Persaudaran: On Malay community in Sri Lanka:

What's a rainbow with one colour?

Review by: Dr Minna Thaheer

The Malay community of Sri Lanka is a picturesquely pleasing reminder of the island's geography in the Indian Ocean. It is equidistant from the straits of Malacca and the straits of Hormuz. The Malays are originally from the Indonesian archipelago, and are mostly Muslims. Their ubiquitous presence that dot the ethno-social fabric of the island reminds us of the illuminating inquiry 'what's a rainbow with one colour? 'The impact of their achievements and contributions to society far outweigh the numbers.

The Malays of Sri Lanka have a common origin and culture that has largely survived the acculturation inevitable in adopted homelands. These attributes qualify them as a distinct ethnic minority in the 'salad bowl' that is, modern Sri Lanka.

The Malaya are the tangy olives, not many, but when encountered, give a distinctly delightful relish. A young Malay Medical student, Tuan Zameer Careem has chosen to pick those 'olives' in the Lankan salad bowl, and offered them in the deliciously readable book Persaudaran. First, he has to be congratulated for his remarkable achievement, parallel to his pursuit of higher studies in the frighteningly competitive stampede to enter medical college. A feat that demonstrates the Malay resilience! A review of his selection of Malay lore in the island will not be complete unless we recognize his contribution to the social anthropology of the country, made in that period of the most thrilling part of life- the years between adolescence and adulthood, devoting time to be a mature social historian.

Persaudaranis, is a significant addition to the literature of socio cultural and ethnic studies in Sri Lanka. The compilation of widely scattered, historically relevant, authentic materiel relating to political, social, economic and cultural history of the Malays makes it an invaluable source for researchers and students of social science. One cannot help but regret, that this Medical student did not receive the guidance of an experienced social historian for deeper sociological analysis of the rich material assembled.

Young Careem proceeds with a fleeting survey of how the Malays arrived and set down their roots in the island of Sri Lanka after weeks of sailing with favourable winds from the Malay peninsula.

The etymological and historical explanations the author gives to places with links to the Malay community are interesting and informative i.e Java Patnam (the etymology of Jaffna), Javaka-cheri meaning the Fort of Javakas (present day Chavakacheri). The book is a narrative that asserts the multicultural mosaic of the Sri Lankan communities.

The fateful war waged by the pre-Islamic Buddhist Javanese King Chandrabunu, who brought in foot soldiers to acquire possession of Lord Buddha's tooth relic, and his defeat, are all interwoven into Zameer's beautifully flowing and compelling narrative.

The Dutch initiative of settling Malays too receives a general sweep owing to obvious space constraints in an already thick volume.

The Dutch inclination to use their territory in Sri Lanka as a holding station for the inconvenient or rebellious Malay nobility resisting them, receives greater focus.

The exiled Malay nobility apparently retained their sense of 'Noblesse oblige' and assumed leadership roles within the local community. The Malays brought by the Dutch were hired soldiers, but evidently not short of valour. The book deals with the rise of the Malay regiment introduced by the Dutch, but used with far greater imagination by the British.

It is an interesting commentary on the emergence of Malay mosques; Malay saints; Malay personalities; Malay culture, Malay costumes and cuisine.

The author, Zameer Careem is a fourth year medical student. He has devoted much time for the research on the Malay community, and commenced exploring the dim corridors of Malay history in Sri Lanka at the age of 18.

He acknowledges the guidance of his mother and grandmother who have added lustre to the narrative. That indeed is natural. Such small ethno-cultural enclaves survive only in the hands of women who are natural custodians of the intangible heritage of the tribe, clan and community.

Puzzled by the efforts of a Medical student, the obvious query is, how did you find the time? His riposte was, "this is my main source of distraction I enjoy, which takes me away from the hard medical studies". During vacations, over the past few years, Zameer has been busy with his archival and data collation. The book is in a sense, an eagle eye view of their lives and rich cultural traditions, containing an interesting array of visuals, cultural snippets, narratives and notes. The grandmother has provided recipes of Malay dishes, narrated Malay myths and elaborated on the Malay marriage rituals.

The integrity of any research rests on its authenticity, though it may not be the full story. But, any standard Persaudaran is an authentic account of the Malay Brotherhood of Sri Lanka.

Author Zameer Careem is fortunate to have had an authentic source, in an authentic Malay Grandmother. Overall, the socio-cultural life of Malays, all too well captured in one volume is a commendable effort by the young author, Careem.