(June 26, Colombo, Sri Lanka Guardian) Sheathing of the 'Kaduwa' is what helped Ceylon regain its destiny, Ceylon, the colony of Britain, sought to make white everything that stood in its way. It was guarded by white soldiers. The top administrators were Englishmen. They helped open schools in the towns of Colombo, Kandy and Jaffna, which helped them to train pen pushers to maintain records of their rule.
Schools were few and far between in the rural hinterland. Those that existed were Pirivenas or temple schools where the medium of instruction was the mother tongue, English as he medium of learning was confined to schools like St. John's, Jaffna, Trinity College, Kandy, St. Thomas' College in Mutwal, which shifted to Mt. Lavinia and Royal open to all religions in Colombo. Later, with the awakening of the Buddhists, came Dharmarajah in Kandy, Ananda and Nalanda in Colombo. Zahira catered to the Muslims. The Roman Catholics had St. Joseph's, St. Benedict's, and St. Peter's. Later schools began to multiply all over the country in denominational categories; Kingswood in Kandy was opened by an Anglican sect. The name of L. E Blaze was closely associated with it. Britain fortified its hold on governance through the English- speaking Ceylonese. The top administrators remained Englishmen.
With S. W. R. D. Bandaranaike coming in as the Prime Minister, he moved to give the Sinhala- educated their true place as citizens of Ceylon. The Sinhala- speaking Ayurvedhic physician, the village school master, farmer and manual worker and the lower rungs of the government service were jubilant and hysterical when the Sinhala Only Act came up in Parliament. The White rulers found it difficult to administer in Sinhala and progressively left Ceylon's shores. The Citizenship Act compelled them to leave the tea and rubber estates and they were replaced by the brown sahibs. The lands changed hands and came back to the Ceylonese. Ceylon, which ran the risk of being permanently a British protectorate, reverted to the Ceylonese. The English- educated were furious for they were losing their prominent place and used the 'Daily News' to sling mud at Bandaranaike. Esmond Wickremasinghe, father of the anglophile Ranil Wickremasinghe, led the slanderers; Tarzie Vittachie and Aubrey Collette trailed behind. The Civil Service was scrapped and replaced by the Administrative Service, enabling any clerical servant to climb the ladder to the top grades in the service. The government service ceased to be strictly compartmentalised, save for the technically- qualified.
English is now rapidly becoming a language of international communication. The government has realised it and lest Sri Lanka falls by the wayside, the Minister of Education is to revamp the school curricular to gradually reintroduce English and progressively take it into the universities and other institutions of higher learning. Once English has regained its place, Sri Lanka will be among those countries in the higher echelons of most activities. Sri Lanka need not wallow in its 2550 odd years of grandiose culture and learning, for the World is in a constant state of flux. The English language will soon submerge all others as the world shrinks and gets closer through high speed travel, radio and other means of electronic communication. Sri Lanka should dispense with sentiment and wholeheartedly embrace the future. Let Sinhala be relegated to the category of dead languages, like Latin and Sanskrit, holding the interest of the etymologist, while Lanka moves on the fast forward mode. Sinhala is the kitchen language. Let us replace it with English.
S. W. R.D. Bandaranaike was elected president of the Cambridge Union because of his fluency in English. He outshone the British student in oratorical skills. A picture of him still hangs in the gallery of past presidents. Ceylon had no Supreme Court and appeals went to the Privy Council in England. Dr. Colvin R. de Silva, a much sought- after advocate made an appearance for Govindan's wife. Govindan, an estate worker, was shot dead by the police. Bracegirdle, was the Superintendent of the estate. An Englishman defended Govindan's wife. The British Governor deported Bracegirdle for what he thought was insolence for not siding with him as an Englishman.
The appeal went to the Privy Council where Colvin defended Bracegirdle. Those who were fortunate enough to witness Colvin's address said there was pin -drop silence as his oratory rattled the defendants. He won the case for Bracegirdle. One Ceylonese said that was the day he was proud to be a citizen of little Ceylon. Even the judiciary was spellbound and the Councilors forgot to cough. Let Sri Lanka regain its past glory.
The country can be proud that the President addresses world conferences in immaculate English. The UN General Assembly heard him in English. He addressed the Oxford Union in English and was roundly applauded; it is certain that Sri Lanka will bulldoze its way to the top in English and all things.
- Sri Lanka Guardian
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