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| Sunday, 21 July 2002 |
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"The fault is not in our stars but in ourselves" by Factotum Henry Abeyasekera, was educated at St. John's College, Panadura and University College, Colombo. Starting his working life as a school teacher in 1934, he was in the first batch of Divisional Revenue Officers recruited in 1939. In 1958 he was selected for inclusion in the nucleus of government officers, which was made responsible to organise the nationalisation of the Colombo Port. In his retirement he has taken to free lance journalism. In 1998 he authored the book "Romantic Muthurajawela" which has already seen its revised 3rd edition. His most recent book is "The Saga of the Otter Aquatic Club." He is 88 years of age.
For a nonagenarian or thereabouts, author Henry Abeyasekera has shown remarkable resourcefulness to delve into the dark recesses of his mind and recap for the benefit of the reader some anecdotes that dotted a long and eventful career as a Divisional Revenue Officer. He then interweaves them into the mesh of historical data, myth and legend to argue out his view point on the impasse the country finds itself in, in an eminently readable style. In the Chapter on 'Sinhala Only' he recounts: On the day before the elections in 1956, the writer who was out on official work enquired from the Headmaster of a Sinhala school the reason for this strident cry for Sinhala only. His reply was pithy and devastating and indicated the deprivation he felt. His answer was: "If we have Sinhala only my son will be sitting in your chair? Now, here's Abeysekera's view point on that: This was the intrinsic reason for Sinhala only. While no one could deny their grouse, the Sinhala failed to realise the adverse effect it would have not only on Tamil but on the English educated of both communities and the Burghers. But let's begin at the beginning. The title of the book 'Sri Lanka under a Brahmana curse?' may evoke a mixed reaction. Some may even respond with derision but Henry has taken effective guard by setting it up as a poser. Then, in the opening page of Chapter One he lays bare his answer quoting the Bard. This quote has been culled as the title of this review. The major part of the book is devoted to the crisis in Sinhala-Tamil relations. He does not hesitate to contest and condemn those positions that have aggravated the tensions that built up over long years. For example, in Chapter Two Abeysekera records that 'Although both sets of people spoke languages belonging to two different families of languages which were labelled Aryan and Dravidian, they both had very old religious traditions and civilisations. So, for the Sinhala to consider themselves as belonging to a superior group is incorrect and untenable.' He goes on to urge educationists and leaders to set the Sinhala masses right on that score remarking that easier it will be then for divisions to be narrowed. The next Chapter deals with 'The first arrivals'. Abeysekera dismisses as ludicrous the claim for precedence over each other and comes up with a neat resolve..." the acceptable position appears to be that the Tamils were here in some coastal areas first but only as transients while the Sinhala who came later established permanent settlements here..." In Chapter 4 the author juxtaposes the notion of intellectual superiority of the Tamils. Henry flays a Tamil (unnamed) political leader in Colombo for having the effrontery to go public in the electronic and print media claiming intellectual superiority in support of claims for political advantages. An appeal to the fair minded, the scholars and the intellectuals among the Tamil people to soothe the ruffled feelings of the south rounds off the admonitions. Discounting the thorny prejudices and false notions there is also great emphasis on the unifying factors - the religious and cultural affinities and the ample space for sharing the cake fairly, harking back to times within living memory when the two communities did not think of each other as different. In a Chapter on 'Intermarriage between the two people' the author predicts that the demographic and evolutionary changes that will inevitably take place will ensure an enforced homogeneity which will forge a new Lankan identity. The book is discernably in two parts. The first part, the bulk of the book, deals with Sinhala-Tamil relations. A few chapters are then devoted to a range of subjects ranging from 'Royal College' , 'Sigiriya,' 'free ports' to 'the headmen system.' Dr. P.R. Anthonis in his Foreword welcomes this book published at a very opportune time underlining the fact that it deserves a wide circulation. The author prefaces the subsequent recital with the hope that his attempt at arousing the interest of the reader would make them fashion a last ditch stand to draw this paradise island back from the brink of the unfathomable abyss towards which it is hurtling. An interesting read that accords with current thinking and efforts at effacing discord in the country. |
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