Daughters felicitate Minister Amunugama

Reviewed by Kalakeerthi Edwin Ariyadasa

“One’s father is more than a hundred schoolmasters” - George Herbert

Does the history of literature record an instance of two daughters jointly publishing a volume to felicitate their father? My memory cannot conjure up such as eventuality. Given that background, this book must be unique.

And, the volume that earns such a distinction is “Sarath Amunugama - A fullife”. The work, produced by the two daughters Ramanika Unamboowe and Varuni Fernando, possesses a typographic personality of de-luxe, coffee-table refinement.

Minister Dr.Sarath Amunugama

But, its elegance is subdued, understated and unobtrusive, reflecting the cultivated and restrained presence of the subject of the book - Minister Sarath Amunugama.

As they commence their introduction, the two daughters unambiguously and unhesitatingly set down their perception of their Appachchi the Minister.

“Sarath Amunugama, our father is a Sri Lankan icon.”

In their succinct assessment of their father the Minister, the two daughters make a pithy statement:

Media specialist

“He is well-known in the country for his contribution as a public servant, a scholar, a media specialist and a politician.”

In their need to be restrained in the pronouncements about their own Appachchi, they have left out several significant aspects of his life. He has moved well beyond being a mere politician and has now acquired the stature of a statesman. He has a considerable international presence. For a while, he headed AMIC - the Singapore-based media organisation.

Eliciting facts to recount the early years of their father’s life, must undoubtedly have proved an exceedingly embarrassing exercise for the two doting daughters. They cannot praise him too excessively, lest they appear to be extolling him out of proportion.

Nor can they leave out certain essential details, since that will make their statement seem incomplete and wanting.

The authors have opted to pursue a middle path, recognising those two restricting limitations.

Absorbing story

In its spirit, the present work could very well be characterised as a resume of the absorbing life story of Minister Sarath Amunugama.

The two daughters seem to have quite realistically appreciated, that, if his biography is adequately narrated, it will invariably fill several copious and comprehensive volumes. But, with all that, the present work communicates a sense of satisfying completeness.

The grandparents of the authors - the father and the mother of the Minister - provided a culturally sensitive, deeply disciplined and intellectually stirring domestic atmosphere for child Sarath. The child’s home-life was predominantly bilingual, as the parents were adequately equipped with Sinhala and English.

Although the authors do not pointedly hint at that possibility, when he was enrolled at Kandy Girls High School, with due deference to the required family practice, little Sarath must have been a child prodigy. His double promotion bears this out.

Trinity days

The authors focus upon the Trinity days of their Appachchi, delving substantially no doubt, into his chequered recollections. These were crucial, formative days, that determined the contours of his future evolution. The teachers at Trinity, impacted upon his character, with a telling effectiveness, with debonair Hillary Abeyratne impressing him as the role model.

From his teenage days on, Sarath Amunugama possessed personality traits, that ensured prominence among peers and leadership. According to contemporary undergraduate chronicler Daya de Silva at Peradeniya, Sarath Amunugama, stood out as exceptional. As Daya de Silva records, Sarath Amunugama was admired for his “extremely good looks” and his leadership qualities.

The narrator recounts how youthful Sarath regaled and charmed his undergraduate audiences, by his recitals of poetry, which included Shakespeare. As is quite evident from Daya de Silva’s writings, these beguiling readings of poetry, were given a marked impetus by the predominant presence of ardent female undergraduates in the audience.

Sense of decorum

With an understandable sense of decorum the autohrs of this volume - his two daughters - do not make an effort to trace the romantic pursuits of their father, during his university days.

At the university he read sociology. In hindsight, we can observe, how this course - choice proved a tower of strength in his life’s career. For some, studying a subject at the university, may be part of the routine process of graduation. But to Sarath Amunugama, Sociology turned out to be a way of life almost. It became his philosophy and world-view.

As a young civil servant, he served in many parts of the Island. But, wherever he went, he was wholeheartedly absorbed in the way people lived in those areas that came under his administrative purview.

In Sri Lankan civil service, he admirably demonstrated the questing spirit of those classic members of the civil service represented by such stalwarts as Leonard Woolf.

Versatility

It is satisfying to note that his personality quality, timbre and versatility were amply recognised even by the United Nations.

Occupying a senior position in the UN system, he functioned as the Director of the International Programme for the Development of Communication.

In sum, there is hardly any other person, in public life in Sri Lanka today, who could claim the national and international experience and reputation, that Minister Sarath Amunugama, has been able to gain.

Generally speaking, politics, at least in part, is a fearsome jungle, replete with entrapments, ready to ensnare the unwary. The National and International Civil Servant, media star, sociologist and statesman, Minister Sarath Amunugama has succeeded in negotiating the ups-and-downs of his chosen field, and has emerged unscathed.

His bonhomie, his amiability and his ever present pleasantness are not at all the segments of a studied theatricality. His disarming geniality is authentic.

He is at home in any group. In the volume authored by his daughters, the series of photographs makes up for the spare text.

For the two daughters, the production of this volume has been a labour of love as quite clearly stated in the last section of their introduction: “Our Appachchi has been the centre of our universe and the inspiration on our lives. We greatly appreciate the love and support he has lavished.”

An unarticulated but clear question seems to be implied in this statement. Why should the world not take up this matter from here on and p roduce a profound study of the work of our Appachchi, at national and international level. The volume is a challenge.

The world will be grateful to these two daughters for their love and affection - inspired felicitation of their Appachchi, who is an unparalleled “Icon”, whatever way you may look at him.

Dutugamunu the King and the Commander-in-Chief:

Balanced view of King Dutugamunu

Reviewed by U. V. H. Perera

The book “Maha Senapathi Dutugamunu Rajatuma” by Dr. P. G. Punchihewa admirably fills a vacuum crated since dropping of history as a subject from the school curriculum.

The publication is timely. About 40 years after the first tsunami, during the time of the King Kelanitissa, Sri Lanka emerged as a unitary State. Five years after the second tsunami Sri Lanka came to be a full pledged unitary State after 30-years of struggle.

Mahasenapathi Dutugamunu Rajatuma Dutugamunu the King and the Commander-in-Chief Author: Dr. P. G. Punchihewa Published by Sarasavi Publishers

The book though originally intended for children was further enriched by the inclusion of findings from chronicles, religious literature, stone inscription, recent history books and folk stories.

This perusing has enabled the author to present a more balanced picture of King Dutugamunu, Sri Lanka’s most beloved and respected national hero, the incomparable in the long line of famous kings who ruled the Island.

The inclusion of research material has not made the book more difficult for children of the higher grades to understand.

It is equally appealing to the adult and the young. The language is simple and free from erudite jargon.

The author points out many a first in history that Dutugamunu could rightly claim. He was never a conqueror for its own sake motivated by expansion of power and domain.

His twin objects were uniting the country and the protecting of Buddhism. It took more than three decades to achieve his first objective. He was true to his promise to Maha Sangha. He spent the remaining 24 years of his life in fulfilling his second objective.

It was a long preparation for war. In this he was ably supported by the King Kavantissa who with foresight organised the first professional army, provided training and manufactured the necessary weaponry.

The author points out that the role of Kavantissa had been underplayed in the chronicles. It was eclipsed by the charismatic aura of the son.

He succeeded in maintaining internal peace among the sub kingdoms in Ruhuna and also prevented the decimation of his professional army by making it to remain natural in the battle between the two brothers.

Patrimony

Any military campaign if it is to succeed requires able leadership, trained army, weapons, food and public support. His patrimony was the army with its twelve commanders and weaponry. Dutugamunu so admirably provided the leadership and organised the food supply with the help of his brother. He himself set an example by engaging in paddy cultivation.

In fact Uva Wellassa first aswaddumized by Prince Tissa, served as the Sri Lanka’s granary until it was completely devastated by the British during the 1818 rebellion.

Dutugamunu did not have the advantage of terrain that the latter day Kandyans had. He had to fight in open field and it was a question of taking over fortress after fortress. It took four months to take Vijithapura involving great human sacrifice.

His was the first and the last personal combat in Mahabharata tradition between two kings in Sri Lanka. The author discusses the succeeding person to person combat between Dutugamunu and Bhalluka. It took place four months after the death of Elara.

It is not clear why Dutugamunu, now the sole King of the Island faced the invader in person. Bhalluka was not of Royal lineage and it was not required by the traditional etiquette of war. Looking at this incident in retrospect we feel that the King has over extended himself. It was an unnecessary risk.

However, Bhalluka used the bow which had a longer range than the spear which Dutugamunu carried. Thanks to Phussadeva’s skill in archery, the encounter did not end in disaster for the country.

Was it chivalry that prompted this action? We can only speculate. It may be possible that it was humane considerations that prompted his action. He had seen enough carnage and probably did not want to pit his depleted army against the invader in a pitched battle.

Colossal religious constructions.

An index to his greatness was the way he conducted the last rites of Elara. Such high regard had never been paid to a fallen adversary by any victor in history.

His self included edict was respected during the past two thousand years.

He was also the first to start colossal religious constructions. Though Jatavana and Abhayagiri are bigger in size Ruvanweli Dagaba still remains as the Maha Thupa. (At a height of 300 feet, it should give a horizon of 21 miles on flat terrain with unobstructed view.

The shortest distance to the Western coast in a straight line from Anuradhapura is about 40 miles.)He devoted the 24 years of his life as the sole king of Sri Lanka to the uplift of Buddhism and to improve the well-being of his subjects. Even the wellbeing of animals was cared for. He remained true to his wife of Kotmale days who was not of royal lineage as some of our kings did.

The humane way he treated his son Saliya who gave up the hard won throne of the entire Island to marry a low caste beauty is yet another example of his greatness.

It is essential to compare and contrast and to sift essential references from diverse sources in order to arrive at a balanced view. There are exaggerations in ancient literature, more specifically in case of arithmetic figures. Reading chronicles and traditional literature is cumbersome and time-consuming for students and many an adult.

Books of this nature meet the need of presenting an overall balanced view in a readable way. I wish many more presentations of this nature will come from the author.

The writer is a former Director of Research, Coconut Development Authority.

Book Launch

Panchali

Ven.Melpitiye Wimalawathi's latest Sinhala novel "Panchali" will be launched at dayawansa Jayakody Book exhibition Hall,Colombo 10 on July 20 at 10 am. "Panchali" is a Dayawansa Jayakody Publication.

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Microsoft Office Excel 2007

Pradeep Kavinda Kotuwegedara’s latest book ‘Microsoft Office Excel 2007’ will be launched at the National Library Services and Documentation Board auditorium, Independence Avenue, Colombo 7 on July 12 at 3.30 p.m.

Kotuwegedara’s other books include “Vyapara Ha Ayathana Pariganaka Gatha Kirima”, “Web Adavi Sekasima” and “Pariganakaya Nivaradiva Hasuravamu”.

“Microsoft Office Excel 2007” is a Dayawansa Jayakody publication.