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GLEANINGS

Santhan’s World in a Flash

I was gratified to read a little book with the above title for two reasons. One: This is the first time a Lankan writer in English, belonging to the Thamil community (A. Santhan), has been focused in a book, even though the person who brought out the book happens to be a Thamilian.

(I would have preferred a non-Thamilian writing a book on Lankan Thamil Literature and writers, if the Lankan Thamil community or for that matter Lankan Thamil-speaking communities are to be considered a part of Lankan citizenry).

Two: a few writers like the author of this book (Dr Kandiah Shriganeshan) and the editor of a periodical called the ‘Third Eye’ (S. Jeyashankar) are emerging from the younger generation in the Lankan Thamil community as critics and theatre people using the English language. Before we go into knowing what this book is all about, it is essential for all of us to know who the writer or his subject are.

Let me quote yet another bilingual poet and critic in English to introduce these two writers. Principal Emeritus of Palaaly Teachers’ College in the North - S. Pathmanathan (So.Pa):

Who is Ayathurai Sa (a) nthan? — (he is ) an outstanding contributor to contemporary creative writing in Thamil, recognised for his capabilities in Tamil Nadu, later started writing in English, and emerged as the Thamilian to be awarded the much coveted Sri Lankan Literary Award for English Writing (2000).

Sa (a) nthan, a member, of the Institution of Incorporated Engineers, Sri Lanka, at present lectures Water Management and instructs Auto CAD. He lives in Yaalpaanam. May I add: He has a M. A. degree in English from a University in Thamil Nadu.

So. Pa introduces the editor of this book thus: “Kandiah Shriganeshan is lecturer in English at the Vavuniya Campus of the Yaalpaanam University”.

I hope a rigorous critic and historian of Lankan English Literature, Emeritus Prof D. C. R. Goonathilaka and other academics on Lankan English literature take note of the Lankan writers in English who happen to belong to the Thamil-speaking community as well to qualify to write a comprehensive History of Lankan English writer without scotching them off on the grounds that they (the historians) do not Thamil.

Now to the book. The book Santhan’s World in a Flash is a collection of criticism edited by Kandiah Shriganeshan and published by English Association of Vavuniya. The book is dedicated to the late “A. J. Canagaratna (critic, pioneer translator and guide to many a young writer)”.

If the historians have not heard of AJC, let me brief them. He did English Honours at Peradeniya and was a contemporary of Dr Wilfrid Jayasuriya, A J Gunawardena, Haig Karunaratne and others.

The book has 96 pages that include 15 pages of Appendix. In the Introduction the compiler says: “The present collection of Santhan’s writing gives a fair picture of his world.

“There have been criticism and comments about his short stories and poems. When I went through all the criticism I got a feeling that these could be collected and put into a single volume, so that the literary world could have a complete and comprehensive picture of this rare Sri Lankan bird writing in English and Thamil...Since writing in English with a Thamil perspective is very limited and the only writer who writes profusely and sharply is A Santhan, it is very essential and pertinent to introduce his literary world to the wider world in order to make the world know the life of the people in this part of the country and also to promote English writing in Sri Lanka...”

From this collection of literary criticism one notices that people who matter in English writing in Lanka has also assessed Saanthan’s worth as a splendid writer are the following: Alison Thomas (U K), Lynn Ockersz, Carl Muller, Chandana Dissanayake, Regis Siriwardena, Ashok K. Khanna, Premini Amararasinghe, Nanda Pethiyagoda and Dr Gerard Robuchon.

The others are from the Thamil community Emeritus Prof K Sivatamby, Prof Chelva Kanaganayagam, Prof Suresh Canagarajah, A J Canagaratna, K S Sivakumaran, K Sivapalan, and P Pologasingham. The book includes Saanthan’s short articles as well.

I recommend this resource book to students reading English in the Universities and other academics and writes in English to possess this book. It is worth. It is priced at Rs. 250 and can be obtained from the editor at the Vavuniya campus. His e-mail address: [email protected]

[email protected]
 

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