Where English comes to symbolise Tamil resistance

While in the rest of Sri Lanka nationalism means rejection of the English language, in the areas controlled by the Tamil Tiger rebels, virulent Tamil nationalism coexists with an eagerness to promote English education.

The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), which survives on global links, is pushing English education with a view to equipping the Tamils to face the challenges of the modern world. The rest of Sri Lanka too depends heavily on foreign links, like international trade, foreign aid and overseas employment. But it has determinedly shut out the English language in its educational system out of a sense of nationalism.

The LTTE established an English Language College (ELC) in Kilinochchi in 2004 to train English teachers, and its fourth convocation was held December 17, 2007 reports Tamilnet.com.

Stressing the strategic importance of English in his convocation address, the LTTE's political wing leader, B Nadesan, said: "For our people to acquire skills and knowledge at the global level, opportunity and facilities to attain high levels of proficiency in English is critical.

"Historically, Sri Lankan governments have created educational hurdles with a view to curtailing the development of the Tamils and scuttling their progress. The English Language College is symbolic of the Tamils' resistance to such moves," Nadesan said.

Contrasting the LTTE's policy with that of successive Sri Lankan governments, which denied an English education to the masses but winked at the elite learning the language, Nadesan said that Tiger chief Velupillai Prabhakaran wanted English to be taught to all.

In south Sri Lanka, home to the majority Sinhalese, there has been a rigid adherence to the "swabhasha policy" (involving the use of the mother tongue only for study and work), though this has resulted in the rise of conflicting and violent nationalism based on ethnicity and religion.

Up to the mid 1950s, Sinhalese, Tamils and Muslims went to the same schools and learnt through a common medium, English. They developed a fellow feeling of being "Ceylonese" as Sri Lankans were called then.

But post-independence, Sinhalese nationalist governments did away with English and created separate schools for Sinhalese and Tamil speakers. Later, Muslims got their own schools, adding a religious dimension to the problem.

With the children of various ethnic groups not studying and playing together, ethnic stereotypes got enforced and xenophobia increased.

The language policy also reinforced existing class distinctions. While the rich taught their children English, sent them abroad and got them the best jobs in the private sector, the Sinhalese or Tamil-educated underprivileged majority languished, employable only in the unproductive government sector.

Attempts by individual leaders to promote English education at a mass level were opposed tooth and nail by the radical Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) and university students with vested interests.

And the governments always succumbed to such pressures because no politician wanted to be branded "anti-national".

The language policy has adversely affected the economy also. Foreign investors are shying away from Sri Lanka not only because of the war and terrorism, but also because of lack of skills, including English language skills.

The envoys of Britain and the US have publicly urged the adoption of English to open a window to the world, and break the ethnic gridlock that has resulted in the death of over 70,000 people and displacement of millions in the last 25 years.

But any such suggestion would immediately draw flak from Sinhalese nationalists, who would denounce it as a nefarious plan to bring the British Empire through the backdoor.

However, there is a subtle change for the better now, says Gamini Samaranayake, chairman of the University Grants Commission.

"Today, students as well as parents are seeking proficiency in English," he told IANS.

"Science and technical students in the universities have to go through a three- month course in English. In the arts faculty, at the post graduate level, some lectures are in English, though the students are allowed to write their exams in any language they like," he said.

"I believe that English should be taught from an early level in schools, as children have the capacity to learn many languages, but Sri Lankan educational experts disagree," Samaranayake lamented.