Two statues of women

by Sumana Saparamadu

There are statues and statues. I counted 12 in the city of Colombo alone. There may be some others I missed. There are statues in Galle, Kandy, Anuradhapura and some other towns. They are all men's statues - statesmen, philanthropists, Prime Ministers and politicians.

In this multitude of statues there are only two statues of women. Yes, only two. One is of Rukmani Devi and the other is of Gajaman Nona.

Rukmani Devi

She was the Queen of the silver screen. Rukmani Devi played the lead role in the first Sinhala film Kadavunu Poronduwa (Broken Promise). She played the lead role in many more films. Siriyalata, Kele Handa, Kapati Arakshakaya and Daiva Yogaya are a few that come to mind as I write.

Before acting in films, she had already made a name for herself as a talented actress in stage plays, presented by the Minerva players. She could have and would have acted in many more films had her life not been cut short in an accident.Born in January 1924, she was named Daisy Daniel.

She was in her 56th year when on October 28, 1978, the car she was travelling on Negombo road met with an accident. Her husband Eddie Jayamanne was with her at the time.

She was killed on the spot. Her statue is at Tudella junction, very close to the spot where she was killed in the accident.

Gajaman Nona

The other statue is of Gajaman Nona, who wrote the poem Denipitiye Nuga Ruka. You would have read about it in the Junior Observer of March 2.

Gajaman Nona was born in Kollupitiya in 1758 and was named Dona Isabella Perumal Cornelia. Her father was Gajaman Arachchi, an officer in the elephant department. (Gaja is another word for elephant). In the course of time the daughter came to be known as Gajaman Nona.

The family came to live in Matara, after her father was appointed Arachchi of the Matara Thombu - Registrar of births, marriages and deaths and of lands.

Gajaman Nona had an inborn talent to compose kavi (verses) and she developed this talent under the guidance of Pattayame Lekam, one of the leading poets at the time.

She was given in marriage when she was 22. Her husband died soon after her son was born. Advised by her father and after much coaxing she consented to a second marriage. She was widowed again and left with three more sons.

She was now down and out. Her father who had helped her financially was also dead. She was alone with no regular income and four boys to feed and clothe. One day she took courage and wrote an appeal to the Government Agent Matara, John Doyle. She wrote her appeal in verse. John Doyle knew some Sinhala.

In the opening verse she says "with hands raised in reverence I am telling you my tale of woe to get some help." ("Wendagena duka kiyami pihitak leba gannata"). John Doyle gave her a plot of land to maintain herself and her children.The land and the surrounding area became known as Nonagama. It is on the road to Hambantota a little to the west of Ambalantota. The road from Ratnapura via Kahawatta, Embilipitiya joins the Hambantota road at Nonagama. Gajaman Nona's statue at Nonagama was erected by President Premadasa.