Letters to the Editor
View(s):Come Tuesday, let the National Anthem be sung in both languages
Since 2016 the government declared that there is no ban on singing the Tamil version of the National Anthem.
The LLRC recommendation 8.296 states: “On the question of the National Anthem, the practice of the National Anthem being sung simultaneously in two languages to the same tune must be maintained and supported. Any change in the practice at the present time would only create a major irritant which would not be conducive to fostering post conflict reconciliation”.
A final decision has not been taken about the language or languages in which the national anthem should be sung at the next Independence Day, which falls on Tuesday, according to the Prime Minister. Singing the national anthem in both official languages has not caused any damage to the sovereignty or unitary nature of our state or our country. The same practice should be continued on Tuesday, as a step towards reconciliation under the new Government too. Singing the National Anthem in Tamil would in no way violate the Constitution; comments are being made by several pundits with a range of perceptions regarding the matter.
Article 7 of the Constitution states: “The National Anthem of the Republic of Sri Lanka shall be “Sri Lanka Matha”, the words and music of which are set out in the Third Schedule”. The Article also lists Article 83, as one of several Articles that require a 2/3 majority and approval by the People at a referendum if any of its provisions are amended. The National Anthem in Tamil does not interfere with the words and music of Sri Lanka Matha given in the Third Schedule. It could be sung anywhere regardless of the composition of the audience. The 13th Amendment to the Constitution declared Sinhala and Tamil as both official and national languages, whereas English was declared the link language.
National anthems are usually patriotic musical compositions – classically in the form of a song of respect – that evokes and pays tribute highly, to customs, to the history, or great effort of its people. National anthems are either formally accepted by the Constitution or by a ratification or simply by observance. Every individual, by virtue of the establishment is entitled to equal rights regardless of divisions formed by humans. If the Tamil speaking citizens demand that the National Anthem be sung in Tamil the other communities have no legal or moral right to obstruct it.
An alternative proposal would be to adopt a Tamil- Sinhala national anthem, like in many nations. The South African anthem, for instance is sung in five official languages; namely, Xhosa, Zulu, Sesotho, Afrikaans, and English. South Africa, an apartheid state just two and a half decades ago has advanced to be a nation of tolerance far ahead of us.
In 2016, the government declared that there is no ban on singing the Tamil version of the national anthem. At the Independence Day commemoration the same year, the Tamil national anthem was sung for the first time since 1949. The assertion of a few with a ‘Sinhalese-Buddhist’ identity may cause a deepening lack of sympathy between the different ethnic and religious sectors in this multi-cultural, multi-ethnic, multi-religious Sri Lanka. Respecting linguistic rights is one way to avoid the past blunders. Any attempt to prohibit or restrict rights of a section will set a dangerous precedent; further, it would be ironic to urge minorities to join the new government’s development strategies as envisaged by the President at his swearing-in ceremony held in the precincts of Ruwanveliseya two months ago.
K.K.S. Perera Panadura
Long queues to pay rates at the Colombo Town Hall
On January 22, I went to the Colombo Town Hall to pay the annual rates. The congestion and delay were unprecedented. The counters for billing and paying have been shifted to a new building that has only one flight of steps that could be used. The billing and paying areas were severely congested.There were too many long queues for every counter. It was difficult for any person to pass through.
I had to wait for a long time to get the invoice written. Again I had to wait a long time to pay the money. In my queue one person was paying about ten bills. The queues were broken by many including those brought by supposed Municipal staff. The staff looked very tired. It took about two hours for me to complete my work.
The area in the old building where I used to pay rates had reasonable facilities. There were enough counters and space for the ratepayers. In the billing area there should be only one queue leading to all counters, serving people on a first-come first-served basis. In the same way there should be only one queue for the paying area.People need a sitting area to wait till their turn comes like what happened in the old place.
Parking was another problem. One side of the road in front of the Town Hall was closed for parking. It took a long time to park.The Municipal Council should have a parking area inside the premises.
Do the Mayor, Municipal Commissioner and other bigwigs ever come round and see what is going on?
Nimala Jayasuriya Rajagiriya
Never-ending traffic chaos in Kandy and its impact on people’s health
Traffic chaos in Kandy is getting worse and so far there is no solution in sight. Those who use public transport as well as pedestrians are subjected to severe health hazards due to noxious emissions and dust. The prevailing dry weather has exacerbated the problem. Traffic comes to a standstill during the morning and afternoon school hours. Mind you, there are more than 14 schools along Peradeniya Road and most schools open and close at the same time. School buses parked outside schools during this time add to the traffic chaos, but they have no alternative parking.
There are several causes for the present situation. First and foremost the narrow roads cannot cope with the ever-increasing traffic that comes and leaves Kandy. The Old Peradeniya Road is so narrow that pedestrians have no pavement to walk on. Pedestrians are risking their lives each time they walk along this road. Apart from the risk of being knocked down by a vehicle, the air one inhales is so polluted that it can cause severe respiratory problems. Schoolchildren, both young and old, face this problem daily and several doctors have highlighted the health hazards faced by children in Kandy.
The narrow cross roads in the city are used by three wheelers, motor cycles and even push carts. It is dangerous to walk along these cross roads as there is no pavement. Why do authorities allow three wheelers and motor cycles to use these narrow streets? In other countries such narrow streets are closed for traffic and meant only for pedestrians. This is to save lives and prevent accidents. During the rainy season, these streets get water logged and pedestrians get splashed with mud when vehicles pass by.
To ease the situation the Police took certain steps in the past. One was to make Old Peradeniya Road and William Gopallawa Road one way streets. It caused lot of inconvenience to the public, especially school children but it eased the traffic chaos considerably. Shop keepers objected and protested to the Municipality saying they were losing business. There were not enough overhead crossings for pedestrians. People had to walk long distances to reach home or work.
The only solution is to make Old Peradeniya Road a dual carriage way like William Gopallawa Road. There are so many old buildings, some collapsing, along Old Peradeniya Road which could be demolished to make way for a dual carriage way. It may cost a lot but the benefits to road users would be immense. Pedestrians will be walking on a pavement and not exposed to accidents or noxious fumes day in and day out.
I hope the new government will understand the difficulties faced by the public young and old, and take urgent steps to remedy this problem. It would save lives by preventing accidents and reducing respiratory ailments.
J.W. Devasiri Kandy