East-West Group Corr.
Addressing the annual All Island Hela Havula conference held recently, former senior lecturer in Sinhala Language and Literature, of the Dambadeniya Teacher Training College, A. A. Gunatilleke commended I.M.R.A. Iriyagolla’s contribution to standardise the Sinhala language.

The conference, which was held at the Susamayawardena School Hall in Borella, was presided over by the Hela Havula leader, poet and scholar, Arisen Ahubudu. It was attended by delegates representing provincial branches.

The Secretary, K. A. E. Kalyanaratne, presented the progress report of the year ending December 2002 and an outline of the plan of work for the new year.

A new executive committee was elected. Anandapiya Kudatihi, a long serving secretary of the Hela Havula, a well known author and journalist was elected the new leader and president. Joint secretaries are K. A. E. Kalyanaratne and Shrinath Ganewatte and treasurer, Jayadasa Kumarage.

A. A. Gunatilleke, speaking on ‘Techniques of expression in modern Sinhala’, began with the effort of reputed writer and scholar I. M. R. A. Iriyagolla, who as Minister of Education took steps to codify a standard Sinhala. He said this was a commendable one, and would have benefited students, teachers and writers. But an association of University Department of Sinhala lecturers and professors opposed it vehemently and prevented the standard Sinhala Code prepared by the appointed committee from operating.

The main objection and opposition to the standard Sinhala Code was that the committee which drew it up consisted writers and scholars of the Hela Havula and also some followers of Munidasa Kumaratunga.

However certain university dons who objected to the Standard Sinhala Code then, have now begun to publicly admit that it was a blunder on their part to have done so. They openly repent over the error they committed. Because many generations of university students have been misled and are unable to write clean, correct and idiomatic Sinhala.

The university Sinhala lecturers and professors who opposed the Standard Sinhala Code encouraged their students to ignore standard grammar and write in whatever way they wished. This group of university teachers were joined by academics who had learn a subject called linguistics in foreign universities. The chief among them was Dr. Sugatapala de Silva who wrote a book in which he stated that grammar is a subject for fools and no intelligent man would bother about grammar.

His pupils stared writing books on what is called ‘Nootana Sinhala’. This Nootana Sinhala lacks specific rules that could be observed. Students sitting the university exams in Sinhala had to buy and study these books. Otherwise they would fail their exams.

Now there is a hue and cry that the Sinhala taught and written by some of these lecturers and professors is confusing and do not convey any sense of accuracy.

They are mere jumbles of words. Their pupils are unable to identify Sinhala verbs and use them correctly and effectively.