Memorable events in the childhood of a leader

Professor Sunanda MAHENDRA

Sometime ago a biography of the President Mahinda Rajapaksa appeared, as written by the journalist Mahinda Illeperuma. That work covered several events in the life of the President in the field of growing up to be a leader in the local political scene. A few weeks ago another Sinhala journalist Denagama Siriwardhana brought out a creative work titled Duppat Daruwange Mithura (the friend of the poor children), a collection of forty-one true events in the childhood days of the President. Denagama as a creative writer presents his events in a most readable manner enhancing the reader to visualize how the President grew up to be a young man in his hometown as well as in the other areas with various types of people.

These may be classed as short vignettes in the life of a President during the childhood days spent at home with the resourceful influence gained from parents, teachers, Buddhist monks and other opinion leaders. The technique adapted is the story form or the narrative which runs sometimes to a single page, and sometime to a page and a half.

The writer Denagama Siriwardhana has taken the trouble to meet people who matter, visit places the protagonist, President, had lived and to write in the simplest form possible to elucidate who he is and how he came to be in the present situation. By all means the lively narratives are not dogmatic nor are they pedantic but simplistic in the supreme meaning of the term helping the reader to gain insights into the making of a strong minded humanistic leader of the country. His father is portrayed as a down to earth farmer who toils the earth. The villagers love him and want him to be their political representative.

Father is rather reluctant to be a political leader. But when the villagers who come in the form of a retinue and start pressing and say that they will look after his interest, at that all he should do is to sign a paper. Ultimately the villagers see that he is elected unanimously and uncompeted.

All these nuances become strong influences on the small boy Mahinda. The influence goes to the extent that he even observes how his father and mother attach themselves to the masses of the village in need. He cultivates of the habit of being caring, sharing and painstaking in all aspects of needy.

Once an aristocratic minded kingsman visits his place and complains that the little Mahinda should give up the company of the rustic little boys in the village and protect his respectability. The kinsman who is a female bringing tin of biscuits during the courtesy call.

The little Mahinda who was by now in the company of the poor little lads of village comes to know of the visit and runs home. He packs up the tin of biscuits to the company of little boys and distribute to them. The visitor, is dismayed. But Mahinda's mother says laughingly: 'that's how he is."

This is what I would call 'inspirational narratives' drawn from actualities of one's life and experiences. A little boy or a girl who reads forty five mini narratives will be drawn into a world of reality where he/she could roam and find the wanted inspiration from a person who is resistive to wrongdoers anticipating a world of well being, respectability and recognition.

Fact is stranger than fiction, may have been the guiding concept of the compiler creator Denagama in the venture. Like an investigative reporter he has delved on areas either forgotten by others or left aside as less important to recover. Then he has embarked on the task of recreating the actual facts into the form of memorable creative episodes. Several journalists abroad have embanked on such projects. I have come across a series of actual events in the life of Abraham Lincoln rewritten, retaining the favour of the fact, devoid of exaggeration or misinterpretation. Such is the task of Denagama Siriwardhana, in his venture. The events in one's that we overlook as insignificant may in turn recreate a memorable moment.

Let me also narrate a true story of mine, which I recalled as I was scanning the pages of Denagama's book. I was once teaching the playscript of Anton Chekhov titled 'Cherry Orchard' to a group of students at school level. In the end I allowed the students to raise any question they wished to ask relevant to the lesson. Several students asked me questions as to how the Russian characters could be perceived in the contemporary context so on and so forth.

I had to respond to each of them. Then came the chance for one boy seated in the centre who as I recall, asked a meaningful question.

"Sir don't' you think that what is happening in the Cherry Orchard is happening in our own country too? Aren't there Lophakins around who become rich and buy the ancestral lands from their owners?" I felt that it was an intelligent question which could be addressed from several quarters.

The discussion went on until the period was over. Later I found that the young boy who asked the intelligent question was no other person than Mahinda Rajapaksa, who gradually grew up to be a statesman. Once when I met him I asked him whether he remembered the event. "Yes why not?" he said smilingly. He had the clear conscience to grasp the inner meaning of Chekhov's 'The Cherry Orchard' in its realistic perspective.

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