Sri Lanka, March 2 -- Eighty years have lapsed since Munidasa Cumaratunga passed away on a day like today. We still remember him, even though most of us were born after his death. We grew up learning about his work as a grammarian, commentator, linguist, and creative writer. His most famous, and notable, contribution is founding of the Hela Havula movement.

This is why Munidasa Cumaratunga is as important to Sri Lanka as four-century-old William Shakespeare is to Britain. That calls our attention to why our indigenous roots are important - particularly in the face of globalisation and linguistic shifts.

Is Cumaratunga truly worth remembering today? Is he relevant in an era dominated by English and IT? We walk down the streets to be inun...