“BBC Interviewer: Mr. Prime Minister, the introduction as Sinhalese as the official language by your government [Sri Lankan Government], appears to have damaged the good relations, which previously existed between Sinhalese and Tamils, how do you justify this act?
S. W. R. D. Bandaranaike: Well, when our country became independent, naturally the question aroused… of national language. superseding English as the official language of the country. Sinhalese, we decided upon, as the official language, because 70% of the people of Ceylon are Sinhalese. At the same time, we naturally realized that the Tamil minority had a language that was also old, very rich language, literature… so on, and therefore we decided, also, to give a reasonable use to the Tamil language, as a language of a national minority. In such matters, and education, examinations, and the public service, and so on: We fear that that is the fairest way, for a problem to be settled.”

— S. W. R. D. Bandaranaike

S. W. R. D. Interview with BBC, 1956 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NP13RWkd4vM

Adopted from Wikiquote. Last update June 3, 2021. History

Help us to complete the source, original and additional information

Do you have more details about the quote "BBC Interviewer: Mr. Prime Minister, the introduction as Sinhalese as the official language by your government [Sri Lan…" by S. W. R. D. Bandaranaike?

S. W. R. D. Bandaranaike 1

Sri Lankan politician 1899–1959

Related quotes

“I will set a policy goal next year to make Taiwan a bilingual country, with English and Chinese being its official languages.”

William Lai (1959) Taiwanese politician

William Lai (2018) cited in " Taiwan to Make English an Official Language https://www.breitbart.com/national-security/2018/08/31/taiwan-english-official-language/" on Breitbart, 31 August 2018.

“The original language of the Divine Principle is Korean, so if you want to become a true authority on the subject you must learn Korean. What if, when you go to the Kingdom of Heaven. the only language is Korean? You would be in deep trouble! Later on. when the Unification Church becomes larger, the official language of our church will be Korean. All official conferences and meetings will be conducted in Korean.”

Sun Myung Moon (1920–2012) Korean religious leader

Our Pledge http://www.unification.net/1982/821121.html (1982-11-21)

“What is not there in English which can be found in Tamil Language?””

Periyar E. V. Ramasamy (1879–1973) Tamil politician and social reformer

Source: quoted in Book written by M. Venkatesan entitled “EV Ramasamy Naickarin Marupakkam” also https://myvoice.opindia.com/2019/02/rise-of-ev-ramasamy-naicker-and-the-fall-of-tamil-nadu/

“It will be, I suppose, a foolhardy Government that tries to push through legislation making knowledge of both official languages one of the qualifications for election to the House of Commons or appointment to the Senate, but maybe it will have to come to this as a price we must pay for equality of the two great language groups of our founding fathers.”

Judy LaMarsh (1924–1980) Canadian politician, writer, broadcaster and barrister.

Source: Memoirs Of A Bird In A Gilded Cage (1969), CHAPTER 7, The Favreau tragedy, p. 134

“The basis of any independent government is a national language, and we can no longer continue aping our former colonizers … those who feel they cannot do without English can as well pack up and go.”

Jomo Kenyatta (1893–1978) First prime minister and first president of Kenya

(1974) cited by David Crystal, "English as a Global Language" (2003), Cambridge University Press, ISBN 9780521530323, p. 124.

“The only language that ought to replace Tamil is English.”

Periyar E. V. Ramasamy (1879–1973) Tamil politician and social reformer

“Learn a language of another country and then you can go to that country: a place where the problems of your family will not follow. A language they do not speak.”

Alice Sebold book Lucky

Source: Lucky

“Encratic language (the language produced and spread under the protection of power) is statutorily a language of repetition; all official institutions of language are repeating machines: schools, sports, advertising, popular songs, news, all continually repeat the same structure, the same meaning, often the same words.”

Roland Barthes book The Pleasure of the Text

The Pleasure of the Text (1975)

“The government of the Republic of Kiribati officially notified our government on 20 September that it is terminating diplomatic relations with Taiwan.”

Joseph Wu (1954) Taiwanese politician

Joseph Wu (2019) cited in " Breaking News: Kiribati switches recognition to China, Taiwan loses second Pacific ally in one week https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3780704" on Taiwan News, 20 September 2019.

“Sometimes the government has to answer questions with ambiguous language.”

Jason Kenney (1968) Canadian politician and 18th Premier of Alberta

In an interview with Macleans https://www.macleans.ca/politics/jason-kenney-on-life-after-ottawa-and-uniting-albertas-right/ (28 September 2016)
2010s

Help us to complete the source, original and additional information

S. W. R. D. Bandaranaike 1

Related quotes

Related topics