Events past, present and present continuous

A number of events took place in and around in Colombo during the past fortnight. Here are few observations on some of them.

It’s nice to see that intellectuals of this country are recognized and honoured while they are living. On June 28 there was a ceremony at the Galle Face Hotel. Three Lankans and one Indian intellectual who are all internationally known were awarded and felicitated for their contributions for so many years.

They were: Dr Jayantha Dhanapala (Former U.N. Under Secretary General of Disarmament Affairs and Presently Head of the Peace Secretariat in Sri Lanka) for Peace and International Understanding; Dr.Kumari Jayawardena (Senior Fellow at the Institute of Graduate Studies) for Socio Economic Studies; Deshamanya Dr. Godfrey Gunatilleke (Chairman Emeritus and Fellow of the Marga Institute) again for Socio Economic Studies; and Prof. Jayant Vishnu Narlikar (Emeritus Professor, Inter University centre for Astrophysics, Pune, India) for Science.

Who was behind these awards? He is another intellectual in this country.

His name is Deshamanya Dr. A. M. M. Sahabdeen (Chairman of A. M. M. Sahabdeen Trust Foundation, former Ceylon Civil Service personnel with a first class degree in Philosophy and the author of a fine book-”The Life Circle”, which this writer reviewed in this column last year)

The chief guest and guest of honour are both intellectuals in this country. They were Minister Dr. Tissa Vitharana (Minister of Science and technology) and Dr. C. G. Weeramatry (Former Vice President of the International Court of Justice).

Thus we would see that there was a galaxy of fine minds meeting at one place to be seen and heard and honoured. It was a pleasure to listen to Jayantha Dhanapala whose impeccable English and enunciation. Godfrey Gunatilleke, another fine writer more than a speaker spoke his mind cogently and effectively. They are both specialists in the English language.

And I am a keen reader of their writing, particularly on English and World literature. Kumari, internationally known author with her Marxist approaches was not convincing as a spellbound speaker, but her original researches on Social studies are fascinating discoveries. I must admit that I had not heard of Prof Jayant Vishnu Narlikar before and it was a great honour of having him with us. His speech was illuminating.

I couldn’t listen to the speeches made by the Minister, Dr Sahabdeen and Dr Weeramantry (again a fine writer of lucid expositions) as I had to rush to the launch of a book written by an American.

Before I talk about that, let me give you a few definitions gleaned on “intellectuals.”

Who is an intellectual?

As ‘intellectual’ is a keyword, I consulted Raymond William’s book - “A Vocabulary of Culture and Society “. Here are some gleanings:

“Intellectual as a noun to indicate a particular kind of person or a person doing a particular kind of work.” intelligence” as a general faculty of understanding. the interesting development of “intelligent”’ and “intelligence” as terms of comparison between people seems to date from C 16. “intelligence”, however, can be read as knowledge information .. as still in “intelligence service”

“Intellectualism had been a simple alternative to “Rationalism”.

But “Intellectuals”, at least, is now often used, neutrally, and even at times favourably, to describe people who do certain kinds of: intellectual” work as and especially the most general kinds.

Within universities, the distinction is sometimes made between “specialists” or “professionals”, with limited interests, and “intellectuals: and “intellectuals with wider interests”

That was Raymond Williams.

An American publishes in Sri Lanka

An American writer and an official of the U.S. Agency for International Development (Regional Development - Mission Asia) headquartered in Bangkok, Mathew Friedman, has written a book titled “In the Shadow of the Tamarind Tree”. The book published by the Vijitha Yapa Publications was launched at the National Library Services and Documentation Board on June 28.

I rushed to the venue as I spent most of the time that evening listening to the intellectuals at the GFH. Behind the mike was the author Mathew Friedman. He was speaking about his career as a writer and how he wrote his book. We understand that Friedman following the December 2004 Tsunami, spent a month in Sri Lanka to provide immediate relief support.

Having not read the book as yet due to pressure of time, I give below a few pieces of information gleaned from the blurb of the book:

The book is set in Sri Lanka. “It traces a gentle relationship between an elderly widower who had given up on life and a young girl who had just lost her brother in a tragic accident. Both were trying to escape their respective grief and deal with the burden of guilt and sorrow when they were brought together by circumstance and fate.

The story weaves the threads of love and loss of faith in the meaning of life together in a manner that walks the reader down a path where the concept of destiny, time and the affirming quality of life are called into question. Using folklore and strong cultural symbolism to propel the plot along, this inspirational story highlights the reality that rebirth and a sense of healing can follow even the most terrible tragedy.”

That’s interesting! Isn’t it?

Distant warriors

Channa Wickremasekera who lives in Australia has written a book titled “Distant Warriors” published by Perera Hussein Publishing House located at 80A, Dharmapala Mawatha, Colombo 7, who have established themselves as publishers of varied fiction styles of Lankan writers.

This book was launched on July 02 at the ICES. Wellknown Lankan writers, intellectuals and literates were present at the launch where Ms Ambika Satgunananthan introduced the book in an appreciable manner. Let’s glean into the books published by PH Publishing House on a later occasion.

Spanish film

The ICES, thanks to the film enthusiast and a senior librarian, P.Thambirajah, some outstanding international films are being shown at this centre down Kynsey Terrace in Borella. One such film was”Maria Full of Grace”- a Spanish film with English subtitles.

The film was made by Joshua Marston, a winner of many awards. Nowadays the Iranians and the Latin Americans have put their distinct stamp on filmmaking of a high order. This was shown on June 29, but I missed out on that. However for the benefit of our readers, here is some information of the plot of the film as culled out from the notice sent by the ICES:

“The film follows a bright, gutsy young woman on a life-changing and life -threatening lives with three generations of family members in a cramped house in rural Columbia.

Working at a rose plantation stripping thorns from flowers, Maria dreams of the day when she will have the opportunity to leave her small town. When she is finally offered another job with the prospects of traveling the world and substantially more money, Maria quickly accepts. Far from the uneventful rip she is promised, Maria is transported into the risky and ruthless business world of international drug trafficking.

Her journey quickly becomes one of determination and survivals, and she finally emerges with grace that will carry her forward into a new life. The dramatic thriller builds towards a conclusion so powerful and revealing it could only be based on a thousand true stories”.

Talking of films - there was a film from a Thailand director seen by me for the first time. It was technically superior South East Asian film.

Though longish and thematically not so original - incestuous relationship- the cinematography, especially underwater sequences and the backdrop, was stunningly engrossing. I enjoyed the film. The film was titled “The Sin”’

Then there was a documentary by Iffat Fatima, a Delhi based documentary film maker. Among the Indian documentary film makers I had the privilege of watching and marvelling at the works of Shyam Bengal, Anand Patawarthan and a few others.

But I had not seen any of Iffat Fatima so far. With crowded cultural events in around Colombo in all three languages, I am at a loss to find time, transportation and the like particularly when events take place simultaneously. Fatima’s film made in Sinhala and Thamil on Sri Lanka’s War and Peace: The Other Side.

The Hamilton Case

Dr Pradeep Jeganathan the other day gave his impressions on the work by Lanka born Austaralian Ms.de Kretzer’s book on Hamilton Case.

I haven’t read the book. But it was interesting to listen to him and the chairperson, Lyn Ockersz. Lyn, now the Associate Editor of the Daily News is also a literary critic who reviews books published in English and Sinhala. Though a burgher, he is familiar with contemporary Sinhala literature.

But he also reads books written by Lankan Thamilian writers in English. In fact, he has written a foreword to a forthcoming book in English by the bilingual writer Ayathurai Santhan.

In fact in answering a question by Rajapal Abeynaike, who usually has reservations on Lankan writing in English and is at times very cynical in what he, expresses, Lyn Ockersz said that Santhan is the most outstanding creative writer in this country at present. That indeed is a great tribute for writers from the north of Sri Lanka.

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