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| Sunday, 1 February 2004 |
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Books A journal of analytical thought and mind-fire The Sri Lanka Journal of Humanities, Volumes 27 and 28 (Nos. 1 & 2 2001/2002) Published by the University of Peradeniya Reviewed by Carl Muller Long awaited, the Journal has now appeared, but has amply made up for its delay. The Journal is a double issue and has much to offer. Reading each essay on topics in the Humanities and Social Sciences; articles and analyses on Literature, Language and Religion, is worth the reader's while, especially when there is a real communion of the spirit and both reader and student feel he/she is being taken into the writer's confidence. Many have made this publication a true "revelation". We have writers from Sri Lanka, Malaya, the US and the UK. They bring their subjects to a sort of fireside around which we can all sit and listen. After all, even Lin Yutang observed that "nobody is ever misunderstood at a fireside: he may only be disagreed with". Actually, the splendid articles also beg for the profitability of disagreement, because that is so necessary to thinking. Ah, at last! By some laboured process, characteristic of me, I can at least shout "Eureka" and leap out of my mental bathtub. I think I have the answer. The Sri Lanka Journal of Humanities (and this issue particularly) is a monument to Thought! It is not the words or the craft of the many contributors. It is Thought-thought that is generated by each writer in his or her most analytical mood; thought that activates the reader to an extension of thought. One writes - another reads ... and thought presides over the result, be it agreement or disagreement. Take this up the road and thought will motivate more action, more research. Thought and Fire. This is so patent. Our world is a curious thing - like the mind. It can take just so much and little more. But we still have that mind-glow that is more than willing to take on the sordid realities of the world: all its pomposities, hypocrisies and stupidities - and like the sparklers children swing in their hands, produce beautiful patterns. This Journal tells the mind to react to ideas, not to the rumblings of the stomach! Somehow, the spark-thoughts of Heinrich Heine come to mind. In his "Reisebilder", Heine said: .... On this grand stage of the world, all passes exactly as on our beggarly boards. On it, too, there are tipsy heroes, kings who forget their parts, scenes which obstinately stay up in the air, prompters' voices sounding above everything, danseuses who create extraordinary effects with the poetry of their legs, and costumes which are the main thing. And high in heaven, in the first row of the boxes, sit the dear angels and keep their lorgnettes on us comedians here down below, and the blessed Lord Himself sits seriously in the great box and, perhaps, finds it dull, or calculates that this theatre cannot be kept much longer because this one gets too high a salary and that one too little, and that they all play much too badly. In a nutshell, this is our tragedy. This is why we, in our "imponderable" state, need to be told by better, saner minds of the development of historical perspectives and human events. Chandra R. de Silva gives us an absorbing account of "Portuguese Interactions with Sri Lanka and the Maldives in the 16th Century". As Dr. Walter says, "It is hoped that (this) perceptive essay will prompt younger historians to take up this crucial area of inquiry - especially at a time when Sri Lanka ... (will/may/should?) mark ... five hundred years of association with the former colonial power". Yet, the paradox remains: the science of human history with its spiritual forces and psychological factors. The Journal encourages us to accept this spiritual concept of history. We have Amaradasa liyanagamage's "The Institutions of Ancient Ceylon from Inscriptions (from 3rd century BC to 830AD)"; C. Witanachchi's review on "Three Sanskrit Texts on Caitya Worship in Relation to the Ahoratravrata"; R. A. L. H. Gunawardana's "Recent Discovery of Buddhisst Manuscripts in Afghanistan", and Anne M. Blackburn's "Crossing the Watershed: Buddhist Education, Devotion and Communities in 19th Century Sri Lanka". Even Abraham Lincoln once said: "Fellow citizens, we cannot escape history ... The fiery trail through which we pass will light us, in honour or dishonour, to the latest generation". This is significant. We cannot escape history. Was Lincoln stating the principles of karma? If we take the contribution by S. N. Arsecularatne and S. Sambandan - "Studies on the Paranormal - 2. Further Investigation on the Ancient Indian Ola Leaf Horoscopes and the Question of 'Free-Will' versus 'Determinism'", we begin to realize that the sounds of human utterance do not simply vanish into thin air. Rather, they persist into eternity. We reappear in spite of ourselves. The horoscopes tell of this universal sense of "inescapability". Is this what Abraham Lincoln also saw when he said, "light us to the latest generation"? Is there a casual and indissoluble link between yesterday and tomorrow; and are we simply living between yesterday and tomorrow? The Journal echoes the opening sentences of the "Dhammapada". All that we are is the result Of what we have thought: It is founded on our thoughts It is founded on our thoughts, It is made up of our thoughts... This was the psychological plain-speak of the Buddha, and as the many contributions to the Journal practically shimmer on every page, we can well accept it as a sort of body where the ganglions of thought will, hopefully, produce the momentum for more research with true moral responsibility. We see the rhythm and pattern of things in human history in Merlin Peris' review of "Taprobane: Ancient Sri Lanka as Known to Greeks and Romans". We also see the emergence of Asia as such in three diverse studies by M. W. Amarasiri de Silva, Judy Lewis and Pertti J. Pelto; by Rubina Khan; and by Dushyanthi Mendis. Of course, the emergence of Asia is taken to mean the end of the era of imperialism, and as the studies show, with a determined use of a common intelligence in the racial make-up, any Third World nation can come up in time. After all, what we do now is rooted in the issue of freedom and what we intend to do with it. Side by side lie other studies: Literature, modern narrative form, literary interrelationships, the Latin-American novel. It is such a joy to know that we are open-minded and regard Literature as the great unifier. We can reason intelligently and academically about 20th century culture. We see, in this Journal, revolutions in thinking and the problems that surface - cubism and expressionist modes as detailed by Tony Fabijancic- underscore the theory of the rhythm of life and the unity and interrelatedness of all things. After all ideals must be brought down, even from the clouds, to activate our affairs. These contributions speak of the rhythm of life and, as we compare, study, differentiate and perhaps find a common factor, we see how the mirror images rise - "Female Interrelationships in Jane Eyre and Wide Sargasso Sea" by Neshantha Harischchandra - and a ripening of the vine of Latin intellect in Ananda S. Kulasuriya's "Comment on the 20th Century Latin American Novelist Italo-Calvino's If on a Winter's Night a Traveller". What this Journal also promises is the eventual maturity that will unravel the skein of this caustic, corrosive and competing age. I must give my thanks to the editorial board for a masterly production, neatly balanced and well-presented. To Editor Walter Perera, Managing Editor Nihal Fernando and the Board: K. Azad, P. B. Meegaskumbura, P. D. Premasiri, R. D. Gunaratne, S. Pathmanathan, M. Thampo and D. P. M. Weerakkody, many thanks - and congratulations! A rare contribution on experience in the Police Force 'Mehemath Poliskarayek' ("What a Policeman") by Thilak Iddamalgoda Viswalekha Publication Reviewed by Leel Gunasekera Mehemath Poliskarayek is the latest publication by Thilak Iddamalgoda, the former Senior Deputy Inspector General of Police. It is a book with a difference. In a way it is an autobiography, but it is not the complete life story of the author. It covers the period of his service in the Police Department for 36 years from 1961 when he was appointed a gazetted officer as an Assistant Superintendent of Police up to the year he retired as a Senior Deputy Inspector General of Police in 1997. Mehemath Poliskarayek is a creative piece of literature, fascinating and readable, covering the life of a police officer who faces the challenges or vicissitudes in a way, "alien" to him due to the type of the cultural conflict resulting from the colonial traditions not only in the police service, but also in the public service generally. This book is the first Sinhala publication on the life in the Police Department and Iddamalgoda feels the difference as the first Central College student who entered the police service at gazetted officer's level after his graduation from the Peradeniya University. He feels the cultural shock and feels it much as his "bosses" most of them being from the public schools which fostered traditions to promote the culture of the colonial masters. Iddamalgoda is a rural youth from Sabaragamuwa who loved the people whom he served from a privileged position in the police. Iddamalgoda as a product of their cultural milieu was nurtured in the Buddhist tradition as a practising Buddhist, a person who knew the oriental languages and read traditional and modern literature. He was interested in participating in contemporary cultural and literary activities at the police headquarters and specially in the districts he served. His public relations were quite different from those of other colleagues. His popularity was not much favoured by certain individuals in the service. He skilfully narrates the 'ups and downs' he had his young family had to experience due to sudden transfers, the reasons for which he still has to know. May be they were due to "the exigencies of service", a reason normally given in the public service administration! There have been occasions where he had to seek the patronage of respected senior politicians such as Maitripala Senanayake and I. M. R. A. Irriyagolla to get the wrongs done to him corrected. They appreciated his services and felt for him while power-hungry politicians went out hunting for him. He pays high tribute to Rudra Rajasingham, of his superior, the Inspector General of Police who understood him and appreciated his talents. It helped Iddamalgoda to bring about the necessary reforms in the police in attitude and outlook which helped promote good police-public relations to safeguard the image of the police service. He has headed committees to promote welfare of the officers including introduction of suitable police uniforms and decorations based on meaningful indigenous symbols and values. On ceremonial occasions and 'get-togethers' wherever possible he has given a local cultural touch in dress as well as in performance. Mehemath Poliskarayek covers a slice of the socio-political history of the past four decades. He takes us to various dark corners through his clever use of language and idiom. He throws much light on the functioning of an important organization according to the whims and fancies of those who are at the helm of affairs in a service which was established for a different purpose by the colonial masters. As Somaweera Senanayake has observed in his Foreword to this book, Iddamalgoda has been able to express himself in a creative language which one does not expect from a police officer generally. This is due to his knowledge of Sinhala, Pali, English, the reading habit, which he has cultivated, and a privilege of associating scholars and cultural people of repute while leading a happy family life based on Buddhist religious values. A remarkable feature of the book is also the fact that he does not mention much about his own life story except a few very interesting anecdotes regarding his love affair and marriage. He dedicates the book to his dear wife, Muthulatha Ranmenike and their daughter Dr. Hasanthie and son Asiri Manmohan. A sense of gratitude is expressed to many an individual who has assisted him in special situations. Iddamalgoda also has played the role of good samaritan in many instances. In conclusion it has to be mentioned that Mehemath Poliskarayek is a rare contribution of experiences in the police service written in a lucid style of the author in the Sinhala language. Although it is a biographical narration it could be enjoyed as a novel. It is also a sociological study of a particular period. I recommend it especially to those in the police service and the general public. It is important here to mention the intention of the author, expressed as follows "I felt it my duty to write this book which reminisces the challenges, the happy and unhappy moments experienced during a thirty six year long career in the police service as it would benefit present society and the future generations. It is only through recording such events that I could confirm them. If not all that would be buried in the sands of time. However, I am glad that I could do so before my faculties become weaker in the process of ageing". Reading Iddamalgoda's book between the lines, one gets the message that the police service should be equipped with correct human resources, suitable material resources and adequate financial resources. The police should know the pulse of people whom they serve and greater rapport between the public and the police should be established while the rights of the police officers should also be protected. Attitudinal changes with proper training for professionalism have to be encouraged. The officers should be left to work according to the dictates of their conscience with efficiency and integrity, while maintaining the dignity of their positions. Their services have to be appreciated giving credit where it is due. The book also indirectly justifies the need for the establishment of a Police Commission to remedy the ills in an important service to maintain not only law and order but also peace and morality with people's participation. Finally, one has to imagine "What a Policeman" Iddamalgoda is. (Leel Gunasekera functioned as the Inspector General of Police for a short time in the 70s when he was Addl. Secretary, Ministry of Defence and Foreign Affairs). Kachchativu and the maritime boundary of Sri Lanka "Kachchativu: And the Maritime Boundary of Sri Lanka" By W. T. Jayasinghe (A Stamford Lake Publication - 2003) Reviewed by Dr. Vernon L. B. Mendis. This book is a study of the problem posed by the island of Kachchativu in India - Sri Lanka relations which could have become a critical issue. But this did not happen as it was resolved peacefully by the two countries through diplomacy and negotiations. Kachchativu is a diminutive sized island lying between the North Western coast of Sri Lanka and the South Eastern coast of India and is well known for its prawn fisheries. It has no other material significance but its importance lay in its strategic location in the maritime zones which were of vital strategic importance especially to India with its formidable shore line virtually engulfing the region. The details of the problem and how it was resolved is the theme of this book as described by one who was a principal negotiator for Sri Lanka apart from being one of the outstanding public servants and diplomats of Sri Lanka. W. T. Jayasinghe was a key figure in the administration of his time who moved from Controller of Immigration to Foreign Secretary in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs where he served with no less than Prime Minister Sirimavo Bandaranaike at the height of her fame. Her role as Prime Minister which brought the island to the forefront of world affairs with her proposal for a peace zone in the Indian Ocean and in the Non-Aligned Movement which led to Sri Lanka becoming the venue of the Fifth Non-Aligned Summit is a measure of the contribution made by Mr. Jayasinghe as Foreign secretary. At the same time Mr. Jayasinghe is well known for his commitment to his duties and almost ascetic personality in which he dedicated himself to the service of the nation. He has a record of high academic attainments and scholarship which bore fruit in his two publications on the Indo Ceylon problem and the one under review on Kachchativu. Kachchativu is a diminutive island but its significance arose from its location in an areas of vital strategic interest to India. However, the paradox is that from earliest times it was accepted that it was under the sovereignty of Sri Lanka. This was called into question by India in the 20s in the context of its endeavours to assert its rights as part of its struggle for independence. A claim to this effect was also made by the Rajah of Ramnad which presumably strengthened India's own case which was that by virtue of its contiguous location and its earlier contacts Kachchativu could be regarded as its territory. Paradoxically it was only in 1968 that this question of sovereignty was raised and it became an issue between the two governments. It was formally raised by Prime Minister Dudley Senanayake on his official visit to India in December 1968 who discussed it with the Prime Minister Mrs. Indira Gandhi and formally stated his position that there was no question as such of sovereignty over Kachchativu in as much it was part of Sri Lanka territory. This became a major issue with India in view of its own claims to it supported by that of the Rajah of Ramnad. India indicated however that it could consider a compromise in the partition of the island between India and Sri Lanka. The subject was discussed by the two Prime Ministers at subsequent meetings such as on the occasion of the Commonwealth Prime Ministers Conference in London in 1969, when it was thought that a consensus was reached but there was no confirmation of this and the issue seemed to be in doubt. This uncertainty remained until 1974 when the issue was raised by Prime Minister Sirimavo Bandaranaike on her formal visit to New Delhi in January 1974 when she discussed the subject with Mrs. Indira Gandhi at a series of meetings. This culminated in the official and summit level discussions where Sri Lanka's sovereignty over it was affirmed. This was the outcome of top level discussions at administrative and political levels which had occurred almost continuously in the previous years in which Mr. Jayasinghe as Foreign Secretary played a key role. There is no doubt that it was his expert handling of the negotiations together with the forthright uncompromising stand of Prime Minister Bandaranaike that led to the settlement which was embodied in Agreements signed by both Prime Ministers on the 26th June 1974 and 28th June 1974 in Colombo and in New Delhi respectively. A number of other related matters arose such as the length of the shore line and the boundary in the sea which were settled amicably. The successful outcome of these discussions and the agreement reached on Kachchativu represented a landmark in relations between the two countries and in the words of the press communique heralds an era of even closer and more fruitful cooperation for their mutual benefit. This book is a saga of all these meetings and discussions which culminated in creating a new chapter for Indo Sri Lanka relations and which represented a personal achievement for the author of this book. This is a self evident conclusion which the author with characteristic modesty and humility does not highlight. His two works are indeed landmark contributions to the study of Sri Lanka history and foreign policy, as it is a platitude to observe that the key to them is the relationship with India. It can be said that the success of Sri Lanka's foreign policy throughout its long career was its cordial relationship at all times with India and high minded statesmanship of the latter. The successful outcome of the Indo Ceylon talks was manifestation of this underlying spirit. One can describe these books as classic instances of inside stories written by the chief actors themselves which makes them indispensable for authenticity. An unusual love A Sri Lankan in Key West by Ian Jayasinha, Published by Vishva Lekha Printers, Sarvodaya Prologue I opened the door This is an unusual book; refreshingly unusual and different. In fact in his Foreword, Former US Ambassador James W. Spain has described it as unique. It is not written in conventional book form; the author's whole narration of Key West, Florida, which he seemed to have fallen in love with at first sight-an unusual love for a land other than one's own-was obviously inspired by his love for his American wife Davie which runs through the book like a golden thread in a tapestry. Here again, Ambassador Spain says that Ian's love for Davie shines through with particular intensity. Spot on. The book is not written in conventional prose form but in a series of verses which can only be described as free, and this is what makes it different from what might have been a run-of-the-mill book about a part of the United States which is hardly known in Sri Lanka. Of course, to a past generation of English-speaking (then) Ceylonese whose only entertainment was radio and Hollywood films, Key West was identified as a glitz part of this America which filled their daydreams. This was the World War 11 generation which idolised Hollywood film stars such as Bogart and Bacall, Astaire and Rogers, and a cigar-smoking man like a Chicago gangster whose name this writer cannot recall,and such like. There was a film titled 'Key Largo' which starred Humphrey Bogart with his tie always askew; the author refers to this Key in his book. This was also the mindless generation that wanted Cuba to remain the brothel of the West under Batista, little knowing that there was a man out there with other ideas which were realised some years later. There is a verse on the Conch Republic (pronounced conch). His wife was a Conch. 'They are a rare breed that come from a pearly seed. Fantasy is their Nicene Creed.' 'New York, New York Burning Bright (with a big thank you to William Blake) 'Did he who made you hugely tall, make the poor ghetto as well?' A note on Key West puts its geographic location in a nutshell as do the verses which form the delicious kernel of the whole scene in its own nutshell. The author puts the tiny island-the Southernmost tip of America-on the barbecue grill and expects the reader to enjoy its succulence. This he does in many ways. He describes the gliding descent into Key West airport, the delight in his semi invalid wife's green eyes as she gazes upon her beautiful childhood home where her father would entertain Ernest Hemingway-Davie came from a high-class family. The author describes Key West-prone to violent hurricanes-in such a way that the reader feels he/she is actually there. Food descriptions are also there-Key Lime Pie to complete your fish dinner, Cuban cuisine at El Siboney and other delicacies. It is amazing how author Jayasinha became to attached to Key West that he regarded it as home. He met up with Philip Burton, foster father of the great Welsh actor Richard Burton. Philip would visit the Jayasinha's with purple orchids for Davie. But perhaps one of the most poignant verses in the book is 'The Way Back Home.' Over emerald-studded Miami About the author: Educated at S. Thomas' College, Mt. Lavinia. Journalist at Lake House Newspapers for over 25 years. Staffer at Trinity College, Kandy prior to that. 'Vignettes of a Sri Lankan outsider,' and 'Satin Doll' are two of his books. - Southern Star |
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