Sumanthiran and the Sinhala language proficiency

I was taken aback when I read in today's dailies that a Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentarian had asked for a postponement of the debate on the Central Bank bond scam and the PRECIFAC report saying there was no translation of the latter report.

....................................................................................................................................

By Victor Gomez

I was taken aback when I read in today's dailies that a Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentarian had asked for a postponement of the debate on the Central Bank bond scam and the PRECIFAC report saying there was no translation of the latter report.

He is reported to have asked how they can debate a report that is in a language they can neither read nor understand. He adds that if an MP refers to the report, he will not be able to respond because of the language issue.

That really is cute coming from the MP who complained - M.A. Sumanthiran.

He is an Attorney at Law who appears regularly in our courts of law in the south where the plaints and briefs are in either Sinhala or English or both, and rarely in Tamil.

One cannot imagine Mr Sumanthiran of all TNA MPs taking up that argument. He can appear in a court of law where business in conducted in Sinhala or English, but not in Parliament.

The Sinhala language is an official language of this country.

Strange isn't it. And, Mr Sumanthiran of course appeared for a Central Bank employee involved in the bond scam where Perpetual Treasuries, the controversial company owned by the Aloysious family was nabbed for its involvement in the Bond scam. But that is by-the-way, I suppose. A mere co-incidence, I suppose. No conflict of interest and all that.

One cannot recall him asking for court documents in Tamil when he so appeared. But that is, of course not to say Mr. Sumanthiran is not an honourabke man. Appearing for a central Bank employee involved in the bond scam has nothing to do, surely with Mr. Sumanthiran's alleged filibustering inter-alia in the Bond scam debate in Parliament on the grounds that the PRECIFAC report is in a language he doesn't understand.

One need not ask Mr. Sumanthiran to study Sinhala either if he wants to be in the national legislature because he is seen giving press conferences in Sinhala articulating the TNA position - or a section of the TNA's position, to the Sinhala public.

The Speaker has bent backwards by apologizing to the TNA MP. The PRECIFAC report is 8,000 pages that needs to be translated so that Mr Sumanthiran, an Attorney at Law can understand it.

And so, Parliament gives a 'date' (actually indefinite postponement) for the debate. In a court of law this is probably called - the case is laid by. In layman's language it is called these commission reports are put to sleep.