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A recent publication on language usage by the Foundation of
Co-Existence based on a survey carried out by one of their arms
Concerned Citizens Group on Language Rights headed by Bradman Weerakoon
has published a document 'Bhasha asamanathawayesita samanathavaya dakwa'
based on the findings in nine Government institutions (Badulla and
Colombo MCC, Hatton Police, Kandy District Registrar, Nuwara Eliya
Hospital, Ratnapura High Court, Thimbirigasyaya DS Office, D. S.
Senanayake and Isipathana Vidyalayas).
The findings reveal a bitter truth about the insufficient number
employed, who are conversant in Tamil. The provisions under the
Constitutions are ignored by the bureaucracy, pushing Tamils and Muslims
to separatism.
In Badulla MC, only one out of 450 employed can communicate in Tamil,
where Tamil speaking percentage is 29 per cent. In Colombo MC, only 100
out of 12,000 are fluent in Tamil, where Tamil speaking percentage is 68
per cent as per census report 2001.
Only 10-20 out of 250 can handle complaints from Tamils in the Hatton
Police area where the Tamil speaking percentage is above 50. No one is
fluent in Tamil to attend to Tamil speaking community at Registrar's
office at Kandy and at Ratnapura High Court.
Two schools selected for the survey does not receive circulars in
Tamil from the Ministy of Education. All teachers in the Tamil stream
find it difficult to apply for training programmes etc. in time as they
are unable to understand instructions in Sinhala only.
Notices to Tamil parents are issued only in Sinhala.
Over to you Secretaries of Education and Public Administration. Stop
violation of Constitutional safeguards by giving priority in issuing
circulars in two national languages, recruiting bilingual competent
officers at least to the offices where there are 15 per cent or more
Tamil speaking communities in the neighbourhood.
Official Languages Commission must get up from the deep slumber and
show that they can bite too.
Kanchana Perera
I wish to pen these few words to extend my grateful thanks to David
Brown of England for his excellent letter which appeared in the Citizens
Mail Page of the Daily News of November 6, captioned 'Extensive
advertising campaign to boost tourism' and sincerely hope that this
message will reach Mr. Brown through the medium of Internet at least.
His letter is a virtual indictment on Sri Lanka Tourist Board (now
Sri Lanka Tourism Authority) for its abject failure to carry out an
effective advertising campaign in foreign countries, including his own
country, England.
He laments that there is no information presented in the media of
their country on the forthcoming England vs. Sri Lanka Test Series to be
worked out in Sri Lanka.
We, Sri Lankans should be ashamed to wait till foreigners write
letters eulogising over our country's tourist potential.
The people of authority in the tourism field open their eyes and act
fast, at least after reading these letters, if the country's tourism
industry is to be saved from disaster.
PREMADASA PERIYAPPERUMA,
Maharagama
I refer to the letter by one Amitha Jayawardene (AJ) in the Daily
News of November 10 on the above caption.
On the issue of parking, this is a universal problem and not specific
to Sri Lankan theatregoers. The rain, well, nothing an umbrella couldn't
solve if one displayed a bit of intelligence about weather conditions
during these months.
As for unsafe, unlit streets, well that again I venture is not an
uncommon phenomena in this paradise isle. If every drama production
and/or its staging venue were to provide (secure/sheltered) parking,
then, I dare say the cost of a ticket would be unaffordable to most.
As for the steep stairs, those are for use by the fit and agile,
there is the lift for those not so. If you are punctual, the ample
security within the school's perimeters will guide you to them on being
asked politely. I know this.
You whine about food not being allowed within the auditorium. Have
you never observed during your theatre outings, how disrespectful and
messy our fellow theatre goers are when disposing of their 'munchees',
half eaten food and food wrappers?
At the end of most shows (be they movies or stage plays), the venues
are strewn with litter, despite the very obvious litter bins at the
entrances and isles. Have you never experienced soda bottles falling
over with a loud clatter, just when the dialogue is at its most serious?
Have you never been disgusted at the open mouthed chomping of casava
chips by the person behind/beside you?
I have witnessed the 'Ferrero Rocher' chocolate wrappers left
mindlessly strewn all over the floor of the British School snack area
after the 15 minute break at the staging of 'Checkpoint' by Ruwanthi de
Chickera. These were served free and so were the drinks.
The result was akin to a scene from a Government canteen. Is it
little wonder that an auditorium as that of the British School has to
resort to enforcing these basic manners?
You moan about the AC being off or lowered. Can you perhaps fathom
that this was requested by the producers staging the play? Their reason
- near absolute silence - since the essence of a play such as Equus lies
in its audio.
The audience should not miss any minute part of the
monologue/dialogue. If one truly 'got' the maturity of this play and was
paying it the rapt attention it demanded, how one even notices the
condition of the air is unfathomable.
The symphony orchestra when performing at the Ladies College Hall,
last December had all the fans shut off. The act was not to
intentionally discomfit the audience but to ensure clarity of sound.
You mention the warnings at the start of the show. Is it not truly
sad that it has come to a point that even a 'mature' audience has to be
forewarned of these basic etiquettes?
On the 2nd day, no sooner this announcement was over, a carnival tune
rings out loudly and the offender jumbles madly to find the off button!
Why do we need to be told at all? Have I paid for a costly ticket only
to have some dimwit who understands nothing of maturity or manners,
disrupting the play I wish to follow?
Thus, before you gripe about a venue's do's and don'ts, which it has
a right to enforce, consider the idiot theatregoers it has to open its
doors to and cope with repeatedly.
Today, 90 per cent of a gathering at a movie or stage event is crass
and ill-mannered. They are criminally inconsiderate of the others
present, arrive late, disturb without so much as an apology, park askew,
eat, drink, eat again, allow their offspring to bump the seat in front,
whisper loudly and most commonly, wave about their 100,000,000 candle
power phone displays.
A salute to the minders of the auditorium as well as the organisers.
The stance taken is good and timely - discipline the crass majority to
benefit the few well mannered! It's about time fearless steps were
taken!
The one point on which I do concur with AJ is the above-par standard
of the production per se.
SHALINI HARVIE
I just cannot understand why university students in Sri Lanka rebel
so much. After all, their education is funded by the taxpayer. I thought
they were there to study and not to do the administrators' job.
It's disappointing specially to note that students of the Science
Faculty are now stooping to this type of activities.
Patricia Armstrong |
