Language Rights – through the camera lens Th e Vibhasha camera lens was able to capture with photographs, many 2013 December – January | Publication of C.P.A. || 2nd Volume 12th Issue instances in various government institutions in Colombo and in nearby places, showing how the languages policy of this country is violated Th e Vibhasha camera lens has shown continuously the need for the fi xing and maintaining street sign boards and other name boards Promoting the bilingual tradition according to language policy. During an inspection that we conducted at Bauddhaloka Mawatha, Colombo, at Town Hall, Colombo 13 and Th e signboard of this famous parking space that is controlled by the Hettiyawatte, these sign boards were captured, going against the offi cial at the Provincial Council level Colombo Municipal Council shows information only in English languages policy as shown below. An initiative from the Central and Northern P.C.s Th ere is a fresh enthusiasm was the duty and responsibility implement a work programme in guidelines to implement a in the provincial councils these of Provincial Councils to order to do so. programme at Provincial Council days about the implementation implement the bilingual policy Central Province council level, to form a permanent of the bilingual policy. During in every division of the Central member Mr. M. Velu Kumar Committee to build national the special session that had been Province and to provide all approved this proposal. unity. held on the 11th November, at assistance and facilitation that is While there are many In order to gather the Central Provincial Councils, necessary for its implementation. problems concerning language information about this by Provincial Councilor, Mr. Provincial Councilor Mr. rights in the Central Province, telephone the eff ort to contact Sanjeewa Kavirathna, submitted Sanjeewa Kavirathna submitted the Minister stated his belief Mr. Shan Wijayalal, the Chief Th e signboard of the National Institute of Library and Information Similarly, the signboard of the Faculty of Management and a proposal giving attention to this proposal stating that special that solutions could be obtained Minister of the Southern Sciences of the University of Colombo is only in English. Finance is only in English the value of implementing the attention should be paid to by implementing this work Provincial Council had failed. bilingual method implement the bilingual policy programme. But it has been reported Th e Minister stated that it in the Central Province and to In February, a two day debate that the Ministry of National was fi xed. Languages and Social Integration Meanwhile the Southern had already sent guidelines to the Students who are Provincial Council also, Chief Minister of the Southern has recently appealed to the Provincial Council. receiving bilingual Ministry of National Language and Integration, to give them Sandamali Senevirathne education showing a high profi ciency Th e sign board of the Faculty of Management and Science is only in Th e signboard of Faculty of Medicine University of Colombo and the passes with distinctions in English. School of Nursing Colombo are only in Sinhala and English. mathematics and science. Th e Director of Education (Bilingual Education) Mr. Priyantha Nanayakkara states in a letter written to the web site of the Ministry of Education http://www.moe.gov.lk/web/images/stories/branchnews/ bilungual/bilinhu.pdf that students in Sri Lanka who are receiving bilingual education have shown a high aggregate in complex imaginative subjects such as mathematics and science, as shown in the pass analysis of the 2008-2011 General Certifi cate of Education (Ordinary level) examinations, that they had faced. Th is letter further states that, although the experiments done in connection with the programme in bilingual education were very few, some idea about the bilingual literacy of the students of our country who a receiving a bilingual education can be obtained from the analysis of Th is photograph shows Mr. Jagath Chamila a highly acclaimed actor examination results presenting a trophy to the best actor, in the Tamil Only Division, I. Imash Ali Th e signboard of the Meteorological Department has weather Signboard of the Institute of Neurology Colombo is shown only in Th is letter, which includes complete results, is published in page 10 of information only in English. Sinhala a and English this Vibasha Publication. during the National Children’s Drama Festival that had been held in October. Printed by: Globe Printing Works, No.5 Stork Place, Colombo 10. Tel: 0777315971 2 VibhashaVibhasha 20132013 DecemberDecember –– JanuaryJanuary Tamil Language training for new doctors to solve language problems in hospital. From the end of December, Chairman of the Government He further stated that the different types of choices in arrangements have been made Medical Officers Association, residential training programme the treatment of the patients, to train new doctors passing Dr A. Padeniya. that is currently being which are also dealt with in this out from state universities “At present, there is a great implemented will continue programme. throughout the island, to problem about communication without a break until the end of “This programme is only converse in Tamil with their among the majority of doctors December. available for a selected number patients. in being unable to hold a “The first work programme of doctors. They will in turn The first batch of doctors conversation with their patients has been very successful and we teach the newly qualified had already obtained this in the Tamil Language. In hope that all doctors will speak doctors. In a few weeks’ time, residential training last week order to face this problem, the the second national language there will be a work programme, during a ten day training in assistance of the Department fluently by December,” he said. to train new doctors in Agalawatte. of Health, the National Parallel to training in Tamil enhancing the above talents in Sixty five newly qualified Languages Department, and the language, the Government every region, and by this, the doctors will be taking part in Government Medical Officers’ Medical Officers Association patient will receive a beneficial the next work programme. Association with the help of the deals with listening skills, protection and a better doctor/ “Our aim is to train more than World Health Organization has building trust with the patient, patient relationship will be 1000 doctors. In this way in commenced a Tamil Language communication skills and established,”said Dr. Padeniya. medical clinics throughout the training work programme enhancing the availability of island, doctors will be able to for newly qualified doctors communicate with their patients throughout the island,”stated Dr. in the Tamil Language,” says the Padeniya. Notices in the Kuruwita Prison are only in Sinhala. North Attidiya and In Kuruwita Prison, Ratnapura all notices are in Sinhala. There are a lot of Tamil and Muslim visitors, mainly women and elders Colombo Language who come to visit prisoners coming from very far away and it takes about half day to come here and another 2 hours to get through the Societies more interested. entry procedures, and if you miss the times between 9-12 you have to stay till 2.30 and if you miss coming by 4pm you will be turned Languages Societies were established for the 541 GN Division of the back. Also you are not allowed to bring food; you have to buy it from Ratmalana Divisional Secretariat and the Attidiya North Division, on the 9th. this canteen which is put up by a prison official. The guards say you The officials who established the language societies told the Vibasha can’t bring food from outside. All this information is only in Sinhala Publication that, under the second step of establishing the languages societies, causing suffering to visitors who come from far away and dont know in the Colombo District, the establishment of languages societies is continuing. about this. Some people have to take back the food they bring and further and also said that people were showing a special interest in it. Mrs. some have to go back because they missed the closing time by a few Priyangika Thushari and Mrs. Sevvandi Perera of the Mt. Lavinia Divisional minutes. (Ceylon Today) Secretariat Office had organized a “Dharmarama Language Society,” recognizing the group of people in this region who had shown a special interest in learning the Tamil Language. Official Language Policy analysed. Meanwhile, Mr. Sameera Kalum had organized a “Sadisi Language Society” in Attidiya North. The Official Languages Commission has decided to implement the Official Languages Policy in manufacturing and service institutions. A lack of Tamil Language The Chairman of the Official Languages Commission Mr. Nimal R. Ranawaka stated that, under this, steps had been taken to notify Teachers for Pavakkulam the associations of the manufacturing sector including the Chamber of Commerce Tamil Vidyalaya. He stated that the goal of this workshop is that all information The students of Pavakkulam Track 7 Primary School in the Pavakkulam about all manufactured goods have to be published according to the Track 7 Village in the South Vavuniya DS area are facing great difficulties as Official Languages Policy. there is no teacher to teach them the Tamil Language. The Chairman of the Commission further stated that by the Mr. G.S. Gunasekera, the Principal of this Vidyalaya said that he had first week of November a work programme will commence by the notified the Zonal Education Office about inequalities prevailing among the Official Languages Commission about the Trilingual Policy,along teachers and the problems that are present among them, but no action had been with the Presidential Task Force. taken by the relevant officers yet. 2 VibhashaVibhasha 20132013 DecemberDecember –– JanuaryJanuary Vibhasha 2013 December – January 3 The best Thakshila Prathamika Tamil Language training for new doctors to solve children’s drama in Vidyalaya, Horana was the Sinhala Only chosen as the best child section, was from actress in the English language problems in hospital.