How Thileepan, Malkanthi and Noor Jahan made friends

by Shaun D. Paul

Dinethra, Suranga and several others had come from Tangalle; the southern part of the country. Noor Jahan and Krishna had come form Kotagala at Maskeliya. Thileepan, Malkanthi and several others waited in Nuwara-Eliya to welcome them. Is that just to speak, to get to know and to share their experiences?

I feel you might have thought so. But they have gathered for a national level drama workshop. When the three teams were put together they were shocked. No one talked to the other. We saw how they moved in uneasiness. We wondered at the wordless silence that touched our hearts.

Anyhow, after five days of various sessions, they completely forgot that they were from three different communities and three different parts of the country. Now, I have a question for you. What do you call it? Peace... reconciliation... tranquillity or harmony? You may have many interpretations.

But, I know only one thing. That is, they were capable enough to make a path to a new journey to the Northern and Eastern provinces with a timely message from the South.

It was enthralling to the gathering from the three areas Tangalle, Kotagala and Nuwara-Eliya toattend a drama workshop conducted by the Inter Act Art; an organisation which stands for `a cultured society, full of humanity with a social and cultural change'. Thirty one youth from three destinations were selected for the national workshop after successfully completing the district level workshops.

It was a novel experience for all the participants and most of them had never got an opportunity to communicate with one another in their lifetime. Some may have heard the rights about the other community on hearsay. If not, they had been misled.

Inter-Act Art team organised this with the intention of eliminating such indiscreet and insignificant and trivial motives from the younger generation of the country. M. Safeer; the well known drama person who pioneered the project told the 'Sunday Observer' that the future of the younger generation had been gloomy, leading them to an unknown destination.

"What we realised was they did not know where they were being driven. Their minds had been poisoned. Most of them had been completely misled. I strongly believe this would be a novel beginning for them for a new journey", he stressed.

Sugath who came to Nuwara-Eliya from Ambalantota said that when they were asked to come to Nuwara-Eliya they were shocked for a moment. "We knew that we had been selected for the national workshop after successfully finishing the district workshop. Most of us had dreamt of meeting two other teams in Colombo for the national workshop. But, the news that it was to be held in Nuwara-Eliya shocked and surprised us", he said.

"But, through experience we realised there were no barriers and that we all were the same. We recognised each other. We danced together. We sang together. We used to share the same packet of lunch. It was not for fun. We became one family", Sugath proudly added.

"We participated in a number of workshops. But I feel this is special. At the end of most of workshops, we collected a file cover with some documents. But Here, we learnt how to think, how to speak, how to work together how to live happily", said Krishnakumar who came from Kotagala.

Sumudu had come from Weligama and she aired that her whole life had been changed by the workshop. She said that the picture she had about the other communities was completely wrong. Nesaraj who lives in Pedro Estate in Nuwara-Eliya believes he opened his eyes to see the world with a difference. He repeated that he earlier lived in a different world of thoughts.

Noor Jahan who came from Kotagala said everything they did and learnt at the workshop was new. She added that each and every session had been prepared to give them a message and they saw the World though coloured lenses. Wijesinghe who came from Nakulugamuwa was the eldest in the group.

According to him the workshop had taught them how to live in harmony. "The workshop taught me that the world is not for me and my family but for all, and it gave us immense happiness", he said.

Another told me that her parents are from both communities; Sinhala and Tamil. "Then, how can I belong to a single community? I can speak both languages. Visibly, I do not have barriers anywhere.

But, my inner mind says "Don't go to the South" where I really want to go and see from where my father came from". She lamented.

After having spoken to these youth from three destinations I understood that all of them were innocent. They had no grudges with anyone. They only want to live happily sharing their happiness and love. Let us foster more workshops of this nature.

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