For over a half a century, the study of English has been ignored in favour of exclusive Sinhala medium or Tamil medium teaching.
A book published in the 1970s gives details about Sinhala-Tamil translations. The book was published in Tamil by a linguist (Sanskrit, Tamil, Pali and other south Indian languages) and scholar, the late Pulavar T. Kanagaratnam. The book was titled Ore Opeedu Ilakkiya Aaivu (A Comparative Literary Research).
The Tamil works translated into Sinhala are Pathini Deiyo, Manimekala Sembu both by Hissella Dharmaratna Thera. Silapadikaaram and Manimekali- the twin epics of the earlier period. These works were also translated: Siri Suraiya by Charles de Silva, ula Heenayo by D.D. Nanayakara, Aluth Satan Pata by Ranjith Perera.
Tamil works by Indian writers and poets, such as the Thirukkural, Naaladiyaar, Aarthi Soodi and Kontra Vendhan had been translated into Sinhala by Missihaamy Koradgoda
Concerning Lankan Tamil Short story collections, T. Kanagaratnam has translated 12 books into Sinhala. He calls it “Demala Ketti Kathaa.
The Lankan Tamil short story writers, whose stories have been translated into Sinhala are: Vaithilingam, Ilankayarkone, Thaalayadi Sabaratnam, Varathar, S. Velupillai, Dominic Jeeva, V.A. Rasaratnam, Kanaga Sentinaathan, Neervai Ponnaiyan, K. Daniel, S. Agsthiyar and Puloliyoor K. Sathasivam.
Madulugiriya Wijeratne has translated into Sinhala two novels of K. Daniel –Kaanal and Thaneer. He had also brought out his translation of short stories titled Uremia.
Parakrama Kodithuwakku has published” Indu Saha Lanka”- a volume of translations by poets from Sri Lanka and India.
Ven. Pandit Ratnawansa Thera has translated Dickwella Kamal’s Elikodu.
M.C.M. Sayeru and B.A. Wijeyadasa together have translated Indian academic Prof Mu Varatharaasan’s Kallo Kaviyamo into Sinhala as Naari Surawa Dickwella Zahir has translated Arul Subramaiam’s Avarkalukku Vayathu vanthu Viddathu.
S.M. Hanifa’s Mahakavi Bharathi has been translated by K.G. Amaradasa, Uwise Srithar’s work is another translation.
Sita Ranjani has translated a Tamil collection of poems called’ Ethiroli’ as ‘Dhonkaraya.
D.D. Naanayakara has translated Aarumuga Naavalar’s Saiva Vina Vidai. He and T. Kanagaratnam have jointly translated the story of Munneswaram
The late K.G. Amaradasa has translated several Tamil poems and articles and published them in Sinhala newspapers.
Thillai Nadarajah’s collection of short stories called Nirvaananm has been translated into Sinhala by S.Sivagurunathan.
D. Pemadasa, Visvanath Vajirasena, Vjira Prabhat Wijesinha, S B.Punchihewa, Susil Siriwardena, and others have also helped inform the Sinhala reading public of writing Tamil.
T. Kanagaratnam’s contributions have been published in Divaina, Lankadeepa, Aththa, and Nuwana.
N. Subramaniam’s radio broadcasts in Tamil have been published under the title, Sinhala Sahithyaye Dravida Prabhaviaya
Prof. Sunil Ariyaratne has written in Sinhala the early history of Tamil literature. He has also published a bibliography of minor Tamil literary work in Sinhala.
Dr. M.H. Peter Silva has translated the Grammar work Veeracholiyam and a few more works into Sinhala.
Tamil translators are the late Navaaliyoor S. Nadarajan, T. Kanagaratnam, Madullagiriya Wijeyaratne, S Sathiamoorthy, Sarojini Arunasalam, Junaid Sheriff, Thambiaiyah Theathaas, M. M. Uwise, S. Sivagurunathan, R. Murugaiyan. K.N. De Pieris, KG Amaradasa, M.H. Shums, S.M.J. Faisdeen, Neelkarai Namni, Ibnu Asumas, Nilar Cassim, Rahulan, Leelaratne, Dickwella Kamal, Prof. Wimal Saminthan of the University of Jaffna and many newcomers.
Works by Sinhala writers, such as K. Jayatileke, T.B. Ilangaratne, Karunasena, Jayalath, Martin Wickremasinghe, Gunadasa Wickremasinghe, Anula Wijertne Memike, Chandra Fernando, L. Weerasekera, S. Karunaratne, Leel Gunasekera and Kumaratunga Munidasa, have been translated into Tamil.
T. Kanagaretnam brought out a collection called Sethu Bandanam in Tami, including 12 translated Sinhala Stories.