Philosophy of the Mahinda Chinthana: Spearheading a cultural renaissance by Indeewara Thilakarathne and Ranga Chandrarathne No culture can live if it attempts to be exclusive - Mahatma Gandhi (1869-1948) preeminent leader of Indian nationalism. Without culture, and the relative freedom it implies, society, even when perfect, is but a jungle. This is why any authentic creation is a gift to the future. - Albert Camus (1913-1960) French novelist, essayist and dramatist. Looking back on the five years since the introduction and the implementation of the Mahinda Chintana on arts and culture, a silent resurgence is taking place in the spheres of arts and culture , primarily in the areas of building infrastructure for cultural and artistic activities and the preservation of dying indigenous art forms. The cornerstone of the cultural policy under Mahinda Chintana is the introduction of the National Cultural Policy (NCP) which streamlines cultural activities initiated and implemented by institutions which come under the purview of the Ministry of Cultural Affairs and National Heritage. Among the primary objectives of the NCP is the promotion of cultural diversity in a manner enhancing and strengthening a vibrant culture with Sri Lankan identity. Over the five years, the NCP under the Mahinda Chintana has spearheaded a silent yet an enduring cultural renaissance, reviving the mosaic of diverse forms of arts, literature and preserving the national heritage, which is part and parcel of the world heritage, for posterity to reclaim the glory of the nation. What the NCP, in essence, seeks is to promote a dynamic culture which not only assimilates much-valued contributions from increasingly multi-ethnic and multi-religious and pluralistic society but also the rich cultural and artistic dividends from world culture. It is a bi-directional and cross-fertilisation process whereby Sri Lankan cultural products and unique art forms find their due place in the arena of international arts and culture while making it accessible for Sri Lankans to enjoy the high cultural products such as world literature, films and even performing arts from diverse parts of the globe. It is a bi-directional and cross-fertilisation process whereby Sri Lankan cultural products and unique art forms find their due place in the arena of international arts and culture while making it accessible for Sri Lankans to enjoy the high cultural products such as world literature, films and even performing arts from diverse parts of the globe For instance, the Ministry of Cultural Affairs and National Heritage has made an initiative to revive and promote ancient indigenous martial art Angam. Among the major initiatives are the construction of the National Performing Arts Theatre, Museum at Sigiriya, SAARC Cultural Centre in Nawimana, Matara, Cultural Centre and Tsunami Research Centre in Peraliya, National Arts Centre in Kundasale, Folk Music Conservation Library at the John de Silva theatre and the Folk Art Centre. Ten-fold policy initiative According to the NCP, the national cultural strategy has been mapped out on ten broader areas encompassing the plurality of cultural activities of the nation including the introduction of the National Cultural Policy, introducing programs aimed at promoting and preserving traditional and indigenous art forms, developing cultural sites making them prime touristic destinations and to herald a new era in the field of performing arts. One of the gigantic steps taken towards the promotion and enhancing of Performing Arts in Sri Lanka is the construction of the National Performing Arts Theatre in Colombo. National Performing Arts Theatre The National Performing Arts Theatre which has been constructed at the Normads grounds in Colombo 7 with Chinese financial assistance is the only international performing arts theatre in Sri Lanka. The architectural model of the theatre is inspired by the Nelum Pokuna or the lotus pond in Polonnaruwa. It is a symbol of longstanding bilateral relationship between Sri Lanka and the People’s Republic of China. The construction of the National Performing Arts Theatre (NPAT) commenced in May 2008 and the total cost of the project was Rs 3,080 million. Forty percent of the total cost of the project was met with the financial grant from the Chinese government and the rest is by the Sri Lanka Government. The principal objective of the project is to provide international infrastructure with modern state-of-the–art facilities for professional and amateur artists, researchers and foreign troops and for public performances. The NPAT will fulfill a long-felt need for an international facility for Performing Arts in Sri Lanka. One of the defining traits of a culture is its folk arts. Among the folk arts, folk music occupies a prominent position as a living heritage. Folk music and folk songs have been virtually passed down from generation to generation and often associated with diverse occupations such as farming and mining. Preserving the rich and unique legacy of folk music and folk songs is one of the major priority areas that the government identified in its attempts to preserve the cultural and artistic legacy of the nation. A major stride taken towards that end is the establishment of the Folk Music Conservation Library at the John de Silva Memorial Theatre. The objective of the Folk Music Conservation Library is to preserve the rich legacy of folk music for the posterity. The centre will collect material from individuals and institutions and conserve them in digitalised form and make them available for researchers and the public. Among the major projects to upgrade and renovate existing theatres are the renovation of the National Art Gallery and the John de Silva Memorial Theatre, renovation of the Elphinstone Theatre, the Jaffna Fort conservation project, renovation of the Rukmani Devi theatre and acquisition and renovation of the Gampola theatre. National Arts Centre The National Arts Centre in Kundasale in Kandy, which is being constructed, will provide technical, physical and intellectual facilities for the education, dissemination and research local and international works of arts. The centre will also function as an exhibition centre. In addition to the host of infrastructure development programs such as renovation of the Tower Hall theatre and upgrading and renovation of the Cultural Centre in Padukka, the government has introduced a series of social security programs to ensure the welfare of artistes. Such programs include Saraswathie Pension Scheme, Kala Devi Insurance scheme, Artistes Insurance Scheme, Assistance to needy artistes and Funeral Assistance to Artistes. Inculcate moral values Inculcating healthy values aimed at building a peaceful and highly cultured society is one of the main objectives of the NCP under Mahinda Chintana. The mechanism that the government has devised to inculcate healthy values is through the setting up of Cultural Centres at grass-roots level. Under the program, 158 Cultural Centres have been established. The cultural Centres, apart from functioning as a community centre, offer classes in dancing and languages free of charge to students. Another major program aimed at strengthening the family unit and making a happy home is Senehasa which was held on International Women’s Day. The program was aimed at creating a happy environment in the family. Particularly reviving the dying tradition of bed-time storytelling and imparting children with the knowledge of history of the land and inculcating positive values in them, is another objective of the program. Promoting literature Apart from conducting annual State Literary Festivals, a major initiative of the Ministry is to encourage the publication of books of lasting value. Publishing of the Mahavamsa and Mahavamsa Geetaya and Pulathisi Vansaya is one of the milestones in this initiative. It has been noted that there is a steady rise in the participation of writers at the State Literary Festival since 2005. The Ministry has also successfully conducted a series of inter-state workers’ literary competitions with the intention of promoting literary activities among workers and encouraging talented workers to come to the limelight. In the sphere of archaeology, apart from existing projects, the Department of Archaeology has taken major initiatives such as the Wayamba Cultural Square encompassing Kurunegala, Dambadeniya, Yapahuwa and Panduwasnuwara, Ruhunu Cultural Square. It is obvious that over these five years, the Ministry of Cultural Affairs and National Heritage through its Departments such as the Department of Cultural Affairs and the Department of Archaeology has been able to achieve broader objectives and aims enunciated in the National Cultural Policy under the Mahinda Chintana. The progress achieved so far was not possible without the guidance and personal interest taken by the Secretary to the Ministry of Cultural Affairs and National Heritage Wimal Rubasinghe and his able staff at the Ministry. What is important is that the resurgence of arts and culture comes at the most propitious time when Sri Lanka is enjoying the peace dividends.