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Sri Lanka declares 2012 as 'Trilingual Year' to unify the nation
Sri Lanka Saturday launched an ambitious ten-year plan to make the country a trilingual nation and declared the year 2012 as the 'Trilingual Year'.
At a function held in Temple Trees today, former President of India Dr. Abdul Kalam joined Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa to launch the "Trilingual Initiative", an ambitious programme of the Sri Lankan President to encourage all Sri Lankans to learn all three languages - Sinhalese, Tamil, and English- as a means to achieve national reconciliation and harmony.
The cabinet last year approved the President's proposal to implement a 10-year national action plan formulated as the basis for a National Programme to motivate the people to acquire language skills in all three major languages.
Addressing the function India's former President said a development agenda based on a nation's strength is vital as elimination of poverty, food scarcity and diseases holds the dignity of a society.
Noting that the illiteracy, unemployment and poverty contribute to spreading of hate and violence throughout the world and mostly give rise to terrorism, Dr. Kalam pointed out that both Sri Lanka and India have experienced that.
"If a nation is to exist as a united nation the benefits of development should be distributed to all communities of that nation," the Indian leader emphasized.
The Secretary to the President Lalith Weeratunga delivering the welcoming address said the concept of trilingual Sri Lanka is incorporated in the Mahinda Chintanaya policy statement of 2005 and in the Mahinda Chintanaya vision for the future of 2010.
It is President's expectation to use the language to build bridges among the different communities similar to building bridges to connect islands, Weeratunga said.
The government presenting the Trilingual Initiative to the cabinet last year observed that "one of the far-seeing initiatives that need to be taken to prevent the resurgence of terrorism which ravaged the country for over three decades is to encourage the people of Sri Lanka to communicate effectively in all three languages."
Sri Lanka : Sri Lanka declares 2012 as \'Trilingual Year\' to unify the nation
Sri Lanka Saturday launched an ambitious ten-year plan to make the country a trilingual nation and declared the year 2012 as the 'Trilingual Year'.
At a function held in Temple Trees today, former President of India Dr. Abdul Kalam joined Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa to launch the "Trilingual Initiative", an ambitious programme of the Sri Lankan President to encourage all Sri Lankans to learn all three languages - Sinhalese, Tamil, and English- as a means to achieve national reconciliation and harmony.
The cabinet last year approved the President's proposal to implement a 10-year national action plan formulated as the basis for a National Programme to motivate the people to acquire language skills in all three major languages.
Addressing the function India's former President said a development agenda based on a nation's strength is vital as elimination of poverty, food scarcity and diseases holds the dignity of a society.
Noting that the illiteracy, unemployment and poverty contribute to spreading of hate and violence throughout the world and mostly give rise to terrorism, Dr. Kalam pointed out that both Sri Lanka and India have experienced that.
"If a nation is to exist as a united nation the benefits of development should be distributed to all communities of that nation," the Indian leader emphasized.
The Secretary to the President Lalith Weeratunga delivering the welcoming address said the concept of trilingual Sri Lanka is incorporated in the Mahinda Chintanaya policy statement of 2005 and in the Mahinda Chintanaya vision for the future of 2010.
It is President's expectation to use the language to build bridges among the different communities similar to building bridges to connect islands, Weeratunga said.
The government presenting the Trilingual Initiative to the cabinet last year observed that "one of the far-seeing initiatives that need to be taken to prevent the resurgence of terrorism which ravaged the country for over three decades is to encourage the people of Sri Lanka to communicate effectively in all three languages."
Sri Lanka : Sri Lanka declares 2012 as \'Trilingual Year\' to unify the nation
