Singing of National Anthem in Tamil challenged in SC
Three residents in Kelaniya area yesterday filed a Fundamental Right petition in the Supreme Court challenging the government’s decision to sing the National Anthem in the Tamil language during the Independence Day celebrations.
The petitioners cited President Maithripala Sirisena and the Attorney General as respondents.
The three petitioners Sanjeewa Perera, Pradeep Asiri Zoysa and Don Premaratne sought a declaration that the National Anthem shall be sung in Sinhala language with Sinhala words in accordance with the Third Schedule of the constitution.
They alleged that the petitioners’ fundamental rights guaranteed under Article 12(1) and 12(2) have been violated through the government’s decision to sing the National Anthem in Tamil language during the Independence Day celebrations.
The petitioners observed that they tend to name President Maithripala Sirisena as one of the respondents in the petition since he participated as the Chief Guest at the Independence Day
celebrations while functioning as the Executive President of the Republic.
(Daily News – By Lakmal Sooriyagoda)
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here we go again
when will we learn to live together as one country
oh my country banana republic with creatures that live on bananas
oh dear oh god even in a 100,000 years we will be the same until we change our attitude and respecting each other as equal whats the problem with the national anthem sung in Tamil there are so many countries who have it sung in different languages. Grow up you citizens of Banana republic learn by example after all we all have human blood no one has animal blood in them of course if there lived such humans they will live and act in a animal way. God Bless Sri-Lanka and its citizens although he gave us a paradise Island he did not give us unity pray for it.
What about singing it in German, Austrian, Hindi, English, Japanese and Chinese. They all give aids to us when we go with a begging bowl.
By the way when it sung in Sinhalese will get a boring ugly opera singer to sing in opera style so that no body can understand it.
Well done…!! and do all what you can to expell the mosquito….
Here we go again. With such attitude how can you bring about reconciliation and racial harmony in the country. When are we going to move forward and become another Singapore? It is only possible by shedding all supremist feelings and attitudes. May god help us.
That’s an interesting allegation.
Does this mean the leaders of the land including the President, Prime Minister, Opposition Leader and Cabinet Ministers and Armed Forces Chiefs, the Field Marshall and top Judiciary including the Tamil Chief Justice all violated the constitution by participating in an event where the National Anthem was sung in Tamil in an unconstitutional manner?
The Chief Justice being a Tamil and who had participated in this event should step aside from hearing this case.
If the Supreme Courts upholds the FR application, the entire political and armed forces leadership should resign for having shamelessly violated the constitution in public.
Following the resignation, the political leaders who did not participate in this event including Mahinda and Namal Rajapaksa, Basil Rajapaksa, Vasudeva Nananayakkara, Wimal Weerawansa, Udaya Gammanpila and Ven Gnanasara should be inducted into leadership offices.
The public servants who attended this event should be sacked for having violated the constitution. The only ex-public servant who did not participate in this event, Gothabhaya Rajapaksa should be made head of public service.
The Chief Justice should resign in shame. The deposed Chief Justice, Mohan Peiris should return to office.
Let these dogs bark in Tamil or Sinhala either.after all, these two are travelling in same track.
We sing ? frozen ; let it go, let it go,
These national song won’t bother us anyway. Ting .?
Udu,
Are you really a patriotic Sri Lankan. If you are you should be ashamed that you are supporting the singing of the National anthem in Tamil. It is the National Anthem and that is why i is called that. The national anthem can only be sung in the national language.
Is the Singaporean NA sung in more than one language. Do you think it is being supemist singing the National anthem in the national language even though there are Tamils scattered all over Sri Lanka Studying, working and holding good positions in the country , owning there business that are patronized by are Sinhalese ,Tamils, Muslims, Burghers and practicing there religion when and where they want.
IT is because people like you the country will be divided and handed over to the LTTE which is what they are still trying. Shame on you.!!!!
I
for want something better the anthem has become the issue or a talking point particular for those for who neither fluent in english nor sinhala yet masquerading as patriots or nationalists. Does it matter as along as the orchestra gets the right music and the tempo.
Before people dwell on what is unconstitutional they ought to know what it is to be constitutional and then examine whether it is coherent and there is continuity ….if you follow what I mean. It is only in the preamble that the anthem and the flag has been referred to and there is no provision and the circumstance and whether only a few a bars to be rendered or the whole and to be accompanied by bera thum-mettam or bata nala for orchestration would mean a lot of alien instruments etc etc.
So while Ranil is tinkering with The constitution he ought appoint a task force to address this issue along with other codes of conduct and discipline. There are still members in the judiciary and the parliament going about in suits better suited for funeral directors!
As for those concerned about being weaned on ham bacon and coco pops wait until you get trumped back to the banana republic
I did a quick internet research on the question of “When are we going to move forward and become another Singapore?” I read the Wikipedia article on Singapore national anthem (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Majulah_Singapura)
It was “very interesting” and I extracted a small piece from it (see below) for the consumption of those who prefer many variations of national anthem.
—————————–
“Guidelines for use:
The use of the national anthem is governed by Part IV of the Singapore Arms and Flag and National Anthem Rules[21] made under the Singapore Arms and Flag and National Anthem Act.[22] These rules provide as follows:
The national anthem may be performed or sung on any appropriate occasion.[23] In particular, it must be performed when the President receives a general salute.[24]
When the national anthem is performed or sung, every person present must stand up as a mark of respect.[25]
As regards musical arrangements of the national anthem:
Any person performing or singing the national anthem must do so according to the official arrangement set out in the Third Schedule to the Act or any other arrangement permitted under the next paragraph of the Act.[26]
The national anthem may be rearranged in any manner that is in keeping with the dignity due to it, subject to the following conditions:
(a) the national anthem must not be incorporated into any other composition or medley; and
(b) every arrangement of the national anthem must accurately reflect the complete tune and the complete official lyrics of the National Anthem.[27]
Any person who sings the national anthem must follow the official lyrics and must not sing any translation of those lyrics.[28]
It is an offence for any person to knowingly perform or sing the national anthem in contravention of rule 13(1) (not performing or singing the anthem according to the official arrangement or any other permitted arrangement) or 13(3) (not singing the anthem according to the official lyrics or singing a translation of the lyrics); the penalty is a fine not exceeding S$1,000.[29]”
According to this article, the original official anthem is in Malay language but there are 3 other “translations” in Mandarin, English and Tamil. But everyone MUST sing the anthem only in the original Malay lyrics or face a fine of S$1000. The translations exist only for the easier understanding of the meaning and not for singing.
——————————
So, if anyone wants Sri Lanka to be another Singapore then it is a good idea to sing our national anthem only in Sinhalse and to have as many translations as you like but only for the meaning but not for singing.
There you go, fancy words like “national unity, reconciliation, racial harmony” must be learnt by other races too, not only by Sinhalese (Singapore example).
Those who ask the question from Sinhalese “how are you going to get racial harmony by not accepting the national anthem in Tamil” must actually ask the question from Tamil and other minorities “how are you going expect racial harmony by not accepting the national anthem in Sinhalese”.
If we have a constitution, then we MUST honor it. If anyone does not want to honor the terms of constitution then they must exit from Sri Lanka.
S Fernando,
It is obvious that you are showing your supremist views and thinking openly with no shame whatsoever. God created us all equal.
Manjula,
“If we have a constitution, then we MUST honor it. If anyone does not want to honor the terms of constitution then they must exit from Sri Lanka.”
Is it not ironic that you make such comments from your hideout in Australia?
Well done Manjula,
I hope all stupid idiots now finally realize what the National Anthem is all about. You hit the nail on the head when you stated that if any one does not want to follow the Constitution then they must leave. Some dumb asses may think it is being Supremist. Actually I think it is the other way around. It is those you think they can demand the National anthem to be sung in another language are the ones who are being cocky.
Very good. Don’t worry guys with in some decades NA will be sung in Chinese for sure. On those days ur sons or grand son would fight for the same reason now you guys are fighting. Carry on. Abasaranai.
please concentrate on developing the country economically and having English the medium of instructions in all schools and then all will act as Sri Lankans under a Single flag and a one national anthem and with no white elephants call provincial councils . Please do not waste efforts to make a new constitution concentrate on development