In yet another supposed attempt to save the country’s values from being ‘ridiculed’, many of which were seen during the past few months based mostly on certain statements made by various public figures, the Government and certain nationalistic public figures are now trying to ‘save’ the nation from a singer who mispronounced a word while singing the national anthem. 

This incident took place during the opening ceremony of the Lankan Premier League (LPL), where singer Umara Sinhawansa sang the national anthem. During her performance, she mispronounced the word ‘matha (mother)’, and what everyone else heard was ‘mahatha (mister)’. As video recordings of the incident went viral on social media platforms, first as a funny mistake, in no time, it became a matter of the country’s pride and value, which some interpret as a ‘threat’ or an ‘intentional insult’. In response to those perceived threats and insults, certain prominent figures, including those of the Government, have demanded actions against the singer. Some claim that her mistake was intentional, and is aimed at insulting the national anthem.

All Sinhawansa got wrong was just one word, which could have been easily treated as a mistake and could have been made by any person depending on the circumstances. Turning this incident into a national-level concern is not even worth the time and resources that it requires. What is more, considering also the facts that her performance was a live one, during which mistakes are quite common, and that she did not exhibit any other unusual verbal or physical expressions, in what way the mispronunciation of the word ‘matha’ could be interpreted as an insult is questionable.

Alarming concerns about a supposed insult to the national anthem are coming from those who are in charge of the country’s Religious and Cultural Affairs too. Regarding the said incident, the Religious and Cultural Affairs Minister Vidura Wickramanayaka said that what he referred to as a ‘distortion’ of the national anthem would tarnish the country's identity, and that no one should be allowed to do so. If such a slight mispronunciation of a word could pose such a big threat, the Minister should, along with actions against Sinhawansa, provide an explanation as to how he plans to ensure that every person in the country sings the national anthem in exactly the same manner that it was originally sung.

At the same time, under which law, actions could be taken against the singer also needs to be explained, because, unless the Minister takes steps to appoint a group that is tasked with singing the national anthem in a specific manner, the people will never sing it in the exact same manner. While the Government is in no position to police how the people pronounce words, there is no law that allows the taking of actions against such.

One common remark expressed by the general public regarding Sinhawansa’s mispronunciation of the word ‘matha’ is that, trying to save the country’s so called image, dignity and values through correcting such a simple mistake in a context where the country is already known as a collapsed, corrupt and failed nation is ludicrous, and in the current socio-economic context, does not deserve the level of attention that the Government is trying to give it. Whether we like it or not, that is a truth that we have to come to terms with. The country’s image is a serious matter. However, the country’s image is not even remotely dependent on one word a singer got wrong, and our priorities concerning restoring the country’s dignity lie in the Government’s efforts in getting the country out of the prevailing socio-economic crisis. On the contrary, wasting time and resources to probe a mispronounced word only shows the world how far Sri Lanka is from identifying and prioritising the things that truly matter, and from prudently enforcing its laws and regulations.

Put simply, the Government needs to be more mature than this, and get its priorities right. A country that is genuinely attempting to revive a collapsed economy cannot have time to pursue a case of perceived insult.