Spotlight on Udatalawinna

K S SIVAKUMARAN

In the central hills of our country in the Mahanuwara or Senkadagala District (Kandy), there is a quaint town called Udatalawinna. In that there is a place called Madige.

There are many Muslims living there. Since this community also helps to build a strong nation for us, we must know more about them. Instead of living in 'splendid isolation,' we should search to know more about our people, places and events to think, speak and act as truly Sri Lankans. To know more about this place a publication of K/ Jamiul Azhar Central College came to my help.

Understandably the mother tongues of most of the Muslims remain Tamil. The school established in 1921 published a special number in 2011. It was called Thodu Vaanam (The Horizon) in Tamil. Ninety years of service in the field of education is recoded here. The magazine was compiled by a 10 member staff headed by U L Shifardeen Marikkar. The Head of this institution is M G Nilabdeen. The first few pages are filed with messages ranging from the Minister of Justice, Central Province Chief Minister down to many educationists and very important people. The publication also lists the names of the Principals of the school from 1921 to 2011, the full list of the teaching staff, and their group photographs.

A few pages are devoted as remembrances and tributes to a much loved teacher who is no more. These include two tributes to a teacher (the late Faiz) who is no more by Mazeda Punniyameen and others .There are number of poems and articles contributed by past and present students.

There is also an interesting article by a retired Director of Education N K Jayawardene about a Vihara in Thalavinna. The article was translated from Sinhala. Almost all contributions are useful to all readers, especially the students.

The spotlight on people of Udatalawinna fell again in the evening on February 25 when a grand function was held at the J R Jayawardene Cultural Hall in Colombo 7. The hall was filled with men and women, most of them having been arrived from their home town to buy a 552 page book priced at Rs 800-/per copy. In no time all books were sold.

The book was titled Ore Eera Nenjanin Ulaviyal Ula (A Kind- Hearted Physician's Psychological Pageant)

The book is a biography of the immeasurable contribution made by U L M Naufer in treating his clients by way of psychological guidance for several years in his town with illustrations of case studies. The book is authentically written by a well known educationist and writer Kalabooshanam Punniyameen. In short this is a book in Tamil recording the Biography and Psycho-Social Concepts of Councilor U L M Naufer. The author of this had been under stress for a long period of time and was gradually relieved from the depression slowly and steadily to regain his normalcy.

The book includes messages from the Director of National Council for Mental Health-Dr Nirosha Mendis, Dr Suseema Weligamage of Kelaniya University and S M M Samarakkody formerly of the Central Bank.

The book is 350th Publication of Chinthanai Vattam (Thinking Circle) founded and organized by Punniyameen. He is a graduate and a qualified journalist and a very popular teacher and a school principal in the hill country. The Publisher's address is P.O. Box 01, Polgolla, Kandy. Since 1988, He has compiled 15 volumes on details about Lankan writers and media people in Tamil. He came into writing since 1970. His own books on carious useful subjects number more than 180. This is a great achievement borne out of sacrificing his time for this and mot of all his dedication in putting on record details of writers from all quarters.

Not satisfied with his laudable contributions, Kalabooshanam Punniyameen invited Psychiatric Specialist Dr Nirosha Mendis to be the Chief Guest at the function and Prof M Karunanithy of the Faculty of Education, Colombo University to Chair the launching and other ceremony to follow. Alhaj M A Rasheed, a well-known Public Speaker and simultaneous translator to make the keynote address. The welcome speech was made by the Deputy Principal of the school mentioned above welcomed the audience with his mastery of the Tamil language.

Chinthanai Vattam of Kalabooshanam Punniyameen also felicitated the under mentioned with a plaque, medal, citation certificate, a golden coloured shawl and a set of books written by Punniyameen to each one of them in addition to giving them appellations. Punniyameen and his spouse were visibly pleased in this magnanimous offer.

Sevvaich Chemmal - Aroos Hajiar

Seermaiyach Chemmal - Yamuna Perera

Sevaich Chemmal - Alhaj Anif Moulana

Ithaliyal Vithakar - Alhaj N N Ameen

Seermaiyach Chemmal - M S Mouhammed Azmias

Irumoli Viththakar -K S Sivakumaran

Two popular presenters on the Rupavahini and the SLBC spoke clearly with interesting information on the ceremony.

Needless to say I enjoyed the evening that was a different kind of presentation.

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