Surekha Samarasena - Choosing creativity over violence

What is the responsibility of a woman in a political arena? Is it to serve tea during the discussions? Is it to satisfy the desires of the male activists? Have we identified the potential of a woman in politics? Surekha Samarasena publishing her debut novel Me Kathawa (This story) questions the role of a woman in the political arena, and society in general.

“ගෑනු කියන්නේ දැවෙනකොට ලස්සන, දැවීම තුලම දියවෙන ඉටිපන්දම් වගේ ජාතියක් ද?” (Pg 53)

“Are women like candles; beautiful when burning while evaporating in flames?”

"I believe it’s time to start a discussion. Women no longer need to be the losers in the political arena," Surekha said in an interview with The Nation. “If it’s odd when one calls it feminism, let’s call it humanism.”

Surekha is a freelance journalist who started her journalism career with Ravaya newspaper in 2007. Studying journalism from the Sri Lanka College of journalism, she honed her journalistic skills in both news and feature writing. She bagged the ‘Young Reporter of the Year’ award at the Journalism Excellence Award Ceremony 2009  and received a scholarship to study journalism further in Goa, India. She currently works at the Verite Research Institute as a parliamentary affairs analyst.

Surekha is from Ratnapura. She studied at Ratnapura Ferguson Girls High School. Apart from the encouraging environment created by her friends and family, her main inspiration for writing comes from the veteran writer Sunethra Rajakarunanayake, who hailed from the same school and area. She said that she has admired her work since school days. “Maybe the inspiration behind my journalistic career is her, maybe I followed her trail unconsciously,” she said.

She also had a keen interest in post-leftism and received the opportunity to connect with post-leftists since the beginning of her journalistic career. Speaking about her novel, she said that her life experiences in the post-leftist cults itself nurtured her novel. “Me Kathawa is based on women’s experiences in a political setting, my experiences and those of my close friends who worked with them,” she iterated.

Surekha further said that she used her novel as a tool to convey to the society her cynicism against the system. “Its better when the negative attitudes are showcased with creativity than with violence,” she opined. Creative showcasing of such political topics is highly sensitive and is accepted by the society better. “I wanted to initiate a discussion on the topic rather than fight over it,” she explained her intention behind publishing her book.

Leftism always took literature and arts as a tool in presentation of political ideologies. Even in Sri Lanka, Russian Marxist literature played a significant role in nurturing the leftists’ political ideologies. Surekha pointed out that today’s younger generation has less exposure to such literature. “Unlike the generation above us, reading is rarely a common habit of the young generation. Of course they watch films in this cyber era, yet their bond with the book is fraying,” she said adding that the discussions are mainly built around films today compared with other forms of literature.

She further said that along with this decline of exposure the humanity discussed in leftism too has been degrading. “Today a simple dispute will turn into hatred and wrath. Where are love, compassion and humanism leftists speak of?” she raised a question. “These are not even to be found within the political groups themselves,” she lamented. She further said that women get severely oppressed compared to men. “It has been made more difficult for a woman to face the challenges over a political dispute. Even the weapons used to attack a woman in the political area are cruel. They are different from what are used to attack a man,” she said. “When a woman in attacked in the political arena, she will be attacked with personal information; maybe her femininity or her sexuality,” she pointed out.

Me Kathawa tries to explain this dilemma women face, through life stories of three generations of women dealing with socialist politics. The novel is enriched with themes of psychology, sociology and politics with a little support from magic. Her message is direct and strong and the conclusion of the story reminds of the forgotten responsibilities in ensuring the security of women of future generations. 

Surekha is also a poetess; she has a habit of writing down her thoughts in a form of a poem. She believes writing is a way of venting her emotions and aggressions. Yet, she is not inspired to become a published poet. When asked, she said that the internet and social media provides her with a platform to share her poetry and she receives the satisfaction of writing poetry from this. “Unlike a poem, a novel cannot be introduced to society through cyber space. It has to be printed, if not it will not be grasped by the readership,” she emphasized.

Some of her poems are available on boondi.lk, yet her main platform in sharing poetry is her facebook page.

අපට මොන පාස්කුද ජේසු...!

ඈත පල්ලියෙ පාස්කුව දා - දෙවියන්ට තුති කියනු ඇසුණා

මෑත දොරකඩ අයෙක් දැවටී - නෝනා නෝනා කියනු ඇසුණා

"නැද්ද නෝනා බබාලාගේ - ගවුම් පොඩි හෙම අහක දමනා

අලුත් ගවුමක් දෙකක් ඉල්ලන - දියණියන් දෙදෙනෙකුම සිටිනා"

ඇයට දෙන්නට ගවුම් කොහිදැයි - මට බබාලා නොමැති බැවිනා

මා සතුව තිබු එකම සීයක් - ඇගේ අත ගෙන මිට මෙලෙව්වා

ඒ අතින් ඈ ඇගේ පපුවේ - දිගට හරහට කුරුසෙ ඇන්දා

ජේසු පිහිටයි කියාගෙන මට - තවත් ගෙයකට පිය එසෙව්වා

පල්ලියේ යාතිකා අවසන - තියෙන මිනිසුන් පාටි දැම්මා

වයින් නැති උන් පාන් නැති උන් - ජේසු නාමෙන් හිඟා කෑවා

මම මගේ ඉරිදාව හින්දා - ගෙදර මිදුලේ වල් ගැලෙව්වා

මිදුලෙ තුත්තිරි මගේ ගවුමේ - ඇලී ගැලෙමින් මුකුලු කෙරුවා

පාලුවට ගිය පල්ලි මුදුනත - රෑට රෑ වී තරුව දිලුණා

ඒ තරුව යට දෑත් විහිදා - පිළිමයක් වී ජේසු හිටියා

නගරෙ තැන් තැන් විදුලි බුබුලින් - අලංකාරව තිබෙනු දුටුවා

එදා ඉරිදා මගේ ඉරිදා - පුරුදු විදියට ඔහේ ගෙවුණා 

What Easter for us Jesus...!

In a faraway church on Easter --  thanks offered to God I did hear

By my door someone knelt -- crying 'Ma'am! Ma'am!' I did hear

'Have throwaway clothes your kids outgrew, do you?'

For two girls who cry for a dress that's new or two.

What dresses could I give, since children I have not

Took her hand and closed it o'er the single hundred that I got

Her hand she waved left and right a cross to draw

With a Jesus-bless to me she she paced to another door

Once the mass was done, partied they did those who had

Those sans bread and wine in Jesus' name did beg

It was my Sunday, to my garden's weeds I turned

The thuththiri were coy as to my dress they brushed

To the lonely church-top came the star at night to shine

Beneath with open arms stood Jesus as a statued-shrine  

Here and there the city with pretty lights did glow

And thus my Sunday in usual manner did go

Similar to the story in her novel, most of her poems also question the common notions of the society and forces open the eye of the reader to a different perspective; a humanistic and a realistic perspective.

‘පූසන් නෝනා‘ගේ කවිය

නැතිවත් කෑම මට මං දුප්පත් වෙනදා

බළලුන් කෑම ගෙන ආ යුතු නොම වරදා

කරවල මස් මාලු රස කිරි දෙමිනි බෙදා

බළලුන් අටක් රැකබලනෙමි වඩා හදා

කවුරුත් එන්නෙ නෑ ගෙට ගේ ගඳ හින්දා 

කුස්සිය ගඳයි සාලයො තම්බන හින්දා

ඉඳහිට ගෙමුල්ලෙන් හමුවෙයි බෙටි තිබිලා

බුදියා ලගියි දැම්මම රෙද්දක් උනලා

ගෙට ගොඩ වෙන කොට ම අඬහැරයකි හවස

වට පිට මිනිසුන්ට පුරුදුය කච කච ය

නම් ගම් කියා අණවමි උදය ද හවස

වීදියෙ මගේ නම ‘පූසන් නෝනා‘ ය

ගිය විට මුන් හැත්ත පෙළ මනමාල රැළේ

බෙලි නැටි කඩාගෙන එයි පෙර පෙරා ලේ

බැළලියො වදන කොට නං ගහට බර වගේ

ඒවත් වඳ නොකර ඉවසා ගනිමි වදේ

කොච්චර බැන්න මුත් හිත වද දෙනවා ය

ඔක්කට අරන් ගෙල මුල කිතිලනවා ය

ලෙඩ දුක බලා ගෙන බෙහෙතුත් දෙනවා ය

මේ හිඟනුන් පැටව් මට හරි වටිනා ය

ඇබ්බැහි වෙච්ච බළලුන් ලීලය හින්දා

කොච්චර බැනුම් මං අහනවදෝ මන්දා

එක එක තැන් වලින් මුන් පැන්නුව හින්දා

ගත්තෙමි ළඟට වර වර කියලා කැන්දා

දෙපයේ දැවටි කෝලං හුරතල් කරතී

කොයි තැන ගියත් මට මුන් අට ම සිහි වෙතී

කන බත් පතත් සමහර විටෙක හිර වෙතී

පෙර අත් බවෙක මං අම්මා වෙන්ඩ ඇතී

Even if hungry I go poverty regardless 

the cats I must feed with meat and fish,

karavala and milk too do I giveto the eight felines under my care.

No one visits 'cos the house stinks

the kitchen stinks for there I boil salayas

from time to time their droppings I encounter 

spread out a cloth and that they make their bed.

At evening there's cacophony as I enter the house

the neighbors know and are used to the mewls

I know the names, each one of them

on the street though 'Cat Lady' is my name.

With bite, scratch-mark and bitten tail 

they return from scattering heat on city street

when they litter I feel like the weight-bearing tree

and yet I suffer their unsterilized states

I do scold and rant and then lament

I have it up to my neck but it stop right there

check on them, feed and even sickness treat

precious to me are these mendicant cats 

Addicted to feline love am I

and for this endlessly vilified am I

called them to me, one by one

each one a thrown-out from who knows where.

Around my feet they scratch and purr 

I remember them all wherever I go

At times I just cannot my food swallow

perhaps a mother in another life was I

  

Speaking further about social media, Surekha said that it also works as an alternate media where a writer can freely express ideas. She expressed her grief that none of the mainstream media allows ample freedom for journalists. “This is why I have always tried to find alternative ways of expressing my views; through alternative newspapers, magazine or even cyber space,” she reiterated adding that this lack of freedom is one of the main reasons she decided to leave full-time journalism. 

“Since childhood, I always dreamt of becoming a journalist. Becoming a journalist at a newspaper like Ravaya seemed like something incredible,” she said. “But sadly, few years into journalism, I realized that it is not as incredible as it seemed to be from the outside. This is why I decided to leave and this is why I had to find an alternative way,” Surekha further said.

Pics by Chandana Wijesinghe

When literature crosses one’s path

2014 Gratiaen shortlisted writer Vihanga Perera talks about his works and the opportunities for writers in Sri Lanka

He loves to call himself a writer; someone who writes and rewrites, working with manuscripts all year round. “I have been experimenting with my writing within and between genres for over ten years now since first being published – being lucky and generally, enjoying my work,” Vihanga Perera, 2014 Gratiaen shortlisted writer, said in an interview with The Nation.  He is a poet, novelist, short story writer, publisher, political and social commentator, critic, blogger and academic. His shortlisted poetry collection ‘Love and Protest’ was compiled by Paw Print Publishing. The collection contains poems written during October 2013 to November 2014.

His first publication was in 2006: A collection of experimental short fiction that drew a lot of criticism, titled ‘The(ir) (Au)topsy’. This, in fact, earned a slot in the Gratiaen shortlist. Since then he has published two collections of short fiction, three novels and four collections of poetry. ‘Love and Protest’, 2014 Gratiaen shortlisted collection, is the fourth in that list of poetry editions. He has also published criticism and non-fiction and has been shortlisted twice before for the Gratiaen Prize in 2006 and 2008.

Vihanga is not sure what inspired him to develop affection for literature. “I didn’t have a very early start on writing or reading as a kid. In fact, my start on writing in a consistent way didn’t happen until my late teens. When I self-published my first collection of short fiction I was 21,” he recalled. “When I look back on my writing between those teen years and that first collection, there is a sizeable jump, a kind of a leap which is quite extraordinary for me, even when I look back on those works from today. Rather than look for “what inspired me” in literature, I would say that Literature and I crossed paths one day and decided to stay,” he said.

“Literature is something I am daily in the company of – it has become over the years more and more a part of who I am. I would, as well, call myself a reader across a broad range, which – again – brings me into close touch with literature. I would say that it is an irreplaceable part of my day,” he further said.

Vihange has a ‘soft spot’ for poetry, but he shows his competence in many skills. “I immensely enjoy working with my poetry. However, over the last few years, I think, I have been working on several fiction projects which took some effort,” he said adding, “Even as we speak, I have two further projects – one, fiction, the other memoir – on my workbench. So, I guess I am a bit of a Jack of several trades, though surely not the master of any.”

He was barely 22 when he first published his work. He said that although it seems like a daring move to publish his work at this period, it indeed was a good move, which paved the way to get where he is today. “It came to a point where I had been writing steadily for a while, and a fever took hold of me to go ahead and turn my writing into a project of sorts. Looking back now, it looks like a daring move when I first published, for I was barely 22. But, I would say, that was a very good move,” he reminisced.

The Gratiaen Award Ceremony is held annually, and as Perera said, a submission for this prize happens almost as a logical step. He feels that it is an opportunity given to writers. “Opportunities have to be used,” he said. “There are tough times, but I have always had good support from friends, family and well-wishers who have even shared the finances of my publications. These have kept me writing and pursuing the path I have always wanted to take,” he added.

Perera’s collection of poems ‘Love and Protest’ deals with the very themes it is named after – love and protest. “The title of the book as well as the project as a whole was incentives of PawPrint Publishers, Colombo, who told me that they want to do a publication of my poetry. I gave PawPrint a free hand and I didn’t even know what poems were chosen to be anthologized until I saw the first draft of their selection last October,” he said. “I have a feeling that the title is inspired by the two broad themes the selected poetry covers, but this is a question PawPrint alone must answer.” The whole collection is about human relationships in their various shades.

In one of his Facebook literature groups he wrote, “Read my poetry! Make me richer!” When he was asked whether he believes it’s fair to price literature he said that literature should be priced and should be given the right price as well. “Literature has to be priced. Literature not being priced is the crisis we are facing today,” he stressed. “But, I would also add that literature should be given the ‘right’ price, and not be over-priced,” he further said.

He believes that Sri Lankan literature in English can develop, become more popular and accepted in the country. “Satisfaction on contemporary Lankan Literature is a very open and discussion-provoking question. It is something we can talk about for a year, maybe. There are, indeed, areas where Lankan literature (in English) can develop and gain ground, but at the end of the day it is a discourse and it is what it is. We – writers, readers, journalists – are just players in that discursive space and we have to feed it with what we can,” he iterated.

According to Perera, English Literature in Sri Lanka hasn’t really propped itself as an industry and maybe for this reason we don’t have a very strong critical department. “Also, since those active in English literary activity often belongs to a very thin sliver of society and that they can largely be put into an exclusive (if not elite) pocket, there seems to be very little of a serious critical bench in our engagement with English literature,” he said. “This is mostly felt outside the classroom, the academy and the newspapers,” Perera pointed out.

In the scope of writing in English, he thinks, awards and festivals try – where possible – to provide a platform for writers. “It is not like we have a hundred festivals to choose from, or a dozen awarding bodies to compare among. But, I think, in trying to open up and open out literary spaces, some of these forums have done a commendable job. Sometimes we can attack or critique certain ‘literary’ festivals for ideological and political reasons – which, I think, should be done for the betterment of things, in general,” he reiterated.

When he was asked whether he sees Sri Lankan literature festivals and award ceremonies, catering to English literature, are limited to a certain group he said that, “It depends on how far you are ready to be inclusive, really. If you want to keep a festival ‘classed’ I am sure you can very easily do so. In the same way, if you want to make your forum meaningful and open, there are plenty of ways in which you can reach out and incorporate diverse stakeholders in literature. A fine-tuning or revision of how you look at the society around you can be a starter,” he said.

When literature crosses one’s path

2014 Gratiaen shortlisted writer Vihanga Perera talks about his works and the opportunities for writers in Sri Lanka

He loves to call himself a writer; someone who writes and rewrites, working with manuscripts all year round. “I have been experimenting with my writing within and between genres for over ten years now since first being published – being lucky and generally, enjoying my work,” Vihanga Perera, 2014 Gratiaen shortlisted writer, said in an interview with The Nation.  He is a poet, novelist, short story writer, publisher, political and social commentator, critic, blogger and academic. His shortlisted poetry collection ‘Love and Protest’ was compiled by Paw Print Publishing. The collection contains poems written during October 2013 to November 2014.

His first publication was in 2006: A collection of experimental short fiction that drew a lot of criticism, titled ‘The(ir) (Au)topsy’. This, in fact, earned a slot in the Gratiaen shortlist. Since then he has published two collections of short fiction, three novels and four collections of poetry. ‘Love and Protest’, 2014 Gratiaen shortlisted collection, is the fourth in that list of poetry editions. He has also published criticism and non-fiction and has been shortlisted twice before for the Gratiaen Prize in 2006 and 2008.

Vihanga is not sure what inspired him to develop affection for literature. “I didn’t have a very early start on writing or reading as a kid. In fact, my start on writing in a consistent way didn’t happen until my late teens. When I self-published my first collection of short fiction I was 21,” he recalled. “When I look back on my writing between those teen years and that first collection, there is a sizeable jump, a kind of a leap which is quite extraordinary for me, even when I look back on those works from today. Rather than look for “what inspired me” in literature, I would say that Literature and I crossed paths one day and decided to stay,” he said.

“Literature is something I am daily in the company of – it has become over the years more and more a part of who I am. I would, as well, call myself a reader across a broad range, which – again – brings me into close touch with literature. I would say that it is an irreplaceable part of my day,” he further said.

Vihange has a ‘soft spot’ for poetry, but he shows his competence in many skills. “I immensely enjoy working with my poetry. However, over the last few years, I think, I have been working on several fiction projects which took some effort,” he said adding, “Even as we speak, I have two further projects – one, fiction, the other memoir – on my workbench. So, I guess I am a bit of a Jack of several trades, though surely not the master of any.”

He was barely 22 when he first published his work. He said that although it seems like a daring move to publish his work at this period, it indeed was a good move, which paved the way to get where he is today. “It came to a point where I had been writing steadily for a while, and a fever took hold of me to go ahead and turn my writing into a project of sorts. Looking back now, it looks like a daring move when I first published, for I was barely 22. But, I would say, that was a very good move,” he reminisced.

The Gratiaen Award Ceremony is held annually, and as Perera said, a submission for this prize happens almost as a logical step. He feels that it is an opportunity given to writers. “Opportunities have to be used,” he said. “There are tough times, but I have always had good support from friends, family and well-wishers who have even shared the finances of my publications. These have kept me writing and pursuing the path I have always wanted to take,” he added.

Perera’s collection of poems ‘Love and Protest’ deals with the very themes it is named after – love and protest. “The title of the book as well as the project as a whole was incentives of PawPrint Publishers, Colombo, who told me that they want to do a publication of my poetry. I gave PawPrint a free hand and I didn’t even know what poems were chosen to be anthologized until I saw the first draft of their selection last October,” he said. “I have a feeling that the title is inspired by the two broad themes the selected poetry covers, but this is a question PawPrint alone must answer.” The whole collection is about human relationships in their various shades.

In one of his Facebook literature groups he wrote, “Read my poetry! Make me richer!” When he was asked whether he believes it’s fair to price literature he said that literature should be priced and should be given the right price as well. “Literature has to be priced. Literature not being priced is the crisis we are facing today,” he stressed. “But, I would also add that literature should be given the ‘right’ price, and not be over-priced,” he further said.

He believes that Sri Lankan literature in English can develop, become more popular and accepted in the country. “Satisfaction on contemporary Lankan Literature is a very open and discussion-provoking question. It is something we can talk about for a year, maybe. There are, indeed, areas where Lankan literature (in English) can develop and gain ground, but at the end of the day it is a discourse and it is what it is. We – writers, readers, journalists – are just players in that discursive space and we have to feed it with what we can,” he iterated.

According to Perera, English Literature in Sri Lanka hasn’t really propped itself as an industry and maybe for this reason we don’t have a very strong critical department. “Also, since those active in English literary activity often belongs to a very thin sliver of society and that they can largely be put into an exclusive (if not elite) pocket, there seems to be very little of a serious critical bench in our engagement with English literature,” he said. “This is mostly felt outside the classroom, the academy and the newspapers,” Perera pointed out.

In the scope of writing in English, he thinks, awards and festivals try – where possible – to provide a platform for writers. “It is not like we have a hundred festivals to choose from, or a dozen awarding bodies to compare among. But, I think, in trying to open up and open out literary spaces, some of these forums have done a commendable job. Sometimes we can attack or critique certain ‘literary’ festivals for ideological and political reasons – which, I think, should be done for the betterment of things, in general,” he reiterated.

When he was asked whether he sees Sri Lankan literature festivals and award ceremonies, catering to English literature, are limited to a certain group he said that, “It depends on how far you are ready to be inclusive, really. If you want to keep a festival ‘classed’ I am sure you can very easily do so. In the same way, if you want to make your forum meaningful and open, there are plenty of ways in which you can reach out and incorporate diverse stakeholders in literature. A fine-tuning or revision of how you look at the society around you can be a starter,” he said.

Constructing beauty with language

Literary giant and award winning author Dr. Liyanage Amarakeerthi warns that it is not technology which has changed media; it is the grip of capitalism

Swarna Pusthaka Award Winner of 2014, Dr. Liyanage Amarakeerthi suggests that the Book Publisher’s Association should focus on Short Stories and poetry in a similar manner to show they appreciate the Sinhala novel, so it would facilitate the development of Sinhala literature.

 

Wasantha Liyanage Amarakeerthi best known as Dr. Liyanage Amarakeerthi, won the Swarna Pusthaka Award 2014 for his second novel ‘Kurulu Hadavatha’ (A bird’s heart) last week. He also won the Vidyodaya Literary Award for the Best Novel early this month for the same book. Kurulu Hadawatha is Amarakeerthi’s 16th book and his first novel Atawaka Puththu won the State Literary Award for the Best Novel in 2007.

 

Childhood

 Amarakeerthi was born and raised in Kurunegala district and he received his school education from three different schools including Wallawa Central College and Dematagolla Central College. Speaking to The Nation Dr. Amarakeerthi said that he has been enthusiastic about creative writing since his school days. “I started writing various things when I was about 15 years old. I enjoyed constructing beauty with language. It didn’t matter whether it was poetry, short stories or anything else,” Amarakeerthi recalled. “I liked to tell stories too. All this wordplay brought me joy,” he added.

He said that he had plenty of free time to read and write during his childhood and it was one of the main reasons why he became interested in literature. “Tuition was not very popular during this era. We enjoyed school days. Also, we had time to hangout with friends and try new things,” he recalled adding that looking back he can identify how important this time of leisure was for him to become what he is today.

He said that this relaxed and laidback school atmosphere played a major role in honing his creative skills. “I’m not sure whether this atmosphere would be helpful to everyone. However, it worked for me,” he said.

In retrospect, he mentioned three special teachers who inspired him to develop his creative writing skills. “I met a bunch of extraordinary teachers during my school time. They were trying to generate some sort of creativity in us rather than just prepare us for exams,” he said. “Wawe Gedara Madam - Primary School Principal of Deegalla Rewatha Central College, Kuliyapitiya, Wimal A Senevirathana – Sinhala Master of Rajaye Kanitu Viduhala (State Junior School) and S Dodamgollegama - Advance Level Sinhala teacher of Dematagolla Central College had special influence on my work among other teachers.” He said that meeting these teachers was accidental which later proved to be a blessing to him.

He also spoke about his achievements during school time. By the time he was in his Advanced Level class, the national newspapers had already published his short stories. He won first place at several short story competitions organized in school, district, provincial as well as national levels. “I don’t know how I did all these by myself in such a short period of time. Sometimes I was surprised at myself,” he reminisced.

Amarakeerthi received admission to the Law Faculty of Colombo University after passing his Advanced Level examination in 1987. He was a student of law only for three months as he wanted to switch the faculty to study literature. After graduating, he joined the university as an assistant lecturer. Then he received a scholarship to the US and was able to complete both Master’s and doctoral degrees there. He received his PhD from University of Wisconsin, Madison.

He said that he faced a difficult period between his Advanced Level exams to university entrance. “Universities were closed for three years due to youth uprisings. It was a period of violence and we lost many friends and relatives. This experience was very reflective for me,” he said.

Speaking about his latest award winning novel Kurulu Hadawatha, Amarakeerthi said that the book was also a product of these reflective experiences in 88-89 insurgency period. According to him, the two leading characters in the book both Dinasiri and Sarath are characters from this era. “Dinasiri wanted to keep himself away from this uprising, but later felt guilty about not getting involved. On the other hand, Sarath who came back from prison had a wide knowledge about political ideologies. In fact, Dinasiri was alarmed by what Sarath had to say when he returned,” he said.

Kurulu Hadawatha

Amarakeerthi’s Kurulu Hadawatha is woven around a traditional village called Walangangoda where people’s livelihood revolves around pottery. Low caste potters are oppressed by high caste villagers. Dinasiri – the lead character of the story is a regular listener of radio. A postcard he sent to the broadcasting corporation leads to his name becoming popular among listeners. In it he puts his village name as Kurulugangoda instead of Walangangoda. He used this popularity, acquired through accident, to establish the name Kurulugangoda, to relieve the pressure of being low caste. The recognition he received later brought him to a different privatized radio channel. There Dinasiri became a victim of the commercialized radio media. Hence, Dinasiri Kurulugangoda became Kurulu, a modernized radio program producer who valued different things. It was too late when he realized that he was a victim of commercialization.

In addition, Amarakeerthi shows how the quality of Radio media declined with commercialization. Kurulu Hadawada shows the distinctions between the radio before and after commercialization in the field. Amarakeerthi said that he was able to observe the changes in the radio as he too listened closely to radio channels from his childhood. “I was really close to the radio during 1980s and I remember we were very enthusiastic about the radio dramas like Muwanpelassa, Monarathenna, Es Deka and Handiye Gedara,” he said. “The radio was a box of magic. It is still my number one electronic media,” he added.

He said that the radio has an incredible ability to make people imaginative. “We could imagine the rural village in Muwanpelassa based on the sounds and the words used. Although I haven’t seen it, I know Muwanpelassa is an area near a dense rain forest,” he explained. He further said that radio also played a major role in seeding creativity in his mind.

Radio

Amarakeerthi believes that the Neoliberal Capitalist mindset is responsible of commercialization of the radio and he said that it destroyed the advanced qualities and potentials that the radio had. “Changes took place after Sri Lanka’s shift from closed economy to open economy; welcoming modern capitalism is clearly visible if one looks into the Sri Lankan radio history. This is what I tried to show through the book as well,” he iterated. The first half of the novel shows how Dinasiri was able to engage in radio’s potential to change the society, by writing thousands of postcards. He became a hero. Yet, when he joined the commercial radio channel he had to betray the revolution he once won for himself.

He said that he is deeply skeptical about Sri Lankan media going back to its glory days. “If you can find something equivalent to the National Public Radio (NPR) in the USA, we might be able to maintain quality,” he noted. NPR is funded by the public; the tax payers and they do not have advertisements to find profit. Amarakeerthi said that similarly if this is initiated it would provide a platform to have discussions about society, language, literature, environment or any subject without external influences. “It is not the technology which changed media; it is the grip of capitalism. If we can liberate the radio from the grip of money making and make it non profit, we might still be able to do it,” he opined. He also said that we will not see fine quality in radio media until the society gets rid of the mindset that radio is an easy industry to make money and stop making their own culture into a commodity.

When Dinasiri joined the commercial radio channel and became Kurulu he became a ‘cultural hero’ for the youth in the society. Amarakeerthi stressed that it is a sad thing that contemporary Sri Lankan youth don’t have any ideal cultural heroes whom they can look up to. “We do have a few important people here and there in the country. But I’m not sure whether they can be identified as role models,” he said. “Money making culture doesn’t allow any of these people to hold on to a single cultural or political ideology. In fact, destruction of any form of hero is the agenda of capitalists’ system or any system of power,” he said.

He said that he also thought that it would be more suitable if we could see for a collective form of emancipation rather than follow just one hero or role model. “This is another theme I wanted to highlight through Kurulu Hadawatha,” he reiterated.  However, according to him, in a political domain following a single role model can be dangerous because the power this model receives will make him or her authoritarian and oppressive in many ways. “That is why it is important that all of us participate in running a decent democratic society rather than expect a single person to do everything,” he further said.

Critics

Commenting on contemporary Sinhala literary critics, Amarakeerthi said that the state of literary criticisms is highly unsatisfactory. “It is not satisfactory at all. We don’t have any professional literary critics in the country or paid reviewers in both Sinhala and English newspapers. No one writes criticism or reviews for newspapers in a regular manner. Creative writers have to review each others work.” he noted. “Critics here are more focused on pressing personal grudges and biases on people. That is a shame,” he lamented.

He also pointed out that lack of literary magazines and journals is also a drawback in literary development. “Journal culture is not popular in Sri Lankan university context. Even the few journals we have are not widely circulated,” he said. He also said that a sustained literary journal or a magazine and weekly analytical literature programs would help to develop a better discussion in the society. “It is better if this comes from the public or a private organization rather than a state organization,” he said adding monthly book discussions and forums in places like Public Libraries would also help.

Awards

He also spoke about the literary festivals and award ceremonies. “I respect all the literary festivals. Vidyodaya Literary Award doesn’t offer any price money and they are independent on their views and judgments. Godage is a single publisher spending his own money to promote literature. Swarna Pusthaka and International Book fair organized by Book Publishers’ Association create enthusiasm among readers across the country,” he said. “It really doesn’t matter who wins. It creates a dialogue on literature in the society,” he said.

He spoke further about the Swarna Pusthaka Award Ceremony. He said “Swarna Pusthaka was able to promote the Sinhala novel. Ten years ago, selling 10,000 copies of a new book was something which was unheard of. I am aware of some prominent authors who are now able to go for a tenth edition of a novel. This is a good thing,” he said with hope. He said that if Swarna Pusthaka focuses on poetry and short stories too, it would help Sinhala literature to further develop. “There are really good young short story writers and poets. Book Publishers should not overlook short story and poetry. If Swarna Pusthka can give them an extra bit of help, like they uplift the novel, it would be really appreciable,” Amarakeerthi stressed.   

Books by Dr. Amarakeerthi 

Fiction

Manawa Bhakthiya ha Siththara

Rala

Nandana Uyana

Mama Dan Nidami

Wila Saha Mala

Maha Kanda Pamula

Wiriyawanthayo

Atawaka Puththu

Kurulu Hadawatha

Translations

Maha Purushayekuta Birindawa

Tharuna Nawakathakaruweku Wetha

Mal Bara Samaya

Gatuma, Sanskruthiya, Wenasa

Poetry

Ekamath Eka Pitarataka

Classical

Amuthu Kathawa

Sahurthda Sakshiya

Pics by Chandana Wijesinghe

What’s in a name?

Veteran dramatist Rajitha Dissanayaka says that the name of a play makes a huge impact

 

Pic by Chandana Wijesinghe

Witnessing a stage drama is different from all other aesthetic experiences. It’s live and a fine theater production is capable of speaking to the heart as well as the brain of the audience. “Once a person experiences this wonderful feeling he or she will never abandon theater. This is why there is always a good turnout for a fine stage performance and why there is a group who looks out for a good stage play at all times,” said veteran dramatist Rajitha Dissanayaka speaking to ‘The Notebook of an Achiever’, about his voyage in the field of theater.

Dissanayaka passed his Advanced Level examinations in 1989 yet couldn’t enter the university the same year as the universities were closed due to conflicts that existed at the time. He believes that these experiences during this period of violence might have had an influence on his work. “Schools were closed for months and it was a period people feared for their lives. As students we had despised the government’s attempts to stamp down the riot,” he recalled. Rajitha had developed an interest in drama from schooldays at St. Mary's College, Chilaw. “When the schools were reopened, we wanted to seek a method to vent our frustrations. Drama seemed the ideal medium,” he said. Although he wrote a script, young Rajitha and his group of friends were not allowed to stage the drama in school under the circumstances.

However, during this period while killing time at home till the universities were reopened, he continuously wrote drama scripts and studied the subject. His first public performance, Sakwadawala was directed when he was a student at the Colombo University. His debut stage script was awarded the title ‘Best Drama Script’ in the Youth Drama Festival in 1994.

The young dramatist, motivated by this achievement, was able to give hope to the audience in an era they were losing their faith on stage plays, through Hansayintath Mang Asai (I Love Swans Also - 1996) and Mata Wedi Thiyanne Nadda (1999). Dissanayaka assured the audience of his capabilities when he staged Weeraya Marila staged in 2002. “Our drama team began to receive attention with Weeraya Marila. It was a career milestone. We were able to stage this drama over 100 times in the first round,” he reminisced. Weeraya Marila is the most staged drama among his creations and was awarded the best drama, best Director, Choreographer, Lighting and best script titles at the State Drama Festival 2002. His other plays, Sihina Horu Aran (Dreams Robbed -2004) and Apahu Harenna Ba (No return - 2009) were also selected as the best in many categories at the State Drama Festivals. Bakamuna Weedi Basiy (Owl on the street) was first staged in 2011 and his latest play Adara Wasathuwa (Love Object) will mark its first anniversary this year. Early in his career he also served as a program producer and a script writer for Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation.

Adara Wasthuwa

He believes that the name of a play has a huge impact on attracting a large audience. “I think that we can send the society a message through the title of the drama alone. It was during a period in which the integrity, corporation and peacefulness were absent from the society that we first staged Weeraya Marila. It was a frightful period that our idols turned out to be greedy, needy, swallowed by consumerism,” he explained how the name they used spoke of the existing situation in brief while the drama spoke about it in depth. “Sihana Horu Arang was directed in a period in which our dreams were actually robbed. The title states the obvious, yet when you watch the drama you’ll start to think whether you should just stay frozen while your dreams are robbed or whether you should make an attempt to secure your dreams,” he explained.

According to Dissanayaka the main responsibilities of a dramatist are to help the spectator look into their lives in depth, understand their lives, society and impart knowledge so that they will be intelligent enough to identify the changes in the process. “A dramatist can create a window through which to look out for what is happening. Looking out and taking actions is in the hands of the spectator. The dramatist can only set the background required for this understanding,” he iterated. When asked about the freedom of expressing their views on stage, he said that the dramatist cannot expect the society to grant complete freedom at all times. “There will be limitations. The support will not be the same, always. The dramatist has to understand this and work to the best of his abilities,” he said.

Commenting on the current limitations in society he said, “One cannot say that there aren’t any limitations to freedom of expression today. Although there are certain limitations, I believe, that the artiste should understand the circumstances and do their maximum within this frame.” He further said that an artiste should have the ability to produce outstanding creations, even within these limitations if they use their maximum creativity. “That is what we are trying to do,” he emphasized.

Bakamuna Weedi Basiy

Intellectuals criticize contemporary society for not giving priority to cultural activities, in their schedules. They say that this could devalue human life. Dissanayake too, lamented that abandoning the aesthetic activities will make a negative impact on society. “Most among us do not consider reading a book, watching a movie, going out for a drama or listening to good music as a human need. It is very unfortunate that these values are being ignored,” Dissanayake pointed out. He said that the society is made to believe that experiencing art is watching the television at night. “However we do not have state of the art facilities to experience fine aesthetics either. Not only western countries, even India has better facilities in each of its states. India has given priority to establishing good libraries, galleries and theaters,” he added.

He also said that none of the governments that came into power to date have given priority to nurturing these needs. However, according to him people of the country show a lukewarm interest on the subject that they don’t make demands on behalf of cultural requirements. “They can’t be accused of not demanding too when they have bigger problems to look into,” he exclaimed. “I believe that it’s essential that we demand cultural needs in parallel with other demands, or it will be too late if we wait until we find answers for our basic demands,” he said. “It is the duty of the institutions established to oversee cultural activities in the country. They don’t seem to do their duty,” he alleged.

He pointed out that this situation has a huge impact on theater and dramatists. He suggested that setting up mini theaters is one viable solution for lack of proper theaters. “We need at least three more fine theaters in Colombo and at least one theater in each major city,” he suggested. “There should be a proper plan to maintain these theaters in good condition while giving the dramatist the opportunity to issue tickets at a lower price,” he opined. As he explained, if there is a system to secure sponsorships and reduce the cost paid for the stage, the ticket prices will automatically drop. Theaters should be maintained. Watching a drama should be a pleasant experience. It would not become pleasant if the hall is too hot or lighting is poor,” he added.

“There should also be more space for aesthetics in the education system where children can be taught to be more sensitive to arts,” he said. He also emphasized the importance of encouraging dramatists to produce new autonomous and creative scripts and the effect of fine criticism and appreciation. “When I entered the field, the awards presented at the Youth Drama Festival as well as the State Drama Festival conferred recognition on budding dramatists. Today, it’s different,” he said. “If something can be done to give a hand to budding dramatists we recognize through drama festivals and award ceremonies to sponsor their theater productions, they will be motivated to produce better scripts,” he opined. He also mentioned that seeking sponsors is a challenge for not only amateurs, but veterans in the field. “This is why many veterans leave the field for other careers,” he said.

He also expressed his contentment on the participation of youth as audience. “I have been to many countries including France, Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Italy. The majority of their audiences are people who are well past their middle-age. Youth representation is very low,” he said. “Surprisingly, youth representation in our audience is very high. In fact the majority audience here is youth. A similar situation is noted outside Colombo,” he said. However, as he mentioned, their participation decreases when they mature in age and when they are faced with life’s challenges. “When they are young and free they can spend time as they please. When they get married and start families they are forced to drop their ‘cultural habits’ although they don’t want to. I have met many who complain that they can’t find time to go out for a play,” he said.

Sihinna Horu Arang

Speaking about the drama festival which is to be held no August 1, 2 and 3, Dissanayaka said that the theater lovers will be able to experience three dramas with three different themes at the festival. “However, all these themes are woven around contemporary society,” he said. “My latest play, Adara Wasthuwa which premiered a year ago at the same venue will be staged on August 2 celebrating its first year anniversary and also the tenth anniversary of Sihina Horu Aran,” he added. Adara Wasthuwa is a well-crafted drama that explores the ins and outs of human relationships in a society where political and economic gains override ethical concerns. “I think that the warmest wishes I received were for this drama Adara Wasthuwa. The audience loved it better than they liked the others. However, we plan to take a small break after a limited number of runs,” he mentioned.

Reminiscing ups and downs along his path, he said that he has tried his best to give the best and he still believes that the drama is the strongest medium he can use to convey his messages to society. Speaking about his future goals he said that he will make an effort to enhance the aesthetic quality in his plays and will try to find a way and provide the experience of stage plays to a larger audience. “Theater should be improved so that it becomes a better place to experience life, to become more content,” he concluded saying that he will continue to write better scripts as long as there is an audience to appreciate his work.