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| Sunday, 10 October 2004 |
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International Banda
Punchi Banda's sole intention was to train his son to maintain his business and to be at the helm of the business world. His desire was to realise his father's dream hence he kept aside all the desires a man of his age would be eager to relish. One such thing was marriage. Climbing 'Ihala Kumbure Kumarihamy, the wife of Banda Mudalali, a highly connected Kandyan lady, was also the heir of the Ihala Kumbura Walawwa. Both husband and wife belonged to business families and they knew the ways and means of climbing up the ladder in their field. At their wedding ceremony (though it was a late marriage) there was much rejoicing in the village of Waradala, for the poor in the village recalled the wedding ceremony to a that of a Royal Wedding. Architecture The ancestral home they occupied was of antique value and was a masterpiece of Dutch architecture. Mudalali's knowledge and experience in the coconut business was incomparable. In other words he was a genius, but his illiteracy prevented him from coming out of his shell. He had been to school for a few years and his father hadn't forced him. Lack of education was a great hindrance. What he had been doing throughout was to supply his produce to the buyers in Colombo. The only thing he hated to do was to go to the Colombo buyers for transactions and for meetings. His language barrier caused shivering and drying of his lips. Banda Mudalali was on the top of the suppliers list. He was warmly welcomed and his needs are attended to promptly whenever he visited the Colombo office. He did not approach anyone in the office unless someone came to him and spoke to him because most of the visitors and the office crowd spoke in English. It was a great relief to him to get out of the office in double quick time. Suggestion One day he happened to go to that office with his wife. She could readily understand her husband's helplessness. On the way she made a brilliant suggestion and it made the Mudalali very happy. Almost immediately he employed some office workers with English and computer knowledge. Finally it paved the way for him to direct export and to be a trustworthy supplier of coconut products to various countries. Foreign buyers visited the Mudalali and his secretary played the role of an interpreter. Learning Surangani, a five-year-old girl was their only child. She was brought up like a princess with all the luxuries. Yet the mother allowed the daughter to play with the worker's children at the walawwa. She loved the company of these children and they too yearned to be with her. If Surangani was fed during play the mother never forgot to entertain her friends as well. Almost all the children attended the village school and they entertained their master's daughter with stories, songs and poems. She too preferred learning from her friends rather than from her mother. The parents, especially the father was thrilled to hear the daughter singing and dancing, all over the place. When there was a gathering Mudalali proudly invited the daughter to sing and dance. Once there was a get-together of the business club in the area and all the business families had been invited. The Mudalali noticed how the children of another businessman were conversing in English. He was lost in thought. He thought how nice if his daughter too could speak English. He approached their fathers and got to know the children were attending an international school in the city. Mudalali and his wife dreamt their daughter would turn out to be fluent in English, one day, and that her efficiency would push their business forward. The Mudalali who faced difficulties without knowledge in English believed that sending the child to an international school would be a fine investment and a feather in his cap. Admitted Surangani got admitted to a leading international school in the city as most affluent children did and became a competitor in the rat race. Elocution, western music, dancing and swimming come after the daily school round. Surangani returned home late and tired. She met her village friends only during the weekend. She recited English poems and danced before the children who at times came to the walawwa. Those poor fellows were under the impression that the baby hamu was a masterpiece in English refinement. The mudalali had to hire tutors in order to help her in her homework as that too had to be done. The tutors praised the girl for her brilliant achievements and the parents were quite impressed. When the mudalali over-heard the girl answering the teacher in English, he was in the seventh heaven. Surangani had been selected to play the role of Cinderella, and for a group song at the year-end concert. The parents were rightly proud of their daughter, and spent lavishly on her costumes and other accessories. Decorated The school's main hall was well arranged, and decorated for the event. Parents were eagerly waiting to see their children's talents on stage. The Mudalali and his wife sat at the back of the hall. Boys were whistling and girls were shouting, but no teacher was to be seen. He noticed how the boys were enjoying their own sweet way with girls seated next to them. He couldn't understand a word they said but the way they behaved disgusted him. He had nowhere to hide his face when he saw a boy putting an arm around a girl's shoulder. Those student who were among the audience were not in their uniforms. The girls were in tight jeans and short blouses with their bellies showing, others were in transparent blouses. The boys were cowboys or playboys there was no order. Applause The curtain was raised in the midst of applause and the stage was in darkness. A group of girls dressed lile swans in white entered the dark stage with lamps in their hands. It was a dance of peace and tranquillity. The dance won a big hand. Music was played; the stage was lit with different coloured flashlights. Three bigger girls sprang on the stage with tight black jeans and red short sleeveless transparent blouses. They danced twisting their bellies. The sounds, lights and the sexy dance turned the stage into a nightclub. Boys in the audience lost their senses, some hooted at the girls and some used body language not acceptable even by primitives. The Mudalali couldn't be seated any longer and he came out of the hall, the traditional well-mannered and disciplined Kumarihamy covered her face in shame. Outside, the Mudalali was even more thunder struck when he saw girls and boys misbehaving in dark corners and behind the main hall. Immediately he regained his seat in the hall but didn't say a word to his wife about the unpleasant indecent happenings outside. Both the lady and the Mudalali were in a quandary, as they could not leave the hall taking their innocent child with them. The child hadn't appeared on stage yet and unfortunately they were not able to read the concert programme issued. Now at last appeared the beautiful faces of young girls and boys. Tranquil The stage was tranquil once more. They saw the smiling face of Surangani in the first row of the group. It was a beautiful song but their urgency to escape from that hall prevented them from enjoying the song and their daughter performing her role as Cinderella. On the return journey the Mudalali began to ask himself why he had sent the girl to an International school. What was the motive? If it was for the sake of an English education, an international school was the only place where he could achieve his goal? He realised that there is no education without discipline and good conduct. Even if his child is fluent in English if she is unruly and indecent what's the use of such an education? He queried himself, whether all the English speaking and English educated Sri Lankans were the products of International School? How had the non-favourable school and under privileged schools in the village produced Engineers, Doctors, Lawyers etc? How had they learnt English? Ultimately the Mudalali realised the fact that English could be learnt under efficient teachers in ordinary schools and with more English tuition at home. He was convinced that education with discipline was more important than English, alone. The Mudalali and the lady with their daughter paid a visit to the Reverend Sister Principal of the convent in the city next morning with an application for the admission of their daughter for the next year. by Ajith Perera |
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| Politics | Produced by Lake House |
Waradala Banda Mudalali is a well-known proprietor and the heir to the
Waradala coconut estate, one of the largest estates in Sri Lanka. Being
the only son of late Ethugalkoralage Punchi Banda who inherited wealth to
last for generations.
