Social integration, part of my politics - Minister Vasudeva Nanayakkara

By Manjula FERNANDO

A senior politician who counts half a decade in active politics and a trade union activist, Vasudeva Nanayakkara in an interview with the Sunday Observer responds to his critics and explains how his work as the National Language and Social Integration Minister harmonises with his Leftist policies.

"National unification and social integration are part of my politics. I see a greater identity between my politics and the work I have now taken over."

Q: Your critics say that you have sacrificed your Leftist ideologies, policies and principles to become a Minister in the new Cabinet. How do you respond to this claim?

A: They are entitled to their comments. I do not accept it. I think it is in furtherance of my politics that I have undertaken this work as the Minister of an office striving to bring together communities, ensure national unification and social integration. These are part of my politics. Therefore I do not see inconsistency but I see a greater identity between my politics and the work I have now taken over.

Q: Do you think you have the blessings of your voters in Ratnapura?

A: Yes I was in Ratnapura yesterday. We had a good reception. I am confident that Ratnapura district will back me in this exercise.

According to a social lingual survey by the Presidential Unit headed by Dr. Sunimal Fernando, an overwhelming number of Sinhalese and Tamils are looking forward to learn the other language and English. So this is good attitude at ground level which will serve in our favour in carrying out our work.

Q: It was after a decade that you made a comeback to Parliament. Today your re-election has been rewarded with a Ministerial portfolio by President Mahinda Rajapaksa. What are your ministerial responsibilities?

A: The responsibilities of this ministry are namely the implementation of the language policy of the Government. Firstly the bi-lingual policy implementation among the public officials with a view to facilitate the work transacted with the different communities. We speak two languages in this country.

Social integration requires the bringing together of different sections of society, who are presently distanced due to many reasons. such as the unequal access to justice and facilities and rights guaranteed to every citizen. Therefore we have a dual task, one is to implement the language policy which again helps bringing the communities together. There are three main communities who speak two languages, Sinhala and Tamil.

To be able to give all communities, the right to information; right of access to all what they are entitled to as citizens; making things available in two languages; helps in social integration. It makes it easier for persons who are knowledgeable in their mother tongue to be able to work together.

These two subjects are interconnected. The third point is formulation of the required language tools through the Official Languages Department to ensure the official languages become easy to use in public transactions.

Some of the new words are still not available. We have the UNDP program, which works out programs in different parts of the country to empower the weaker sections of the community in order to give them confidence and a greater informed understanding so that they can put aside their backwardness and move on, enjoying their rights as citizens of this country.

There are weaker groups within their own communities. Sinhala, Tamil, Muslims, who had been disadvantaged and backward due to their lack of access to information, lack of understanding over the administrative operations, lack of articulation. So this work between the communities and within the communities is a task of the social integration program. The UNDP supports us in this.

We find government institutions and semi government institutions not working in both languages. In those circumstances, Language Commissioners will get in touch with the institutions, probe into difficulties they face in implementing the dual language policy, and recommend necessary support from our end, within our budget to give them the necessary impetus.

Q: Are there any shortcomings at the implementation level that hampers the work of the ministry?

A: Not yet. It is too early to say that. We have been given a bigger allocation in the budget 2011.

But in fact there is a shortcoming due to lack of translators in the public sector. Every public servant has to learn the other language within a specified period after assuming office. When they do so they are given special increments. There is an in-house training centre in Agalawatte for language training.

By this exercise we expect all public servants to learn the other language. This will clear a lot of problems.

Q: There was a strong recommendation by the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission in their interim report to the President to speed up implementation of the language policy. In that context do you have a huge responsibility in the country's 'healing process'?

A: I raised this matter before I became a member of parliament, in respect of the International Airport at Katunayake. All notices there were in English.

So there was no implementation of the language policy. It took six months through the Commissioner of Languages to persuade them to implement this. There is a reluctance to implement the language policy in certain institutions. They would like to take the shortcut of 'English only', which is a total violation of our constitution.

So therefore we will have to see where such attitudes prevail and then break through those attitude barriers and ensure proper implementation of the language policy.

Q: You said there were many institutions that have chosen the 'English only' shortcut?

A: I hope to proceed with the initiative to visit and examine public places of office and ensure our language policy is implemented. This will be one of my main areas of interest.

Q: With you in the new Cabinet, the Left as a group count four slots in the 60 member Cabinet. Is this reason for consolation or are you disappointed with your performance?

A: No I am looking at the Left movement in this country. The Left movement is defined as the Left of Centre in politics, which I hope is clear enough. Left of Centre politics has had many ups and downs. Today the Left of Centre politics is part of this Government's policy, refusing to privatise, bringing about social democratic and welfare legislation. That is part of the Left of Centre politics.

The Left of Centre formations such as the Left political parties always had their divisions and alliances. Similarly today we have alliances of five Left parties. And there are the Left parties who are in the opposition, who are not supportive of the Government. But those parties represent only small numbers.

If the JVP claims to be a Left party then of course we have to answer those questions. I don't think, the JVP, with any seriousness can claim to be a Left party.