Trilingual proficiency vital for reconciliation: PM

27 July 2018 08:45 pm - 8 - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

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People in Sri Lanka, especially children, should learn Sinhala, Tamil and English languages in order to bring about reconciliation, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said on Thursday.

He said this at a ceremony held to felicitate schoolchildren who excelled in the second language at the GCE O/L examination in 2017.

“If people learn Sinhala, then everyone should be conversant with the language of the majority. If one learns Tamil, then that person will be able to benefit from the development that is taking place in Tamil Nadu. One could get more benefits from South India than from Europe if he or she learns Tamil. Likewise, if one learns English, he or she will be benefitted when travelling to UK or USA.

“There was a conflict between the Malays and the Tamils in Malaysia in late 1960s. Singapore saw this conflict and decided to introduce laws to nationalise Malay, Chinese and English languages to avoid a similar conflict. This is why there is no communal violence in Singapore today. Language is a bridge that connects ethnic and religious groups,” he said. (Yohan Perera)

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Comments - 8

Waco Saturday, 28 July 2018 12:27 PM

RW, Can you converse in Tamil Language?

Angela Saturday, 28 July 2018 01:37 PM

Go to North and East of Sri Lanka. Get to know them first before going to TN.

Lord Wolfstein Sunday, 29 July 2018 09:58 AM

The recruitment of government workers should ensure that they master all 3 languages

Brainmaster Sunday, 29 July 2018 12:14 PM

Good but few Sinhalese ready to study Tamil. Promote urgently English as a bridge. via DM Android App

Chanaka Sunday, 29 July 2018 01:53 PM

Mr.Joker.....please keep the identity of Sri Lanka as it was and don't try to change our history! We are not Singapore we we are Sri Lanka!

lanka Sunday, 29 July 2018 05:08 PM

A Sinhala, Tamil, Muslim Or other needs English / French / Spanish international languages to communicate in various parts of the world. Tamil is not an international language and even most of their relatives in India do not consider it a necessity. The Tamils and others need to learn Sinhala the language of the majority people as is the normal practice all over the world. A Sinhalese can learn Tamil but it i an option not a must.

Balan Sunday, 29 July 2018 07:13 PM

There are young officers from South in Jaffna railway station and when asked some queries in Sinhala, answer came in Tamil. Surprised and asked about it the young officer told that knowing all three language will put us on top of the list of jobseekers. A lessons to others.

labey2002 Sunday, 29 July 2018 08:34 PM

In 1949 at Form one ,in Ananda college, I was learning Tamil as a class subject. It was a pity that this bright idea was abandoned.

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Trilingual proficiency vital for reconciliation: PM

Comments - 8

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