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| Sunday, 29 August 2004 |
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Features |  |
| News Business Features Editorial
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A tale of assault, betrayal, murder and revenge by Rohan Canagasabey
One of the concerns an author has in writing another novel, after being awarded a prestigious literary prize for his or her first published novel is that it should hold the reader's attention just as well. Nihal de Silva's second novel, The Far Spent Day a tale of assault, justice sought, love and betrayal, financial ruin, murder and then revenge,and set in a realistic present day context, certainly appears to do that. It is due to be launched on August 31. This follows the businessman turned author's Gratiaen 2003 prize - winning novel, The Road From Elephant Pass, which is now into its second print. The Far Spent Day centres on a middle class family in Colombo, who pursue a principled decision to seek justice for a physical assault on their son Ravi, by a Government Minister's son, when Ravi sought to break up a brawl between the latter and his closest friend, Tilak.
Though before that stage is reached, a Sergeant in the Minister's detail warns Ravi after offering an apology for the grievous assault on him and his friend, as well as an act of vandalism, that the family should let matters rest and get on with their lives. The Sergeant points out to Ravi 'Laws are there to settle disputes between citizens, but the Minister is the law! when you have a dispute with a Minister there are no laws to protect you. "The reality is that no ordinary citizen, even one from an upper middle class family can succeed in bringing a legal case against a Government Minister or his family", said de Silva when I spoke to him recently on the themes in this novel, admitting that this is part of the malaise in Sri Lankan society at present. But rather than meekly walk away, the Perera family decides to continue their quest for justice. This after Ravi's childhood friend, Tilak betrays them, as otherwise Tilak's financial security would be uncertain. On the issues of betrayal and the loss of support from some family friends in the plot, de Silva said, "Fear gain or loss,will motivate people to betray or not support even those close to them, as those in power have the capacity to pressurise them." However, the author was not condoning betrayal, just explaining the reality. Ravi then has to face the more devastating loss of the death of his parents, killed at different times by the ministerial security division or hired thugs. Ravi, having lost everything continues his quest to expose this abuse of power, with the help of a politically motivated young female reporter. Consequently Ravi has to live a dangerous life, constantly on the look-out to avoid being killed himself, which like de Silva's first novel, makes it a page-turning one full of suspense and unexpected twists and turns, and therefore from my perspective also interesting to review. In respect of Ravi's motivation, among the quotations at the beginning of the different parts in the novel, the author offers an appropriate one from Alexander Solzheintsyn, who said, 'You only have power over people as long as you don't take everything away from them. But when you have robbed a man of everything he's no longer in your power - he's free again." And this appears to be the case for Ravi. Ravi and the female reporter, Tanya, decide to look for a 'skeleton in the Minister's cupboard' and find it initially, in an illegal operation in the protected Sinharaja forest. So briefly de Silva is able to return to one of his favourite themes in his first novel, in describing the flora and fauna in that ancient forest. However, Tanya's article when published does not prove sufficiently damaging to the Minister, as it only directly implicates the son, Shalindra, whom Ravi and Tilak had fought with. However, this increases the danger to both Ravi and Tanya, with the latter's political motivation being relevant, as an election is due to be held soon. They then pursue a more dangerous exposure on the Minister's abuse of power, which despite several obstacles is published. But then Tanya is forced to abandon him, leaving Ravi totally alone. Ravi then disappears into a world he only previously read about, that of pickpockets, other criminals and the downtrodden, from where he emerges briefly to watch the movements of his adversary, the Minister's son, without being noticed. But in seeking another act of revenge, dire consequences follow. Nihal de Silva quotes a Chinese Proverb thus, "When you plan revenge, get ready to dig two graves" in agreeing with this sentiment. Subsequently, Ravi, once an ordinary nice guy who had only been keen to help his (now murdered) father in the family business, contemplates further revenge on Shalindra and his family. An ultimate act of revenge like no other, but on the brink he pauses and remembers the person whom he once was and how this struggle has corroded his soul. Which de Silva said "was the main point in this novel". Whether this realisation will be sufficient for Ravi to draw back, or whether he has gone beyond the point of no return, is something, you will need to find out by reading The Far Spent Day, now at Vijitha Yapa bookstores. It is a novel whose themes, amidst the suspense and unexpected twists, you may find having to confront, and depending on the choices one makes, can result in differing outcomes. A success story A Book of Days An ANCL Commercial Printing Department Publication. A Book of Days is the success story of a family that hailed from Moratuwa and Panadura. The three strands Fernando, Dias and De Mel garnered substantial resources to be pioneers in business and agriculture in the 20th Century. The author inherited most of the business acumen for which she made a name as the pioneer Five Star hotelier when in 1971 the Pegasus Reef Hotel was opened fulfilling her dream to elevate Sri Lanka tourism to five-star grade. The first chapter is a broad sweep of six generations from 1839-2004. A picture of the patriarch Jacob de Mel born in 1839 sets the record in historical perspective and that of young Joseph born in 2002 to whom the book is dedicated brings the account upto the very year of its publication - 2004.In the next few pages the author reminisces old times - her childhood, recounting with pride the background of her parents and their influence on her. Then the admiration of her husband is portrayed succinctly with photographs of herself the proud mother with her adult sons followed by family group photographs of an earlier period. Sweet memories of life include her presentation at the Coronation Court in London followed by her marriage to J. L. M. Fernando in 1939. In the subsequent pages she unlocks the resources of her mind to select some valuable photographs now a part of a historical record. A very authentic and comprehensive list of ancient flags, banners and standards numbering over 100 and the flags themselves will be of much interest to vexillologists. There are accounts of Oxford the seat of learning and Hatton the tea country where her ancestors had made a name. The known philanthropy of the elders has been recorded in the words of others - Canon R. S. de Saram and Warden Stone. The Picture Gallery at the end of the book numbering 9 pages of colour photographs of the author and family in different parts of the world are sure to be treasured by those loved ones for whom Edith Fernando has laboured to preserve in print a straight forward record of events that stand out in a family's achievements. A pleasing, easy read. Website on magic and mysteries Mihindukulasuriya Susantha Fernando, has launched his own website www-SriLankanmysteries.com. Fernando is the author of two popular research publications in English entitled, Alien Mysteries in Sri Lanka and Egypt and Rituals, Folk Beliefs and Magical Arts of Sri Lanka. The website, consisting of six colourful pages and designed by Fernando was launched with technical support by CC Corporate Service (Pvt) Ltd., Colombo 5. The first four pages of the website describe Alien Mysteries with interesting colour photos and maps. The fifth page describes Rituals, The sixth page is a photo album of the author. The seventh page is Author's Contact page. The new website draws the attention of alien enthusiasts, Sri Lankan expatriates and researchers across the globe, on the following three main discoveries made by Fernando and described in his book. Alien Mysteries the mysterious, extraterrestrial influence over Sri Lanka's ancient civilization, the 33 mysterious parallels between the ancient civilizations of Egypt and Sri Lanka, and the mystery of the three main stupas at Anuradhapura, which Fernando has discovered to be aligned with three stars in the Constellation of Orion; similar to the three main pyramids in Egypt. Embraced by God : Profoundly human and intensely divine Much has been spoken and written on the relationship between the sacred and the secular, the profane and the Holy, Prayer and the Secular City, but none that weaves the theme into the story of one's personal and even private life so successfully as Father Jeffrey Abayasekera has done in his book Embraced by God. Tshe first candidate for a title to this review was The Sacred and the Secular, but at that time I had read carefully only the first half of the manuscript. In the second half, what is sacred to the author is found by him to be embedded also in the sacreds of other religions and cultures than the author's own. It is then the story of Truth in the Truths. Hence the new title, which encompasses the title chosen earlier. It is indeed suggested in the first lines of the author's preface: This book which falls into the category of a "theological autobiography" is an attempt to reflect deeply on my own life-to describe events, movements and people [that] have been overshadowed with a divine graciousness and purpose. The book consists of six chapters which may be divided rather neatly into two parts, each of three chapters. The first part is in the nature of a spiritually reflective autobiography. It takes the reader from the early years of the author's life up to the time when he and his wife take the decision to go abroad for a while. The titles of the three chapters are eloquent: Called from selfishness to service; called to dialogue, common action and community; following the path of conflict, confrontation and suffering. As one turns over the pages, it is impossible not to notice how the profoundly human events and experiences of the author's life began very early to be shot and suffused through and through with the power and the presence of the divine. His father was from a staunchly Anglican family, his mother, coming from a Buddhist background, decided by conviction to become a Christian before marriage. The father loved children, and fathered eleven, with Father Jeffrey being the last to arrive on the scene. The mother was a violinist and a soprano singer who "once comforted me during a thunderstorm, when I was terrified by loud claps of thunder, by singing a hymn to me" In Chapter Two there are the few lines on Jeffrey's marriage to Annathaie. What more profoundly human than human marriage? It was into this utterly human act that the divine descended as the outpouring of the spirit on two human beings who "belonged together spiritually and intellectually and of course [we] were deeply in love.There are several references in these early chapters to two groups-the Christian Workers Fellowship and Devasarana-with which from their very inception the author was intimately involved. Both groups will have their names marked in bold font in any history of the Christian Church in 20th century Lanka, how so? The role of the Christian Churches until about the time that the CWF and devasarana appeared on the scene was a role played out in effective isolation from the rest of the nation. The role was to achieve, preserve and confirm the specific identity and distinctness of the minority Christian group not only in regard to all the other religious groups but in regard to the nation itself. Its role was seen to prepare Christians for the heavenly city while the earth was held to be of little consequence. Against this forbidding background, the CWF began its work in 1958 and Jeffrey was its first secretary. Devasarana was born shortly after, with emphasis on its monastic aspect and Jeffrey, then a layman, was one of its novices. Both CWF and devasarana contributed to the historical task of establishing a seminal role change, making the new role an outward and adaptive one in terms of the achievement of a national socio-cultural equilibrium through the fostering of creative inter-action, on the one hand,among the four main religious groups in a situation of accepted religious pluralism and, on the other, with the ideologies of secularisation and marxist socialism. One would have wished the author to say more about the beginnings of the role-change, its growing pains and its final acceptance by the leaders, both ecclesiastical and lay, of the Christian Churches. For Jeffrey, with persons like the visionary Vijaya Vidyasagara of the CWF and the pathbreaking Yohan Devananda of Devasarana was not only witness of the change but also one of its agents. This was the power and the glory of both institutions and of Jeffrey in those early stages of his public life. The second part of the book, like the first, has three Chapters. Once again, the titles have been felicitously chosen. It is in these chapters that the author places himself firmly on the side of those who want the Christian Church to be open to the truths enshrined in, and nurtured by, the other great religions of our land. An opportunity to publicly display this openness presented itself at the 10th General Assembly of the Christian Conference of Asia which took place in Colombo in 1995. With inspiration from the now well-known workers' mass of the Christian Workers' fellowship and from the experience of the New World Liturgy of Decasarana a special ritual was created for the Opening Worship of the Assembly. The openness and inclusiveness of the ritual were admired by some but also misunderstood and even maligned by others. Father Jeffrey stood firmly by its defence and wrote: "The Kingdom of God perspective... leads to inclusive and open worship which overflows into solidarity and dialogue in everyday life". Father Jeffrey also raised the query of the essentiality of bread and wine as elements of the Eucharistic Celebration. For us in Asia it is not bread but rice that goes deep into the culture and even into the ancient religious ritual of our non-Christian sisters and brothers. In the same strain, abstinence from alcoholic beverages is one of the five precepts of Buddhism. So did one of the most brilliant students of the present reviewer one day ask him after the student had watched him perform in the Eucharist. "I am no puritan," he said, "neither is my father. But that you should use wine at what you said was the highest act of worship of your religion is something I find hard to take" So Fr Jeffrey in passing raises in his book the question whether tea may substitute for wine in the Asian Eucharist. The reviewer himself asked one of the best known Dominican theologians of our time about this. He replied, "I would maintain an open mind myself. But it is something to which Asian theologians should devote their attention." Fr Jeffrey has therefore perhaps blazed a trail for others to follow. The book, like its author in his own life, makes the full circle. The Divine is first experienced in the most ordinary human experience which then extends itself to an opening to the truth and the goodness, the beauty and the mystic longings, of Buddhism, Hinduism, and Islam. Reviewed by Paul aspersz, sj 'Mang Baya Ne' The Sinhala Translation of Dr. Kiran Bedi's Autobiography 'I Dare', will be released at Hotel Taj Samudra on September 4, at 6.00 p.m. Kiran is one of India's most admired and recognised faces. She is the first woman in India to join the leadership ranks of the Indian Police Service. A recipient of Ramon Magsaysay Award, also considered the Asian Nobel Prize, Kiran Bedi has been, and is, a pathbreaker in prison reforms, community policing, Crime-prevention strategies, drug-abuse treatment, spirituality in police training and street children's schooling. She is perhaps the first and the only woman to have governed a Prison with a popular over 10,000 prisoners and her well-known practising and teaching of Vippassanabhawanawa is extraordinary. 'I Dare' has been translated into Sinhala by W. S. Wijesinghe. |
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And this just after both Ravi and Tilak had returned from obtaining
degrees in the UK. However, the Perera family find that they are
confronted with a brutal overreaction and abuse of State power that
initially only destroys them financially.
