Culture defines who we are - Wimal Rubasinghe

In an exclusive interview with the Sunday Observer, the Secretary to the Ministry of Cultural Affairs, Wimal Rubasinghe spells out the Government's mission and vision in the vital area of arts and culture. Apart from being a senior civil servant, a little known fact about the newly appointed Secretary is that he is a poet and an art lover who is deeply rooted in Sri Lankan culture and its defining ethos.

Interviewed by Ranga Chandrarathne

Q: It is the view of both Sri Lankan and foreign intellectuals that culture and literature represent a nation's identity and soul of the people. What is your view?

The secratary to the Ministry of Cultural Affairs Wimal Rubasinghe

Answer: The late Prof. Gunapala Malalasekara described culture as "delicate things and ethically made up things, things that are nurtured". Sinhalese encyclopaedia defines culture as "a sum of traditions, customs, beliefs of diverse religions and diverse communities". The encyclopaedia further describes culture as "things that one may either inherit as" something from the past or indoctrinate as habit by another or accepted behaviour, thinking to a certain extent as culture". Therefore, culture can be interpreted as everything, things that man-made, and those artifacts that would lead to a good life.

'Literature' is a collection of creation in a given language. Excellent poetry, books and newspapers, collection of dissertations, colloquial idioms, and experience of joy by the stimulation of mental faculties of human beings can be described, in brief, as literature. Therefore, culture and literature are important components of life. Therefore, in combination both culture and literature represent the identity of a nation and soul of people.

Q: Would you explain the structure, monetary and human resources of the Ministry of Cultural Affairs?

A: Ministry of Cultural Affairs and National Heritage is an important Ministry entrusted to carry out important programmes throughout the island. The Ministry, currently implements programmes and provides services, which are of utmost importance to both locals and foreigners. Following institutions directly come under the purview of the Ministry: The Department of Cultural Affairs, Department of National Museums, Department of Archaeology, Department of National Archives, National Film Corporation, Tower Hall Foundation, Public Performance Board, Central Cultural Fund, Galle Heritage Foundation and Sri Lanka Arts Council. Following institutions also come under the purview of Cultural Ministry. Some of them are Provincial Cultural Centres, the offices of Assistant Directors' of Archaeology, Provincial Cultural Triangle Offices, Provincial Museums and other services. All the officers attached to these departments and institutes will be coordinated through the head office of the Ministry, located at 'Sethsiripaya', Battaramulla.

Q: Is the Ministry also responsible for policies and programmes under 'Mahinda Chinthanaya', which are aimed at bringing about a renaissance in culture and literature?

A: The Ministry is committed in implementing 'Mahinda Chinthanaya'. The work and processes are carried out by the Ministry with the following objectives:

'Gunawath Purawasiyek', (Good citizen); 'Senehasa Piri Paulak', (Affectionate family); and 'Mathata Thitha', (Full stop to drinking). 'Attita Abimana Hetata', (Yesterday's pride for tomorrow); 'Uruma Aruna' (Rays of heritage); Rajarata Nawodaya (Reawaking of Rajarata); Wayamba Punargivanaya (Renaissance of Wayamba), Kala Ketha Asvaddima, (Harvesting the field of Art); Kala ha Sanskuruthiya Poshanaya (Arts and cultural nourishment). To achieve these objectives, Cultural Officers at Divisional Secretariat level have been deployed and a programme will be carried out with the assistance of diverse cultural societies, Institutes of Arts and community organisations. There are 150 cultural centres, which directly come under the purview of the Ministry.

'Senehas', a programme aimed at ensuring healthy babies and mothers has been carried out with the active participation of doctors and officials in the health sector. The Ministry plays an active role with donor organisations in order to provide nutritional food supplements and childcare materials.

An on-going programme to preserve archaeological sites scattered around the country has been launched. The Department of Archaeology and Cultural Triangle have taken measures to identify research, preserve and protect these sites. Facilities for the masses to visit those sites have been provided. The Government has spent Rs. 660 million on this programme.

The Department of Archaeology and the Department of National Achieves have been preserving the sites, artifacts, and display for the public to view. For instance, restoration of Jethawana Pagoda and Abhayagiriya Pagoda in Anuradhapura are just two good examples.

Annual Festival of Arts, which makes up drama, dance, paintings, music, and cinema, will be held in order to encourage the artistic fraternity in Sri Lanka. Diverse competitions will be held and certificates will be awarded to the winners. A Performing Arts Theatre is now being constructed at a cost of 151 million rupees at Ananda Koomaraswamy Mawatha in Colombo.

Concession will be granted for writers to public and propagate their literary works. Annually artists will be honoured with honorary titles such as 'Kalabushana' in recognition of their services to the field of Art and Culture in Sri Lanka.

A social security scheme entitled 'Saraswathi Vishrama Vatupa' has been launched to Senior Artistes. A monthly allowance for the senior artistes will be provided under the scheme. In addition, the Ministry has also set up a Trust Fund for the artistes.

Q: Considering the grass roots level, to which degree human and financial resources have been allocated to develop art and culture?

A: For this purpose, about 350 Cultural Officers have been deployed throughout the country. Over 3,000 other officers have been deployed at Provincial and District levels to provide services in the areas of Archaeology and Museums.

Q: Folklore, folk poems, folk idioms, legends and proverbs are considered as specific cultural and literary heritage at the grass roots level or at village level. What are your views on preserving, studying and translating these unique heritages into foreign languages?

A: This idea is very important. The Ministry has been implementing diverse programmes with this objective. A special programme with aids from Netherland has been launched.

Under the programme, these invaluable artifacts will be collected and restored in digital media.

In addition, libraries in provincial cultural centres, museums, the Department of National Achieves, Central Cultural Found and Tower Hall Foundation and the Audio-Visual Section of the National Film Corporation have been preserving these art forms and propagating them among the public through books, audio cassettes, CDs, films, pictures and maps.

Q: Are there special policies and programmes to preserve such heritages under Mahinda Chinthanaya?

A: Yes, there are many ongoing programmes. According to 'Mahinda Chintanaya-Idiri Dakma' (Mahinda Chinthanaya-forward vision), cultural heritage will be preserved.

In order to achieve this goal, we implement diverse programmes through the structures and process of the Ministry and I explained some of these earlier.

Q: It is my understanding that there is a demand internationally for folklore, folk poems, folk idioms, legends, and proverbs. Is there a programme implemented by the Ministry of Cultural Affairs for this purpose?

A: Yes, the above-mentioned programme with aids received for the Dutch Government (Netherland aids) is an example. Under international cultural programmes, information will be provided for the international community. We will expand these services further.

Q: Do you consider managing culture and literature, which represent the soul of the people by a bureaucracy or Ministerial Administrative Structure as a good methodology?

A: The officials and structure of the ministry would only help to implement policies and processes focusing on how best to protect them and develop further.

The ministry will not encourage creations harmful to society. We do not control, limit or direct cultural and literary creations. We only encourage and help them.

Q: Considering culture and literature, particularly Sinhalese literature, there is a tendency that diasporic writers and intellectuals such as Prof. Wimal Dissanayake in Hawaii, Prof. Siri Gunasinghe in Canada and Badraji Mahinda Jayatilake in the USA, D.B. Kuruppu, Jagath J. Edirisinghe, Palitha Ganewatte and Sunil Govinnage have been contributing to the enrichment of Sinhala literature from overseas. How do you view this tendency?

A: This trend can be seen than ever before among senior writers, authors who are both here in Sri Lanka and domiciled in foreign soils.

I appreciate the efforts of these writers as an attempt to develop and propagate Sri Lankan culture and literature overseas.

We are ready to respond positively through international organisations such as UNESCO whenever we could. We could also explore how we could develop programmes to work with these writers in future.