Aluth Avurudu thoughts

The price those of us who have opted to live away from our motherland for whatever reason, pay is missing the wonderful festivals Sri Lanka is famous for, the Sinhala and Tamil New Year being one of most important among them. It is a unifying occasion.

I am reminded of my childhood in my village Godagama, two miles from Matara, a crop of hamlets surrounded by paddy fields laid bare at this time, after a bountiful harvest. This was before the Nilwala flood protection scheme dried up the paddy fields forever! Apart from all the games we played and the festivities, my vivid memories are of partaking a meal made of kiribath made from the fresh harvest of Ma Wee at the auspicious hour dressed in new clothes of the lucky colour, enhanced by Cadju curry, Seeni Sambol and all the accompaniments like Kevum, Kokis, Asmeee, Aluwa, not forgetting Kolikuttu, Anamalu, and the most delicious fruit of all, Mango!

Due to my age and the recent unexpected death of my wife Primrose, I am in a more reflective than a celebratory mood this year. Foremost on my mind is the thought: why we cannot be united, especially when we share many things including our own New Year.

During the unfortunate and unjustifiable pogrom of 1983, during a frank exchange of views, my good friend Dr Dennis Aloysius asked me “Upul, don’t you have good Tamil friends?”. I still remember the bewildered expression on Dennis’ face when I replied “No” which turned to joy when I added “Dennis, I have a few very good friends and some of them happen to be Tamil.” He realised that I do not consider caste, creed, or race when I choose my friends.

In early 1967, one morning when I was walking from Kirulapone bus halt on my way to Primrose’s house, Prof Ajwad Macan Marker stopped his car and inquired whether I like to join his Department of Medicine in Kandy. On joining his department, I had the fortune of working under Dr T Varagunam, who when became professor wanted me to join as his Senior Lecturer. Though he kept the post open for me for over two years, after the interview panel selected me, my release from the Department of Health was refused by the Director of Health Services, a well-known Sinhala Buddhist professor!

As fate may have it, I joined as registrar to Dr N J Wallooppillai in the Cardiac Investigation Unit and the rest is history. When I succeeded him as Cardiologist, most of my juniors were Tamil and they offered to take me safely to Jaffna and bring me back, during the height of trouble, when they heard my lament that I had never been to Jaffna!

If we can coexist at the professional level, what prevents us from being united for the betterment of our Motherland? It is politicians, not only in Sri Lanka but abroad too! Politicians in countries like the UK and Canada, who stoop to low levels to get block votes, do not realise the immense harm they do for our national unity. Although we have defeated LTTE terrorism, the remnants of that movement are active in countries where they can influence self-serving politicians, to achieve by politics, what they could not achieve by terror. If not for this vote bank politics of foreign politicians and the exploitation of the voters in Sri Lanka by crafty politicians, reconciliation and unity is not a far-off dream.

Though the NPP government is still groping in the dark on most issues, unity of voters of all races and religions voting them to power is a watershed moment in Sri Lankan politics, which we should capitalise on. Rather than spending time and effort inquiring to the past, is it not time for us to draw a line in the sand? Instead, let us concentrate our efforts on the future and be united, to move forward for the sake of our Motherland. Considering the issues thrown at us by the Trump economic order, compounding the perilous situation we are already in, we are not left with much choice. Let us be united to move forward and make it our Avurudu resolution so that we may have more prosperous Sinhala and Tamil New Years!

By Dr Upul Wijayawardhana