No decision to sing the National Anthem only in Sinhala: PM

Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapakse said yesterday that no decision has been taken to sing the National Anthem only in Sinhala.

There had been different opinions expressed by politicians who hold different views with regard to the singing of the National Anthem in Sinhala, these views should not be interpreted as decisions made by the government.

He expressed these views joining a discussion had with the heads of the Tamil Media and also said that during a festival of the Tamil nationals singing of the National Anthem in that language is not prohibited.

He also said that a country should have only one National Anthem and in India where there is a diversity of many languages, the Indian National Anthem is sung only in one language.

Even debating on this issue is also aggravating the differences among the communities and only from the newspapers that he had come to know about an issue connected with the National Anthem. (Nalaka Sanjeewa Dahanayake)