Gleanings – K.S Sivakumaran:

Two new Thamil journals

The purpose of this weekly column in English is primarily to inform interested readers in English if they care about in knowing what is happening in the field of arts and culture in the Thamil language. Most do read and hopefully benefit in knowing these activities if they are concerned and believed in the fact that the Thamil-speaking people in the country - the Thamilians mainly from the North, East, West and the hillcountry and those who follow the Islamic faith and a few Malays, also form part of the nation Sri Lanka.

It is obvious that the majority of the people in the country speak Sinhala and therefore primary importance be given to the Sinhala people as basically Sri Lanka is a Sinhala dominated little island in the world map.

Fortunately the vast majority of the majority people are humane.

It is indeed unfortunate that such elements strive to cause chaos in an otherwise peaceful Nation.

However, fortunately the majority of the people belonging to different communities do not subscribe to the consciousness of preservation of a single dominant hegemony. That is a good sign and augurs well for a positive progress. It is essential that one is rooted in one’s indigenous culture and be proud of it.

At the same time one should not be parochial to the extent of eliminating the achievements in other cultures.

This columnist has found by experience that a majority of cultured Sinhala people (intellectuals, educationists, academics, artistes, writers and the intelligentsia) are really lovable people and are basically attuned to the noble ideas of Buddhism and Christianity)

Literary magazines

To know something about contemporary Lankan Thamil Literary Scene, the little magazines provide to some extent details about trends in writing.

Not many know that this columnist also writes both in English and Thamil (some of his writing has been translated into Sinhala as well) and most of his books on literary criticism and the Cinema are available only in Thamil.

Only two little books by him are available in English. As a participant and commentator on Thamil Literature and the Arts, a few books and literary magazines are sent across by people concerned for his preview and review.

Among the recent publications are ‘Padihal’ (Steps) and ‘Nathi’ (Stream).

The January issue of ‘Nathi’ has a picture of a Thamilnadu film actress.

Attractively produced though it has a devilish errors in printing and it is certainly a negative element especially when the magazine considers itself a literary magazine.

But then, the current issue is more a readable entertaining edition than a readable literary magazine.

What it contains are informative articles on many matters that the ‘Thamil only knowing readers’ might not have has the opportunity to know about the matters published.

Apart from poems and short stories that are entertaining, the magazine also has interesting features on handphones that one cannot hold in one’s palm, Bluetooth technology, Sathya Sri Sai Baba’s holy pronouncements, friendliness, Charlie Chaplin, Recession of Ozone, a write-up on a Lankan Thamil actor (David Gregory), Eiffel Tower Constructor (Christler), Love, the late Kamaraj, Singapore, Attempt to capture Gaza, Share Market, the closure of Guantanamo, a note on a temple, Obama, K S Sivakumaran on his experiences as a presenter over the Commercial Service of the Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation(SLBC) in Thamil, and mystery over the death of John F Kennedy.

This magazine is edited by Loshan and is available from 105 / 3, Alwis Town, Wattala.

‘Padihal’ is edited by L. Wasim Akram and comes from 788, Jayanthi Mawatha, Anuradhapura.

The March issue carries heavy literary content. For instance there is one article titled the art of post-modernism (Sammanthurai Iyas), a longish interview by Maanickarasan with writer, poet and critic Dickwella Kamal (the cover picture of this issue carries a picture of Kamal), the content in literature produced in the Anuradhapura district (Mukkiriyawa M Razeem), poem (Theepachelvan), short story (Iggirikollawa Larifa Aboobucker), translation of an Arabic poem of Farhan Al Aayith (Wellamboda Ameen), an analysis of A. F. M. Ashraf’s poems (Mansoor A. Cader), Background of the great poet Allama Iqbal (Ellamulla Aalif Ali), a short story (Anurahapuram F. M. Sabria), a poem (M. M. M. Nahibu), a note on Lankan poet Mahakavi’s poem (Beruwela Rafeek Mohideen), a poem (Diyatalawa H. F. Rizna) and readers’ opinions (M. Mahalingam, M. S. Rauf, Azwar Ahamed).

I was really astonished to see latent talents among Muslim writers spread out in especially when the mainstream Lankan Thamil critics have not noted them so far.

Congratulations to the young editor.

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