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Fascination for the difficult

"Dilemma of an Island" by Merril Gunaratne

Vijitha Yapa Publications

Reviewed by Susil Sirivardana

Merril Gunaratne's book of essays, Dilemma Of An Island, is that unusual product of a committed professional, who wrote it as the first call of his retirement after a thirty-five year career in the Police. What is key is the compulsion behind that action.

It is a rare occurrence for a dissenter from common or garden practice to follow his inner compulsion to the point of recording it in print and placing it before the public arena. This patent sense of social responsibility is amply complemented by the robust content of the book. These critical reflections of first hand experiences and insights into what are some of contemporary Sri Lanka's most intractable problems have an immediacy of engagement and a cutting edge quality of contestation.

The range of essays is fascinating by any standard. The first is a closely argued and reflective critical analysis of the ethnic question from the author's perspective as Director of Intelligence. If there was a challenge for a professional, here it was with a vengeance.

The author rises to the challenge by bringing his counsel to the Head of State himself, a highly productive proactiveness and a holism. The narrative has a razor-sharp clarity and a depth of engagement which can only come from an insider. The final and fourteenth essay is totally different - on coming to terms with retirement, which is a meditative introspective dialogue within the author himself on the need to consciously refocus one's inner self to a completely different relationship to oneself in society without the trappings of office.

Tight in the middle is a set of thoughts on the rise in crime and violence where the author fully empathises with the terrible dilemmas of the public at large where the inertias of a decaying system heap crisis upon crisis on the innocents with no prospect of hope and relief.

By reasserting and reinterpreting the first principles of police practice with commitment and creativity, the author reveals the utter manageability of our problems. In between are essays on the JVP, student unrest, combatting terrorism in Colombo, overcoming child prostitution in Negombo, Making Police station citizen friendly, travails of the police today, tackling election violence the Biyagama Hostage Drama, Revamping Police Medical and Recreational services, the Pope's visit, in lighter vein and an epilogue.

The largeness of mind and sensibility is seen throughout the essays in the author's relationship to all his subjects be they the public important personages those he admires or his detractors.

There is a sensitivity restraint and detachment which invests the sharpest criticisms with abundant tolerance and good sense. There is no personalisation, animosity, bitterness or one-upmanship. All these pettinesses are transcended by the pursuit of a culture of excellence.

It is the criticality that provides the depth and the insightfulness. The training of the intelligence professional is certainly evident. But there is something more. That is the enjoyment he derives from the challenge of intelligence work. A highly analytical and resilient mind would be naturally prone to such work. He not only finds this work manageable but the maturation of the requisite skills has conferred a proactiveness which is the real stuff of intelligence.

Intelligence is just not for mediocrity. It is just not eavesdropping and telephone tapping. It is rather the mapping and synthesizing of apparently disparate fragments to catalyse preemptive counter plans to sustain orderly society.

And thirdly the value-frame and ethics. A passion for justice, equity, openness, accountability and social responsibility drives the writer throughout his work. He is called upon to defend and protect the citizenry vulnerable children, his subordinates and peers His Holiness the Pope and Heads of State. Especially in a service where force is integral to its instrumentalities these humane qualities of caring and empathy are essential countervailing qualities. There is a sense of the intrinsic spirituality of human beings - a bottomline which has to be respected by everyone in authority, especially a member of the forces.

This is the kind of cutting edge and engaged reflectiveness this crisis ridden society is crying out for. After fifty three years of independence, our civil society in under challenge to get its act together and assert its civic power, especially against those who have alienated themselves with power and self-righteousness. We are in the process of trying to reconnect with a tradition of public dialogue and discourse-making which we have always had and still have.

It is our wish that this book is picked up by the many concerned institutions which are attempting to hold the mirror up to Sri Lankan society in order to critique its reality and come up with relevant alternative. PGIM SLIDA BIDTI, Sociology Departments, Centre for Society and Religion SLFI Institute for Local Government and others should now fulfil their responsibility of following up and debating the issues opened up.

The book must be translated into Sinhala and Tamil. There is an enthusiastic readership there. Similarly the book must be marketed in South Asia. Future editions must have an index, which is missed in this one.

Helping students to improve communication skills

by Dr. Jagath Wickramasinghe,

English for Everyday Use is a handbook for learners of English - school students, university students, professionals, workers in different fields who lack the ability to handle the English language correctly and fluently. The author Mr. A.B.C. De Silva, Director-General of the Distant Eduction Service, is a well experienced specialist teacher of English, who had done extensive research in the United States of America, Japan and several Third World countries.

The book will help in the day-to-day use of the English Language especially for communication purposes. It includes very simple dialogues of meeting and introducing people, identifying people, places and objects, telephone conversations, directions to places, conversations and enquiries at public places, appointments and meeting people, enquiries at post offices, railway stations, and the air port, consultation of doctors and various other information pertaining to day-to-day activities of society.

This book will enhance the communicative skills of the students.

Concise and in simple language

by W.T.J.S. Kaviratne

A guide to the biodiversity of Bundala National Park. Text compiled and edited by: Dr. Channa N.B. Bambaradeniya. (Prepared by IUCN - Sri Lanka for the Department of Wildlife Conservation, with financial assistance from the Ramsar Bureau)

The head of the Biodiversity Programme of IUCN - The World Conservation Union, Sri Lanka Country Office, Dr. Channa N.B. Bambaradeniya has compiled a Guide to the Biodiversity of Bundala National Park.

Bundala National Park covering an area of 6216 is located in the Hambantota district. In 1969 Bundala was declared a Sanctuary under the Fauna and Flora Protection Ordinance and in 1992 it was declared as a National Park due to its richness in ecosystem and species diversity.

In 1990, Bundala National Park was declared as the first Ramsar wetland of Sri Lanka recognised internationally because it provided food and shelter for over 20,000 shorebirds migrating from distant climes of the world.

Migratory bird species such as Stints, Sand Pipers, Plovers, Terns, Gulls, Ducks and the well-known Flamingo could be seen peacefully sharing the same habitats with their resident counterparts like Herons, Egrets, Pelicans, Cormorants, Teals, Storks, Stilts and Grebes, in the wetland of Bundala. Bundala can be considered a unique gift of nature to this country as its beauty is enhanced due to diverse ecosystems providing habitats for diverse species of living things.

According to the Ramsar Convention it is essential for the contracting parties to make an assessment of wetland enjoying the status of 'Ramsar'. A team of research workers of IUCN - Sri Lanka headed by Dr. Channa Bambaradeniya conducted a comprehensive field survey of the various aspects of the biodiversity of the Bundala Ramsar Wetland.

This research team comprised Sarath Ekanayake, Suranjan Fernando, Ruchira Somaweera, and Nalin Perera of IUCN, Sri Lanka.

The Director and the staff of the Wildlife Department had also provided the necessary guidance to Dr. Bambaradeniya and his team for the successful completion of the field survey within the Bundala National Park.

In 1993, the Wetland Conservation Project of the Central Environmental Authority had prepared a wetland site report and a conservation management plan for Bundala National Park, but the latest findings on field research carried out in Bundala and its environs by Dr. Bambaradeniya and his team are found in this Guide to Bundala.

Dr. Bambaradeniya who was conscious of his mission of compiling a Guide Book, instead of a scientific treatise on the biodiversity of Bundala, had taken care to include his findings in concise and simple language suitable, for a Guide. Guide to Bundala has 53 pages including six annexes.

Two summaries in Sinhala and Tamil are given at the beginning of the Guide.

There are many colour plates and maps supporting the information given in every chapter of the Guide. In addition, the presentation of information has been done in an attractive manner on the top of every chapter in a few lines of poetic language:

'The song of a bird.... the trumpet of an elephant.... the tinkle of a stream.... the roar of the ocean.... the silver of the moonbeam.... the gold of the sand dune.... It's a true paradise.

The first chapter 'Introduction to Bundala National Park' though very brief, gives a clear idea about its location, vegetation and its important ecosystems. The second chapter provides information on vegetation types, habitats, and plant species of Bundala.

Table 1 gives the Habitat types, their dominant plant species. Scientific names and the Sinhala names are also given. The third chapter deals with animals of Bundala and valuable information in mamals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, fish and butterflies with attractive colour plates. Valuable information to Bird Watchers are given in the Chapter on Birding Hotshots in Bundala supported by a map.

In addition valuable information on the numerous threats that have cropped up recently having a negative impact on the biodiversity of Bundala are discussed in the Chapter on 'Threats to the biodiversity of Bundala. Useful advice to park visitors are given in point form to facilitate the reader. Annexes numbering six lists of Mammals, Birds, Reptiles, Amphibians, Fish and Butterflies recorded in Bundala are also included in the Guide.

This is an invaluable Guide Book for research students on the biodiversity of wetland, nature lovers, conservationists and those keen on promoting Ecotourism of Sri Lanka.

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