A timely message of social cohesion

Reviewed by Lal Medawattegedara

"If it is the same moon that shines upon this whole world, how come the world burns with conflicts?" This rhetoric question sung by a little child sets the thematic tone for the play Handaya Giya Para, an entertaining children's drama of tales, songs, dance, laughter and social messages. It is a drama whose intention is pure and powerful: to retrace, locate, acknowledge and appreciate the beautiful diversity of Sri Lanka. Dramatized by an energetic caste of over 30 child actors, Handaya Giya Para held the entire Bishop's College auditorium in suspended animation, last week.

The drama begins with a suspiciously clichéd announcement one would hear at a railway station: a trilingual dull monotonous imperative declaring the imminent departure of a train to a fixed location. However, that formulaic truism turns on its access and becomes a metaphor as the human train comes on the stage. We are given glimpse of the very first sign of diversity inside the train. The passengers are by no means equal: they are multi-cultural, multi-religious and tri-lingual; they are from different social classes; they focus on different aspirations - and they are all in the same space occupied by the train carriages. A journey has begun...if there is such a thing called a beginning.

Social cohesion

The imaginary journey traverses through spaces that create meaning in a child's heart. In the school, the children experience diversity of Sri Lanka whole heartedly as they lunge themselves into entertaining classroom group activities, where cultural and religious diversity is given meaning beyond their usual contexts.

Group competition is tough, the teacher is kind and attentive, the students flaunt their visual and verbal capacities. The common learning, we are made to understand, is social cohesion.

In the market place, nutrition takes on a new meaning. Children remind us about the true value of food - the grains, fruits and vegetables. Fast food is a non-entity in this space. The Vatti Amma attains the magic status of a pied piper as she hypnotizes the children with an assortment of fruits, which capture the essence of nature's pure goodness. Using an awesome array of colourful costumes and lyrical folk ballads with soothing music, the child narrators bring to life the value of good food to a healthy lengthy life. One might be forgiven for extending the food metaphor to suggest that a healthy acceptance of diversity could also lead one towards a better life.

Innovative games

In the playground, the vitality, energy and the discipline come alive with lively sound tracks and the sounds of children. However, the games children play are not of the common stock. They play innovative games that borders on the main theme of the drama - appreciating diversity - with serious subtlety. The spirit of the game involves everyone, and it also, like an Olympic flame, carries the message of beauty in diversity into the heart of every participant.

The journeys in the drama are many, and this review does not attempt to document them all - that would spoil the curiosity of the audiences at the next show. However, it is noteworthy to point out that Handaya Giya Para is a drama of songs and music conveying a timely message of social cohesion to children.

It does so using Sri Lankan folk elements and music that recur in one's head and lyrics that are pregnant with meaning. It is obvious from the perfection shown by the caste that a lot of effort had gone forth during the pre-production stages. The backdrops with its stunning combination of colour and visual appeal only complemented the events on stage. It is the perfect ant-biotic to conflict and possibly a best vitamin to nurture peace and harmony in a child's mind.