|
|
|
  |
| Sunday, 16 January 2005 |
 |
|
 |
Features |  |
| News Business Features Editorial
|
Siri Gunasinghe : Rebel with a literary clout by Athula K. Samarakoon Self-exiled literary rebel, Prof. Siri Gunasinghe is in Sri Lanka enjoying a rare visit and bemoaning the severe intellectual drought in the university system brought about by the deadly silence of the high- priests of academia.
One of the finest products of the then glorious 'Peradeniya' era his concern is understandable, given the fact that he was forced into exile by the very system that refused to recognise or accept his contribution. Born in the South, Gunasinghe was privilegedly educated in English at Mahinda College Galle founded by Sir Henry Olcott. Here he had the opportunity to enhance his knowledge of literature and other areas of knowledge, which later day students were deprived of by the change in the medium of instruction to the national languages by the father of Free Education Dr. C.W.W. Kannangara in the mid 1940s. At Peradeniya Gunasinghe obtained his first degree in arts with a first class enabling him to join the university academic staff. However, he soon moved to Europe to Sorbonne where he completed his PhD on 'Techniques of Indian painting'. He says that none of the Universities in Sri Lanka wanted his services which made him seek exile in foreign soil and teach at their universities. However, while in exile Gunasinghe exerted pressure on the local academia through his literary texts, which racked the domains of intelligentsia and led to an unconventionally intensified controversy. Prof. Hemapala Wijewardena, in the following lines, confers due recognition to this young vigour. "Siri Gunasinghe was a great revolutionary among the revolutionaries, with the traditional knowledge gained from the learning of Sanskrit, a new knowledge acquired from a Western university. A very high intellectual and with a keen mind, he was always critical of the old, traditional concepts in the field of Sinhala literature..." Now in his late seventies, Gunasinghe still displays the same sense of vivacity and verve discernible in his writing - both poetry and prose. The passage of time often makes a mockery of things that are holy. But this intellectual and literary figure still strives for the progress of the Sinhala literature in a true academic spirit. "Our universities are producing mere paper-intellectuals who do not even know much about literature or how to entertain them. "The major issue is that, hardly any one in the academic community reads in English, which is a window in the world. "Not only English, but we must also learn some other languages as well, Hindi is one such language", he says. Among his major works is the text Chirantana Sampradaya Saha Pragathiya (Ancient Tradition Versus Progress) which is a great academic blow to the existing orthodox literary confines. "We must learn from the past but should not keep on venerating it forever. It is pointless to hang on to the past. As Kumaratunga said a nation that is not innovative cannot rise up". His words sound the necessity to dispense with myths and look to the ever progressive world. Gunasinghe was the first Sinhala poet to shatter the archaic perimeters of four-line stanza and institute the free verse in Sinhala literature. "We must struggle for freedom. Liberating literature from conventionality is freedom of creativity" he says. His poetical jargon was a whirlwind to traditionalists. Arbitrariness of the language, as post-structuralists espoused as a property of it, was intelligently and creatively exploited by Gunasinghe to bring forth the true essence of the poetic mind in the modern age. His innovative and progressive poetic philosophy ushered in a revolutionary era of Sinhala poetry. "A true reading of poetry is a tiresome activity. Poetry is immensely different from fiction. One has to rake one's brain to get the real essence from them. It is the spring of language," says Gunasinghe showing his great affection to poetry. His poetic intuition is a rarity. All his poetic masterpieces marked a revival of Sinhala poetry. The four collections of poetry namely Mas Le Nethi Eta (Bare Bones - 1956), Abinikmana (Renunciation - 1958), Rathu Kekula (Red Blossom - 1962) and Alakamandawa (1998) he presented to the Sinhala reader, may be numerically few, but their impact has been enormous, so much so that, a new school of poets trod on his path though only a very few could retain the true spirit. As a novelist, Gunasinghe became the first to divert the stream of consciousness to the field of Sri Lankan literature. The highly acclaimed novel Hevenella (The Shadow) was a true experiment in that particular narrative style. Apart from Hevanella his Mandarama (Pregnant Sky) and Miringuwa Ellima (Touching the Mirage) also have nourished our literature bringing it toward new dimensions. Commenting on the post-modern theories he says that they are not measurements but analytical tools misused by some of our critics. A micro level political activist, Gunasinghe also blasts the orthodoxy of Sinhala grammar. His view of the language is very liberal. "We should use the spoken Sinhala for writing. In English the written and spoken languages are near identical", he says. The reality of his idea is that if we cannot make our mother tongue flexible, it will become another dead language in this era of fast paced globalisation. Window of opportunity to learn complex legal environments Reviewed by Dr. Dayanath Jayasuriya Wickrema Weerasooria's The Law Governing Public Administration in Sri Lanka, Postgraduate Institute of Management (PGIM), Colombo, 2004, 412 pp (ISBN 955896906-0) Dr. Wickrema Weerasooria needs no introduction to Sri Lankan commercial lawyers and bankers. From the late 1960's and early 1970's his publications on banking law have been standard works of reference. Shortly after joining Monash University in Australia in 1972, Wickrema focused on Australian banking law and his books soon became prescribed texts in Australian law schools and bankers training institutes. When Monash University and the Australian National Bank established a Banking Law Centre at Monash University, he was the obvious choice for the position of director, a coveted position in banking law circles. A hallmark of Wickrema's publications is his incredible capacity to demystify legal concepts and explain in the simplest possible terms the significance of statutory provisions and case law. Only a few jurists can match his skills in unravelling complicated questions of fact and law and translating them into simple ordinary language, the style in which laws must be written. From 1974 to 1983 the 10 year period I worked in the Attorney-General's Department , I was often concerned as to how public servants without proper training in law are expected to understand some of the laws they are supposed to interpret and apply. During lectures I used to deliver them for public servants at the Sri Lanka Institute for Developmental Studies and for customs, police and drug control staff at other institutes, I became acutely aware of the need for a simple legal guide on the relevant subject-areas that would make the life of public servants and law- enforcement officers much easier. When Wickrema mentioned to me a few months ago that he was working on a book on the law governing public administration, I remarked to him that this was a publication that he should have completed thirty or forty years ago -a sentiment which Dr. Sarath Amunugama himself echoed when he launched the publication at the PGIM. Dr. Amunugama as an erstwhile distinguished civil servant is well aware of how at short notice senior public servants are called upon to make determinations which when later challenged in court take several days of extensive legal arguments to reach finality. The Law Governing Public Administration in Sri Lanka is divided into 3 parts and contains 28 chapters. Part 1 introduces readers to legal concepts and the country's legal system. Part II deals essentially with the writ jurisdiction and the enforcement of fundamental rights. Part III looks at the broader framework of laws and institutions that impinge upon the functions of public servants. Each chapter contains a wealth of material relating to applicable statutes and case law. Prior to the enforceability of fundamental rights, public officers were guided largely by the administrative regulations (ARs) and the financial regulations (FRs). The Supreme Court has over the last two and a half decades laid down for public servants detailed guidelines on matters ranging from internal transfers and promotions to tender board determinations. Wickrema has carefully chosen those judgements of particular relevance to the work of public servants. A more detailed analysis of these and other judgements can be found in an excellent new commentary by Raja Goonesekera. Wickrema himself had drawn attention many times to this commentary. The cumulative effect of the judgements is that public servants cannot always take cover under the ARs and FRs if in fact they are supposed to follow the proper guidelines laid down by the Supreme Court. To this extent, the law governing public servants has evolved in a way that the public service has not yet fully realised. A revision of the ARs (which also includes the Establishments Code) and FRs is long overdue. The memoirs of Lee Kuan Yew (published under the title The Singapore Story) contain interesting insights into how the public service in a small multi-ethnic and multi-religious island nation can be repositioned to emerge as a dynamic social institution engaged in the task of nation-building. There are many lessons for other countries where the role of the public servant has not been re-examined for many decades. Wickrema's book now provides a window of opportunity for such a re-examination; in the wake of the recent tragedy the public service is now called upon to redouble its efforts at nation rebuilding and must emerge as a major player in economic and social transformation. Legal impediments must be identified and suitable amendments should be introduced to create and foster an enabling environment in which the public service can work in tandem with the private sector and civil society in this time of crisis. Wickrema's The Law Governing Public Administration in Sri Lanka is a Tour de Force and I have no doubt that every public servant who reads it will find that it is a publication that enriches his or her life as a public servant who needs to know the complex legal environment in which public servants are required to function. The translation of the book into Sinhala and Tamil should be undertaken without any delay and copies should be widely distributed. The story of the Tunnel by Sumana Saparamadu The Story of the Tunnel is the English translation of the Ummagga Jataka published in 1896. The translator T.B. Yatawara was Rate Mahattaya, President of the Village Tribunal Udapalatha and unofficial Police Magistrate Hatton, Gampola. It has been re-printed recently by his grandson Tissa Ratnayaka 'in memory of the translator's immediate family' - Yatawaras, Ratnayakas, Elkaduwas, Imbuldeniyas, Angammanas 13 in all. It will surprise many readers to learn that English translations of Sinhala classics were published in that age and time when the British rulers were intent on foisting English on the 'natives.' From the early years of British rule, civil servants and missionaries who evinced an interest in the language and literature of the country began to study Pali and Sinhala and while some like Rev. Clough compiled a Sinhala-English dictionary and wrote a Sinhala Grammer, others attempted translations of Pali and Sinhala classics, and Sinhala scholars proficient in English also translated books they considered useful or of interest to the rulers. As early as 1833 Edward Upham translated the Mahavamsa at the request of the Chief Justice Sir Alexander Johnston, and it was published together with translations of the Sinhala chronicles Rajavaliya and Rajaratnakara in three volumes under the title 'The Sacred and Historical Books of Ceylon'. George Turnour of the Ceylon Civil Service translated the Mahavamsa again, correcting some of the inaccuracies in Upham's translation, and it was published in 1837. James D'Alwis one of the most erudite scholars of 19th century Ceylon, published in 1852 an English translation of Sidath Sangarawa, the most authoritative Sinhala Grammer extant. This was followed by his translation of the Pali poem Haththa Vanagalla Vihara Vamsa, the history of the vihara erected on the spot where the pious ex-king Siri Sangabo decapitated himself, lest others be made to suffer on his account. Yatawara does not say what prompted him to make this translation or at whose request it was done. In his preface he thanks J.J. Thorburn and R.W. Lee of the Civil Service and S.B. Burrow AGA Nuwara Eliya "but for whose kind and indefatigable assistance this translation would not have seen the light of day." From this we can infer that Yatawara embarked on this translation because of the interest envinced in this classic by these British officers. It is this same S.M. Burrows who as Director of Public Instruction established the Committee on Oriental Studies in 1902 to systematise pirivena education. This is a translation of the Sinhala Ummagga Jataka written during the reign of Parakrama Bahu IV of Kurunegala (13 century) by an anonymous writer who was encouraged by the minister Weerasingha Pathiraja. The book which was in manuscript was edited by Pundit Batuwantudawa and published by the Government of Ceylon in 1874. Yatawara says he chose the Sinhala Ummagga Jataka for translation in preference to the Pali version because of its popularity and the beauty of the language. The author must have deliberately chosen the simple colloquial style to make the narrative pleasing to the ear - there were very few readers in those far off times, mainly listeners - and easily understood by the ordinary laymen.The Ummagga Jataka is the last but one in the collection of Jataka stories and the longest. It is a cohesive narrative of a series of episodes, each a complete story in itself, with Maha Ushada, King Vedeha's young counsellor, endowed with razor sharp intelligence and ready wit, as the central character. It has all the ingredients to keep the reader in suspense to know what happened next. Tales of intrigues, plots and counter plots, talking birds used as spies, abductions, elopements, the building of the tunnel, which gives the story its title, a tunnel wonderfully furbished and equipped with mechanical devises to open and shut doors, in which the rival king and his family were trapped all these would have provided the farmers, the craftsmen the artisans and their families entertainment, taking them far away from their hum drum daily lives. There is only the faintest trace of a moral and this is something very special to the Ummagga Jataka. The first part of the Jataka consists of problems solved and disputes settled by the boy Maha Ushadha living in his native village until king Vedeha having had proof of his unusual wisdom far beyond his age, invites him to his court in Miyulu Nuwara despite the advice of his four veteran councillors. Two among the 19 stories recounting the problems he solved have their parallels in the Judgements of Solomon. One is the story (Putra Prasna No. 4) of the two women each claiming to be the mother of the child, which tale Bertolt Brecht used in his play Chalk Circle. In the Chalk Circle the judgement is in favour of the foster mother the servant girl who looked after the child - who like the real mothers in the Jataka and Hebrew stories could not bear to see the child being hurt. The other is the story of the dispute, again between two women over a ball of thread (Sutra Prasna No. 3). The issue is decided by asking what was the seed used to wind the thread around. With Maha Ishada's entry into the court of Vedeha the narrative becomes more exciting. The illiterate men, women and children, who gathered at the vihara must have listened with rapt attention to the machinations of the four pundits (counsellors) who were jealous of the newcomer, their attempts to embroil him with the king, Maha Ushada living in disguise in a potters village to escape a plot to kill him, the ruse by which he brought King Brahma datta's Grand vizier Kevatta to his knees, and finally his logistics to defeat the enormous army of Brahmadatta who, advised and egged on by Kevatta, besieged Vedeha's kingdom to become king of all Jambudeepa, having vanquished all the other kings. Tissa Ratnayaka had found a copy of his grandfather's translation in London and decided it was worthwhile re-printing it. It was a wise decision and the re-print is welcome. It should, I think, find a place in school libraries. With the emphasis on English and more English now, students in O/L and A/L forms could benefit reading the first 19 tales, with the Sinhala version alongside. This way the weak ones will be able to better comprehend the English and enjoy the stories. Lalith de Silva (tel. 2854074) will help anyone who wishes to purchase a copy. It is the publisher's intention to donate the proceeds from the sale of the book to the building fund of the Gallindagoda Seneviratnaramaya Moonamal Watta Walagedara in the Kalutara District. |
|
| News | Business | Features
| Editorial | Security
| Produced by Lake House |
