the Sinhala film songs are copied from Tamil, the famous one being “Dingiri Dingale” a song from the film “Anbu Enge” of 1956 era. This is the most played song, year after year in Royal-Thomian match. This is not Baila. To say that Tamil is not a good language for music and dance shows your ignorance. There are Tamil songs for dance like “Kaveri oram kavi sonna kathal” for Waltz and “Andru vanthathum ore nila” for Cha-cha. Hindi is understood by 700 million people while Tamil has an exposure to only 70 million. Incidentally Tamil songs are more popular than Hindi songs in Japan. It is better that you remain under the bed.
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Lester / February 5, 2020
Sankaralingam, how much revenue do Hindi films generate compared to Tamil films? The number of Hindi/Tamil speakers doesn’t matter. Hindi films are so popular that there is a television satellite channel called “Eros” which shows Hindi movies to 30 million all over the world. Bollywood actresses have been given parts in Hollywood films and shows. As I said, Tamil is not a popular language for music and dance. First of all, it is very difficult to learn. Secondly, it is too rough, similar to German or Dutch. No one wants to hear a horse bellowing, that is how these languages sound when someone tries to sing.
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SJ / February 6, 2020
GS
“Dingiri Dingale” is Baila. Baila is Sinhalized Portuguese music. the Tamils had no baila tradition. Vedha had Sri Lankan contacts and used baila to compose the said song.
Hindi adapted much of Latino music before Tamil. G Ramanathan fully plagiarized two of his most famous hits konjum purave (from Hindi), and cinnap peNNaana pOthilE (Que sara sara).
Westernization of Tamil movie music started in earnest with the maestro CR Subbaraman who also used the folk tradition.
One need not be daft to rebut another daft character.
Tamil movies are also popular in Japan. Not very flattering.
The Sinhalese developed a musical tradition with great character since the 1950s. Cannot say that for Sri Lankan Tamils, but for rare exceptions, who avoided the South Indian shadow.
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shankar / February 5, 2020
lester do not become a jester.
“I have never heard of a Sinhalese song copied from Tamil.”
hear it now
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=shDQhJUGa-c
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nejF3dbSkN0
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Z7nSFR0eWw
can give another 100,but no time for music.
“That is why Bollywood/Hindi music are world famous,”
wherein in the world do non indians watch these.I used to see films like aradhana,shikar,abhimaan,haathi mere saathi over and over but i would not sight any of these present bollywood films where it is one big dance only.For me cinema should have a nice story and great acting without which it is boring.
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Native Vedda / February 5, 2020
shankar
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“lester do not become a jester.”
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He/she is a sad moaning minnie who does not want to see the world as it is because his head has been stuck inside HLD M’s bum.
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Thanks for the clips.
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Dr. Gnana Sankaralingam / February 5, 2020
Lester the incorrigible racist. Please do not display your ignorance. When I first read the Tamil translation of the national anthem, I was surprised to see not only the meaning but also rhythm being maintained 100%. For me this is a brilliant effort, a masterpiece unparalleled by any other translated work. For your information the dominant culture of Sri Lanka should be Dravidian the original one unlike the imported achcharu Sinhala.
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Lester / February 5, 2020
Sankaralingam the fake medical witness. The anthem was written by Ananda Samarakoon who was influenced by Tagore. Tagore is Bengali. You can see the influence just from the name. “Mata” means “mother” in Hindi, “matr” in Sanskrit. Look at the Tamil name, “thaaye.” There is no word like this in Sinhala. “Namo” is another Hindi word. The exact word in Hindi also “namo”, meaning “respect.” In Sanskrit the word is “nahma.” “Namo namo namo Matha” – I respect the mother. What about something like “අපගේ අනුප්රාණේ.” This is talking about “inspiration.” “Anuprane” is very similar to “apana” in Sanskrit. It is one of the five types of “prana” in Hatha yoga and Ayurveda. This anthem shows the strong influence of Sanskrit language on Sinhala. You Eelamists should look elsewhere for your heritage; I suggest either Ethiopia or the Australian Outback.
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Dr. Gnana Sankaralingam / February 6, 2020
Lester the stupid fellow, during the last century, Sinhalese led by Anagarika Dharmapala and others tried to portray themselves as Aryans, copying everything what North Indians did. Naturally Ananda Samarakoon wrote his poem using Sanskrit words. Now that Aryan nonsense has been trashed to dustbin, it is time that Sinhalese accept their Dravidian ancestry. That honest man Munidasa Kumaratunga tried his best to distance the people from this Aryan myth calling “Eluwen Wanamu”. Please note that he said Eluwen and not Helawen. in keeping with the original Dravidian dialect. Be ashamed of yourself trying to imitate an inferior culture. Please remember that people in Ethiopia or Australian outback have a pure and superior ancestry than the hybrid Sinhala race.
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Lester / February 7, 2020
Dear fake medical witness, I am glad you enjoyed listening to an Aryan song with strong Sanskritist connotations. A “brilliant piece”, a “masterpiece unparalleled” indeed. Regarding ancestry, after you have reconciled with your Aboriginal relations in Australia, I encourage you to take a trip to Anuradhapura. You may see find the following rock inscription in regards to Nissanka Malla: “…having come from the royal line of the Ikshvaku family having become like a forehead mark to the royal family of Kalinga emperors born at Sinhapura…” Ikshvaku is a famous dynasty; all the Sinhalese kings, Prince Vijaya, Lord Rama and Buddha trace their lineage to it. As this history has been clearly written in Mahavamsa and confirmed by archeological evidence, no rational person will take the fake history of Eelamists (descendants of slaves) seriously. The only imitation are low-caste Vellalar jokers pretending to be Brahmins by discriminating against other Tamils.
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Siva Sankaran Sharma / February 6, 2020
Racist Sinhalese living the good life in London, the common Sinhalese word for mother like most Indian languages ( including Bengali) is Amma , ( a pure Tamil word) . For father Thatha or Appachchi again Tamil words, older sister, Akka again Tamil, Older brother Ayya again from Tamil, younger sister Nangi , Tamil again ( Nangai means in Tamil a young woman or girl) . 40% of Sinhalese vocabulary m despite the deliberate Sanskritization, has a Tamil origin. Literal Sinhalese , just like Bangali , Malayalam , Telugu , Kannada and many other Indian languages , is deliberately Sanskritised , especially the other Dravidian language , just to deny their Tamil origin. This is what the Sinhalese have been doing since the early 1900s deliberately Sanskritising their written language. Ordinary spoken Sinhalese is full of Tamil derived words. The national anthem written in Sinhalese is heavily Sanskritised . Sinhalese people are largely descended from Tamils and their DNA proves this. Go and take a hike pathetic Aryan wannabe. Most probably you are some one very dark short , with a large flat nose , like most Sinhalese but in denial and keep on pathetically calling yourself a Sinhalese Aryan.
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Lester / February 7, 2020
Earliest origin of Sinhala is Magadhi Prakrit, as spoken by Vijaya. Due to geographical isolation from India, this Prakrit became mixed with the languages already spoken by the Hela inhabitants of the island (e.g. Elu and Sanskrit) and turned into Sinhala Prakrit. This Sinhala Prakrit then turned into Sinhala. Vijaya came to the island in the 5th or 6th century, Buddhism was here in the 3rd century. However, there is evidence to suggest that Sanskrit was spoken on the island even before the arrival of Buddhism due to the presence of Brahmins. For example, “…in the Indian epic, Ramayana, authored by Valmiki dealing with the abduction of Sita the wife of Rama by Sri Lanka King Ravana and recapturing her with the assistance of the monkey battalion of Hanuman cannot be disregarded as regards the early history of Sri Lanka. The Lankapura mentioned in the epic Ramayana mirrors that King Ravana had knowledge a good of Sanskrit. The following statement by Hanuman manifests that King Ravana had a knowledge of Sanskrit: “In case I like a Brahmin makes statements to Sita, he would fear that I am Ravana:. Hanuman therefore thought for himself in that way.
Thanks to Sanskrit-speaking Brahmins, monks who laboriously wrote the history on cave walls and ola leafs, and our Sinhala kings who fought invaders for centuries, the great Aryan heritage of the island has been preserved despite multiple attempts by the “thal thel” gang to infuse their Dravidian customs into the island.
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Native Vedda / February 5, 2020
Lester
–
“There should only be one national anthem in one language.”
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Alright, let us have the national anthem in Esperando which could once and for all settle the age old issue of Tamil National Anthem (only from 2010).
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rajash / February 4, 2020
Singing Sri Lanka Sinhala Buddhist national anthem in Tami is a disgrace to the world’s oldest language….
…..but an honour to Sri Lanka Sinhala Buddhist national anthem n
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Moiez / February 4, 2020
Sing the national anthem in sinhala or Tamil language, doesn’t make any sense, but If they sing both the languages the Tamils in the country will be happy at least, the national anthem is sung once in a year, during independence celebrations, when it was started by the previous government to sing the national anthem in two languages, it’s better to continue or make it one language permanently for life, whenever a government changes they change the rules, it’s not fair, anyway I wish a Happy Independence Day of sri lanka, may all the communities live in peace and build a strong nation.
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Gos / February 4, 2020
Shut the f**k up ! Go sing ur tamil song in tamil nadu. Off with this rubbish ! Nowhere else in the world a national anthem is sung in different languages even if the citizens are a mixed bag. What’s wrong with SL tamils? In truth in every country the minorities learn the language of the majority so as not to miss out in participating in the progress of the country and allits citizens asawhole. SL has been too stupid to waste time and money on a never ending greedy self-centred bunch of no hopers who think they are gods. Disgusting parasites !
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rajash / February 8, 2020
Shut the f**k up !
is that the Sinhala version of the national anthem
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VJ / February 4, 2020
To sing our national anthem in Tamil alongside Sinhala will make Sri Lanka proud. Tamil is the first language of the world. (Sanskrit is not in use at present)
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Sinhala_Man / February 4, 2020
Yes, it is a shame that the National Anthem was not sung in Tamil today. VJ there is a shade of ambiguity in your second sentence.
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Tamil, I believe, is claimed by scholars (including non-Asian scholars) to be the oldest language in the world. I have little expertise in this field, but I feel that the origins of languages, and speculation of languages that have got “lost”, is a pretty nebulous area. I think that many scholars actually state that Tamil is older than Sanskrit. Also, I’ve been told by Mahinda Palihawardena (Emeritus Professor of Sanskrit) that although he doesn’t go round wielding a Sanskrit “kaduwa”, when he has been with Sanskrit scholars in India, they did use the old language to speak to each other, even on mundane topics.
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However, I do accept that such observations do not make it sensible to call Sanskrit a living language.
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However, it is common sense to sing the anthem in Tamil – a language of which I don’t know twenty words – let’s forget its grammar and (I believe massive) alphabet. Come to think of it, I cannot recite the Sinhala alphabet off the cuff!
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Back to “correcting” VJ: they say that Mandarin Chinese is the most used FIRST Language; English may be the language used by the highest number of people (if you are generous enough to say that a guy like me has a smattering of English.)
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Today’s disgraceful performance was a POLITICAL statement. Shame! Shame!! Shame!!!
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Sandy / February 5, 2020
Caged Bird.
—-
‘ A free bird leaps
On the back of the wind
and floats downstream
till the current ends
and dips his wing
in the orange sun rays and
dares to claim the sky.
But a a bird that stalks
down his narrow cage
can seldom see through
his bars of rage
his wings are clipped and
his feet are tied
So he opens his throat to sing.
The caged bird sings
with a fearful trill
of things unknown
but longed for still
and his tune is heard
on the distant hill
for the caged bird sings of
Freedom.
The free bird thinks of another
breeze and the trade winds soft
through the sighing trees and
the fat worms waiting on a
dawn bright lawn and he
names the sky
His Own.
But the caged bird stands on the
grave of dreams
his shadow shouts on a
nightmare scream
his wings are clipped
and his feet are tied
So he opens his throat to sing.
The caged bird sings
with a fearful trill
of things unknown
but longed for still
and his tune is heard on the
distant hill for
the caged bird sings of
Freedom’.
( Maya Angelou)
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kali / February 4, 2020
Meanwhile, many individuals have expressed their opinions on the subject. Many that I read has been in favor of the bilingual rendition. One or two have opposed it. A regular contributor had proposed the Sinhala version in the Sinhala majority areas and Tamil translation in the Tamil majority areas. Whereas it may be a practical suggestion, it does not address the issue, what happens at the official ceremony.
*** I fully agree with he above. India has a big role to play. Mr.Modi when he mees meets on the 7th February must insist on a time frame to Implement 13th Amendment without which we as a people are DOOMED.. Gothas men are wreaking havoc by arresting and extra judicially killing them never to return adding to the list of missing. Douglas Devananthas thugs are ordered to harass and anihilate the rehabilitated and extract money. 13th Amendment with Indias Guarantee with a Tamil Police Force and Land Rights will then make sence of the National Anthem in Tamil in Tamil Areas.
The UN must set up a reporting Centre in the North where the harassd can go and report and the UN to keep taps on them The next UN session must produce tangible results by referring Gptha to ICC.
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Eagle Eye / February 4, 2020
At the Independence Day celebration, Sinhala, Demala and Muslim children sang the National Anthem together. What a beautiful thing. That is real ‘Sanhidiyawa’. But that kind of ‘Sanhidiyawa’ is anathema for racist Malabar Wellala politicians.
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EmAG / February 5, 2020
“Sore-I” – the sinhaloo, the man from the loo,
You always address the Tamils in degrading manner as Demalu and now because of the S**t Lanka’ s Gotapaiye’s order were made to sing that song in Sinhala you call them respectfully as Demala.
You live in Australia very comfortably and I wonder why their government have not arrested you for spreading hate speech, examples of which are the postings of these cesspit materials of hate against the Tamils adnauseam in this forum? Shame on you!
EmAG
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Tamil Anthem / February 4, 2020
What is wrong with Sinhalese singing their version of anthem in their native language?
Isn’t it the historical version of anthem in Tamil area is following?
Eelam Eṅkaḷ Nāṭuṭā
Iṉpamāṉa Vīṭuṭā
Nīla Nīla Kaṭalilē
Nimirntu Nikkum Tīvuṭā
ஈழம் எங்கள் நாடுடா
இன்பமான வீடுடா
நீல நீல கடலிலே
நிமிர்ந்து நிக்கும் தீவடா
Sa Sa Ri Ri Ga Ga Ri Sa
Sa Sa Ri Ri Ga Ga Ga Ma
Ma Ma Ga Ga Ri Ri Ri Sa
Sa Ri Ga Ma Ma Ga Ga Ri Sa
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shankar / February 5, 2020
tamils who sing on independence day are stupid cos they never got independence.Will aborogines sing the australian national anthem on australia day,knowing they lost their lands.
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shankar / February 5, 2020
are we going to celebrate independence day every year for the next 500 years? Good.
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Eagle Eye / February 5, 2020
shankar,
“tamils who sing on independence day are stupid cos they never got independence.”
Independence was irrelevant for Demalu because colonial powers colonized Sinhale and the Native people in Sinhale who are Sinhalayo and Vedda Eththo. Demalu were brought to this country by colonial parasites. They entered Sinhale illegally but Native Sinhalayo gave them citizenship in Sinhale when they were abandoned by colonial parasites. Those Demalu who are not willing to sing National Anthem in Sinhala do not deserve to live in Sinhale. They can get lost.
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shankar / February 6, 2020
eagle
“colonial powers colonized Sinhale and the Native people in Sinhale who are Sinhalayo and Vedda Eththo”
you forgot to mention that they also colonized the jaffna kingdom and handed it on a platter to the sinhalese when they left in 1947.No wonder the sinhalese are overjoyed for the windfall which they could not conquer for 400 years, and are celebrating now independence day for the next 400 years.
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Eagle Eye / February 6, 2020
Shankar,
Portuguese colonized Yapa Patuna not Jaffna Kingdom. Yapa Patuna was under King Senerath of Kanda Udarata. He sent a Sinhala Army to Yapa Patuna but failed to chase Portuguese. The surrender document was in Sinhala and Portuguese. Colonial rulers handed over Sinhale that they colonized. They did not colonize Jaffna Kingdom because there was no Kingdom like that in Sinhale. Jaffna Kingdom is a creation of racist Demalu who wanted to distort the history of Sinhale to justify their bogus claim ‘Traditional Homeland’.
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shankar / February 8, 2020
eagle
“Portuguese colonized Yapa Patuna not Jaffna Kingdom. “
read this.You can’t change history that as been well documented by playing with words like you do here with jaffna patuna etc
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portuguese_conquest_of_the_Jaffna_kingdom
“He sent a Sinhala Army to Yapa Patuna”
if it was under senerath,king of kandy what was his army doing in kandy and not in jaffna fighting the portueguese?He sends the army too late.That itself is proof he was not in control of jaffna not having any troops there and sankili had to fight the portueguese on his own and was vanquished.
“Jaffna Kingdom is a creation of racist Demalu “
don’t be a mumpsimus.The jaffna kingdom is well documented in history and in fact every aryachakravarthi reigning it has been listed with the dates of ascension of the throne and the date ending his reign. The only thing is he was not of royal blood but one of the military commanders of the pandyas.The first one of course was not pandyan, magha who came from kalinga.Then there was the java prince chandrabanu and his son after that ,but after he was killed by the pandyas because he was attacking the sinhalese to get at the tooth relic,then it was all pandyas all the way and they put their person to rule it because they found that their allies the sinhalese were too weak to defend it from foreigners.
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Native Vedda / February 6, 2020
Eagle Brain Dead Blind Eye
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“Independence was irrelevant for Demalu because colonial powers colonized Sinhale and the Native people in Sinhale who are Sinhalayo and Vedda Eththo.”
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Where did the equally stupid Sinhale come from?
Did they come from the public racist Anagarika Homeless Dharmapala’s Amude?
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All those non Veddah homo erectus creatures came from South India on, Kallathonies., some converted to imported religions, some created new political religions, most remained stupid, and the rest are being converted to fascism.
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Some keep their heads inside someone else’s prominent holes, some are blinded because they cannot see beyond those holes inside which they seem to be contented, happy, ………… do not need to learn, think, ……………… remain…
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Gemini Cricket ♊ / February 7, 2020
Well said Native.
One thing is for sure, you can take a horse to the river but you can’t force it to drink form the river.
Likewise you can tell people the truth, but only the wise will learn.
The rest will continue to drown in their ignorance.
I don’t see anything wrong with someone singing the national anthem in their own language.
There are so many countries where the National anthem is in English too.
I don’t think it is bad. The Idea of a national anthem is to create a sense of love for the country, I don’t think we should make a big deal of the language in which it is sung.
One thing should be very clear by now, those that left India and came to settle in Sri Lanka, left India because they felt un-belonged in India, be it Tamil, Sinhala or muslim.
That should be a uniting factor.
Yet we continue to cling on the the roots that we choose to leave and venture into new territory. How stupid is that?
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Native Vedda / February 7, 2020
Gemini Cricket
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“One thing should be very clear by now, those that left India and came to settle in Sri Lanka, left India because they felt un-belonged in India, be it Tamil, Sinhala or muslim.”
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Your assertion partly explains migration.
However men/women/animals are generally curious and adventurous, so they usually tend to move from palaces to places. Men climbed Mt Everest, walked the length and breath of both inhabitable poles, conquered the ocean, walked on the moon, ………………………. it’s not just the conditions that were prevailing in a country at a particular point in time that made people to relocate but their nature to explore experiment new things, way of life, ….
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The problem with these Kallathonie descendants is that over many decades they have left their brain idle, not much mental exercise, … hence they are suffering from mental constipation.
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Look at Soma, Hela, Eagle Blind Eye, sachoooo, Nuisance, Jayasuria, Kali, Thondamany, HLD M, Taraki, wannihami, SSS, ……………………….. their mind had constipated many many years ago, there have been no mental movement inside their head.
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Sandy / February 7, 2020
Gemini Cricket –
‘I” don’t see anything wrong..
” I” don’t think it’s bad..
“I” dont think its a big deal..”
You are entitled to your opinions Sir, but it IS a big deal to our Tamil friends.
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Sandy / February 7, 2020
SYMPATHY.
—
‘ I know what the caged bird feels, alas!
When the sun is bright on the upland slopes; when the wind stirs soft through the springing grass, and the
River flows like a stream of glass;
When the first bird sings and the first bud opes,
And the faint perfume from it’s chalice steals –
I know what the caged bird feels.
I know why the caged bird beats his wings
Till its blood is red on the cruel bars; for he must fly back to his perch and cling when he fain would be on the bough a swing.
And pain still throbs in the old, old, scars,
And they pulse again with a keeneer sting –
I know why he beats his wing !
I know why the caged bird sings, ah me,
When his wing is bruised and his bosom sore –
When he beats his bars and he would be free;
It is not a carol of joy or glee but
A prayer that he sends from his hearts
deep core, a plea, that upward to Heaven he flings.
I know why the caged bird sings.’
– by Paul Lawrence Dunbar –
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Good Sense / February 8, 2020
A song has words and such words are pronounced to the tune of a music. Any National Anthem is a song. But there are countries, where the National Anthem only comprises of the music, no words sung according to the music. In Spain, the words were there but no longer in use. In very formal occasions, such as in a Military parade, the music of the National Anthem is played but no words are sung (pronounced according to the music). In most countries, the National Anthem is adopted by the Executive branch of the Government, still others it is adopted by law. Perhaps one of the notable features of the 1978 Constitution of Sri Lanka is the inclusion of a national anthem, both words and music, as a part of the constitution. Knowledgeable persons reading of the 1972 constitution and the one before did not find a National Anthem, a part of the constitution. In Sri Lankan Constitution, there are clauses where any amendments of them require not only a two thirds majority in Parliament but a referendum as well and the clause pertaining to the National Anthem is one such clause. One, therefore may claim that the “Yahapalana” Government violated the Constitution in singing something else purported to be a national anthem in a different language. The same experts tell me that the 1978 constitution and its subsequent amendments have their own controversies both in adoption and translation. Nevertheless, it is clear that the National Anthem in Sri Lanka is a part of the Constitution and it cannot be changed at the whims and fancies of the neither the Executive Branch nor the Legislative Branch of the Government. Any matter on it has to be decided by a referendum of the people.
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