Sunday Observer Online
 

Home

Sunday, 13 September 2009

Untitled-1

observer
 ONLINE


OTHER PUBLICATIONS


OTHER LINKS

Marriage Proposals
Classified
Government Gazette

Tragicomedy elements in felicitation ceremonies

Although there is no exact definition for tragicomedy, it is a work of fiction with elements of tragedy and comedy. The term supposed to have been used, though with a liberal meaning, by Aristotle in his Poetics when he described tragedy with a duel ending.

Looking at the diverse felicitation ceremonies that are being held with the sole and exclusive intention of glorifying personalities, one could not help but recall the tragic and the comic elements present as in a Shakespearean drama. However, the fundamental difference between a Shakespearean tragedy and a tragicomedy in most of the felicitation ceremonies held in honour of well -known and ill-known personalities is that they are enacted on the stage of the world with real time effect on the spectators.

In a broader sense of the word, felicitation means an expression of pleasure and goodwill at the success of another or an acknowledgment of the fact that someone has an occasion to celebrate. Usually, a felicitation ceremony is organised by parties interested in the subject rather than the person or personalities who are to be felicitated. The purpose of such felicitation ceremony is, really, to acknowledge contribution that a person has made to a particular field or to the betterment of society at large.

Mockery of felicitations

As far as Sri Lankan scene is concerned, it was in the post independent Sri Lanka, that a generation of politicians began to abuse the felicitation ceremonies. Politicians of diverse hues began to celebrate what they called milestones in their careers in the form of 'felicitation ceremonies'. Given the dire state of poverty and the degree of development in their respective constituencies, politician could hardly afford to celebrate anything other than their absolute failures in addressing the burning issues of the time.

Those ceremonies became a butt end of jokes. However, the so called felicitation ceremonies continued sometimes with full-page advertisements being published in national dailies and weeklies.

Eventually, those 'felicitation ceremonies' became a nuisance that veteran journalist Gunadasa Liyanage held a felicitation ceremony for a labourer named Jonny. The felicitation ceremony was held with participation of a large crowd. The ceremony was organised in such a manner that was almost a replication of the so called 'felicitation ceremonies' held for rather bankrupt politicians. The organising committee of the felicitation ceremony for Jonny made sure that a wide publicity was given to the celebrations in the press. Jonny's felicitation ceremony had effectively put an end to the surge of facilitation ceremonies held for politicians.

Felicitation ceremonies for literati

In the field of literature, felicitation ceremonies are held for writers either to celebrate a life time contribution made to the field of literature or to celebrate the writers themselves. Although there is no such need for felicitation ceremonies for writers, if such ceremonies are to be held, they should be organised and conducted by Ministry of Cultural Affairs. However, the Ministry of Cultural Affairs would give a little money to the writer's or artist's family in the event of a death and would place the remains of the artist or the writer at the National Art Gallery for the public to pay their respect.

It is here that the tragic elements come to play a role in writers' felicitation ceremonies. Since no person acknowledged the contribution made by writers, it seems that they have themselves decided to celebrate their 'successes 'in a series of self-organised felicitation ceremonies.

The sheer irony of the entire exercise is that entire 'felicitation ceremony' from the telephoning of invitees to the putting finishing touches to the decorations in the hall, is done either by the writer himself / herself or the writer's next of kin under his supervision.

On most of the occasions, the writer himself or herself telephones the prospective invitees and sends invitation cards. The zenith of such felicitation ceremonies is the speeches delivered by opinion leaders who would praise the writer to the moon. On some occasions, the speakers would describe the writers as great intellectuals unparalleled in their literary abilities.

The pertinent question here is not the manner in which such felicitation ceremonies are organised or the persons behind the scene, on most occasions they are either writer himself / herself or the writer's family members but whether the writer could really appreciate such a ceremony. Is it a self-deceiving exercise? How hard a writer's family and friends work to make the ceremony a success? Are these ceremonies merely ego-boosting exercises on the part of the writers or mere eye wash.

Another fascinating feature of such felicitation ceremonies is that at the end of the ceremony a paper is passed on among the participants with the purpose of gathering participants' addresses and contact numbers. The question arises whether the participants if they happened to be invitees, would really appreciate the work of the writer or are they participants by no choice?

However, the fact remains that the success of a writer is not determined on the ego-boosting and pompous facilitation ceremonies that are ironically organized by writers themselves but on the fact whether readers really enjoy and appreciate their literary works.

There is hardly any record so as to throw a semblance of doubt that illustrious Sinhala writers such as Martin Wickramasinghe, W. A. Silva and Piyadasa Sirisena had ever held felicitation ceremonies of this nature. The fact, however, remains that their literary works are still considered as masterpieces and appreciated by generation of the readers and will stand the test of time.

EMAIL |   PRINTABLE VIEW | FEEDBACK

www.lanka.info
www.defence.lk
Donate Now | defence.lk
www.apiwenuwenapi.co.uk
LANKAPUVATH - National News Agency of Sri Lanka
www.peaceinsrilanka.org
www.army.lk
www.news.lk
 

| News | Editorial | Finance | Features | Political | Security | Sports | Spectrum | Montage | Impact | World | Magazine | Junior | Obituaries |

 
 

Produced by Lake House Copyright © 2009 The Associated Newspapers of Ceylon Ltd.

Comments and suggestions to : Web Editor