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| Wednesday, 10 March 2004 |
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Universal kinship via Vivarana by Prof. Sunanda Mahendra The Sinhala magazines one comes across today are mostly based or inspired by the English Reader's Digest model. This model as one sees is one of the most wonderful 'page movers' as they call, instead of in-depth reading. This does not undermine that lighter vein of reading is unwanted, for readers want to know more about various topics of experience. The very first or pioneer Sinhala digest model Sinhala magazine came out as far back as 1910s, edited by one teacher of Ananda College, S. P. Perera (well-known Tarzie Vitachi's father and my class teacher) This Sinhala magazine which was well edited was known by the title 'Patakaya' (the reader). Even today as I rummage my book racks I come across an old issue of 'Patakaya', which gives enormous pleasure in reading. Followed by the success of this pioneer venture, several editors tried to bring out similar periodicals based on the same model. But I am not too sure why they did not last. Then came the Sinhala magazine produced by the, then Radio Ceylon titled 'Tarangani', which followed closely the model of BBC's 'The listener' and Frank Kermode's well-known journal 'Encounter'. From time to time several serious Sinhala journals of the type of 'Samskriti' were published especially aimed at selective high brow readers. Two of the most popular Sinhala journals were 'Nava Yugaya' published by Lake House, and Rasavahini by the times group via the then Sinhala paper Lankadeepa, edited by the well-known journalist D. B. Dhanapala. Rasavahini catered to a popular, but serious readership which included teachers, artists, clergy, administrators, schoolchildren and the university representatives. The Sinhala digest model periodical titled 'Piyabasa' survived with the publication of Sinhala Jatiya newspaper in the late fifties, and was edited by the well-known cine critic and short story writer, Cyril B. Perera. This Sinhala magazine was designed to cater to a broader area consisting of original translated material from scholars at home and abroad. During the mid sixties and late sixties, quite a number of Sinhala, as well as English journals, named as 'learned journals' appeared from all the universities, 'Piyavara', 'Sadhana', Arthika Vidya', 'Vimarshana', Preksha', 'Rupana' are a few that could be cited. One Sinhala magazine that survived with a special 'politic cultural' identity was 'Nawalokaya' edited by Ven. Udukendavala Saranankara. All these observations pave the way to show that with all the good intentions, Sinhala magazines survive for a shorter period than expected. Today Sinhala reader's attitude towards the magazine reading has changed due to several factors. The emergence of the tele medium is one, the advent of the new printing technology for the most part has changed not only the content but also the layouts and designs of all periodicals. In this background, one editor who so strives to retain the good informative material and the most modernistic techniques in printing is the editor of 'Vivarana', our friend Vincent Kurumbapitiya. Kurumbapitiya has over a period of at least 25 years has dangled himself in the publishing ventures, bringing out to his credit a series of monographs titled 'He and his creations' (Ohu saha ohuge Nirmana), which include such writers as R. K. Narayan, Isaak Bashevis Singer, Herman Hesse, Ernest Hemingway, Albert Camus and D. H. Lawrence. The most interesting aspect of his project was a lecture cum introduction to the monograph on each writer. This project was becoming quite popular day by day, but something unseen befell, that gradually waned the sustenance. Years passed. once again Kurumbapitiya has launched his Sinhala monthly journal 'Vivarana' with a new look, inclusive of politics, social sciences, culture, health, cinema, theatre, sports and creative writings. Kurumbapitiya, it looks needs support from readers, and writers of a culture of a new outlook. As a person who has struggled in politics of the seventies and later in literary ventures, he has broadened his outlook depending and catering solely refined and serious reading material attempting to make his journal look more a bridge for 'universal kinship'. Since 1986, with the commencement of Vivarana, and came to standstill in the 1990s, the magazine has now emerged as a forum for communication at all levels. as the short but sharp editorial of Kurumbapitiya shows, he has not completely evaded the 'political line of thinking' which eventually creates political wisdom which he realizes as a must for the present day discriminative reader. **** Back **** |
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