Letters to the Editor
View(s):Sinhala only forms: Little done over the years to rectify this
Last Thursday, my husband and I went to Borella to get our booster vaccine. We were given a form to fill asking for name, age, when our last jab was, ID number and a few other details. The form was entirely in the Sinhala language. The three people with me were all Tamil speaking. They could speak Sinhala fluently (unlike most of us Sinhalese who struggle to understand Tamil) but they could not read.
So, I was the translator.
At a time when we are talking of ‘One Country One Law’ this is such a case in point.
Some years ago, Tamil was accepted as a national language. But it is in these seemingly little and yet most frustrating things that we ‘keep telling them’ that they are second class citizens. I have had Sinhala folk say “But this is a Sinhala Buddhist nation”! My response is “No, it’s a nation where the majority happen to be Sinhala speaking and Buddhist.” I am so proud to have among my childhood friends those who happen to be Sinhala Buddhist who are respectful of others whether Tamil, Muslim or Burgher.
In countries like Singapore official matters are conducted in Chinese, Tamil and English. It means they respect each other and recognize each other as fellow citizens. We should not feel we are doing anyone a favour by giving them forms in the Tamil language. It is their right as equal citizens.
Sarla Williams (A senior citizen) Via email
Senior citizens hardest hit
The Government’s decision to lower interest rates of deposits was mainly to encourage banks to lend at lower interest rates for entrepreneurs to boost the economy of the country which is in dire straits.
However this has left senior citizens and pensioners high and dry. Their lives have been made miserable with the escalating cost of living, skyrocketing cost of medical expenses etc. Monthly interest rates on fixed deposits which they mostly rely on have been reduced to as low 4% and 5 %.
The only redress is by the Central Bank’s special scheme of 15% interest for senior citizens but this has a Rs 1.5 million ceiling.
In comparison to the reduction of interest rates of deposits, if one takes into account the number of loans granted to entrepreneurs at lower interest rates, the answer would be negligible. Banks of course would show enhanced profits at the end of the year as they have paid the depositors lower interest rates.
The President’s intervention is needed to grant redress to ‘distressed” senior citizens.
Sunil Thenabadu Brisbane
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