{"id":14561,"date":"2025-02-08T05:56:55","date_gmt":"2025-02-08T05:56:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/srilanka.factcrescendo.com\/english\/?p=14561"},"modified":"2025-02-08T05:56:59","modified_gmt":"2025-02-08T05:56:59","slug":"insight-into-singing-the-sri-lankan-national-anthem-in-tamil","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/srilanka.factcrescendo.com\/english\/insight-into-singing-the-sri-lankan-national-anthem-in-tamil\/","title":{"rendered":"Is it not possible to sing the national anthem in Tamil?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

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Various ideologies have continued since ancient times regarding the singing of the national athenm in Tamil. Various misguided social media posts on this topic which come to the fore again and again in conjunction with the Independence Day on February 4th are widely spread. This is an investigation of the facts we did on this regard.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

 Social Media Posts<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Several posts were circulated on social media stating that the National Anthem was sung only in Tamil and for the first time during the 77th National Independence Day celebration<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Facebook<\/a> | Archived Link    <\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Facebook<\/a> | Archived Link<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Facebook<\/a> | Archived Link<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Another social media post stated that though the population of TamilNadu in India is 72 million, the National Anthem is not sung in Tamil.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Facebook<\/a> | Archived Link<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, we decided to do a fact check regarding that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fact Check :<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The 77th National Indpendence Day celebration was held on February 4th at the Independence square.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After hoisting thr national flag marking the beginning of the independence day, the national anthem was sung in Sinhala. Fourty Four students representing the Defence Services College, Colombo 2, Nalanda College Colombo 10, Muslim Ladies College Colombo 4, Royal College Colombo 7, Ramanathan Hindu College Colombo 4, Sahira College Colombo 10, All Saints\u2019 College, Susamayawardana College Borella, Hindu College Colombo sang the national anthem<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Also, marking the end of the National Independence Day, the National Anthem was sung in Tamil<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Is this the first time that the National Anthem was sung in Tamil?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here<\/a> you can view how the National Anthem was sung in Tamil in the 76th<\/sup> National Independence Day celebration. Also, it was sung<\/a> at the 75th National Independence Day celebration held in 2023.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, before that, in the 72nd<\/a>, 73rd<\/a>, and the 74th<\/a> Independence Day Celebrations held during 2020 \u2013 2022, the National Anthem was sung only in Sinhala<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Also, the National Anthem was sung in both Sinhala and Tamil at every Independence Day celebration from 2015 to 2019 (71st<\/a>, 70th<\/a>, 69th<\/a>, 68th<\/a>, 67th).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Also, in December 2010, Mr. John Seneviratne, the Minister of Justice and Judicial Reforms, had submitted a cabinet memorandum stating that the National Anthem cannot be sung in Tamil.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although the former President Mahinda Rajapaksa did not give an official response, there was an opinion that the government did not want to sing the national anthem in Tamil. Mr. Vasudewa Nanayakkara, the former Minister of National Languages and Social Integration of Mahinda Rajapakshe\u2019s cabinet, had stated that the National Anthem should be allowed to sing in Tamil as well. Here<\/a> is an article which was published regarding that. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Archived Link<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Accordingly, during the presidency of Mahinda Rajapaksa, 2010 \u2013 2014, the National Anthem was not sung in Tamil during the Independence Day celebration, and it was sung in Tamil during the presidency of Maithreepaala Sirisena, which is 2015 \u2013 2019. During the three years of presidency of Gotabhaya Rajapaksa (2019 \u2013 2022), the National Anthem was not sung in Tamil. Again it was sung in Tamil during the presidency of Ranil Wickremesinghe and in the Independence Day celebration under the current president Anura Kumara Dissanayake.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After the election of Gotabaya Rajapaksa as the President in 2019, there was a discussion about singing the National Anthem in Tamil although it was stated that no such decision was taken by the government<\/a> at that time. In fact, during his presidency, the Independence Day celebration did not feature the Tamil National Anthem.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A government policy to sing the National Anthem in Tamil at the Independence Day celebration until the 100th Independence Day.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In a media conference held regarding the Independence Day celebration in 2023, the government parties said that arrangements have been made to implement an unchanged government policy for the next 25 years, until the 100th<\/sup> Independence Day in 2048. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

There it was stated that as it is necessary to gather all the people no matter the race and the religion, for the advancement and development of this country, they have decided to sing the National Anthem in sinhala at the beginning of the Independence Day celebration ceremony and in Tamil at the end of the ceremony. It was further stated that they hope to organize these activities under a targeted program for the next 25 years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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