Eva: 'Voice of women' stilled

by Sumithra RAHUBADDE

I met Eva Ranaweera after reading her 'Sedona'. I thought there was a difference between Eva Ranaweera who wrote 'Sedona' and Eva Ranaweera I met. When I saw Eva Ranaweera I could not believe that she wrote it.

I asked her, "Did you really write 'Sedona'.

Eva Ranaweera

"Yes, I really wrote 'Sedona'", she said in a feeble tone, smiling and grabbing me by both hands. Since then I had asked her the same question a thousand times. She had given me the same answer on these thousand odd times with a smiling face. I asked the same question because of the language in the novel 'Sedona'. The novel grabs the attention of readers from the very first sentence of the book with its lucid and meaningful language. That is such a sharp language. Her structure is very strong, glamorous.

There is no other modern Sinhala novel which exploits the suffering, love and thoughts of a woman than Eva Ranaweera's 'Sedona'. She was born again as a modernist through 'Sedona'. Throughout her life, she studied world literature as a modernist and tried to put her work at a level parallel to world literature. That really happened automatically and not by any deliberate attempt.

"Villagers had put a necklace around Sodona's decaying neck. Today she laid out the mat wearing that necklace. She put paddy on it and spread it out. The scorching heat of the sun fell on her back". (Page 2). Villagers put a necklace around her neck after torturing her physically and mentally. It is only the love, a wonderful thing that comes into her life which she leads as an unmarried woman and as a slave to the entire village. 'Sedona' is the novel which questions the conventions and traditions by a great woman writer. Her novel 'Laisa' is also such as great novel.

Her subsequent novel 'Thani Nothaniyata', though it was not subject to scrutiny of the critics, can be considered as a work that readers should pay attention to.

The readers of Eva's creations know that those characters such as Welegedara Akka, Babanis, and Bolbas in 'Sedona' as well as other characters such as Laisa, Joinga spring to life and remain in the heart and mind of readers.

From where has Eva got these characters, the language, the structure and the mentality? She studied in English. She served as a UN representative abroad. But she knew the Sinhala language and culture. She read English as well as Sinhala books. She had discourses with contemporary and non-contemporary literati. She paid attention throughout to her professional career. This began when she assumed duties as the Editor-in-Chief of 'Vanita Vitti', a woman's magazine. She said that women should be treated specially in an atmosphere where women are not treated well. Eva was a character which rose against this condition. She did not turn back when she set a target. Either slowly or fast, she would reach that target. When she made up her mind, she became strong. With all her might she tried to reach that goal. When she reached the target, she would smile and breathe a sigh of relief. In her last days, Eva wrote the novel 'Diptha'. The novel was written about a journalist. She said that it would be her last novel. Though she had worked for a long time as a journalist, she did not go after journalists to get publicity for her novels. But at times, she was worried about the lack of attention paid to her novels such as 'Diptha' and 'Thani Nothaniya'.

"I don't know whether anyone reads what I write", she said once.

"There is a large group of people who read what you write", I said. She only smiled.

"You tell me the truth. Is my writing not good? she humbly asked. Eva was a wonderful and a lovable woman. Her love for animals was amazing. Until she breathed her last, she woke up at 3.00 a.m. every day to prepare food for her pet cats who were at her house as well as at her office. This love for animals can be seen in her literary creations as well. Cats play an active role in Sedona's life.

Eva spent a large portion of her life for the 'Voice of Women'. She stood for women's rights through 'Voice of Women'. It was because of her genuineness that women rallied around it.

She was a woman who led a complete and fruitful life. Though she was eighty-five years old at the time of her death, she did not show any signs of old age amidst her busy schedule. Except for the last two days she was ill, she woke up every day in the early morning. Every day she came to 'Voice of Women's office at Park Street in Narahenpita. For us, her death was sudden. She remained youthful until her death.

Dear Eva, thank you from the bottom of my heart for your contribution to literature and services rendered to women.