Sri Lanka Matha

The "Sri Lanka Matha" (Template:Langx; Template:Langx; Template:Langx) is the national anthem of Sri Lanka. "Sri Lanka Matha" was composed by Ananda Samarakoon and was originally titled "Namo Namo Matha" ("Salute! Salute! Motherland").<ref name="HT120510"/>

"Sri Lanka Matha" was first performed at an official ceremony on 4 February 1949 at the Independence Memorial Hall in Torrington Square during the national day ceremony. The anthem was given full constitutional recognition in the 1978 Second Republican Constitution.<ref name="priu-const"/>

History

There are differing accounts as to the origin of the "Sri Lanka Matha". The most widely held view is that Sri Lankan composer Ananda Samarakoon wrote the music and lyrics to the song, inspired/influenced by the Indian Bengali poet Rabindranath Tagore.<ref name="CIA">Template:Cite encyclopedia</ref><ref name="TOI030411">Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="TH040216">Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="HT120510">Template:Cite news</ref> A minority suggest that Tagore write the anthem in full.<ref name="Wickramasinghe">Template:Cite book</ref><ref name="DM300315">Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="DS070511">Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="TH170511">Template:Cite news</ref> Some have suggested that Tagore composed the music whilst Samarakoon wrote the lyrics.<ref name="SU170212">Template:Cite journal</ref><ref name="Alexander">Template:Cite book</ref> Tagore being directly involved in the creation of the song has been denied by some historians like Indian Lipi Ghosh and Sri Lankan Sandagomi Coperahewa.<ref name="TelegraphCalcutta">Template:Cite news</ref> Samarakoon had been a pupil of Tagore at Visva-Bharati University, Santiniketan.<ref name="HT090515">Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="IE120615">Template:Cite news</ref> After returning to Ceylon Samarakoon taught music at Mahinda College, Galle.<ref name="ST161108">Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="SO300111">Template:Cite news</ref> The song, which was then known as "Namo Namo Mata", was first sung by students at Mahinda College.<ref name="ST281012">Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="SO140506">Template:Cite news</ref> After it was sung by the choir from Musaeus College, Colombo at a public event it became hugely popular in Ceylon and was widely played on radio.<ref name="DN020213">Template:Cite news</ref>

Prior to Ceylon's independence (1948) the Lanka Gandharva Sabha had organised a competition to find a national anthem.<ref name="DM060216">Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="DN190111">Template:Cite news</ref> Among the entries were "Namo Namo Matha" by Samarakoon and "Sri Lanka Matha Pala Yasa Mahima" by P. B. Illangasinghe and Lionel Edirisinghe.<ref name="DM060216" /><ref name="DN190111" /> The latter won the competition but this was controversial as Illangasinghe and Edirisinghe were members of the judging panel.<ref name="DM060216" /><ref name="DN190111" /> "Sri Lanka Matha Pala Yasa Mahima" was broadcast by Radio Ceylon on the morning of 4 February 1948, independence day, but it was not sung at the official Freedom Day celebrations.<ref name="DM060216" /><ref name="DN190111" /> Ceylon continued to use the UK's national anthem as its official national anthem after independence.<ref name="Silva368">Template:Cite book</ref> At the first independence day ceremony held on 4 February 1949 at the Independence Memorial Hall in Torrington Square both "Namo Namo Matha" and "Sri Lanka Matha Pala Yasa Mahima" were sung, in Sinhala and Tamil, as "national songs".<ref name="DM060216" /><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

More specifically, in 1950 Minister of Finance J. R. Jayewardene requested that the government recognise Samarakoon's "Namo Namo Matha" as the official national anthem.<ref name="DN020213"/> The government appointed a committee headed by Edwin Wijeyeratne, Minister of Home Affairs and Rural Development, to pick a new national anthem.<ref name="Silva368"/> The committee heard several songs but, after much deliberation, picked "Namo Namo Matha".<ref name="DS070511"/><ref name="DN020213"/><ref name="Silva368"/> The committee made a minor change to Samarakoon's song, with his approval, changing the tenth line from "Nawajeewana Damine Newatha Apa Awadi Karan Matha" to "Nawa Jeewana Demine Nithina Apa Pubudu Karan Matha".<ref name="DN020213"/> The committee's decision was endorsed by the government on 22 November 1951.<ref name="ST161108"/><ref name="Silva368"/> The anthem was translated into the Tamil language by M. Nallathamby.<ref name="DN020213"/><ref name="DBSJ171210">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="SO220315">Template:Cite news</ref> "Namo Namo Matha" was first sung as Ceylon's official national anthem at the independence day parade in Colombo in 1952.<ref name="DN020213"/><ref name= DBSJ311210>Template:Cite web</ref>

In the late 1950s controversy arose over its first line, "Namo Namo Matha, Apa Sri Lanka".<ref name="SO140506"/><ref name="DN020213"/> It was deemed to be "unlucky" and blamed for the country's misfortunes including the deaths of two prime ministers.<ref name="SO140506"/> In February 1961 the government changed the line to their present form, "Sri Lanka Matha, Apa Sri Lanka", despite Samarakoon's strong opposition.<ref name="DN020213"/><ref name="DBSJ171210"/> Samarakoon committed suicide in April 1962, leaving a note complaining that its lyrics had been mutilated.<ref name="DN020213"/>

The Second Republican Constitution of 1978 gave "Sri Lanka Matha" constitutional recognition.<ref name="priu-const">Template:Cite web</ref>

Multilingual

The Sri Lankan national anthem is available in an identical version in two languages, Sinhala and Tamil, both official languages of the country. It is just one of a number that are sung in more than one language: Belgium (French, Dutch, and German), Canada (English, French and Inuktitut), Finland (Finnish, Swedish), New Zealand (English and Māori), South Africa (Xhosa, Zulu, Sesotho, Afrikaans and English), Suriname (Dutch and Sranan Tongo) and Switzerland (German, French, Italian and Romansh).<ref name="SO220315"/>

"Sri Lanka Thaaye", the Tamil version of the Sri Lankan national anthem, is an exact translation of "Sri Lanka Matha", the Sinhala version, and has the same music.<ref name="BBC040216">Template:Cite news</ref> Although it has existed since independence in 1948 it was generally only sung in the north and east of the country where the Tamil language predominates.<ref name="BBC040216"/> The Sinhala version of the Constitution uses Sinhala lyrics while the Tamil version of the constitution uses Tamil lyrics. Per the constitution both Sinhala and Tamil are official and national languages and thus the anthem could be sung in both languages.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

The majority of Sri Lankans (around 75%) speak the Sinhala language. More specifically, "Tamil is the native language for the Tamil people, who constitute about 15% of Sri Lankans, and for Muslims who are nearly 10%", according to the BBC.<ref name="BBC040216"/> Until early 2016, the Sinhala version was the only one to be used during official government events and it was the only version used during international sports and other events.<ref name="SO220315"/> Although the Sinhala version of the anthem was used at official/state events, the Tamil version was also sung at some events in spite of the unofficial ban which ended in early 2016.Template:Fact

The Sinhala version of Sri Lanka Matha was used in all parts of the country with the exception of the North and the East which have a large Tamil population.<ref name="DBSJ171210"/><ref name="ST121210">Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="NIE040216">Template:Cite news</ref> Some reports indicate that the Tamil version was used at official events held in the Tamil speaking regions in the North and East of Sri Lanka.<ref name="DBSJ171210"/><ref name="SO220315"/> The Tamil version was sung at Tamil medium schools throughout the country.<ref name="DBSJ171210"/><ref name="SO220315"/> The Tamil version was even used during the period when Sinhala was the only official language of the country (1956–87).<ref name="DBSJ171210"/><ref name="SO220315"/>

Template:Anchor Tamil version controversy

On 12 December 2010 The Sunday Times reported that the Cabinet of Sri Lanka headed by President Mahinda Rajapaksa had taken the decision to scrap the Tamil translation of "Sri Lanka Matha" at official and state functions, as "in no other country was the national anthem used in more than one language" - even though the national anthems of Belgium, Switzerland, Canada and those of several other countries have more than one language version.<ref name="ST121210"/> The Cabinet's decision had followed a paper on the national flag and national anthem produced by Public Administration and Home Affairs Minister W. D. J. Senewiratne.<ref name="DBSJ171210"/><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The paper had drawn on the Singaporean model where the national anthem is sung in the official lyrics and not any translation of the lyrics.<ref name="DBSJ171210"/> Based on this the paper recommended that the Sri Lankan national anthem only be sung in Sinhala and the Tamil translation be abolished.<ref name="DBSJ171210"/> The paper's authors had failed to realise that the official lyrics of the Singaporean national anthem are in Malay, a minority language (75% of Singaporeans are Chinese).<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Government minister Wimal Weerawansa had labelled the Tamil version a "joke" on Derana TV, and had cited India as an analogy.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Some journalists, such as D. B. S. Jeyaraj,<ref name="DBSJ171210"/> claimed that it was wrong of Weerawansa to cite India as an analogy because according to them the Indian national anthem was not in Hindi, which is the most widely spoken language of India, but in Bengali, a minority language.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Although sources based on an official Government of India website state that the Indian National anthem was adopted in its Hindi version by the Constituent Assembly of India,<ref>Chandra, Anjana. India condensed : 5000 years of history & culture. Singapore: Marshall Cavendish Editions, 2007. page 120</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> the proceedings of the Constituent Assembly of India on 24 January 1950 does not mention that the National Anthem was "adopted", nor does it mention that it was done so in its Hindi version.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In actual practice the unaltered Bengali version is the version sung as the National Anthem, with its words in original Bengali Tatsama, a highly Sanskritized form of Bengali that has Sanskrit words common to both Hindi and Bengali.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

The Cabinet's December 2010 decision to scrap the Tamil translation of the anthem<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> (which was not subsequently enacted) caused much furore in Sri Lanka. Later, the government denied allegations that the Tamil translation was to be abolished.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The Presidential Secretariat has stated that there was no basis to the media report and follow up reports which intimated the same.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Nevertheless, an unofficial ban<ref name="NIE040216"/> on the Tamil version came into being as fearful public officials in Tamil speaking areas stopped using the Tamil version or blocked attempts to use it.<ref name="SO220315"/><ref name="DM210315">Template:Cite news</ref> The Sri Lankan Army forcefully stopped any use of the Tamil version and taught school children to sing only the Sinhala version.<ref name="DM210315" /><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

In March 2015 newly elected President Maithripala Sirisena announced that he would be issuing a circular which would state that there was no ban on singing the national anthem in Tamil.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Sirisena's announcement was attacked by Sinhalese Buddhist nationalists.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

During Sri Lanka's 68th national independence day celebrations on 4 February 2016, the Tamil version of the anthem was sung for the first time since 1949 at an official government event, the independence day celebrations.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Lifting of the unofficial ban on the Tamil version had been approved by President Maithripala Sirisena (who had said he would unite the nation after the nearly 26-year civil war that ended in 2009) and by others in the government.<ref name="NIE040216"/> This step was viewed as part of the plan for "post-civil war ethnic reconciliation".<ref name=ap20160204/>

Naturally, Sri Lanka Matha was also sung in Sinhalese. Some groups, and Sri Lanka's former President Mahinda Rajapaksa, were opposed to the government officially allowing the Tamil version to be sung.<ref name="BBC040216"/><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name=ap20160204>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

In 2020, the Sri Lankan government stopped using the Tamil version of the national anthem at the main Independence Day celebration.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> However, regional independence day celebrations including those with government involvement in regions with significant Tamil populations continue to sing in both Tamil and Sinhala.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

In 2024, the government once again reinstated the national anthem at the 76th Independence Day.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Lyrics

Sinhala version

Sinhala original<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>	Romanisation	IPA transcriptionTemplate:Efn
<poem>Template:Lang</poem>	<poem>Template:Transliteration</poem>	<poem>Template:IPA</poem>

Tamil version

Tamil original<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>	Romanisation	IPA transcriptionTemplate:Efn
<poem>Template:Lang</poem>	<poem>Template:Transliteration</poem>	<poem>Template:IPA</poem>

Poetic English translation

<poem>Thou Mother Lanka, Oh Mother Lanka we salute, salute, salute, salute Thee! Plenteous in prosperity, Thou, Beauteous in grace and love, Laden with grain and luscious fruit, And fragrant flowers of radiant hue, Giver of life and all good things, Our land of joy and victory, Receive our grateful praise sublime, we worship, worship Thee. Oh Mother Lanka! We salute, salute, salute, salute Thee! Thou gavest us Knowledge and Truth, Thou art our strength and inward faith, Our light divine and sentient being, Breath of life and liberation. Grant us, bondage free, inspiration. Inspire us for ever. In wisdom and strength renewed, Ill-will, hatred, strife all ended, In love enfolded, a mighty nation Marching onward, all of us as Children of One Mother, Lead us, Mother, to fullest freedom, we worship, worship Thee Oh Mother Lanka! We salute, salute, salute, salute Thee!</poem>

See also

• Sri Lankan Civil War
• Tamil Eelam

External links

• National Anthems: Sri Lanka
• National Anthems: Sri Lanka (archive link)
• Himnuszok: Sri Lanka
• National Country Symbols Of All Countries: Sri Lanaka Template:Webarchive