Invisible communication: The visible barrier – Language

The implementation of the Language Policy is at crossroads. The very fact that the majority of the public is not aware of the existence of the Language Policy is an issue. The absence of bilingual public services is a key challenge which impacts many citizens in their day-to-day life during their interactions with public sector functions – Pic by Shehan Gunasekara 

“I was assaulted on my way home to the boarding house in Gampaha where I work one Saturday night. I was in shock for a while about it and only was able to tell my friend only when I went back to my hometown, Nuwara Eliya, about the incident. I didn’t tell my family because I was ashamed. She told me to go to the Police to file a complaint. When I went to the station, I was asked for details and I could not explain it very well since I speak very little Sinhalese and had to repeat the incident many times which made me regret going to the Police Station for help.”

By Hafsah Muheed

This is the story of a young Malini (name changed for privacy) who personally shared with the writer that she had to live through her trauma several times due to not having a Police officer who speaks the same language as her to help her.

Sri Lanka is consistent in promoting the rich culture of the country, yet in integrating the elements of rich cultures such as languages remains to be an elusive goal. Language is very the foundation of communication and is an integral part in supporting day-to-day activities. 

The need to be able to understand and be understood is the very essence of being human. Lack of accessibility to services simply due to the language barrier paves the way to mistrust and inability to integrate with society. 

Language is the first step that supports in creating understanding and dispelling the fear among diverse groups of people since it is how each of us communicates with each other. Sri Lanka has an official Languages Policy that ensures citizens have access to services and institutions in their own language. 

Ramesh (name changed for privacy) shared with the writer his experience with a public service function: “When I was displaced and had to move due to the civil war, I moved to Mahiyanganaya after staying in Monaragala and when I had to go to the Grama Sevaka office, there was no officer who could speak Tamil. At that time I did not speak a word of Sinhalese and had challenges answering questions. I went searching for a translator for days and later found one only after two weeks. My cousin from Colombo came to help us with this process after much request. I immediately enrolled in a class to learn Sinhalese so I can speak the basics because I don’t want to experience that feeling again.”

Fundamental law pertaining to languages in Sri Lanka

The fundamental law pertaining to the languages in Sri Lanka is enshrined in Chapter IV of the Constitution of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka. Moreover, Article 12 (2) of Chapter III of the Constitution recognises the right to language as a fundamental right. The Sinhala and Tamil languages are both Official and National Languages in Sri Lanka while English is the Link Language. 

Apart from the statutory provisions for the implementation of the Official Languages Policy, administrative provisions have been made in implementing the same. This policy arrived battling the Sinhala Only Act No 33 of 1956 and had to struggle through political barriers with the Tamil Language Act of 1958 as a special provision and successfully implemented only in 1987 through the 13th Amendment. 

While a policy exists, the practice of it is nil. A common occurrence one sees in elite urban areas, public officers and other day-to-day services is the language used for notices. Application forms tend to be the language of the majority living in the area. If one takes a location like Wellawatte then forms filled in Tamil and public notices printed also are bilingual yet one goes to another locality like Maharagma; the assumption that the majority can read and speak Sinhalese results only in monolingual notices and announcements. Likewise, if one travels up north to Kilinochchi, notices and forms tend to get monolingual as well. 

This imbalance is due to the lack of practice of the policy by the State itself. The incorrect spelling of the bilingual notice boards is largely ignored yet spelling elsewhere in all forms and manner is constantly monitored and is considered poor performance. Yet the poor performance of the practice of the Language Policy is deafening. 

Implementation of policy at crossroads

The implementation of this policy is at crossroads. The very fact that the majority of the public is not aware of the existence of the Language Policy is an issue. The absence of bilingual public services is a key challenge which impacts many citizens in their day-to-day life during their interactions with public sector functions. 

Another example of the Language Policy integration is language access which is available in some public offices and functions yet the full spectrum of translation services and instruments are not available. Even for instances such as sign boards for directions to locations of waste segregation bins, the need for clear communication through all languages is critical so that the bilingual approach is normalised in usage. Any Sri Lankan who speaks only one of the official language, cannot access public services due to the lack of bilingual services is experiencing discrimination; period. 

National Anthem conundrum

The deafening silence during the need to highlight the language policy and the constitutional right that arises every 4th of February; the ‘conundrum’ of the National Anthem also being sung in Tamil. The very fact that it is not sung in Tamil is a violation of the Language Policy of monolingual Tamil speaking Sri Lankans. 

Do you know that the National Anthem can be sung by sign language which is also a form of language? Yet it is still not being sung in Tamil, which is a constitutional right and the official Tamil lyrics of the national anthem is already recognised by the Constitution. 

The diversity of Sri Lankan roots are questioned through the misguided guise of patriotism. The lack of response to such debates by the Ministry of National Co-existence Dialogue and Official Languages fuels continuous hate speech revolving around the debate. 

Awareness building

The very existence of a hotline to submit complaints pertaining to the Language Policy is hardly known. The hotline number – 1956 – designed by the Department of National Coexistence, Dialogue and Official Languages, has officers available in all three languages to take up complaints on the lack of implementation of the language policy. 

The commission appointed to oversee the language complaints system is also barely known. There seems to be a lack of campaigns to garner much-needed public awareness on the hotline and the commission who is responsible for implementing the policy.

When such policies are created, the need for awareness building on such policies is essential for its public usage. That is how the supervisory commission will do its job best. One only needs to talk to someone who doesn’t speak the same language as yours to experience the confusion and alienation in lack of the communication. 

Such an inclusive Language Policy would immediately help, bringing together markets and consumers in former war-torn areas with the economically thriving rest of the country. Imagine what mutual language understanding will do to business collaboration and investor and market opportunities as well as consumer satisfaction in all parts of the island. In addition to such social and economic integration, such an inclusive Language Policy enforcing both Sinhalese and Tamil language facilitation, would be a catalyst in supporting post war reconciliation and peacebuilding. 

Only such an inclusive Language Policy will enhance all-island communication accessibility and understanding. It raises a generation of bilingual or trilingual Sri Lankans who could transcend old language-based mass media biases, thereby fast-tracking inter-community reconciliation and coexistence. With around 30% Tamil speakers in our population, whom there by need linguistically accessible services to maximise their participation and contribution to Sri Lankan society. 

Bridging the language gap is essential

The historic language divide still continues right up to 2021, thanks to persistent selfish political manipulation ongoing, these misalignments need to be completely eliminated. The language is fuelled also by the different language media presenting common national issues quite differently to their own specific ethnolinguistic audience. 

Sri Lankan society, which is grappling with the political, economic and digital divide, can only bridge the gap by eliminating the worst of all divides; the language divide. Bridging the language gap is an essential track towards recognition of multiethnic pluralistic society that will usher in economic integration and national development. 

A society where anyone can understand and be understood is the very foundation for sustainable peace and a united Sri Lanka.