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in an era of leisure His last effort, 'Beyond the Mirror Wall' won the National Literary Award in 2003. Reviewers described it as "an acute and realistic play with its dialogue reflecting the manipulations of power." Prior to that, his dramatic productions 'Janma Bhumi', 'Nikini' and 'Awwai Wessai' won Arts Council awards. Set in the backdrop of World War II, RDK introduces 'The Maze' as the story of "a spirited young woman caught up in a traumatic marriage to an uncompromising husband. She meets a youthful Marxist leader whose idealism attracts her to his politics leading to a strong emotional bond". That was the era when it was fashionable for all young men to be Marxists and of course, anti-British. Obviously the author, himself a young man of 18 at the time WW II began to influence Ceylon, would have had first hand experience of the political trends of the period. The extremely readable novel can be best enjoyed by those of that era. For the others it provides an insight to what life was in that leisurely age. The story is narrated by the young woman, Sama. RDK vividly portrays the typical personalities. The girl's father dressed formally in his brown tweed cloth and white tunic coat of which the buttons were six shiny sovereigns with the imprint of Queen Victoria on them, this imperial symbol satisfying his vanity. His thinning hair was combed back and tied into a small knot and his curved turtle-shell comb – the mark of the well-to-do rural elite – fixed on his hair. A perfect picture of the rural gentry of the time. Nuwara Eliya was the typical 'little England' in the 1940s. The Flower Show during the April season was a fashionable 'do'. The Governor was there to open it when the Government Agent, an English bureaucrat would refresh the memories of everyone how the place was founded. He would describe how the founder, Samuel Baker built up an English village. "To make it so grand Sir Samuel even imported from England high-bred horses, sheep and cows and introduced our favourite vegetables – cabbages, turnips, carrots and beans – as well as good English flowers. “He also built a church and set up the brewery and even imported an English blacksmith to start a forge in the true English style. He also introduced the rainbow trout to the mountain streams here so that our anglers could enjoy a hobby as they did at home". The season featured horse racing, motor races, golf and tennis tournaments, hill climbing competitions and the grand dinner dance. Most of these activities continue to this day. The romantic touch in the story is a subtle one which RDK underplays. The young woman ultimately seeks solace as a Buddhist nun. Written in a lucid style, 'The Maze' is easy reading. The reader gets a glimpse of the not too distant past, yet an era being fast forgotten. The
goal of the author is capsuled in the last paragraph: "And
now my mind is cleared of worldly rubbish and freed from the fetters
of craving. I will never again fall prey to 'maaya'. The truth is
clear: Impermanence, Nothingness". The
forgotten God I suspect that were Nila Sagadevan inclined to wear a T-shirt it would most likely read 'Lord Save Me From Your Followers', a statement that given his belief in a Creator would identify him as a man of good-humoured perspicacity. In a global climate ridden with religion-fuelled violence it would also establish him as an iconoclast swimming upstream against popular belief. In Warpaint of the Gods, Sagadevan draws attention to the paradox of a single God in a world where so much murder is committed in the various names of the Creator. He argues succinctly that this divisive 'me and them' mentality inherent in all of the major belief systems is due to the layers of man-made dogma that have encrusted the original teachings of love and compassion that underlie all religions. His exhortation to the reader to apply their own minds and hearts in forging a personal relationship with God has noble precedents and this is highlighted by the thoughts and sayings of notaries like Gandhi ('God has no religion') that accompany the author's text. Reading Warpaint of the Gods, I was reminded of an essay by Alan Watts who helped to bring Buddhism to the United States in the 1950s. In the essay entitled 'The Finger and the Moon’, Watts remarks that doctrine and religion are like the aforementioned digit that points at the moon, which in turn is what we are prone to calling God. What is important is that we neither confuse the pointing finger for the moon nor that we spend too much time suckling at the finger when we should be looking at the moon. Similarly Sagadevan emphasises how religious differences occur not so much because of a multitude of Gods but because of the myriad ways in which we interpret Its Being. To use Watt's analogy, it is as if we are all standing around pointing towards the sky, declaiming to each other that 'don't you understand? There is the moon, certainly not what you are pointing at.' With a professional background as an aeronautical engineer and a pilot, Sagadevan is well placed to lift his pen's scope beyond the earthly and does just that in his consideration of the possibility of life elsewhere in this 'celestial ocean'. He asks what the ramifications would be on our religious identities that we cherish so much were we to come into contact with extraterrestrial life. Here references to the Green Bank equation and Bohm's Theory of Implicate Order ensure that these are not unfounded ruminations. In Warpaint of the Gods Sagadevan successfully uses both secular and religious approaches to argue convincingly for a paradigm shift in how we approach spirituality. By doing so he in turn asks the reader to examine their own faith and decide whether or not they are following a true path to God or merely a refracted image. Looking
at suffering with compassion Most of the stories in the collection concern common people, trapped in circumstances where the cause does not result in a logical effect. ‘Receding Horizon’ and ‘Santa don’t come’ aptly illustrate that sincerity and hard work are not necessarily rewarded or lead to a better life. The writer seems to imply that forces beyond our control often add to life’s complexities. Through the book, the reader meets various personalities such as teachers, seamstresses, fisherfolk and priests and has a glimpse of the struggles they experience in their line of duty as opposed to the rich businessmen who use their power to exploit their employees. The author brings in contemporary issues such as the frequent strikes by the medical profession and the ongoing ethnic conflict. In the title story ‘Search for Justice’ that is grippingly told, Perera demonstrates how greed distorts human values. Not being able to provide medical attention to save their only sick child, a young mother commits suicide transforming her otherwise gentle husband into an assassin. “Does money blind people, especially doctors from their duty,” he asks. ‘Appa’ tells the story of a bond that develops between a Sinhalese teacher and a Tamil student that transcends the ethnic divide. Perera further explores relationships within the household : parent - child conflicts, husband, wife and in-laws; and human values such as love, trust and hope, revealing his moral concern on issues. “People live on hope and when hope is lost, life is a nightmare haunted by loneliness, sadness, shame, desperation, frustration and humiliation,” he writes in ‘Breach of Trust’, a story based on a father-son relationship. Questions to society at large on social issues pervade Perera’s narratives - his way of advocating against the injustices in society revealing the author’s sensitivity and deep compassion for those around him. Having contributed regularly to Sunday Observer’s magazine section, Perera who is a teacher in Wennappuwa aims to instil justice into an unjust world, as Gratiaen Award winning writer Punyakante Wijenaike suggests. At various points in the stories that are written in simple English, Perera also draws attention to the rich Sri Lankan culture. The book contains stories that received recognition from the National Youth Services Council of Sri Lanka and the National Catholic Writers’ Association. The
hinganna and the mahaththaya: A sociological case study When
her father moved to the big city of Colombo Anusha came with him.
She became a "hingannek". In the course of time she married
twice, slept with another man when her husband was in prison and
had six children by them. The mahaththaya would give them something - not always money: an umbrella sometimes or a pair of slippers, a cheap necklace or a little dress bought in the market. After a little time the mahaththaya began to reflect - this was not leading anywhere.So, as the days and months went by the mahaththaya, Anusha and her family came to meet almost daily and with time they arrived at a different stage in their relationship. Then, as the author expresses it, "he got to explore the wheeling and dealing of this one family, which belonged to the poorest of the population group in the country". The curiosity and amazement did not cease even after a year. First he got to know well the mother and the two small girls, then the husband Gemunu when out of prison, the lover, Raj, all the other children and Anusha's sister in Kurunegala. Ike Berkhouwer wrapped himself in their lives - their ups and downs, their struggles and problems, their needs and hopes. He was learning the Sinhalese language at the time and was able to communicate. In the process he acquainted himself with bureaucracy in this country, the status of women, employment issues in general, the schooling system, with health and sanitation and hospitals, housing. He writes with a detachment - there is no emotion, no sentiment in the involvement with this relationship. Events, real-life situations are set down as for record - for he was an observer. The book should be taken as a sociological case study ("Anusha" is not the woman's real name nor are the names of the other characters). The book also reveals no sense of patronage - the mahaththaya to the hinganno family. Ike Berkhouwer moved easily with the family - invited them to his home, took them for outings to beach resorts, swimming and hotel buffets. Often he would enjoy a cup of coffee that Anusha made him when he visited her simple one-room home. Sooner than later Ike Berkhouwer knew that he would have to leave Sri Lanka. During the last half year of his stay be began to write down what he had been experiencing with this family. When Anusha and the two little girls first came to the home of Ike Berkhouwer the security guard at the gate warned "these people can be a nuisance". After three years, that same guard rushed in, "Sir, Sir that poor lady ... she is now cleaning our street. See she has a job now". All the master said was, "Oh, how nice". Anusha was no longer a "hinganno". In the eyes of the security guard she had become - a lady!. There is a short epilogue. Yes the hinganno had found a job and had rented a room, she could give her family regular meals and clothes, for they now had an income which covered a minimal existence. But how would it be for the future? They had to save and without savings they would certainly end up on the street again - begging as hingannos. For like Anusha there are tens of thousands who just manage to survive on the minimal. The matter was discussed between the mahaththaya and Anusha - a solution sought. We leave it at that for the reader to find out! The book, a Sarvodaya-Vishwa Lekha publication - is written in a simple, flowing style and is very readable. It is in clear print with an appropriate and attractive cover-photograph of a mother and her two little girls walking along a broad, tree-lined road - into the future. |
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