STATE LANGUAGES


19th October, 1955 at 2.30 p.m
Text of speech in the PARLIAMENT Dr. N.M.Perera (Ruwanwella):

I move,

“ That in the opinion of this House the Ceylon (Constitution) Order in Council should be amended forthwith to provide for the Sinhalese and Tamil languages to be state languages of Ceylon with parity of status throughout the Island.”

Mr. Speaker, however much I would like to speak on this occasion in Sinhalese still I refrain from doing so only because I think this Motion is of such paramount importance to all minorities concerned that they would like to listen and follow every argument that I could adduce.

Mr. N.H.Keerthiratne (Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Posts and Broadcasting ):He has never spoken in Sinhalese.
Dr.Perera: I? I have spoken in this House before in Sinhalese.I am sorry to disappoint my good friend.

Mr. P.G.B. Keuneman (First Colombo Central): Probably he does not know Sinhalese.

Mr. Speaker: Yes, please go on.

Dr. Perera: I think all of us must regret the attitude taken up by the Government with regard to this Motion. It is true this Motion is in my own name as being sponsored by the Lanka Sama Samaja Party, but the Government will realize that this is a Motion of paramount importance to every section of the people of this country. They would like every aspect of the question to be fully thrashed out and gone into, and I think, it is only fair that Government should have seriously considered the request that was made for ample opportunity to be given to every Member of this House to express his point of view with regard to this most important question so far as the future of this country is concerned.

I have no hesitation in saying, Mr. Speaker, that a correct solution to this problem will make it easy for this country to continue as one united nation. But if we take a wrong step, I think, we will be courting disaster – a situation which none of us would like to see materialize. I say that with all the solemnity I can command. I am gravely conscious of the importance of the situation. It would have been easy for me and the members of my party to have sponsored the very popular idea, Sinhalese only, and we would have been acclaimed as heroes as a good many others have been.

But our party has taken up a consistent attitude. Ever since our party was launched we have never faltered or wavered from that position because we felt that that was the correct line to take. That position we will still adhere to, however unpopular that line of action might be. I am convinced myself of the correctness of our attitude. It might mean going into the political wilderness for some time, but still we the members of the Lanka Sama Samaja Party are prepared to face that. Let there be no mistake about it.

The Rt. Hon. Sir. J. Kotelawala: Has there been any such case?

Dr. Perera: That is, for a just cause, for correct principles, for a correct political line, I think, it is fully worth it. The membership of the House is not the be-all and end-all of a political party. But where a political party has been built on careerism then, I think, the Right Hon. Gentlemen is quite correct when he says that it will have to go into the wilderness. That would mean the political death of people like that. But we have built up a movement and that movement will carry on whether we live or not.

Mr. Speaker, I want in the first instance to ask this question: What are we aiming at? What is the objective we have in mind for this country? Do we want a united, strong and integrated nation or not? Our attitude to that will determine the answer to the question I have posed in this Motion. Do we want that or do we not? That, I submit is the most important question that Hon. Members have to face.

If all of us are agreed that that is our object, that we must endeavour to build up a united nation in this country-  notwithstanding the diverse cultures we have, notwithstanding the diversities of language we have, notwithstanding, maybe, the traditions we have had- that we want to build up unity in diversity; if that is our objective, then I say, in all earnestness that we must take a course of action which will enable us to achieve that object. I sincerely hope that there are no members here, or people outside, who are not wedded to that object.

I dare say there is a section that does not view it in that light. I refer to an organization – I do not know whether it is an organization – called the Tri Sinhala Peramuna.

Mr. D.B.R. Gunawardena (Kotte): Headed by Mr. J.R.Jayewardene.

Dr. Perera: There is that so- called organization which, apparently, thinks of building a nation only out of the Sinhalese. The Sinhala alone will form not a Ceylonese nation but a Sinhalese nation; all the other minorities are to be left outside. There is that organization or the so- called organization.

I have no doubt that there are important Members of the Government who are apparently associated with that organization. I know a number of people outside, good capitalists – I do not want to mention names – good supporters also of the U.N.P, who are sponsoring that organization. We had a taste of their activities last Sunday at the Town Hall. I think I am correct in my information that it is also very largely financed by some countries outside; I think, the United States Embassy has something to do with it. (Laughter.)  I know it is a matter for laughter.

The Hon. J.R. Jayewardene: Russia!

Dr. Perera: But this is nothing new in international activities

An. Hon.Member: You are suspicious.
 
Dr. Perera: Not at all. I think there are people who have got sufficient evidence to adduce. Of course, money does not go directly from members, but there are various organizations which have been set up as sister organizations or organizations affiliated and working with the United States Embassy, and they are the people who are financing these various organizations, like the Tri Sinhala Peramuna. I do not know whether it is a matter for laughter.

The Hon. Dr. M.C.M. Kaleel (Minister of Labour) : Fantastic!

Dr. N.M.Perera: When one considers the amount of money that is available and at the disposal of this organization, one is amazed. That organization which has a large number of people working full- time, a large fleet of vans working throughout the country, puts out posters daily of a most communal kind. Sometimes they are of an anti-religious and an anti- communal nature.

The Hon. Bulankulame Dissawa: Their bank balance is only Rs. 180.

Dr. Perera: That means that they are expending all that they are getting. They do not want to accumulate balances; and by the way, how does my good friend know the bank balance?

The Rt. Hon. Sir J. Kotelawala: He is the treasurer:

Dr. Perera: My good friend, the Right Hon. Gentlemen, is supposed to have made a certain statement about this matter in a recent address to the United National Party. He said that in any multi- racial, multi – communal or multi-religious country, democracy becomes a problem, and that the objective of the people must be to evolve a strong and united Ceylonese nation. I do not know whether those are precisely the words he used but I have culled them from a small brochure issued by a gentleman from the other place on this language problem. This statement of the Prime Minister is mentioned in that brochure and I thought it was quite good. I presume that the Right Hon. Gentleman maintains that position, namely that notwithstanding the various nationalities that we have and the various communal groups, he likes to see a single nation, strong and flourishing.

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