Marking official languages week amidst the economic crisis
In May 2019, the Sri Lankan Government at the time declared July 1 as Official Languages Day, and the week from July 1- 5 as Official Languages Week of Sri Lanka. In the subsequent years, the Official Languages Week was commemorated around the island with a variety of uniquely themed events and activities aimed at disseminating knowledge and raising awareness on Sri Lanka’s Official Languages Policy and the importance of language rights.
Due to the ongoing crisis in the country, this year, such activities have been put on hold. However, it is important to use possible and available platforms to raise awareness on language rights, especially in relation to the ongoing issues in the country.
Language, as we know, is not only a tool for communication but also part of one’s identity. Chapter Four of the Sri Lankan Constitution ( Articles 18- 25) contains a clear set of guarantees on language rights underscoring that no citizen should be discriminated against on grounds of language, and that every citizen can exercise the freedom to enjoy and promote their own culture and to use their own language. Language rights then, are a fundamental right of all people upheld by the Constitution, the country’s supreme law.
Further, language rights are also upheld by other legal frameworks such as the Official Languages Policy. There are also international legal instruments that uphold language rights. These include the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, as well as the Convention on the Rights of the Child, amongst many others. Despite these legal guarantees, many Sri Lankans, especially minorities, experience many challenges and obstacles in their day- today lives due to the failure to implement the Official Language Policy.
When most people of the country are facing severe economic hardships, one may wonder why we should talk about language rights and mark Official Languages Week.
However, language rights become more important, not less, under crisis conditions:
Public frustration has been rising in recent months. The situation has worsened amid sudden shortages in fuel, cooking gas and essential food items, as well as power cuts, rising cost of living and difficulties to obtain basic items etc. In a situation like this, the public needs to be able to access information on the economic and political developments, as well as the steps being taken to address the situation in the country in all official languages. In this regard, the Government must make all their communications available in the country’s official languages.
This responsibility also extends to trade unions engaging in strike action, for example. While engaging in strike action is a democratic right, it is also important to communicate their decisions to the public in all the official languages.
Dissemination of information between protesters, local authorities, and police and security forces in all three languages – Sinhala, Tamil, and English – is vital to the management of assemblies and protests.
The media too, has a responsibility to take these messages to the public. There appears to be a lack of commitment on the part of the powers that be in this regard.
When we imagine a ‘new Sri Lanka’ it should be one where all of us have a right to interact with the State in an official language of our choice and receive services in a language of our choice. Language rights, after all, are human rights.
Dissemination of information between protesters, local authorities, and police and security forces in all three languages – Sinhala, Tamil, and English –is vital to the management of assemblies and protests.