Sinhala Only Bill and Reversals
The significant change in the history of Sri Lanka was the implementation of the Sinhala Only Bill in 1956. This act or bill was passed to recognize and declare Sinhala the official language of the country. As per the ratio in the population, 70% are Sinhalese and 29% were Tamils of different origins. The passing of this bill earmarked a big transformation of the population and also sparked outrages from different communities. In this article, we will study how this act was framed and billed in 1956.
Sinhala Only Act 1956
As mentioned earlier, Sinhalese were spoken by 70% of the entire population of the island country of Sri Lanka. The rest of the 29% of the population were Tamils of Indian and Sri Lankan origin and Moors. They spoke Tamil as their mother tongue whereas the rest of the population spoke Sinhalese.
The Official Language Act No. 33 1956 or Sinhala Only Act was raised in the Parliament of Ceylon and was passed by the nod of the majority of the members. Previously, the official language was English. It was replaced by the native language used by the Sri Lankan majority or Sinhalese.
Due to this change in the official language, the minority groups or Tamils felt that they were being targeted and cornered. It is also being considered that this act is quite controversial and biased for the minorities living in this country.
The entire community had just gained its independence from the Colonial Rule on 4th February 1948. It was a historic day that led to the foundation of a parliament of members in this independent state. The 1956 Act in Sri Lanka was passed by this parliament to replace English as the official language with Sinhalese, the most spoken native language of the country.
The enactment of Sinhalese the official language became one of the prime reasons for an unresolved unrest among the different language users. The minorities thought this act was nothing but a symbol of oppression to them. It resulted in the uprising of Tamil Eelam, a major factor that resulted in the decades-long Civil War in Sri Lanka. It was then called Ceylon. The name Sri Lanka emerged after 1972.
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The Effect of British Rule
The colonial rule of Great Britain impeded the development of the people. The rulers passed the Free Education Bill in 1944 setting English as the prime language for education. Only the elites were able to study and learn this language whereas the commoners were devoid of this development.
Tamils enjoyed studying this language in the English schools set in the northern part of this island country. This resulted in the development of this community where people got excellent civil service jobs given by the then British Government of Ceylon. In 1944, J R Jayawardene demanded the removal and replacement of English with Ceylonese or Sinhalese.
Due to the independence of India, the Ceylonese did not have to struggle to free their country from the shackles of the Imperial rule of Britain. The movement was nonviolent and the British accepted it as an independent state in 1948.
A parliament was set with the new government and its representatives. In its sessions in 1956, the matter of the official language was again raised. It resulted in the formation and implementation of the Sinhala Only Bill in 1956. After the election was over, The Ceylon Constitution introduced and enacted this bill making Ceylonese or Sinhalese as the official language of the country.
As mentioned earlier, the elite Tamils of North did not take it as a welcoming move. They rather thought that it was a demeaning step taken by the majority government and opposed it bitterly. They demanded that both Tamil and Sinhalese should be considered as the state languages with parity across the country. This language bill became a serious issue where the country got virtually divided into two halves. The northern part was dominated by the elite English-speaking Tamils whereas the southern part of the country showed support to passing the bill.
Eventually, the bill was passed and Tamils started responding by performing Satyagrahas. All these protests were peacefully held outside the Parliament building of Sri Lanka. A mob once broke the peace and resulted in a huge riot killing more than 150 Tamils protesting outside the Parliament.
Partial Reversal of Sinhala Only Act in 1958
A part of the clauses mentioned in this act was reversed and included the punch line ‘Sinhala Only Tamil Also’ to show the compromise the government made to the Tamil leaders. In this reversal, Tamil was considered as the official language for various state-related examinations, admissions, and recruitments of public services in the northern and eastern states/provinces of the country. The 1956 Act in Sri Lanka was then brought into effect with such changes in 1960 when the left leaders won the elections with an overwhelming response from the natives.
The Effect of The Sinhala Only Act 1956
The policy or the act turned out discriminatory to 29% of the population or the minorities. The Tamils wanted to include their language into the Constitution and demonstrated it continuously. This led to the partial reversal of the act and resulted in the quotas of the administrative services for Tamils. Eventually, the percentage of quota seats almost vanished for the Tamils in the 1970s resulting in more frictions. Since then, many amendments are done to this law but Sinhalese the official language exists with Tamil in the Constitution.
FAQs on Sinhala Only Bill
1. What was the 'Sinhala Only Act' passed in Sri Lanka in 1956?
The 'Sinhala Only Act', officially known as the Official Language Act No. 33 of 1956, was a law passed by the Sri Lankan parliament. This act declared Sinhala as the sole official language of the country, replacing English. This policy disregarded the Tamil language, which was spoken by a significant minority population, creating a majoritarian system.
2. Who was the main political figure behind the Sinhala Only Act and what was their objective?
Prime Minister S.W.R.D. Bandaranaike was the key political figure who championed and passed the Sinhala Only Act. His primary objective was to appeal to the majority Sinhala-speaking population by giving their language prominence in government administration, education, and public life, thereby securing a strong political base through nationalist policies.
3. What were the immediate consequences of implementing the Sinhala Only Bill for the Tamil community?
The implementation of the Sinhala Only Bill had severe negative consequences for the Tamil-speaking minority. They felt alienated and discriminated against as the policy led to:
Exclusion from government jobs and university admissions for non-Sinhala speakers.
A widespread feeling of being treated as second-class citizens.
Severely strained relations between the Sinhala and Tamil communities.
The rise of Tamil political parties demanding regional autonomy and recognition of their language and culture.
4. Why is the Sinhala Only Act studied as an example of majoritarianism in the CBSE Class 10 syllabus for 2025-26?
The Sinhala Only Act is a classic example of majoritarianism, a key concept in the CBSE Class 10 Political Science syllabus chapter on 'Power Sharing'. It illustrates how a majority community can impose its will on the entire country, disregarding the rights and needs of minority groups. This case study helps students understand how such policies can undermine national unity and lead to civil strife, contrasting it with power-sharing models like that of Belgium.
5. How did the Sinhala Only policy contribute to the Sri Lankan Civil War?
The Sinhala Only policy was a major grievance that fueled the ethnic conflict in Sri Lanka. The marginalisation of Tamils created deep resentment and led to demands for a separate state, known as Tamil Eelam. This feeling of alienation and the government's failure to address Tamil demands were significant factors that escalated into the devastating Sri Lankan Civil War, which lasted for nearly three decades. For more details, you can read about the Act 1956, Reversals and its outcomes - Sinhala Only Bill.
6. Was the Sinhala Only Act ever reversed, and what is the current official language status in Sri Lanka?
While the initial act created immense conflict, its strict 'Sinhala-only' stance was later amended. Through subsequent constitutional changes, particularly the Thirteenth Amendment in 1987, Tamil was also granted the status of an official language. Today, both Sinhala and Tamil are recognised as the official and national languages of Sri Lanka, a step taken to address the long-standing ethnic conflict.
7. How does Sri Lanka's approach with the Sinhala Only Act differ from Belgium's model of power-sharing?
The two approaches are fundamentally different and serve as contrasting examples in political studies:
Sri Lanka's Majoritarianism: The Sinhala Only Act ignored the minority Tamil community's linguistic and cultural rights, concentrating power with the Sinhala majority. This led to alienation and violent conflict.
Belgium's Accommodation: Belgium, despite having complex Dutch, French, and German-speaking populations, adopted a power-sharing model. It provided equal representation to different linguistic groups in the central government and created community governments, successfully avoiding civil strife.
