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| Sunday, 23 November 2003 |
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The last salute of a native son Sunday Essay by Ajith Samaranayake
The death of Bandula Jayawardena at the age of 75 following the demise of Dayananda Gunawardena, Sarachchandra and Sugathapala de Silva can well be termed as the closing of a whole era in Sinhala drama, clichetic though this term might sound. For not only was he one of Sri Lanka's most senior dramatists but he was also an intellectual who had a clear grasp of the medium and a vision of a truly Sri Lankan dramatic tradition. Bandula Jayawardena was a Renaissance man who was fertilised by the best traditions of the Occident and the Orient. Beginning life as an Assistant Editor of the Buddhist Encyclopedia he was firmly grounded in the best and wholesome traditions of Buddhist culture and philosophy. A kindly Fate also ensured that his office should be sited at Peradeniya so that Bandula was in the midst of all the exciting tumultuous and controversial events connected with the Peradeniya School which we referred to only last week in this column. It was during this time that Bandula wrote a column to the 'Ceylon Daily News' under the pen name 'The Outsider' on arts and culture. The choice of that pen name may not have been an accident for Bandula Jayawardena was never an insider of the Sri Lankan cultural Establishment. He did not found any school or cult and although he was the Chairman of the Drama Panel of the Arts Council in the mid-1970's (to which we shall revert in time) he always held fiercely independent views on the role of such state-sponsored institutions in national life. His immersion in the ways of the Orient Bandula Jayawardena coupled with an equally deep immersion in the western dramatic tradition. There was no greater authority than he on the Greek dramatists and the tragic and epic traditions. This confluence of East and West characterised his plays such as 'Bera Handa' and 'Bihivenu Bosathaneni.' His last play was an enactment of 'Everyman' the classical sansaric story. Bandula Jayawardena did not direct many plays but he always upheld the classical traditions of the theatre. As the Chairman of the Drama Panel of the Arts Council in the 1970s he, along with Susil Siriwardena and others was instrumental in introducing and encouraging a new generation of dramatists with a social consciousness such as Dharmasiri Bandaranayake, Parkrama Niriella and Hemasiri Liyanage. That drama festival was one of the high points of the time when contrary to all the customary codes Dharmasiri Bandaranayake's play 'Eka Adhipathi' became the winner lampooning as it was widely perceived to have done the administration of the then Prime Minister Sirimavo Bandaranaike. As a man of unimpeachable intellectual integrity Bandula Jayawardena was a crusader for an Arts Council which would be an independent body not appointed by passing Governments or having allegiance to such a regime. In fact this was the original intention of those who framed such legislation in the halcyon 1950s, but this, like many other such noble intentions became diluted in the course of time. However, Bandula Jayawardena did not give up the good fight and his conduct as the Chairman of the Drama Panel which we have outlined above more than vindictive his position. Bandula Jayawardena was a diminutive man but that was only in physical stature. He was one who led a frugal life and dedicated himself to drama. He married late in life and leaves his wife, a former teacher of Mahamaya College, Kandy and a daughter. His death is the last salute of one who truly cared for this country and its heritage. |
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