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Books
A mind-wide tour of the offerings of 84 ardent new poets
Reviewed by Carl Muller
The colour of my dream
- An anthology of selected poems by "Daily News",
- Compiled by Suharshi Perera,
- Published by the Annual Publications Department, ANCL, Colombo 2007
- pp.144
What fills a poet's mind when he or she wishes to write? There are so
many themes and subjects of today - a rising swell of technological bits
and pieces as well as a degeneration of those old, peaceful times. There
is no doubt that society has seen changes and there are so many
mind-changes too.
The "Daily News", in its weekly Poetry Page, gave our new poets the
opportunity to express themselves, tell of their reflections, thoughts,
raise their voices in rancour even - but, as there emerged so many
patterns in their lines, one could see how they have grappled with
depression, told of home and family, of love, of their seeking for the
spirit-force of their faith, or religiosity to make straight their
paths, of their reactions to war and its many horrors, of the things
that bring pleasure, peace, even pain.
This collection, "The Colour of my Dream" is aptly titled. It is also
in a charming pocketbook-type print presentation, easily carried, a
little dream in itself. What must be emphasised is that it throbs with
the wide-spectrum dream-colour of 84 of our emerging poets whose
creativity cannot be denied or overlooked.
They have not only been touched by poetic issues, but have also
beaten their music out for all to listen to. I always feel that the
writing of poetry must be of worth, and its utterance sheer music. What
they have presented in their own imaginative forms of truth is
descriptive, dramatic, also lyric.
Having said this, I have to remind that the power of poetry lies in
the cadence that gives recurring rhythm to the music. This means, of
course, "appropriate utterance" polished to refinement. I ask you to
look at the following mighty lines in which Schiller bids farewell to
the dead:
Till the trumpet that heralds God's coming in thunder
From the hill-tops of light shall ring over they bed;
Till the portals of death shall be riven asunder
And the storm-wind of God whirl the dust of the dead.
It will not be fair to deal with one poet, even a selection of poets
out of the 84 in this anthology and ignore the rest, but please do
accept that this review will be doing a sort of mind-wide tour, and
there will be really no space on this page to deal with all the poems
presented.
Also, to even dig into every piece will tell me of the need to query
word usage, point to little slips and slip-ups. I am not going to do so.
When someone wants to magnify the echo of his or her heart and tell the
world of it, there is no necessity for a critic to point a finger and
take this someone to task.
However, I would like "Daily News" to sideline, along with this
review, the names of the selected 84 contributors and highlight the
names of those who have been adjudged the best.
What cheers me immensely is that we are seeing a huge revival of
poetry in this country. Time was when many would say they did not care
for poetry. Even today, many publishers say they do not wish to
undertake poetry.
Is it that such people find in poetry a country they are hesitant to
explore? Some even uphold that prose is "practical" and poetry
"sentimental", but at any poetry reading - and I have attended many - I
have heard people say: "Hey! That's good! But I never read poetry." Why,
I wonder. Is it that there is this erroneous idea that poetry is
synonymous with verse?
In this anthology the reader will begin to know his or her own
conceptions of this collection's spirit and its functions. The reader
will also begin to realise that its widespread assortment gives it an
almost universal province and there appears a right of franchise anyone
can exercise in any form he or she pleases. After all, poetry is not
just an art but is the essence of all the arts.
Our new poets are on their way to the expression of manifold shapes
and sounds - the rhythm of life, the very pulse of the universe. Read
what they offer and know why the "Daily News" has poured such
appreciation on their efforts.
And do take them seriously, for it won't be long before they bask in
that vision of true reality and perception that, together with the
natural objects, the motifs used, with human passion, character and
action, will determinedly make of them the outstanding poets of their
times.
I also offer my good wishes to the Chairman of the Associated
Newspapers of Ceylon Ltd., Bandula Padmakumara; to the former Editor of
the "Artscope", R.S. Karunaratne; and a special thank you to the former
"Daily News" editor Mr. Bandula Jayasekara, who initiated the
newspaper's Poetry Page. More good wishes to my two friends, Punyakante
Wijenaike and K.S. Sivakumaran, who judged the flood of poetry on offer.
It would have been quite a task, I should think.
Following are the emerging poets that were selected for the anthology
J.P. Pathirana
Ruwanthi Abeyakoon
Yasmin Jaldin
Randev Perera
L.E.C. Salgado
J.I. Rosairo
P.L.N. de Silva
Sunila Nanayakkara
Wiruma
George Eddie
Menaca Calyaneratne
Narendra Kalinga
Nimal Pryasiri Dunu
Tharindu Weerasinghe
A. Ratnayake
Miran Perera
G.H.A. Suraweera
Bertholameuze Nisansala Dharmasena
Indu Gamage
Rienzie I. Perera
Dineli Jayasekera
Dilrukshi Perera
Sheila Gunasekera
N.M.L.M. Haleel
Devi Singam
C. Mohanlal de Mel
Dr. Tilak S. Fernando
A. Jayalath Basnagoda
Arul
Verna L. de Silva
Sr. Mary Bernard R.G.S.
Sudath Jayatissa Hewamadduma
M. D. S. Maithripala
A.H. Paranawithana
T.M.S. Nanayakkara
D.J.
Anjalie Chandima Silva
Kusum Rajapakse
Arjuna Athapathu
Nimal Sedera
Nadira Gunatilleke
N. Muthukumar
Saara Panchamee Hewavissenti
Arjuna
Anushka Nanayakkara
Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe
Antonette De Cruze
Palitha Solmans
Jayashantha Jayawardhana
V. Iresh Piyatilleke
Pramod Beri
Vishaka Senadhira
Dayal Nalaka Pathirana
Sylvia Hettiarachchi
Sunil Ranasinghe
Dayaseeli Senaratne
Nimal Dunuhinga
Victor Peries
B. Roken Heart
Caryl Nugara
Dr. Saroja Siriwardene
Arefa Teshin
Manushi Atapattu
A. Bogoda
Deen
Lt. Col. P.A.D. Albert
S. Raymond Silva
A.C. Sunil Ranaweera
M.Y.M. Meeadh
R. S. Karunaratne
Sunanda Mahawela
Ranjan Amarasinghe
Rinoza
Malani Govinnage
Jeannette Cabraal
N. L. Jayawardena
H. Shelton A.T. Peiris
Nazly Cassim
K.H.S. Perera
H. Kamal Premadasa
Ramu Ranasinghe
Lakshani Kodituwakku
Ivan Kiriella
Rohan Jayawardana
A complete exposition of the Company Law
Reviewed by Romesh de Silva, Presidents Counsel
Company Law in Sri Lanka
by Arittha R. Wikramanayake.
Published October 2007
The hallmark of a great treatise is the conveyance of a complex
subject simply, clearly and concisely. This can only be done by an
author who has understood the subject at great depth and has truly
mastered it.
Mr. Arittha Wikramanayake has achieved this in his book titled
"Company Law in Sri Lanka". He has simply, clearly and with great
erudition set out, as the title indicates, the "Company Law in Sri
Lanka".
It is not an explanation or a commentary on the new Act, but an
exposition of the total company law in Sri Lanka taking into
consideration the changes and innovations introduced by the new
Companies Act.
Thus, the book contains the Sri Lankan Company Law in its current
form. The author draws from the old law and incorporates the changes
made by the new law. He draws from authority in Sri Lanka, Canada and
New Zealand. His views on the law are supported by authority. Thus, the
book, in my view, is a complete exposition of the Company Law in Sri
Lanka.
The book is concise. Each sentence has meaning and thus has to be
carefully read and understood and yet the book remains readable and
understandable.
The Author views the new Companies Act in a positive way and deals
with several aspects of the new Companies Act.
The book is useful at several levels. It provides knowledge of
company Law in Sri Lanka to persons wishing to be acquainted with it. It
also provides a useful insight to persons interested in a deeper study
of company Law. It is useful to laymen, lawyers and academics alike.
It is especially useful because it provides the necessary authorities
and research material, particularly in jurisdictions other than Sri
Lanka and England.
The book deals succinctly with all aspects of company law. The
author's clarity of thought as well as his erudition and deep knowledge
is illustrated by the section titled "Corporate Veil" The relevant
portion is set out to demonstrate the lucid and well considered manner
in which he deals with the various topics.
Although the rule that the corporate entity has a separate existence
is usually sacrosanct, it is subject to certain exceptions. In some
compelling situations, courts might "pierce" or "lift" the veil of
incorporation where the corporate form is being abused or used as a
sham. However, it is difficult to discern a principle of universal
application as to when courts will intervene
Courts have ignored the corporate form when it has been used as a
cover for deliberate wrongdoing. Courts have also applied the "agency
and the alter ego doctrine" on occasions where the circumstances
demanded that the corporate entity should be treated as an agent of a
holding company or other controlling power. The veil of incorporation
has also been lifted by courts to prevent fraud.
In certain situations, when companies have been part of a group,
courts have looked at the business realities of the situation and
treated some or all of the entities in the group as one.
Courts also might lift the veil of incorporation in other
circumstances, including: to determine a company's place of residence
for the application of specific statues such as tax laws; to prevent
deliberate evasion of contractual obligations; to promote the interests
of national security, or to ensure conformity with public policy.
However, lifting the veil of incorporation is the rare exception to
the rule. Since the corporate form is a vehicle meant to facilitate
commercial activity and investment, undue interference with this
principle would result in unpredictability and would stifle the ability
to plan business operations, negating the very purpose of the corporate
form.
It is therefore safe to say that it is settled law that courts will
not lift the veil of incorporation without very good reason
There are nine footnotes in this section which support the
proposition set out and 22 cases cited.
Other topics in the book are similarly dealt with.
Of particular interest perhaps is the manner in which the author
deals with shareholders and directors together with their respective
rights and obligations. The author deals with shareholders remedies,
derivative actions and minority buyouts.
The author also deals with directors, their powers, duties,
appointment and removal, the standard of care expected of them and the
disclosure of interests. He deals with the solvency test, stated capital
and distributions. His chapter on winding up is comprehensive. There are
also chapters dealing with overseas companies and offshore companies.
Towards the end of the book the author makes a bold but true
assertion. He quotes the Act, which says that "in the event of any
inconsistency between the Sinhala and Tamil texts the former shall
prevail". The author then says there is no reference to the English text
(this is a provision found in almost all pieces of legislation). Having
said so he says thus:
"Although this principle is justifiable from a legal and social
standpoint, it can have startling consequences especially since the Act
was originally drafted in English and closely follows existing foreign
legislation"
The review of the book has increased my knowledge of company law. The
book is a welcome addition to legal literature and a shining example of
the manner in which books should be written.
In conclusion, it is refreshing to have a man with interests as
diverse as 'butterflies' and 'company law' and the ability to write
competently on both. I hope that the assurance of the author to his
family that there will be "no more books" (as set out in the preface) is
merely a promise to placate an irate family and no more.
I am confident that the father to whom the book is dedicated is
justly proud of his son. I hope to see more publications from the
author.
The anguish of Sri Lanka
Reviewed by Sydney Knight
War or Peace in Sri Lanka (Volume V)
From the eternal pen of T.D.S.A. Dissanayaka (TDSAD) we have yet
another book with the above stated title. The author has been writing
from 1975. This is a Swastika publication published in August 2007.
Right at the beginning the author states "written without fear or
favour, with malice to none and magnanimity to all." Thus he has
exhorted - "MY fellow Sri Lankans," and has stated his candid views on
"our politicians".
TDSAD's statement found in this exhortation, reminds the writer of
this review of what the 19th century British statement Lord Palmerston
said, "In politics, there are no permanent friends or enemies, only
permanent interests".
The "permanent interests" are peculiar to all party politics which
can be summed up in the words of that historian Lord Action, "power
corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely." All party politicians
seek power. Once they get it, they want to hold on to it. This is what
is seen in TDSAD's latest book.
He has dedicated the book affectionately to his Royal College
classmate Dr. J.B. Peiris. And has donated the royalties to his church.
In the prologue the author sets the canvas for him to paint the picture
of Sri Lanka, 2007.
Chapter I has the title Flashback to July 1983. As the author states
in the prologue this chapter "is basically a verbatim extract from" his
"book, The Agony of Sri Lanka (1983)."
However this is the author's take off point. From a look back of July
1983, the author moves to Chapter II The Mirage of Eelam. While linking
the cry for Eelam to July 1983, the author concludes that it is only a
mirage.
Inthe final chapter he asks the pertinent question "Whither Sri
Lanka?"
In this chapter the author while writing about today's Sri Lanka
states his views as to what should be done today. In his postscript the
author states his views as he sees Sri Lanka in August 2007.
The book has also in its Appendices the following valuable documents.
The Vaddukkodai resolution, the MoU of 2002 and the addresses of
Prof. G.L. Peiris and Dr. Anton Balasingham made at the peace talks.
As the acknowledgements indicate the author has done his homework
before writing this book. This indeed is a timely book to enable the
English reading public of Sri Lanka to look at Sri Lanka 2007 and see
what should be done. It is a reminder to solve our national problem.
Reading the debate in the local press between Fr. Tissa Balasuriya
and others it is very clear that ours is a very deep rooted and complex
problem.
However, if we are to develop our land to help all our people we have
to stop this war. All the parties involved in this conflict must meet
and talk to each other. We need a political solution to our problem.
Otherwise we cannot as a nation develop our economy.
Penguin to publish Muller's "Jam Fruit Tree Family"
Penguin Books India Limited have contracted to publish Carl Muller's
new "Jam Fruit Tree Family" novel in 2008. This will be the fifth book
in the series that was first out with the author's Burgher Trilogy "The
Jam Fruit Tree", "Yakada Yaka", and "Once Upon a Tender Time." To this
Muller added a spin-off, "Spit and Polish" that took the Jam Fruit Tree
family into the third generation.
Muller's fifth novel in this series is titled "Grandmama's Kitchen"
and revives the Von Bloss family when the matriarch Maudiegirl ruled the
roost, and the kitchen. The book revels in the high jinks of the family
but is set mainly in the kitchen and also carries the recipes and
preparation of every dish Maudiegirl prepares in the kitchen.
As Muller explains, in middle-class Burgher homes of old, the kitchen
was where things went on uproariously. Neighbours, relations, friends
would all make a beeline for the kitchen to gossip, talk of this, that
and the other, and get as spicy as the food being prepared.
Meanwhile, Godage International Publishers of Colombo will release
two collections of Muller's poems this year - "Clouds Over My Senses"
and "A Return to Rhyme and Other Lines."
In 2008, Godage International will also publish the first of four
volumes of Muller's Views and Reviews - "Many Bulls in My China Shop".
This will be followed by Volume 2 - "More Bulls in my China Shop",
Volume 3 - "More and More Bulls in my China Shop", and Volume 4 - The
Bulls are Back in my China Shop."
The Social Scientists Association of Sri Lanka, Colombo, will release
Volume 1 of Muller's study on "The Elizabethans: The Origin of, and
Great Flowering of Modern English Literature" and will put out Volume 2
in 2008. Muller is now busy on Volume 3.
In 2008, Perera-Hussein publishing house, Colombo, who has already
released Muller's "Wedding Night: Stories" this year, will put out
another collection of the author's short stories titled "Read Me in
Silence".
Muller is currently working on:
1. A collection titled "I'm Modern Man: Poetry of Castigation"
2. A collection of short stories titled "The Thin Red Line"
3. Volume 4 of his Views and Reviews, "The Bulls are Back in my China
Shop"
4."The Incredible Mr. Hindamma" - a novel and work of fiction that is
also a political spoof.
He has also submitted a Travelogue "Indian Journeys" to Penguin
India, in which he deals with over 80 Indian destinations he visited
when Vice President, International Sales, at the Sharjah World Trade &
Expo Centre, UAE and completed a three-month sales tour of India.
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