Kala Agni launched

Chamminda Welagedara's Kala Agni was launched at the National Library and Documentation Services Board on April 4. Welagedara's Sinhala novel is based on the ethnic conflict in Sri Lanka and delineates in graphic detail events surrounding the lives of people in the North and South who were trapped in the 30 years cruel war and their turbulent mindsets.

Dr Praneeth Abhayasundara, Ven Dr Medagoda Abhayatissa Thera, Senior Minister DEW Gunasekara and Senior Lecturer Dhamma Disanayaka. Pictures by Saman Sri Wedage

Senior Minister DEW Gunasekara, Dr Praneeth Abhayasundara and Senior Lecturer Dhamma Dissanayaka spoke at the event, while Ven Dr Medagoda Abhayatissa Thera held the chair. Welagedara presented the maiden copy to his wife.

The novel weaves the social issues and relationships between various ethnic groups during the war and the movements of the political authorities as seen through the eyes of Chamminda Welagedara, an award winning senior novelist in Sri Lanka.

The name Kala Agni refers to Fire Time which Welagedara uses as a metaphor to elucidate the grave challenges faced by his protagonists and the mental conflicts experienced by them during the brutal civil war.

His theme is extensive - the origin, existence and the fall of the LTTE. What makes this study entirely different from all other records of the terrorist regime is the present writers' perspective. He narrates the LTTE story from the point-of-view of an intimate insider and ramifies its impact into the deep South.

Adept writer Chamminda Welagedara's Kala Agni, plays a pre-eminent role, in ushering in a new phase, in the history of Sinhala fiction.

His attempt to create and augment insights on humanity of diverse ethnic groups and draw attention to the urgent need to ensure post-conflict harmony and wholesome co-existence, to prevent future generations from being plagued by the vicious and destructive doctrines through this latest novel could be considered as his finest literary achievement.

Udaya Kulathilaka and Rupa Sriyani in the audience	First copy being presented to Mrs Welagedara
Chamminda Welagedara and Dr Charitha Herath	Dr Praneeth Abhayasundara and Professor Sunil Ariyaratne