Daily News debate

Today we wind up the debate commenced three weeks ago on 'National or Western dress: which is best?'. Thanks for all your informative and colourful contributions which outlined different opinions as to which attire suits Sri Lankans the best.

Whatever said and done, the way one dresses him/herself is ultimately a personal choice, is it not?. In fact, the right to decide one's own attire is considered today as part and parcel of the freedom of expression, guaranteed in Article 14 of the Sri Lankan Constitution.

Accordingly, a person covering every inch of his/her body in clothes has a right to do so, just as another person is free to clad him/herself in revealing and scanty attire, even if it is looked down upon by society.

Commercialism, a subject that cropped up in all our previous debates and is likely to surface even in our next debate on Valentine's Day, is perhaps another reason for the popularity of new fashion trends which have relegated the National Dress.

Clothing stores advertise the latest 'must-have' designer wear and other clothes which ape Western fashions, attracting hordes of youngsters. Both Western and local teledramas shown on TV feature glamorous women and handsome men in alluring attire. Again, the young generation will copy these fashions.

But this does not mean the end of the road for the national dress or ethnic wear. Just like Western attire, they too have been glamorised and some of Colombo's chic stores do an exclusive line in designer ethnic wear. Go to any party or function in the evenings, and one can see men and women looking absolutely gorgeous in ethnic wear.

This could perhaps be the best solution for the dilemma for we face; whether to stick to one type of attire. It does not have to be so. As they say, there is a time and a place for everything.

One can opt to wear practical Western clothes to the office and a stunning sari/national dress to a party. Practicality, cultural values and monetary considerations all play a part but ultimately its all down to individual choice.

##########################

Need for a dress to suit our age-old culture

P. M. Dias

I was greatly impressed by reading an article, 'National dress suits our country, climate and culture' written by a retired High Court Judge that appeared on page 9 of the Daily News of January 17, 2007.

After reading this article I became anxious to express my opinion on this current vital subject. As the writer quite correctly states, the Britishers who subjugated Sri Lanka in the year 1815 took different measures to suppress national resurgence, and the age-old culture was looked down upon.

The high society that existed during that time started to imitate the Western American culture that introduced the Western American clothing. The women folk started to wear the frock and the men especially when they attend office used to wear the coat, pair of longs, and the tie.

With the awakening of the 20th century there was a sudden revival of the Sinhalese culture, and our women folk who did not like the frock chose to be clad in cloth and jacket, or the Indian saree.

At the same time our intellectuals gradually changed into a selected national dress, cloth and long sleeve banian. In this country up to the year 1956 which ever government that was in power was not the least worried about a national dress for the Sinhalese.

Only in 1956 during the Bandaranaike regime that the national dress became very popular, with the Prime Minister, Ministers and the Members of Parliament wearing cloth and the long sleeve banian, some with a tunic collar in Sri Lankan style.

In 1977 J. R. Jayawardene UNP government introduced an open economy, which was not at all suitable to the country and the cultural prestige of our country was entirely shattered.

The Western American culture that squeezed into our country age-old Buddhist culture with a long history of over 2500 years was humiliated when our women started wearing American western clothing and our younger generation both male and female started to copy the westernised trousers both longs and shorts.

For odd jobs a pair of shorts could be comfortable rather than wearing a sarong. But the peculiar type of westernised longs our boys wear now is a terrible disgrace for our Sinhalese Buddhist culture. The westernised pair of longs the boys wear today is neither a pair of longs nor a long pair of shorts.

The longs is three quarter size in length. With a dozen of pockets all round. It is not only the boys that wear these longs and shorts, but also the females and even mothers with grown-up children wear these, quarter, half, three quarter size longs and shorts.

What an ugly scene to see a mother or a grown up girl seated on a chair with a high elevation raising the legs up to that level.

Can we even imagine our younger generation both male and female brought up by the parents under a religious and cultural background could stoop down to such a low level to embrace each and every fashion that is flirted into this country. Dress plays quite a central role in the civilised world. Dress is a symbol of status.

So without being slavish to the western culture why can't our men, women and all grown up children protect our Buddhist country's culture by being attired in a very simple dress.

I propose a sudden awakening of the Buddhist culture in Sri Lanka, where our men, women and children would opt to discard the present westernised clothing they are accustomed to wear all these days and gradually changing on to a very simple and attractive dress which would suit our age-old culture.

For the men I would suggest the cloth and long sleeve banian with a tunic collar in Sri Lankan style. The women folk to wear the cloth and jacket for some with the blouse and the osariya, in Sri Lankan style.

The schoolgoing children from Grade 2-13 in white sarong and shirt with a tunic collar. At a time when we are discussing about a national dress for our country why don't we at the same time organise a national programme to save our men, women and children from the clutches of the western civilisation that has ruined our culture.

#########################

It has to be a proper attire

C. W. Rodrigo

Much has been written recently about the suitability of the dress for men's daily wear.

It was the practice during the time of the foreign rulers to come to work properly attired i.e. coat, trousers, shirts, tie, shoes and hat.

As time went on every Dick, Tom and Harry donned this outfit. People came to recognize them as "Mahaththayas" and the rest as "Godayas".

Then came the World War in the 1940's and Sir Caldecott, the then Governor-General realized that public servants were undergoing severe hardship due to the high cost of living and the non-availability of cloth to tailor their outfits.

With one stroke of the pen, Sir Caldecott ordered that clerical servants need not come to work in full western attire, but could report for duty in khaki shorts and short sleeved shirts. As for footwear a pair of wooden clogs would suffice. Overnight these officers welcomed the suggestion and went in for three pairs of khaki shorts and six short-sleeved shirts which lasted right throughout the war!

It was quite nice to see that Top Class Civil Servants and Heads of Departments working very efficiently in this new attire. During the time of the late P. Saravanamuttu, Tea Controller, Rubber Controller, Tea Commissioner, Rubber Commissioner, a strict disciplinarian, the majority of the Tamils came to work in verti, which is their National Dress and they too bade good-bye to their vertis and started wearing longs, shorts and shirts.

I recollect D.B.I. Siriwardena, an old Thomian and a top class Civil Servant wearing the Thomian outfit and travelling daily to office and back. Not only that Siriwardena attended a wedding in blue shorts and white short sleeved shirt although he was one of the attesting witnesses at that wedding!

Esto Perpetua

#######################

It's anyone's freedom of rights

S. T. Arasu

In my humble opinion, I do feel that traditional, oriental and cultured attire would be the best, for important special occasions, festivals and cultural events only as that symbolise our country's image and identity and also, that gives an exemplary colourful outlook, in the eyes of others, especially, foreigners!

I know, that majority of our people prefer western attire, no doubt! But, if all depends on an individual's tastes and manners! So, nobody should be compelled by the State or Government to choose the common man's taste in dressing! It's his, or her freedom of right, to dress as he, or she wants, in our own Motherland!

Sinhalese, Tamils, Muslims, Malays and Burghers live together, in our democratic country and they should be free to wear any attire, modesty and neatly, as they feel correct, or fit (perfect) and so long, not to go too far, aping the western latest models and fashions! For anything, there is a limit and margin, to draw the line, indeed!

#########################

Why wear imitation

E. de Silva

I am very thankful for the article on the above subject by Jayashantha Jayawickrema. It certainly has brought to the notice of especially the Sinhalese to arouse them from their deep sleep regarding cultural matters that are being gradually forgotten and being displaced by foreign customs, dress and even behavioral patterns.

For the first time in Sri Lanka in 1931 July 31, at a public meeting held at Ananda College in the presence of a very large gathering which included Messers P. de S. Kularatne, Dr. G.P. Malalasekera, Kannangara and Professor Sunderalingam, it was unanimously decided that males should wear the National Dress and the females should wear the saree or kandyan saree in keeping with the climate, culture and the environment of our motherland.

Also similarly Anagarika Dharmapala, Walisinghe Harischandra, Piyadasa Sirisena and many others on a vigorous campaign criticized and ridiculed those who were slavishly following foreign customs.

During the period of time both Sinhalese and the Tamils got together to patronize and to encourage everyone to wear the National Dress. Today we see the President, Ministers and Members of Parliament appear publicly in National Dress.

They all speak in Sinhalese in Parliament as well as at public meetings. At least this should give our "kalu suddas" to open their eyes and follow the examples so that our cultural values will not be forgotten forever.

They also should consider the plight of the children of today who badly need to be directed on the proper cultural values and heritage what a pickle the future will be? Also the Prime Minister Mr. Ratnasiri Wickremanayake said at a meeting in Horana "a patriotic society cannot be built by forgetting the history of the motherland.

The entire society had been commercialised today and had led to a severe deterioration of cultural and moral values with society loosing track".

It would be apt to mention about our females who are daily imitating shamelessly imported attires in dress and other repugnant behaviors in public. They seem to copy any form of dress whether suitable or not advertised lavishly in news bulletins.

It is sad to see even some of them have the audacity to come even to temple ceremonies in this half naked attires. They seem unable to appreciate the elegance, charm simplicity, grace and faminity of the Saree and the Kandian Saree. Also our younger generation should be educated and disciplined to wear the "Lamasaree" at least at functions like Pirith and Dana programs.

Our "kalu suddas" wear trouser, shirt and tie. Is this a complete suit or dress? What is its origin? This is only an imitation. What is the use of this? In short it is "boru shoak".

Finally there is a time and place for everything. We have the right to change our attire to suit the occasion. Eg: sports, labourers work or hazardous work and daily walks. But the main importance is not to forget our beginnings of cultural heritage.

There is a great responsibility on the shoulders of our Principals and staff members of our Buddhist schools to set an example so that the younger generation will respond favourably to maintain our cultural heritage.

Lastly the National Dress is much cheaper and easy to maintain and is simple, elegant and not discriminating.

#########################

Next topic: Valentine's Day - Is it relevant ?

A month has passed since the dawn of new year and it is already February. Ask a youngster the significance of this month and you would get the prompt reply 'Valentine's Day'.

The origins of Valentine's Day, celebrated on February 14, are varied and ambiguous. One legend has it that Valentine was a priest in the third century who defied the edict of Roman emperor Claudius outlawing marriage since single men made better soldiers than those with families.

It is said that the angry emperor sentenced Valentine to death when he discovered that the priest continued to perform marriages for young lovers in secrecy.

Other stories suggest that Valentine may have been killed for attempting to help Christians escape harsh Roman prisons. They state that Valentine actually sent the first 'Valentine' greeting himself before death to his jailor's daughter with whom he had fallen in love while in prison, which he signed 'From your Valentine', an expression still in use today.

Whatever the legends behind the celebration, Valentine's or Lovers' Day has over the years become part of the new culture of Sri Lanka's urban societies. Like in many other countries, local Valentine's Day celebrations are also multi-million rupee ventures.

It is the time when the ordinary goods like flowers, chocolates and cards are sold at exorbitant prices with hotels and restaurants organising extravagant dinner dances for couples young and old.

Indeed, one may argue that Valentine's Day has become one big marketing exercise, with commercial establishments, newspapers, radio and television stations organising myriad events.

This has irked traditionalists and moral guardians who view Valentine's Day as an alien concept which contradicts our cultural traditions and values. They point out that 'love' is a pure, universal concept which does not need one particular day. Do you really need a special day to express love ?, they ask. On the other hand, defenders of Valentine's Day say it adds a special meaning to that indescribable feeling of being in love.

Whichever side you are on, feel free to express your views in our next debate 'Valentine's Day: Is it relevant ?'. Send in your contributions (between 750-1,000 words) before February 28, 2007 to 'Daily News Debate', Daily News, Associated Newspapers of Ceylon Limited, PO Box 1217, Colombo, or via e-mail to [email protected].