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Of Cabbages, Kings & Things by Padma Edirisinghe

In developed countries machines have replaced human labour to such an extent that humans there suffer from an excess of time. So they think of some queer things to do, like holding conferences on village names. I came across news of such a one in a Daily News report of October...Venue, France.

Not all the villages of France however were represented. Only delegates from villages carrying old or lewd names had been invited. I forget whether it is lewd or odd. Lewd can be odd but odd need not always be lewd. Reps from villages such as MY Botton, Filthy Pig, Cuckold Hill, East Onions, Beautifully Mad, Very Stupid I remember had been invited. Names given here are the English translations since the original French names as Cocumont for Cuckold Hill would be Greek to many SL readers despite the many French classes in the island.

Somebody reading this might get the bright idea of summoning a similar conference in our island. After all many SL'ans are just waiting to summon such meetings where the lamp is lit and then long boring speeches delivered on the importance of the theme till half the audience falls asleep before the thing actually gets going. Delegates from following villages carrying odd or lewd names would certainly be invited - Mineeoluwa, Urubokka, Bakamoona, Narigama, Siyambala Anduwa, De Thana Gala and Paiya Gala. That is just to name a few.

The DN news item did not elaborate on the objectives of the conference. Was it to celebrate the oddness or lewdness, or delve into the background leading to these names or suggest replacing them with names that their children need not blush about or think them as very odd. Some of our village names are politically dangerous.

Take for instance Siyambala Anduwa. In these volatile days, one fine morning do not be surprised if all the denizens of this village carrying blood red banners (lent by you know whom) line up Colombo's street saying that they are not under the SL govt. as their very name implies a separate govt. and separate territory. So another little independent state just off Kadawatha mostly settled by the Sinhalas.

For changing unsuitable names there is another reason. Sri Lanka is very efficient at misusing many a thing begun with the best of intentions. The School Project is one such. This was begun to promote creativity and independent work by students.

But now it is said that many teachers use it to relax. Onus of the project is on the student and his or her parents. So the teacher would set the assignment "Find the origin of your village name" and go on to prepare notes for the private tuition class that evening. It is okay if the child is a resident of Mirihana or Pagoda or Galewela. But imagine a boy of De Thana Gala going to his mother and asking for the origin of the name. Or a girl of Paiya Gala going to her father and posing the same Q. We are still very conservative country where some topics are just taboo in family conversation.

So what is the message here? Some village names really warrant a change.

President Premadasa gave some very hopeful names to his Udagam villages. Senasungama (village of contentment), Vasanagama (vilage of Fortune), Samagama (Vilage of Peace). Never mind if all the families in Samagama are fighting with each other and those under the same roof there are at each other's throat.

That the end-desire is peace is evident in the name. Take the name Sri Lanka, Resplendent Lanka. We desire and long to be resplendent. That we are a long distance away from the Utopia in mind, more regressing than advancing is another matter. There is Hope in the name.

Years back passing Narahenpita I saw a board "Sakvithi Lane" (lane of the divine beings).

We drove to feast our eyes on the diving species. But it was inhabited by those from the opposite hemisphere. But those miserable men and women harbour a longing to lie as divine beings in the celestial uplands. So there is hope in the very name.

But the best are the village names that are interwined with our history. Through these names we can enter the fantastic past.

As I do not wish to confuse the reader any more I will pause here.

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