-By LeN Political Colombo Correspondent
(Lanka-e-News -08.July.2025, 9.45 PM) In a heartfelt and powerfully-worded speech, Sri Lanka’s Minister of Justice and National Integration, Harshana Nanayakkara, declared that depriving individuals of the right to express themselves or to be understood in their mother tongue is tantamount to rejecting their humanity. His remarks came as he addressed the closing ceremony of the National Language Week 2025, held at the Sri Lanka Foundation Institute in Colombo on Sunday, July 7.
Joined by Prime Minister Dr Harini Amarasuriya and Deputy Minister of National Integration Muneer Mulafer, Nanayakkara delivered a stirring call to recognise language not merely as a tool of communication but as a foundational pillar of identity, justice, and peace.
“Language is not a mere technical function, nor is it merely a means of communication,” the Minister said. “It is the heartbeat of a person’s identity. The echo of memory. The rhythm of dignity. The architecture of thought.”
Nanayakkara, a seasoned legal professional and reform advocate, was unequivocal in asserting that genuine national unity cannot be achieved through infrastructure projects or slogans alone. Rather, it depends on the recognition and institutionalisation of linguistic rights.
“A society that denies a person the opportunity to speak or hear in their own language is one that has rejected their humanity,” he continued. “This is why national unity cannot be constructed merely through physical development or battle cries—it must emerge from policy, from daily practice, from respect for language.”
His address marked the conclusion of a week of events commemorating National Language Week, which began on July 1 under the auspices of the Ministry of Justice and National Integration. The week included a range of awareness campaigns, community forums, and school-level competitions designed to celebrate linguistic diversity and highlight the constitutional commitment to both Sinhala and Tamil as official languages.
Minister Nanayakkara’s comments were deeply rooted in Sri Lanka’s post-independence struggles with identity, representation, and inter-ethnic harmony. The 13th Amendment to the Constitution, introduced as part of the Indo-Lanka Accord in 1987, recognised both Sinhala and Tamil as official languages, with English designated as a “link language.”
Despite these legal provisions, the practical implementation of bilingualism across government institutions has remained patchy at best, leading to long-standing frustrations among Tamil-speaking citizens in particular. Many have found themselves unable to access public services in their native tongue, and this linguistic exclusion has often deepened feelings of marginalisation and injustice.
Nanayakkara acknowledged this gap:
“Legal recognition alone is not enough. Rights on paper must be translated into the lived realities of our people. We must not forget that the failure to respect language rights was not a minor oversight—it fuelled mistrust, inequality, and ultimately, armed conflict.”
The Minister reminded the audience that the country’s failure to adequately address linguistic grievances in the past played a role in exacerbating ethnic tensions that culminated in a three-decade civil war.
“History teaches us that linguistic injustice has consequences. If we do not absorb this lesson, we are bound to repeat the mistakes of the past. That is why language is not merely a symbol of peace—it is its foundation.”
Nanayakkara also unveiled a number of forthcoming policy initiatives aimed at bridging linguistic gaps at the grassroots level. Chief among them is a plan to ensure that, beginning in October this year, all applications at the Grama Niladhari (village officer) level will be made available in both Sinhala and Tamil.
“A lasting peace cannot be built without equality,” he declared. “And equality cannot exist if the State fails to respect the language of its people.”
The symbolism of the moment was not lost on observers. Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya, a respected academic-turned-politician, has made reconciliation and social equity central to her administration’s reform agenda. The presence of diplomats such as Canadian High Commissioner Eric Walsh and Bangladeshi High Commissioner Andalib Elias at the ceremony added an international imprimatur to what is, at its core, a deeply domestic issue.
Also in attendance were Attorney General’s Department Secretary Ayesha Jinadasa, Galle District Secretary W.A. Dharmakeerthi, Professor S.J. Yogarajah, and a broad mix of university and school students—many of whom participated in language-themed essay and poetry competitions organised throughout the week.
Awards and certificates were presented to the winners of these contests, who were celebrated as the vanguard of a new generation that could carry forward the message of coexistence and mutual respect.
While the Minister’s words were widely praised, many commentators remain cautious. Previous governments too have pledged action on linguistic rights, yet results on the ground have been inconsistent. Key challenges include the chronic lack of bilingual officials in public institutions, inadequate translation infrastructure, and poor enforcement of language laws.
In an interview following the event, Deputy Minister Muneer Mulafer noted:
“Reform cannot come from top-down orders alone. We need the buy-in of every government official, from the lowest desk officer to the highest policymaker. That is why training and awareness will be key pillars of our roadmap.”
To that end, the Ministry plans to establish district-level language units, expand translation capacity across departments, and incentivise public sector employees to become certified in both official languages.
Language policy in Sri Lanka has long been entangled with questions of power, identity, and sovereignty. The decision to make Sinhala the sole official language in 1956—a move that excluded the Tamil-speaking minority—set the stage for decades of tension. Reversing this legacy has proven difficult, not least because language continues to be a rallying cry for political mobilisation on all sides.
For Tamil communities in the North and East, the right to receive government services in their own language remains an essential test of citizenship and equality. For Sinhalese nationalists, bilingualism is often viewed with suspicion, or worse, as a concession to separatist demands.
Nanayakkara attempted to navigate these tensions with a message that placed humanity above ideology:
“Respect for language is not a threat to unity—it is its expression. When every citizen feels heard, understood, and valued, the nation becomes stronger, not weaker.”
While some may dismiss speeches like Nanayakkara’s as ceremonial rhetoric, there are signs that the political winds may be shifting. With Sri Lanka’s ongoing efforts to secure international aid, address war-era accountability, and rebuild its shattered economy, issues like language rights are increasingly being seen not just as moral imperatives but as practical necessities for peacebuilding and sustainable development.
In her own brief remarks at the event, Prime Minister Amarasuriya emphasised this point:
“We must not underestimate the transformative power of dignity. When we honour each other’s languages, we honour each other’s humanity.”
The closing ceremony of National Language Week may not have made headlines beyond Sri Lanka’s borders, but for those present—particularly the young winners of the school competitions—the message was clear. Language is not just the medium through which we speak. It is the manner in which we see, hear, and respect each other.
As one 15-year-old prize-winner from Galle put it while receiving her award:
“When I write in my language, I feel free. I feel safe. I feel at home.”
If that simple truth becomes a guiding principle for Sri Lanka’s public policy in the years ahead, then perhaps, as Minister Nanayakkara hopes, the nation will finally begin to speak with one voice—not in uniformity, but in unity.
-By LeN Political Colombo Correspondent
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by (2025-07-08 16:13:58)
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