Exploring Sunethra Rajakarunanayake’s Visachakayo

Sunethra Rajakarunanayake’s Sinhala novel Visachakayo (published in 2023) is a thriller in its own sense due to its daring exploration of social themes that modern Sinhala writers fail to touch. To me, the novel is a mosaic that explores pressing issues that middle-class Sri Lankans go through in the 21st Century. The narrative is seen from the perspective of Akshara, a Tamil girl whom the reader first meets in an infamous ‘Visa Queue’ to get her passport to go to England.

Akshara lives with her grandmother ‘Ammamma’ and her aunt ‘Periyamma’ (the younger sister of her mother). Both Ammamma and Periyamma look after her in the absence of her mother, Chinthamani who passed away a long time ago. Akshara’s father lives in Jaffna, with the kids of the second marriage. Later, we are told that Akshara’s father had to marry the second wife due to the loss of his wife’s first husband, who was an LTTE cadre. The second marriage of men seems to be a common theme in the novel due to their commitments to the family as an act of duty and honour.

The most iconic character in the novel is Preethiraj, ‘the man with a big heart’ who functions as a father figure to the other characters in the novel. It is through Preethiraj’s memory that the reader becomes aware of sociological themes in the novel: displacement and immigration, the institution of marriage and mental health issues. Preethiraj (fondly known as Preethi) is the son of Pushpawathi, the second wife of Akshara’s grandfather. Preethi goes to Royal College, but he has to relocate to Jaffna in 1958. Preethi endures social injustice in both public and private spheres. His studious sister, a medical student, labels him as a ‘lunatic’, while his mother condemns him as the ‘odd one’.

The novel intersects between the three themes: immigration and displacement, mental health issues and the institution of marriage. Almost all the characters have to go through displacement, suffer from intricacies of love laws and marriage rules like in The God of Small Things by Arundathi Roy. The writer offers a nuanced analysis of these three themes. For example, take mental health issues. The novel portrays a spectrum of mental health issues, such as schizophrenia, psychosis, Othello Syndrome, depression, autism and even malingering. At times, the representation of such ailments is extremely sarcastic:

“Hm… Canadian citizenship is an easy solution to secure those opportunities. However, unless I am asked to intervene, I will not meddle with their affairs. The son of one of my friends was introduced to a pretty girl. They liked her, not because of her money, but because of her looks and her ability to play the piano. But later, they discovered she has schizophrenia. Now their son follows whatever she says to save the marriage. My friend says she has lost her son” (p.20).

“Those opportunities” refer to material wealth including money and property in Colombo. Here, Rajakarunanayake does not fail to capture the extreme materialism and consumerism. However, in general, her representation of human follies is extremely humane.

   The title ‘Visachakayo’ is another interesting coinage that reflects the plight of Sri Lankans who migrate to the ‘global north’ in search of greener pastures. Akshara’s friend, Subhani, who has migrated to England, explains that the term ‘Visachaya’ captures the in-between status of immigrants who are waiting for PR in a foreign country. Subhani mockingly says that they are equal to beggars who beg for visas. Subhani’s coinage and other accounts of Sri Lankan immigrants in England, the novel shows how difficult it is for an immigrant from the ‘global south’ to fight for a living in a country like England where immigrants come to resolve their financial struggles back home.

The novel is an eye-opener in many ways. First, it is an attempt to bridge the gap caused by the Sinhala-Tamil ethnic strife. It is also a cultural mosaic that captures both the joys and sorrows of Sinhala, Tamil and Burgher families in Sri Lanka. The novel also delves into mental health issues, categorically tied to marriage, a daring task even for a seasoned writer. However, Rajakarunanayake’s writing style compels the reader to adopt a more humane and empathetic approach towards individuals grappling with mental health challenges at various stages of their lives. The linguistic technique of using ‘ne’ tag at the end of sentences creates a conversational tone, making the narrative as if it is a conversation between a therapist and a patient. Her writing style also resembles that of Sri Lankan and Indian diasporic writers, a style that is used when writing about the motherland in exile, of which food becomes a critical trope in the narrative that unites the characters who live in exile.

Rajakarunanayake has done a commendable job in the representation of social issues, making this novel a must-read for anyone who is interested in researching social dynamics of contemporary Sri Lanka. It soon needs to be translated into English which will offer a unique experience to Sri Lankan English and international readers. A good book is something that affects the reader. Visachakayo has this quality, and it makes the reader revisit the past, reflect on the present and anticipate the future with hope for humanity just as Preethi does regardless of hardships he endured in the theatre of life.

By C. M. Arsakulasuriya

The potential available in lands under Mahaweli Project, which cover about one third of farming areas of the Dry Zone, could easily help the country become self-sufficient in healthy foods, provided it is managed properly. However, at present, the main focus of the Mahaweli Authority of Sri Lanka (MASL) is mainly on Operation & Maintenance of Canal network feeding the farms. Main purpose of the Mahaweli Restructuring & Rehabilitation Project (MRRP) funded by the World Bank in 2000 was to diversify that objective to cover enhancement of agriculture aspects also. System H Irrigation Systems covering about 20,000 Hectares commanded under Kalawewa Tank located in the Anuradhapura District was used as a pilot area to initiate this effort. However, only the Canal Rehabilitation component of the MRRP was attended because of the government policy at that time. Restructuring component is still awaiting to be completed. Only, a strategy called Water Quota was introduced under the MRRP to initiate the restructuring component. However, the management restructuring required addressing the agriculture component expected under MRRP is still not attended.

Propose Strategy

Total length of the canal network which needs seasonal maintenance is about 1,000 Km in a typical large-scale irrigation project such as Kalawewa. Main role of the Resident Project Managers (RPM) appointed to manage such projects should be to enhance the food production jointly with the Farmer Organizations. Therefore, the abbreviation used for RPM should be redefined as Resident Production Manager. The role of a Production Manager is not limited to maintenance of canal networks as adapted presently. In the current production phase, Irrigation projects should be perceived as a Food Producing “Factory” – where water is the main raw material. Farmers as the owners of the factory, play the role of the labour force of the factory. The Production Manager’s focus should be to maximize food production, deviating from Rice Only Mode, to cater the market needs earning profits for the farmers who are the owners of the “factory”. Canal systems within the project area which need regular maintenance are just “Belts” conveying raw materials (water) in a Typical Factory.

Required Management Shift

In order to implement the above management concept, there is a need for a paradigm shift in managing large scale irrigation projects. In the new approach, the main purpose of managing irrigation systems is to deliver water to the farm gate at the right time in the right quantity. It is a big challenge to operate a canal network about 1000 KM long feeding about 20,000 Hectare in a typical Irrigation System such as Kalawewa.

It is also very pathetic to observe that main clients of irrigation projects (farmers providing labor force) are now dying of various diseases caused by indiscriminate use of agrochemicals. Therefore, there is a need to minimize the damages caused to the ecosystems where these food production factories are located. Therefore, the management objectives should also be focused on producing multiple types of organically grown crops, profitably without polluting the soil and groundwater aquifers causing diseases like Kidney Failures.

Proposed Management Structure

Existing management staff should either be trained or new recruitments having Production Engineering background, should be made. Water should be perceived as the most limited input, which needs to be managed profitably jointly with the farming community. Each Production Manager could be allocated a Fixed Volume of water annually, and their performance could be measured in terms of $s earned for the country per Unit Volume of water, while economically upgrading a healthy lifestyle of the farmers by using climate smart agriculture.

In addition to the government salary, the production management staff should also be compensated in the form of incentives, calculated in proportion to income generated by them from their management areas. It should be a Win-Win situation for both farmers as well as officers responsible for managing the food production factory. Operation of the Main Canal to cater flexible needs of each factory is the main responsibility of the Resident Production Manager. In other countries, the term used to measure their performance is $ earned per gallon of water to the country, without damaging the ecosystem.

Recent Efforts

Mahaweli Authority introduced some of the concepts explained in this note during 2000 to 2006, under MRRP. It was done by operating the Distributary canals feeding each block as elongated Village Tanks. It was known as the Bulk Water Allocation (BWA) strategy. Recently an attempt was made to digitize the same concept, by independently arranging funds from ICTA / World Bank. In that project, called Eazy Water, a SMS communication system was introduced, so that they can order water from the Main Reservoir by sending a SMS, when they need rather; than depend on time tables decided by authorities as normally practiced.

Though the BWA was practiced successfully until 2015, the new generation of managers did not continue it beyond 2015.

Conclusion

The recent Cabinet decision to close down the MASL should prompt the MASL officers to reactivate the BWA approach again. Farmer Organisations at the distributary canal level responsible for managing canal networks covering about 400 Hectares can be registered as farmer cooperatives. For example, there are about 50 farmer cooperatives in a typical irrigation project such as Kalawewa. This transformation should be a gradual process which would take at least two years. I am sure the World Bank would definitely fund this project during the transition period because it is a continuation of the MRRP to address the restructuring component which was not attended by them in 2000 because of government policy at that time. System H could be used as a pilot demonstration area. Guidelines introduced under the MRRP could be used as tools to manage the main canal. World Bank funded Agribusiness Value Chain Support with CSIAP (Climate Smart Irrigated Agriculture Project) under the Ministry of Agriculture which is presently in progress could also provide necessary guidelines to initiate this project.

by Eng. Mahinda Panapitiya
Engineer who worked for Mahaweli Project since its inception

Looks to be it’s all quiet on the Sri Lankan front. Thank God, goodness or the island protecting devas for this change in our used-to-be chaotic state. Remember how strikes and protest marches plagued us as recent as early 2024? Previously we heard daily of corruption and even deaths due to injurious medicines being injected or ingested by patients; and this because some devils in human form were making money on medicine rackets. Even earlier we were in an autocratic government though our name continued to be Democratic, Socialist Republic of … in which we suffered seeing open nepotism, corruption, extravagance and a vast presence of Chinese workers constructing huge structures the country did not need. All that seems to be of the past, for which so much thanks. While chaos reigns in some parts of the world we seem to be a green oasis of peace. We do have our troubles, economic mostly, but there is hope the situation will continue to improve. Two persons at the very top, with many below them are concerned about the country and its people and not themselves, which so far was the given, the taken attitude of those in power.

United States of America

That man Trump in the US is not Making America Great Again but diminishing it and causing more damage, contributing to its down-grading. Wednesday April 2 The Island carried a report that the US was down in its tourist economy – fewer persons entering it with dollars to spend. Highest number of sightseeing visitors were from Canada and Europe. Plummeted down solely because of Trump’s sheer buccaneering spirit. (definition justifies my use of the term: buccaneer “enjoys being involved in risky or even dishonest activities, especially in order to make money”).

Trump is a business man and showy and foolish to boot. Hence his wanting to annex Greenland spouting the lie it’s for the safety of the US. Even an idiot spurns this. You just exclaim: How dare he? Greenland is an independent country. “Greenland’s status as an Overseas Country and Territory (OCT) associated with the European Union (EU), and Belgium’s role as a member state where Greenland maintains a representation to the EU in Brussels.”

The slap in the face and downsizing the US was the strong message given by the Greenlanders themselves with regard to the visit of the VEEP and Second Lady. Poor Usha Vance! After all the rave notices about her educational qualifications and stance at ceremonies, like the swearing in of the Prez and VP, she was made to eat humble pie publicly by the Islanders of Greenland, not openly jeering her or anything like that but showing she was absolutely persona non grata as visitor to their country, more so after the Vice Prez announced he was accompanying his wife. They meekly went only to the American military base – the Pituffik Base located on the northwestern coast of Greenland about 930 miles north of the capital, Nuuk.

What a come down! Has Trump given up his plan to annexe Greenland? No. Rather must he be more determined, the small-minded man he is. I heard a reporter in a YouTube say outright that President Trump is mad, yes mad, not over ambitious, cunningly foolish or crazy, but m-a-d. And he has announced he will run for a third term as Prez of the USA. Constitutionally not possible but he will get the Constitution changed since he has a large following.

Trafficking for migration

Cass listened to BBC news of a summit meeting held in London to discuss organised immigration. “The UK is spearheading the toughest ever international crackdown on organised immigration crime as the Prime Minister and Home Secretary host a landmark summit on March 31. The Organised Immigration Crime (OIC) Summit brings together over 40 countries, including the US, Vietnam, Iran, France, to unite behind a new approach to dismantle people smuggling gangs and deliver on working people’s priorities for secure borders. This is the first time the full range of factors driving illegal migration, from the supply chain in small boats to anti-trafficking measures, illicit finance and social media advertising, have been explored at a global summit of this scale. Through the summit, the government will use all available levers at its disposal to push forward progress in bringing gangs to justice, tackle the global threat of organised immigration crime and protect vulnerable people from exploitation.”

China, too, was a participant. Searched the literature but could not find Sri Lanka; unfortunately we may be classified as a country in the racket and not at the receiving end of would-be immigrants.

People trafficking is rampant worldwide. Women, and even children, were and are (possibly) trafficked for sexual purposes. Lately, trafficking of people by organised groups in even rubber rafts and dingies across oceans, mostly to the UK and Australia, has been a common sight in international news broadcasts. There are Sri Lankan men, who though they have jobs over here and homes, do feel the yen to go to a land they imagine is paved with greenbacks and sell all they have and commit their money and their lives to unscrupulous human-trafficking gangs. So foolish, in reality.

I said ‘men’ in the previous paragraph. Of course there are women, too, who suffer the contagion of wanting to go overseas, so they are almost trafficked by unregistered job agencies to dubious jobs and homes in countries in the Middle East. Most suffer privations and worse. The yearning for money goes beyond need; they want to get away and be independent. Most do not succeed.

Tidbits

At long last a shark has been netted by law enforcement bodies in SL. Former Chief Minister of the North Central Province, S M Ranjith and his private secretary Shanthi (his brother’s wife), have been sentenced to 16 years rigorous imprisonment for corruption and each to pay a fine of Rs 200,000. (Peanuts to such as them, we suppose).

Salient facts, at least to Cass: the NC Province includes the most sacred of cities where persons living there should be extra honest. Of course, this politician and his brother would have shown piety in observing rites and rituals connected to Buddhism for all to see, while indulging in corrupt, rotten practices. The brother, S M Chandrasena was a Minister in both Mahinda R’s and Ranil W’s governments. Whispers went along the gossip grave that he, also Gnana Akka, were building hotels jutting into the Nuwara Wewa. That showed their personal wealth. The crime for which the brother and his sister-in-law are convicted is that SM Ranjith enabled his priate secy to secure additional fuel allowances between Sept 2012 and Dec 2014 to the tune of Rs 2.68 mn. Goodness! Did they fill their swimming pools with petrol or drink and party on it?

Cheers and hurrah! Countries are retaliating to Trump’s heavily increased import tariffs. They are not buying American goods; damaging Tesla showrooms, even burning them down. One cannot blame such. China is walloped with 54% tax. Sri Lanka will crumble under the taxes to pay for sending goods like garments to the vast market in the States.

Let’s move on to sense and sensibility. Cassandra has heard the koha the avurudu koka, so the season of kavun and kokis; raban thumping and new clothes; family gathering and gift giving and receiving are not far away. Sathosa outlets are due to give Rs 5000 packs of essentials at half the prize. Jolly good! Let’s put aside Batalanda and the searing heat and enjoy April.