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| Sunday, 28 September 2003 |
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Features |  |
| News Business Features Editorial
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The Sigiriya story retold : Controversial play wins State Literary Award by Jayanthi Liyanage
"Kasyapa did not kill his father," says R.D.K. Jayawardena, the writer of this work who calls himself an interpreter of drama and was told on his 82nd birthday that his book, "Behind the Mirror Wall" had won the State Literary Award for 2003, in the English Drama category. Jayawardena, who is temporarily bedridden due to an accident, was unable to attend the State Literary Festival held early this month and his daughter, Esha Hewabowala, a writer herself, collected the award on behalf of her father. "History is a record of human behaviour rather than events," comments Jayawardena. "Human behaviour needs to be judged by what humans have done. Examine what Kasyapa has done and the result shows that he was a perfect dreamer. His temperament shows that he was not a murderer and he also knew that the royal tradition did not permit him to be the king because he was the son of a palace damsel." In fact, Jayawardena's drama indicates that Kasyapa's ambition had been to create his own beautiful city where peace and pleasure reigns free from the burdens of state.
Jayawardena cites the gap of 700 years between scripting the first and second parts of Mahawansa respectively in 5th and 12th century, the conflict between Maha Vihara and Abhayagiriya sects and the fables, folklore and legends which perpetuated history during that era as prejudicial factors in making Kasyapa out to be patricidal. The dramatist's finger is pointed at Migara, the son-in-law of King Dhatusena, whom he says had ample motive to kill the King who had burnt his mother alive, adding to other situational factors for revenge. "This craze of mine to defend Kasyapa has been in me for several decades," says Jayawardena. "The winning of the State Literary Award for this attempt is the fruition of all my achievements in the field of theatre." Jayawardena who says that he writes as a pleasant diversion during idle hours in addition to painting and clay modelling, is already into his new novel, set in the commencement of World War II, relating to the uprising of the intellectual agitators. His first drama, Janma Bhoomi, written at the request of Buddha Jayanthi organisers in 1956, carried a new interpretation of the genesis of the Sinhala race. This book was followed by Kadathurawa, Nikini, Awwai Wessai and Cheena Charika. Jayawardena was the Secretary General of the Ceylon National Commission for UNESCO during late sixties and was involved in the formation of the UNESCO-Sri Lanka Cultural Triangle Projects. He has also been a Government delegate at International Conferences such as WHO, UNESCO, ESCAP and UN Food Council.
"Sinhala drama is one line of creativity in Sri Lanka which has shown great promise and exuberance over the last 50 years," says Jayawardena, offering a veteran's advice to budding dramatic talent. "There is lot of talent and knowledge in the rural culture of our people but they don't have the craftsmanship of true drama. If they have access to the technicalities of dramatic stenography and western classical and modern drama, they could evolve to be better dramatists." Behind the Mirror Wall seems to carry the implied message that a mind sensitized to the appreciation of arts and the ensuing joys of life cannot harbour murderous or destructive intents. It tacitly hints that a revival of literary and other arts could be the way to re-humanise a nation dehumanised and denuded of finer feelings of humanity through long years of conflict. A prompting of how life was, and how life can be, again. ############### Book fair quenches thirst for books Padma Edirisinghe, former Director of Education interviews Sarathchandra Wanniatchi, President of the Sri Lanka Book Publishers' Association about an overwhelmingly successful literary event.
A: Two lakhs and 50,000 have been estimated to have visited this fair, with a daily number of visitors ranging around 35,000. On Saturday we had the highest number, that was around 50,000. Q: Which organisation was behind this massive task? A: The Book Fair Committee of the SL Book Publishers' Association (SLBPA). This association was established in 1985 to develop the book publishing activities of the island and to bond the various publishers. Q: How did the idea of holding an International Book Fair originate among your members? A: In 1999 our association decided to hold a Book Fair to coincide with the literary month of September and the first Book Fair was held at the Art Gallery. The second Book Fair was held at the same venue in 2000 but problems arose due to lack of space as the number of stalls had increased and there was also a request by Indian booksellers to have stalls. Especially due to the latter request, the third Book Fair took the form of an International Book Fair and was held at the BMICH in 2001. Here under one roof more than 100 stalls along with a few foreign stalls were set up. 100,000 visitors flocked to this fair. In 2002 was held the next International Book Fair comprising 120 stalls. Q: How many stalls were there this year? A: 200 stalls. 35 applicants were rejected due to lack of space. Q: Though it was called the International Book Fair it was obvious that local stalls dominated the fair. Why was international participation weak and how many foreign stalls were there? A: There were 42 foreign stalls. Q: Do they correspond with 42 countries? Such a wide spectrum of foreign participation was not visible. A: Most of the 42 stalls were Indian stalls. UK, USA and Malaysia participated but via local agents. Q: Can the lack of foreign participation be a result of weak publicity? How did you publicise the fair overseas? A: The SL Book Publishers' Association is a member of two internationally recognised associations, IPA (International Publishers Association) and APPA (the Asia Pacific Publishers Association). It is also a committee member of the SAARC Book Fair. Communication was made through these agencies. Since we have taken part in book fairs held in New Delhi, Frankfurt, London, Korea, Japan we expected reciprocal attendance. Q: But was not there an inadequacy in the reciprocal attendance? A: Yes. That is due to various factors. For example countries like China and Japan produce books mainly in their own languages. No English books are produced. So it is meaningless to have stalls comprising Japanese and Chinese books for Sri Lankan readers who do not know these languages. Some countries in Asia are not rich enough to participate in the book fair as sponsorship is lacking. India is our major participant. Q: Why? A: India is very much attuned to export economy. Especially to exporters of books, many subsidies as tax relief are given and funding their stay during fairs and parallel events is the usual pattern. There is also low-cost production of books in the sub-continent. Further the cultural affinity and proximity too play a part. Q: On what criteria are local stalls given? A: Mainly to members of the SL Book Publishers' Association, and other publishers and organizations willing to take part. Q: What is the ratio of this membership? A: About 99.9 percent. Q: This massive project would have entailed much expenditure. How did the SLBPA manage to do it financially? A: Yes. It cost much. But we were given a subsidy by the BMICH by way of rent. We also had a Principal sponsor i.e. Weerodara Stationery (Pvt) Ltd., and two co-sponsors, HNB, the Rupavahini, SLBC and two newspaper institutions. The stalls too pay a certain sum as rent. No admission fee was charged and in fact free transport was provided to destinations in the city. Q: Yes. I noticed a shuttle bus service operating. Can you give some details on that very good facility that made the almost inaccessible BMICH accessible to the public? A: Yes. When the idea was first mooted to change the venue from the Art Gallery to the BMICH a hue and cry arose at our meetings that we were paving the way to limit the fair to the elite who owned private vehicles. Considering the aloofness of this building and the long distance one has to walk from the nearest bus halt to its interior there was something just in that criticism. So we made plans to rectify these drawbacks of the BMICH venue by providing a shuttle service to 3 destinations i.e. Town Hall, Thunmulla junction and Borella. Q: The public really looked happy and confident as they walked in and out of that imposing building. It is nice to have as many as possible of our country enjoy our good things. There was also a very good innovation i.e. the children's Open Art Competition. Whose idea was it? A: That was an idea of the BMICH staff. Q: The BMICH seems to have helped you in more ways than one. Why? A: Because they felt that here was something worth helping in, I mean bringing the book right back to the place it originally held in our society. Q: Who are the others who helped in? I mean who were the masterminds behind it all? A: We, of the SLPHA worked as a team, with dedication and with a definite conviction of our worthy objectives. Every book publisher is a person with some grit and a sense of hard work and entrepreneurship and jointly all these assets were put together that made the fair such a tremendous success. Q: But all was not well. The food and beverages sold were exorbitantly priced. A certain stall had advertised drastic reductions in prices but on the last day the prices had reverted to the original. This is taking the customer for a ride. On that same day a speaker blared non-stop the impending arrival of a famous cinematic figure. Granted that the expected visitor is very talented it did detract from the original objectives of the fair, for that was no film festival? A: When the SAARC Fair due to be held next year is staged we would certainly try to eradicate such faults. Q: How was Sri Lanka selected to be the venue of the SAARC Book Fair next year when according to the alphabetical order Sri Lanka comes last in the SAARC list. I have read that SAARC activities always follow the alphabetical sequence? A: You are correct. Bangladesh hosted the first SAARC Book Fair according to alphabetical priority. Next Bhutan was to have been the venue but she declined. Then India acted as the venue. Then Maldives and Nepal should have been the hosts which they declined again. Then Pakistan should have been the venue but they opted to have it in 2005 to coincide with their own Book Fair and invited us to host it in 2004. Q: Why did three SAARC countries decline? A: Much expense and labour are required to run this sort of fair as you can see. Q: So with all our troubled conditions we or you were ready? A: Yes. The SLBPA has the courage and unity and positive attitude to do it. I wish to make another observation. Thirst for reading had been dormant in our country and our fair quenched this thirst. ############### Thought provoking work by Abeysinghe Sahithya Sansara Yathra (A voyage through Literature of all Times) Author - W. A. Abeysinghe Publishers - S. Godage and Bros., Maradana, Colombo Price - Rs. 300 Reviewed by W. T. A. Leslie Fernando (Former High Court Judge) The latest work of W. A. Abeysinghe, who needs no introduction in the contemporary literary scene is "Sahithya Sansara Yathra" which is the 113th book presented by him. This contains 25 articles written by him to the "Ravaya" journal from January to December 2002. In this thought provoking work W. A. Abeysinghe discusses the social and political aspects in literature. W. A. Abeysinghe observes that the remark made by the great literati Samuel Johnson that "The last refuge of scoundrels is politics" is quite appropriate to the present day politics in Sri Lanka. He submits that for a long time politics in our country has deviated from national objectives. Today it is being dominated by a cohort of self-seekers whose sole ambition is to grab power and wealth at any cost. This situation has enabled international forces to gain ground in our country. Discussing the impact of literature on politics W. A. Abeysinghe shows that Roussau, Montesquie and Voltaire disseminated the ideas of liberty, equality and fraternity so as to prepare the ground for the French Revolution. He deals at length how Voltaire criticised the French regime who in cahoot with the Church imposed unbearable burdens on people. He highlights the saying of one in "El Dorado", the paradise island in the celebrated novel "Candide" by Voltaire - "We have no clergy in our land to propound Christianity, to create controversies and conflicts, to conspire and rule and to burn alive those who disagreed with them. W. A. Abeysinghe endorses the dictum of the famous Russian writer Alexander Solzenethsin that "A great writer is another government within the State." He demonstrate how the novel "Odan Den Sithseni Ivana Dehishovnia" of Alexander Solzenethsin himself exposed the cruel dictatorship of Stalin. He shows in the later works of Alexander Solzenethsin like "Archpelag Gulag" shattered the Communist regime and created an atmosphere for the downfall of the Soviet system. W. A. Abeysinghe asserts that the power that is there beneath the underdog is well depicted in literature. In the story of "Barber Boy's Trade Union" by Mulk Raj Anand, the downgraded barbers succeed in getting high caste gentry to come to their saloons. In "Heensaraya" by Munidasa Kumaratunga the victory of lizard over elephant signify the power of humble over the mighty. The story of Mathanga in "Amavathura" well denotes how the glamorous high caste beauty Dittamangalika was tamed by a lowly and despised caste Chandala man - Mathanga. W. A. Abeysinghe notes that there were no three-wheeler women N.G.O. at the time to protest against the treatment meted out to proud Dittamangalika by Mathanga. He submits that even the great Sathyagraha movements of Mahathma Gandhi, traces of determination exercised by Mathanga could be seen. In discussing the Mathanga story, W. A. Abeysinghe focuses his attention on the present day Dittamangalikas as well. Coming back to novel "Candide" that satire of Voltaire, W. A. Abeysinghe appreciates the lesson it emphasises - that a country to prosper laziness and vices among the people should be eliminated. He sees the same message in "Madol Duwa" written by Martin Wickremasinghe though the themes of the two works are quite different. W. A. Abeysinghe finds that the good for nothing Johnies personified by Punchimahatmaya in Madol Duwa are still found among the aristocracy in our country. They are misfits in society who could have solace only in politics. W. A. Abeysinghe hails Martin Wickremasinghe as a great visionary. The writings of Martin Wickremasinghe epitomizes the core values in our national heritage guided and moulded by Buddhist way of life. It was Martin Wickremasinghe who propounded "Dhammapada" and "Theri Gatha" as world class works and showed the similarities found in Jathaka Kathas and great Russian novels. W. A. Abeysinghe remarks that the novel "The Leopard" written by Lampedusa hit the mark in modern literature at a time when there was an attempt to discard novels that had no relevance to the times. "The Leopard" deals with the changes in society with the fall of the Bourbon regime in Sicily. The great trilogy of Martin Wickremasinghe Gamperaliya-Kaliyugaya-Yuganthaya that depict social changes in Sri Lanka with the rise of Capitalism has a similar theme and has an all time appeal. W. A. Abeysinghe discusses the significance of the words of Danilo in "Makar Chudra" written by Maxim Gorky - "It is the nobles who sell everything from their pigs to their conscience." He contends that the ruling elite in the present day too would stoop to any low level to come to power or stay in power. In the same vein W. A. Abeysinghe finds the hypocracy of the higher strata in society is well displayed in the novels "Untouchable" by Mulk Raj Anand and "God of Small Things" by Arundathi Roy. In the former a high class priest attempts to molest in untouchable woman of the low caste. In the latter the low caste Velutha is condemned to death when he was seduced by a high caste Christian widow. Even the secretary of the local branch of the Communist party evades to intervene on behalf of Velutha. In discussing "Ambapali, Vastuwa" W. A. Abeysinghe affirms the relevance of classical literature to present day society. He remarks that even today there are high class beauties like Ampabali who have remote control over some politicians. He accuses like Shylock in "Merchant of Venice" demanding the pound of flesh, the modern donating agencies like the World Bank and International Monetary Fund lay down stringent conditions to have a hold on developing countries. W. A. Abeysinghe who does not belong to any school in literature claims that he could have an independent stand because of his Buddhist discipline. He extols Buddhism as a great religion that encourages critical analysis and it has solutions to all problems of mankind throughout ages. He denounces the attempts made by some NGOs to mix up religions and create a hotch-potch with a hidden agenda to bring the downfall of Buddhism.Today there are some literary critics who make a big noise about Post-Modernism. They condemn our classical literature as feudal in outlook, downgrade our literary luminaries like Martin Wickremasinghe, Ediriweera Saratchandra and Gunadasa Amerasekera. They undermine expounding virtuous life as hypocrisy. In short they denounce everything in Sri Lankan ethos following a European system of values that give prominence to sexuality. In this situation this outstanding work of W. A. Abeysinghe is very appropriate and timely. This book expounds the moral and cultural values in our literature down the ages and their relevance to the modern age. It deals on the universality in literature found in different ages, in different countries and under different systems. It also emphasises the significance of virtues expounded in literature. As usual with the writings of W. A. Abeysinghe, the simple language and lucid style of this book provide fascinating reading. Although this is a classical analysis of literature and society, it is full of humour and satire to keep the reader absorbed from beginning to the end. The book is neatly printed in glossy paper and it has a meaningful cover. |
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It is a new interpretation of the familiar saga of King Kasyapa, who is
credited with having created the eighth wonder of the world, the City of
Sigiriya.
Q: What was the estimated number of visitors to the fair during
its run from September 15th to 21st and what was the daily count of
visitors?
