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| Sunday, 9 May 2004 |
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Features |  |
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Diverse arguments from across the globe Case for Socialism by Padma Edirisinghe I have no pretences to being a connoisseur on book launches but having attended about five or six book launches in India and about 100 plus book launches in my own country (while receiving a remarkable number of invitations for same, enough to light up my funeral pyre I am emboldened enough to draw attention to some stark dis-similarities. Indian book launches are very solemn functions as befitting the occasion, the soft chanting of Slokas and Strotras at the initial stage initiating a balmic and contemplative environment. Those who matter walk about bare footed in slow gait usually clad in white as though they were traversing the chambers of a holy sanctum. Soft whispers about trivia add to the solemn aura while deliberate moments of ecstatic silence intersperse proceedings. Books are handed to and fro with both hands and rarely are comments made to hurt feelings of the writer. I go on, life left to attempt a review of the occasion of the launch of "A case for Socialism" cum an attempt at a review of the book itself. I must confess it was the first full book I read on Leftist politics after having digested Karl Marx's "Das Capital" in my campus days. For a few days after that reading I went about converted into a rabid Marxist but the subsequent routine events of an average Sri Lankan woman passing by in parade made poor Karl Marx just relegate into the backyard of my mind along with ten thousands of other characters encountered in my real life and in my vast book world. That I first felt ill at ease at this book launch is to put it mildly. Several famous faces one sees only on TV and newspapers I saw at the gathering and in fact one sat just before me deep in slumber amidst the thunderous boom of lectures. May be it was his way of paying attention or he was wearing out the effects of the hectic day he had spent the day before in Parliament participating in three voting sessions. (One wonders who is entitled to the Guiness World Record here. Maybe the elected speaker.) Anyway I could not help recalling the piece I read somewhere about Sir Winston Churchill and a female MP who sat next to each other in the British Parliament. They had both gone to sleep during a long boring speech and just as the trap closed they had both woken up and the female MP had crowed," I can now go about saying that I slept with the great Churchill in broad daylight." The lectures that boomed and thundered however were quite interesting cum topical to keep me fully awake. The crowd was so new and strange and in fact I had planted myself near the author's wife without knowing her identity. We became good friends and I asked her something to the effect of "Who is that busybody rushing about in a red shirt attending to everything under the sum ? "and she replied it was Mr. Wesley Muthiah the editor. Saying our Good-byes she handed me her card which read Mrs. Wesley Muthiah ! When I was about to say something by way of apology she stopped me grabbing my hand and invited me to give a pep talk to a circle of elderly men and women she was propping up with life. Why me, I asked. "It's your writings and not you" she said laughing. The other hilarious matter I noticed in the proceedings was that most of the speakers had come to hold forth on the book without having actually read the book. But this is not a feature indigenous to the launch for "A case for Socialism". In fact I once attended a book launch typical of Third World Sri Lanka now kindly termed Developing Sri Lanka. The chief speaker confessed that he had no time to read the book but planned read it on the way to the launch. But the driver did not turn up and in his old age he does not drive and had to come standing in the crowded bus with the book in his pocket. But, fortunately Sri Lankan oratory is so forcefully gushing that without having ever read the book one can go on for hours for the speaker is now more free and blissfully untrammelled by the confines of the contents of the book that he never perused. It happened at the NM Perera Centre too at the launch in quite a few cases. The speakers however were very decent and minus murderous motives. Now to come to the actual text, this mammoth work comprising 493 pages and co-authored by Wesley Mutiah and Sydney Wanasinghe can be easily dubbed as a spectrum of different viewpoints by intellectuals on socialism in different geographical terrain and in different ages (ranging from 1848 - Karl Marx and Engels to our own Carlo Fonseka, 2004). These contributors are such luminaries in the thought field of Socialism that to pick out a few names would be a slur to the rest. The curtain opens on Albert Einstein's essay "Why Socialism ?" followed by Oscar Wild's "The soul of man under socialism" and Bertrand Russel's "The case for socialism". Kumari Jayawardena's "Women and the Communist Manifesto", was commended by one speaker as "One of the best". Sensational is the information that the Declaration of the Rights of Man in France during the Revolutionary days had been trailed by the Declaration of the Rights of Women by Olympe De Gouges, a French woman who in 1791 declared that "Women are born free and her rights are the same as those of Man". The "Opening gambit" by Joe Slove, Secretary, Communist party of South Africa haunts one's mind like a sad song plus a mind illuminator long after one has read the book. It reads, "The wretched of the earth make up 90 percent of humanity. They live either in Capitalist or Capitalist oriented societies. For them if Socialism is not the answer then there is no answer at all". In Hannah Sell's long essay on "Socialism in the 21st Century" comes this piece, "Is socialism obsolete ? Is there a new 21st C alternative to capitalism that is more practicable than socialism ? If it were possible for some form of capitalism to take society forward socialism would remain nothing more than a dream. It is the very nature of capitalism which will lead to socialism becoming an idea which catches the imagination of millions". Strangely it was more or less this idea that tinged the majority of the speeches. All in all, the book has made its debut at a very opportune time when our country is at the cross - roads of its political future. ###### The Monk who sold his Ferrari Wisdom Revisited by Padmaja Kesnur The Deepak Chopras and Eknath Easwarans have done a great service in calling attention to ancient scriptural wisdom that is in danger of being forgotten. And now there is a new kid on the block. Robin Sharma, a popular media personality in the US, who runs an institute that conducts leadership and life-enrichment programmes and has authored several books on related subjects. His latest foray 'The Monk who sold his Ferrari' unravels the miraculous transformation of successful but overworked lawyer, Julian Mantle who, having reached atop the success ladder suddenly stops to take a long look the life he is leading. His search for spiritual solace takes him to India, to the Sages of Sivana where he drinks from the fountain of higher knowledge and unlocks the secret of youthful vitality. 'The Monk...' imaginatively reiterates the ancient truths of Sivanan philosophy in a very forceful manner. The Monk.... effectively expresses ancient truths in a modern idiom. Sample a few messages from this book: "There are no mistakes, only lessons", or "Life pretty much gives you what you ask from it. It is always listening", or again, "Stop spending so much time chasing life's big pleasures while you neglect the little ones", and so on. This is one book that perhaps the corporate-variety or the workaholics would do well to read, along with their 'One minute manager' or 'Think and grow rich' handbooks. Julian Mantle could well be their alter-ego. The book has interesting fables and innumerable anecdotes, but one attributed to 'ancient India' is suspiciously similar to Oscar Wilde's, "The Selfish Giant'. Having said it all, I'll say book is a stimulating read. Free Press Journal ###### To lead a truthful life... Sathuta ha Sunderathvaya (Joy and Beauty) This is the latest work of Premachandra Dissanayake, former Principal of Schools, well-known writer and social worker. The author introduces the book as an "Invitation to experience life with a philosophical insight." this book contains a selection of articles, some ideas he has noted down from 1960s onwards in his diary. The author presents the contents of the book under four headings namely 1. Spiritual Explorations, 2. Social Reviews, 3. Enhancing Personality and 4. Jottings in the Diary. Nevertheless what is found in this book could be categorised into two areas. How to make life a beauty and How to get over present predicament in our society. Premachandra Dissanayake submits that one could attain lasting joy when he realises the truths and reality in life. This could be achieved not by mere logic but by honest understanding of things. In this process one should not be ashamed to change his stand, when he realises the fallacies of his earlier concept. He explains, that most people seek joy in temporary phenomena. When this artificial happiness comes to and, end the sorrow set in. One should apprehend that every pleasure in this world is impermanent. When one understands this reality, he tends to seek higher values in life. It is only when he could distinguish happiness based on reality from artificial pleasures that one could experience real beauty. It is a fact that people undergo more suffering than joy. This is because people go in search of sensual pleasures, power and glory as the goals in life. People are not happy with their basic needs of food, shelter, cloth and medicine within their means. They want luxuries in life to outrival others in material things. However, the things do not happen the way they want and all their desires could not be fulfilled. Today the civilisation is directed not to make people lead good lives but to go for luxuries in life. In the midst of materialistic competition in society, spiritual bankruptcy set in creating an emptiness in life. Premachandra Dissanayake contends that when one realises the truth and reality, one would shed one's egoistic tendencies. One would begin to love others, be kind to them and would work for their welfare. When a person becomes concerned for others, he would be liked by all and he develops a pleasant personality. Such a person has lot of things to do for others and even in his retirement and old age he would not feel lonely. The person who has realised the truth and given up egoism for altruism would be simple, humble, active, go in search of higher values and leads a fruitful life. Only such a person could have the lasting joy and beauty in life asserts. Analysing the present predicament in society Mr. Dissanayake remarks that the egoistic tendencies in our people have ruined our country. The politicians come to power by hook or by crook. They give false promises and cheat people. They make themselves rich by various devices and provide jobs for their relations and supporters. They appoint political stooges to government departments and corporations. The promotions are given on political patronage. The thugs reign supreme and there is no law and order in the country. Everything is in a mess. You cannot expect leadership from professionals and most of them like lawyers, doctors and engineers are second only to politicians in exploiting people. They charge exorbitant fees and have become parasites. Most of the teachers are concerned with making money otherwise than providing a service for the salary they get. The NGOs under the pretext of serving the country have hidden agendas to get round people. The students though somewhat honest go in search of quick remedies and fall victim to scheming leaders. The television and radio do not pay sufficient attention to the problem. In this situation it would be an uphill task to set the things right. In this respect Premachandra Dissanayaka suggests that writers and journalists of integrity, honest officials, upright teachers and voluntary associations should enlighten masses and mobilise them to bring about a better social order. Premachandra Dissanayake assumes that Buddhist Bhikkhus have a special role to play in this endeavour. All throughout history Bhikkhus have been the mentors of people. The imperialists adopted various devices to break the link between the Bikkhu and the laity. He urges that the Bhikkus should regain their position in society. Here Mr. Dissanayake clarifies his position and explains that he does not mean that Bhikkus should enter Parliament but in the villages and towns in which they live they should be in the forefront to guide the laity. The book explains intrinsic theories of Buddhism in simple language so that it would convince the reader to seek the truth and make himself happy by leading a fruitful life. It also draws attention to present degeneration in society and suggest ways and means to overcome it. AN illuminating foreword by W.A. Abeysinghe adorns the book. This book should be read by all who wish to lead a happy and contended life and also those who have a feeling for the country. ###### Mayyazhi gets a Malgudi treatment God's Mischief by SANTAN RODRIGUES R.K. Narayan made Malgudi, a fictional village in South India not only popular but also a literary idiom for life as lived in Indian villages. Narayan's craft of spinning characters is what brings Malgudi and his fiction to life. On a similar vein, M. Mukundan has painted a sketch of Mayyazhi ( Mahe) and his myriad characters are what really throbs with life in the novel. It is almost the age of innocence getting overshadowed by the age of materialism and progress as a former French colony throws its yoke and as the winds of freedom sweep through the land, its people awake to new wants, new pranks, new greed and new aspirations. What makes the novel endearing are its many characters, each one unique in some way and yet related enough to weave a fabric of idyllic pastoral life that is slowly urbanized. The novel has no heroes or heroine. Yet on the other hand, the novel has several heroes and heroine both young and old. The most exciting character is Father Alphonse. No, he is not a priest but a family man and hardly religious. But he seems to have a divine existence oblivious to the world around. When the French were around, this half breed (of European and Indian stock) was well respected and managed to have a decent living. Now with freedom, he was slowly losing his social status and was looked down upon by the natives as well as abandoned by the former colonists. So Father Alphonse spent all his time smoking hashish and virtually floating around, body and soul while his family had to fend for its self. His wife Madam Maggie wore the pants around the house and his two children were left to themselves. Michael was up to no good and Elsie was just a child. Another character that figures prominently is Kumaran Vaidyar. Kumaran's father was a well known Ayurved. He once participated in a strike against the French in answer to a call given by Mahatma Gandhi and was severely beaten up. Later he died of the injuries and Kumaran's mother Mandiamma neither forgave Gandhi, nor encouraged the sympathy for the new brand of revolutionaries who desired freedom. So one day when Kumaran gave shelter to a man on the run, she was afraid that having lost her husband she would also lose her son. The fugitive was Madhavan, the son of the local midwife, Kunchiruta. Kumaran had no intention of turning out the frightened lad even though the police were on his heels. So when Kunchiruta dropped in for medicines which by now Kumaran had began to dispense, she had a joyful reunion with her son and next morning, Madhavan was on his way to Madras and safety. As feared by Mandiamma, Kumaran was arrested and jailed as an abettor but fortunately was soon released. Kumaran was a widower and had two young sons, Shashi and Shivan. Everyone including his mother wanted Kumaran to remarry but his fidelity to his departed wife's memory stopped from considering the many hints and proposals that came his way. As the boys Shashi and Shivan grow, they become close to Elsie and take an oath before the presiding local deity that they would marry her. Michael has gone overseas in search of employment, but unlike others, there is no letter from him nor financial remittance. Even when he does come on a furlough, he borrows money and the gold ornaments that he gives his mother are only fakes. The intimacy between the Shashi and Elsie leads to an embarrassing pregnancy and Elsie is almost a social discard. Shashi runs away from home. Shivan continues with his studies but is attracted by the Naxalite movement and once on a holiday kills the local landowner. By a strange twist of fate, he turns to Madhavan for shelter and protection. Madhavan has done well in the Middle East and is now a respected member of society. He even arranges to get him a false passport so that he can go to Bombay and then on to Dubai. Shivan however runs off even before the plan is executed. Salvation for Father Alphonse and Elsie can only come through marriage to respectable suitor. So while Madame Maggie is generous with her favours in exchange for gifts and money, Dougie a Franco-Indian friend of Michael, who lived in France is the chosen groom. The marriage takes place and the groom leaves Elsie pregnant and waiting for her salvation to Europe. Too late they learn that Dougie is already married and he has just duped them. And Elsie had become the sucker for the second time. The novel has several other interesting characters and though they get a bit too crowded the action is never dull nor repetitive. And the narrative is just as exciting. Free Press Journal ###### Reprint of Ceylon Cookery Ceylon Cookery" A reprint of very popular cookery book 'Ceylon Cookery' by the well-known cookery expert Chandra Dissanayake was launched on April 30 at Lake House Book Shop, Fort. The book consists of many time tested recipes both local and other with eye catching coloured pictures. Chandra Dissanayake is a name that holds a distinguished place among those of culinary experts in Sri Lanka. Her experience stems from the very early beginnings of an eventful and enterprising career in the field of Home Science when she left Sri Lanka to follow a comprehensive course in Home Science at the Lady Irwin College, New Delhi, India. Chandra was the first Sri Lankan woman to train in Home Science on a professional level, and her aptitude for the subject was confirmed when she came first in her final examination at Lady Irwin College. Before returning to Sri Lanka to join the Department of Education as an Inspectress of Home Science, Chandra followed a short course in Nutrition at the Coonoor Research Laboratories in India. Back in Sri Lanka Chandra set up a new department of Home Science at Visakha Vidyalaya, the leading Buddhist Girls' School in the island. The course was varied and of a very high standard. Her success with the venture won her a Fulbright Travel Grant, an award by the Institute of International Education at the University of Nebraska, USA. Here she obtained her B.Sc and M.SC in Home Economics and was enrolled as a member of two Honour Societies, Omnicron Nu and Delta Kappa Gamma. While abroad Chandra covered an extensive tour of the Home Economics Centres in many European countries before returning to Visakha Vidyalaya. Chandra began her Home Economics teaching career in 1949. In eleven years she was qualified and competent enough to start an establishment of her own, the School of Home Economics, as a pilot project for higher education in the field of Home Economics, which for the first time offered students in Sri Lanka an opportunity to sit for the London City and Guilds Examination in Domestic and Advanced Domestic Cookery. Chandra herself holds the 1st Class Ceylon Teachers Certificate, Advanced Domestic Cookery Certificate, City and Guilds London and a Certificate in Fruit and Vegetable Preservation from the Central Food Technological Research Institute, Mysore, India. As an established authority in Home Science and cookery, Chandra was invited to organise and lecture in the Eastern Cookery section at the Ceylon Hotel School, Sri Lanka, and worked as a consultant at the Intercontinental Hotel, Sri Lanka. In addition to her chosen career, Chandra has enriched the scope of her experience by taking an active part in Women's Organisations - The Ceylon Housewives Association in particular, of which she was a founder member and President. She represented the Ceylon Housewives Association on many Government sponsored committees and boards and in 1961 attended the International Alliance of Women's Congress in Dublin as a Ceylon delegate. Her talent had been greatly in demand at cookery demonstrations and in helping local commercial firms to standardize recipes with their new products. She was also a Director of the State Flour Milling Corporation. From the dust cover of the book |
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