Towards national integration
The
project launched by some leading film artistes to establish a
fund to build an arts centre in Jaffna it is hoped will be a
harbinger of similar moves to rebuild broken ties and augment
efforts to forge a strong North South dialogue between the
hitherto estranged communities.
Now that the Government is set to open up the North that was
behind an iron curtain all these years there is an urgent need
to make every effort to open up all vistas leading to a firm
integration process.
Such a process should necessarily go hand in hand with the
economic development of the region and nothing can facilitate
such a dialogue more forcefully than the medium of arts and
culture that has bonded human relations from time immemorial.
Fittingly queen of the Sinhala cinema Malini Fonseka is
giving the lead to this project assisted by other veterans in
the field. It is doubtful whether during the last thirty years
the name Malini Fonseka was any more than a mere name to the
people of Jaffna. Conversely cinema goers in the South lapped up
the action of Tamil film stars to their hearts content without
let or hindrance.
This more than any thing demonstrates the gulf that was
evident in the lives of both communities across the divide. What
we should all now do is try to bridge this gulf by a process of
integration that would bring into play all aspects of life and
living that is taken for granted in the South and supplanting
them in the North. No time should be lost getting things moving
in this direction. There should be no room left for any vacuum
in social and cultural life of the people of the North while
economic development goes on apace.
It is hoped others in the various fields of culture and arts
would contribute their mite to this integration process. We say
this since economic fruits alone will not suffice to rid the
tamils of the North from their sense of alienation and heal the
damaged psyche. Concurrently there has to be efforts to seek
optimum use of other areas in the socio-cultural sphere that
would offer scope for this bridge building exercise.
The key element is convergence in all fields of activity be
it sports, arts and culture, flowing from the South to the
North. In this respect the contribution that could be made by
our local artistes cannot be over emphasized.
We say this because anyone acquainted with the living
patterns of the Northern citizenry is aware that arts and
culture virtually forms the lifeblood of their existence.Any
contribution made towards fostering these fields would be met
with great appreciation.
Those familiar with the Jaffna of the past would relate about
the film crazy populace who deified South Indian stars and their
close affinity with Tamil Nadu filmdom. Alas those teeming
cinema halls that dotted the landscape of the peninsula are no
more. Nor is there the inclination of the vast majority of
people to indulge in their once popular pastime.
They are still recovering from the nightmare they were
subjected to all these years. It is time now to awaken these
hapless people from this nightmare and bring to them to the real
world full of entertainment and attractions. Our artistes no
doubt can contribute much towards this reawakening giving the
Northerner a nostalgic reminiscence of the past.
In an earlier column we emphasized on the need for our film
stars and popular artistes to make frequent visit to the North.
For more than any politician they would be most welcome to our
northern brethren.
Arts and culture is some thing that strikes a deep chord
within people and is a sure means of winning over a dejected
populace. The presence of our film stars in Northern terrain
would also go a long way in breaking the barriers of communalism
since arts spells out the message of brotherhood and fraternity
where there is no place discrimination on racial, religious and
ethnic grounds.
This project by our film artistes it is also hoped would be
the start of a process of interaction and signal a cultural
awakening among the Northern populace. Building on this positive
development there has to be other endevours by persons in other
fields aimed at cultivating the good will of our northern
brethren.
In this respect a proposal made by World cup winning captain
Arjuna Ranatunga to build an international cricket stadium in
the East should receive the favourable attention of their
authorities.
What is of importance is a level playing field where the
people of the North would not be left of any activity that is
taken for granted in the South. It is hoped that the initiative
taken by local artistes to reach out to the people of the North
would be emulated by others of similar ilk. The people of the
North deserve our collective attention after the terrible ordeal
they were subjected to all these years. |