Dr. Mirando Obeysekere completes 45 years of cultural service

BY SONALI Chithra Dunuvila

Joint Secretary, Cultural Development Organisation

FORTY five years ago (May 31, 1960) there was published in salubrious Nuwara Eliya a Sinhala poetry book which grew up into a great cultural service of our country and abroad.

The author of this poetry book is Mirando Obeysekere - a young man interested to seek a new way of thinking.

Dr. Mirando Obeysekere's achievements were many sided. He was gifted with unusual creative and spiritual power. He begins to write after a meditation of 30 minutes. He never writes anything if the moment is not fit. Spiritual fitness is more important to write and think.

Dr. Mirando Obeysekere, a postgraduate of Columbia Pacific University is a poet par excellence. He is something much bigger than that. Poetry and writing is only one part of him.

He is a great human being and it is our great privilege to have him as a fellow Asian. But I do not think it would be right for us to claim that he belonged only to Asia. He has a limitless love and influence all over the people of world.

All of Dr. Obeysekere's ideas, poems, verse and prose are concentrated not with any narrow culture, but with freedom, the freedom not merely discussed in political arenas, freedom from superstition, freedom from hunger and poverty and freedom from narrowness and financial imperialism.

As a realistic poet and writer Dr. Obeysekere has rendered a yeoman service to society, 'Ranhamy' the first poetry book he had written and published was highly appreciated by the best literary minds of Sri Lanka, including Prof. V. Tennakoon and Doric de Souza.

'Rudira Bindu', discusses the sorrows of mankind. This anthology caught the attention of several critics such as Prof. Rev. Hevanpola Ratanasara, Nalin Wijesekere, Kumar Ganesan and Prof. Minivan P. Tillakeratne.

Dr. Obeysekere's 'Ruvan Yathra' is an eternal poem which discusses the value of unseen god - The Almighty. This poem was translated as a tribute to the author.

Dr. Obeysekere's father, Samuel Sykes Obeysekere, left the Christian faith and accepted Buddhism. His mother Ellen Cicey Galagoda Obeysekere Kumarihamy was the younger daughter of A. C. B. Galagoda Rate Mahattaya of Panam Patthuwa.

Dr. Obeysekere has visited more than 5,000 villages of Sri Lanka as a sociologist and historian. He has conducted many researchers about the Manor Houses of Sri Lanka.

The caste system and politics, prehistoric civilisation of Sri Lanka and India and the poets of Sri Lanka etc. He has published valuable books regarding these.

Now as a poet, writer, historian, sociologist, genealogist and free thinker, Dr. Obeysekere has boldly proved his realistic view through every angle.

In 1982 he was offered the much quoted 'Silver pen award' by the Croiden Cultural Institute of UK and in 1994 he was honoured with national honours by the President of Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka and later The Universal Brotherhood award and many awards conferred by many societies and institutions.

Some religious organisations wished to confer him awards but as a true humanist and free thinker he had refused to accept any award or honour from any religious body here or abroad.

Dr. Obeysekere is a living example to others who have engaged in the field of culture and arts. We wish him all the success for a bright future.