Features

Charting a new history, for a new future

Published

3 years ago

2022/01/1

By Uditha Devapriya

For Sinhala nationalists, I daresay the history of Sri Lanka remains the history of the Sinhala people. This begs two questions: one, who are these Sinhala people, and two, where does their history begin? The typical nationalist response to these would be, first, that Sinhala people are those who form the majority in the country, and second that their history begins with the advent of kinship as outlined in chronicles like the Mahavamsa.

But such responses ignore important historical considerations, like the fact that the kings of Sri Lanka, or at least the first among them, hailed from India, or that the chronicles refer to a civilisation that is supposed to have predated their arrival.

How do nationalists resolve these contradictions? They would probably contend that the island possessed a civilisation that was eminently different and superior to that which kings brought about here, while conceding that the latter also developed the country. After all, there are important debates over historiography within nationalist circles, boiling down to whether we to trace our ancestry back by 2,500 years, to the colonisation of the country by Indo-Aryan tribes, or by 10,000 years, to the formation of a pre-Indian, pre-Aryan civilisation supposedly free of external influences. Though there’s no real archaeological evidence for the latter view, there is no shortage of popular writers who speculate about Sinhala people being bearers of a culture predating the Indian influence.

It must be pointed out that the notion of race figures prominently in both cases. In fact, for Sinhala nationalists as much as for Tamil, Muslim, and other nationalists, race remains the primary consideration, the only priority. It is true that as R. A. L. H. Gunawardana has noted that in European languages the word race “dates only from about the sixteenth century”, while neither Sinhala nor Tamil has a satisfactory equivalent for it. Yet for nationalists, history is at best a series of encounters between ethnic groups. Thus, whether they are talking about a prodigal son from northern India conquering the island of Tampabanni or a ten-headed king ruling the island long before the arrival of that son, they reduce the history of the country to the history of a dominant group. This is essentialist scholarship at its crudest.

Nationalists, of course, can be flexible on these matters. They often are. For instance, one prominent Jathika Chintanaya intellectual claimed, at a public seminar, that the Nayakkar kings of Kandy could become Sinhalese after they had been absorbed to the Sinhala social structure in the same way that Victoria, despite not being proficient in English, could turn into an English queen. But on the same grounds, these intellectuals and commentators talk of terms like Sinhalathvaya as if they are etched in stone. While they would readily accept that the Nayakkars became Sinhala because they were kings and had to be benefactors or be seen as benefactors of Buddhism, they would deny that Muslims could be absorbed into Sinhala social structures or take part in Sinhala rituals. According to their logic, to “become” Sinhala is a preserve of a ruling class that cannot be allowed for other groups.

The case of Wath Himi Kumaraya, popularly known as Gale Bandara Deviyo, shows how this kind of essentialism can blind us to the intricacies of our history. While records are unclear about his origins, what we can gather from them is the account of a Muslim pretender to the throne being killed by a group of nobles, only to be venerated later by adherents of both Islam and Buddhism. The transformation of a Muslim usurper to a popular deity is of course a fascinating historical anomaly in a thoroughly Sinhala and Buddhist realm, but one which seems to be appreciated by few, if at all. Certainly, a racialist historiography would ignore or omit such details, while those who subscribe to such histories would be ignorant of them: I myself realised this the other day when, after I suggested that Gale Bandara was “Muslim”, a lad of 19 argued passionately that Buddhists should stop venerating him!

I am not certain to what extent local textbooks reinforce racialist accounts of local history. I am certain, though, that these texts do not inculcate in their readers an appreciation of the many groups that form the identity of the country. Paradoxically, while reinforcing ethnic or religious supremacy, textbook accounts borrow concepts steeped in Western ideology. The notion of race is just one example, as is the origin of terms like Aryan, which had to do with the identity of a ruling class rather than of a hegemonic ethnic community.

This is a paradox that writers who privilege the racialist dimensions of history are not bothered with: even in their rejection of “Western” notions of multiethnic identity, they subscribe to other dominant “Western” notions, which happen to be as pervasive, if not more so. How can we address such contradictions? How can we resolve them? A good first step would be to historicise and find out what can be done with them.

By the early 20th century, debates and polemics had begun to crop up over issues of racial identity, territorial rights, ethnic distinctions, and so on, a point Senake Bandaranayake has made in his essay on “The Peopling of Sri Lanka.” Those who took part in these discussions fell back on divisions that European philologists and orientalists had drawn, between ethnic groups, on the basis of certain characteristics such as dialect and dress type.

What these examinations left out, which scientific advancements have made it possible for us to ascertain today, were the commonalities that link communities together. As evident and common as certain biological traits may be within communities, these by themselves, as Bandaranayake and Gunawardana have noted, by no means warrant the use of categories like race, which are so fluid they can’t be used as markers of distinction.

Perhaps what lent credence to such essentialist views was the scheme that early historians adopted in their periodisations of local history. As in India, where colonial scholars made an arbitrary and imaginary distinction between classical Hindu and decadent Muslim phases, in Sri Lanka they drew lines between a pristine medieval culture and a decadent pre-colonial phase, the latter usually identified with the period of the Kandyan kings. Other scholars took a further step by identifying not the Kandyan kingdom but colonial rule as decadent, in stark contrast to the Anuradhapura and Polonnaruwa periods.

Whatever the biases of the scholar would have been, the drawing up of chronological divisions along these lines made it possible for popular writers to fit their racialist accounts of history within such schemes later on, though history, as Senake Bandaranayake and R. A. L. H. Gunawardana have shown, rebels against such chronologies.

The biggest omission made by those who saw history as a contest between ethnicities was the issue of caste, which remains the least understood social phenomenon in Sri Lanka. The stalwarts of the Marxist Left, including Hector Abhayavardhana, forayed into rural society at the height of the Suriya Mal and anti-malaria campaigns of the 1930s, making it possible for scholars to examine social stratifications from a materialist perspective. Yet, over the years, discussions of such stratifications have tended to wane.

To me this is a striking omission. Intra-group differences are as important as inter-group ones. They emphasise the rifts that exist, not only at the racial level between communities, but also at caste and class levels, within the same communities.

For the most, sadly, historians and writers, be they “Marxist”, liberal, or nationalist, have ignored these considerations. That has led to a situation where, while rejecting the racialist rhetoric of nationalists, liberal scholars have fallen back on criteria no different from those which nationalist ideologues adopt. Hence, accounts of Moor, Malay, Tamil, even Burgher contributions to Sri Lankan society valorise these communities in an ethnic light, portraying them as racial types against which nationalists bring up their claims of superiority. Whether or not they intend it, then, the most progressive of Sri Lankan scholars provide ammunition for nationalist debates, given that they also view history through an ethnic lens. Perhaps the best example for this would be the notion of “Tamil Buddhism” in Sri Lanka, raised by social scientists, and the knee-jerk rejection of such a thesis by Sinhala nationalists.

I believe the first step towards liberating Sri Lankan historiography from its fixation with ethnicity and racialism would be, as Senake Bandaranayake noted, to consider the history of ethnic formation in the country as a complex process involving “the convergence of various pre and proto-historic developments.” On the one hand, nationalist historians are adamant on constructing a Sinhala Buddhist identity. On the other, the liberals’ response frames the issue in racial terms and adopts the criteria used by their opponents, hence legitimising the latter. Both approaches lead to a dead-end, and so both should be discarded.

The solution, perfectly sensible in my view, would be to start examining history from the vantage point of other social phenomena, like caste. In doing so, we will be able to come up with a historiography which places emphasis on the differences separating groups as much as on the commonalities binding them. To quote Senake Bandaranayake here, “[a] study of Sri Lankan history, stripped of its myths and distortions and free of communalist bias on one side or the other, can do much to contribute to the historic process of the formation of an integrated polyethnic modern nation.” We obviously have a long way to go.

The writer can be reached at udakdev1@gmail.com

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Features

Thunberg deported; various frauds; two women

Published

20 hours ago

2025/06/13

Thilina Walpola

Iranganie Serasinghe

Richard Gere, known to be a meditator and friend of the Dalai Lama, stunned the Hollywood audience that gathered to see him receive a lifetime achievement award recently. He began his address with the usual platitudes and then switched to the country that he said was in a mess. He blamed the US voters who brought Donald Trump in as Prez. And then he called Trump ‘bully and thug’. They are strong words, repeated to make sure his opinion got through.

Another actor, Alec Baldwin, donned an orange hair wig and acted in skits of Trump in the Oval Office and while electioneering. Hilarious and yet of import as it displays the extent to which Trump is derided and openly abused in his own country. Tweets came streaming in from Trump that the actors are old, spent forces, etc. But the public heard and saw the opinion of two very popular and respected actors.

To Cassandra, the disgraceful display of feuding between Elon Musk and Donald Trump made public on X, is the best thing that could have happened to America and the world at large. They are both acting child-like (an insult to children to class these two with them) while displaying their ignorance except about money. The latest as Cass pens this is that Musk has apologised for some of the tweets he sent maligning Trump.

Pro-Palestinian Activists pushed out of Israel

Conveying a symbolic amount of emergency supplies, pro-Palestinian activists from France, Sweden, Brazil. Germany, the Netherlands, Spain and Turkey, calling themselves the Freedom Flotilla Coalition, sailed to Israel in their barge the Madleen to protest against what Israel is doing to the few people left in Gaza – shelling them day and night and determined to chase them all out of the Strip. But the protestors’ visit was short; they were not allowed to dock or land, rather was the aid boat seized by Israeli forces in the Mediterranean on Monday. Thunberg and twelve others were deported from Tel Aviv to Ben Gurion airport to France, the following day. However, six French activists refused to sign their deportation orders and would be brought before an Israeli judicial authority and probably transferred to Ramle Prison, near Tel Aviv.

Such a brave onslaught on Israel in person should be highly acclaimed. Protests occur all over the world, but Netanyahu and the Israel Armey Commander seem not to take notice. As long as the US under Trump supports Israel, the Palestinian bid for freedom to occupy their land in Gaza

Local shark caught in the corruption net

Bureaucrats are being netted in; not only politicians. We have seen the highest in the prison’s department remanded. True, it may not be he who released a prisoner surreptitiously when on the last Vesak Poya, prisoners were pardoned and released. But he signed the papers and so is ultimately responsible.

A member of a former ruling family has been questioned on how come he claimed damages for the destruction of a house of his by the Aragalaya thugs. The question is how a non est house, maybe one dreamed up, came to be claimed as one gutted. The money, of course in millions, seems to have been paid to this elder Rajapaksa brother. Now, he is being questioned and one firmly hopes the money received by the foulest means will be paid back to the country’s till. Cass for one is shocked beyond words and belief at the lies and dastardly subterfuges thought up by these self-seeking minds, and the greed for more and more lucre. The immunity they conferred on themselves being a family that could not be touched by the arm of law and thus the carte blanche they enjoyed to do as they pleased AND with the nation’s money, seems to be ended. It looks to be.

Two local women: one celebrated, the other mourned

Iranganie Meedeniya Serasinghe

, well beloved by all Sri Lankans, celebrated her 98 birthday recently. We wish her very well and hope she can go through the rest of her life with minimum pain and illness. One fact that can be said about her is that she gained in facial beauty as she aged.

She is considered an iconic artiste who was a pioneering figure in theatre, the local silver screen and small screen. She did not just take to acting, she imbibed the art and craft of it at the well-known (probably the world’s best) Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) in London. She also studied at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School under the mentorship of Prof EFC Ludowyk, a founder of Sri Lankan theatre.

My brother hired her ex-Ayah to look after his son, so this dame was ever fond of regaling us with stories of her beloved Chandi Appo (the child Iranganie). She was born in the Meedeniya Walauwa very close to Yatiyantota and schooled at Bishop’s College, Colombo, and for her ALs at Girls’ High School, Kandy. This exam was known as the Higher School Certificate Exam (HSC) – entrance exam to the University of Colombo or Peradeniya. It was actually at KHS that she went into theatre acting. Well remembered by Cass as a younger student is Mrs de Mel producing Bernard Shaw’s Pygmalion, forerunner to My Fair Lady. Producing and staging Pygmalion was certainly a hazardous task, but probably intrepid Mrs de Mel thought she had a star player to tackle the role of Professor Higgins. Iranganie was him and Rani Perera was Eliza Doolittle, fluently speaking Cockney and then metamorphosing to a near princess.

Iranganie was first in theatre but then, as good fortune would have it, Lester James Peries scripted and directed Rekawa (Line of Destiny) in 1956. It was the first Sinhala film fully shot in Ceylon and outdoors, eliminating any Indian influence. Iranganie played a major role while Winston Serasinghe too was in it. Willie Blake was cinematographer. Entered in 1957 to the Cannes Film Festival, it was included in the main competition and was nominated for the Palme d’Or; honour enough and is still the only Sinhala film honoured thus far.

Iranganie outsmarted traditional conventions, especially Kandyan radala conservatism, by going into films. Remembered best by Cass is her role in Yashorawaya where she played self-sacrificing mother to Richard de Zoysa.

She also founded Ruk Rekaganno, and went about trying to prevent the wanton cutting down of trees. Cass’ second brother was in the movement. Once on a journey out of Colombo. Iranganie had wanted a cup of tea. Only wayside tea kiosks were available. All four were willing to patronise one of them. The boutique keeper was nonchalant and even wary of these city types until his wife recognised Iranganie. “Aney appé,” she shouted and out came levariya and tea in cups and saucers!

Malini Pethiyagoda Kulatunge

passed away in Australia a couple of days ago. Mention is made here since she was the first woman to pass the newly instituted CAS examination for recruitment of Ceylon Administrative Services officers which replaced the Ceylon Civil Service, started by the British under their colonial rule. This first exam was in 1971. Malini, too, had her education at Girls’ High School from where she entered the University of Peradeniya. Malini, sister of Dr Upatissa Pethiyagoda, migrated soon after to Australia with her young family.

What have we to look forward to next week? A Colombo Municipal Council formed, with hopefully Vraie Cally Balthazaar, graduate, researcher, entrepreneur and media professional of the bright sparkling face, as Mayor?

At least we hear fumigation going on. We also hope mosquito breeding places are being eliminated. Fast spreading dread diseases have to be stalled. It’s the duty of the local councils of the country, and if extra care is taken, we could live safe and healthy.

Features

As Prof. Arjuna De Silva turns 60 …

Published

20 hours ago

2025/06/13

Thilina Walpola

Prof. De Silva

I first met Professor Arjuna de Silva as his patient. I was immediately impressed by this consultant physician, especially by his considerable knowledge, remarkable efficiency and commitment. I also remember thinking that he was a bit arrogant, even bordering on the rude. He was just being matter-of-fact, strictly focused on diagnosis, prognosis and prescription. In the 25 years that have passed since then, I have had ample reason to conclude that behind the confident and sometimes stern exterior that I first encountered, there was a sensitive, intelligent, and scrupulously honest friend just waiting to be discovered.

Over the years this no-nonsense physician, affectionately known as Prof. Arjuna, became one of my closest and dearest friends. His selfless service to our circle, especially his steadfast care for our parents, is nothing short of heroic. The dedication with which he looked after my own parents, particularly my late father, speaks volumes about his loyalty and kindness. In fact, if there was an Olympic medal for “Friendship and Care,” Arjuna would be standing proudly on the podium, gold medal and a bouquet of roses, probably delivering an acceptance speech explaining why he deserves it more than anyone else!

We became firm friends and eventually our brotherhood would include a third, Johann Wijesinghe. The three of us shared a bond tested in the toughest of times. When Johann fell seriously ill, Arjuna stepped up not just as a friend but as a guiding light. Emotionally shaken though he was, Arjuna managed to steer Johann and his wife Kalpana through complex medical treatments while keeping the rest of us, who were understandably anxious, calm and hopeful. Watching him juggle this immense responsibility without panicking was nothing short of inspiring. It was only when Johann passed away that I was able to see him with his guard down; I had never seen Arjuna so deeply shaken before.

His sobriety in his professional life was quite in contrast to how he was when he put aside his ‘doctoring.’ It is no exaggeration to say that I have never met any medical professional who parties like Arjuna does. Arjuna and his wife Thulani are the ultimate hosts; they are supreme when it comes to hospitality and entertainment. Arjuna loves company and celebrations so much that I often joke that if there is a lot of light and music Arjuna would be there or should be. He wouldn’t miss these things if he could help it.

An Oxford-qualified professor, Arjuna’s achievements are nothing short of extraordinary. His contributions to sports, both specific disciplines and the broader sporting community, cannot be matched by any doctor I know. A proud Thomian, he embodies grit, determination, and just the right touch of flair that has earned him the affectionate nickname “Dr. Shahrukh Khan.” And yes, he encourages it with that charming smile and a mischievous wink.

Arjuna isn’t one to wear his emotions on his sleeve, but as a very close friend, I can vouch for his sensitivity and sometimes even a need for attention. Those close to him know he has his weaknesses, for example his legendary reluctance to forgive easily. Arjuna remembers both the good and the bad. For all this, he is the first person many would call in a medical emergency, knowing he will be there without hesitation. I will never forget how he visited my father almost every single day when he became critically ill.

Above all, Arjuna is a proud and loyal Sri Lankan, a true patriot in every sense.

My dear friend Arjuna knows how sorry I am that I cannot be with him tonight as he celebrates the milestone of reaching 60. However, as we have joked and agreed, his party would be better without me for I share his weakness to be unforgiving at times. He will have a blast, nevertheless, for Arjuna is irrepressible. He will take note and smile when I wish him a wonderful time. It will be a blast, as always and Arjuna will enjoy every moment and raise a cheer with those present with a nod to those who, like me, are not there, to many more years of friendship, laughter, and unforgettable memories!

Happy 60th, Prof. Arjuna!

by Krishantha Prasad Cooray ✍️

Features

They came, they won, they returned to Jaffna isles

Published

20 hours ago

2025/06/13

Thilina Walpola

J/Thambaddy GTMV Children swimming in the village pond

This is about the children of Kytes Island J/Thambaddy Government Tamil Mixed Vidyalayam and J/Delft Maha Vidyalayam in the northernmost inhabited island of Sri Lanka. They travelled to Colombo and won in the China-Sri Lanka Friendship Cup Dragon Boat Regatta Junior (Under 18) section held in the Diyawannawa lake last week.

Delft Maha Vidyalam commenced on 17 January 1946, as one of the first Maha Vidyalayam established by the Father of Free Education, Dr C. W. W. Kannagara, then Education Minister. Declared open by Sir John Kotelawala with five teachers and 23 students; the school has classes from Grade 1 to Grade 13 today. There are 179 students (117 boys and 62 girls), 20 teachers (10 males and 10 females). This is the northernmost Maha Vidyalayam in Sri Lanka. A ferry voyage from the Jaffna mainland to Delft takes about one and a half hours.

Thambaddy Government Tamil Mixed Vidyalayam is on Kytes island. It has 179 students in classes from Grade 1 to Grade 11, and 19 teachers. It has produced excellent swimmers who won 18 medals in the last Provincial Swimming meet, even though they do not have a swimming pool. They practise in a village pond!

: J/ Thambaddy Government Tamil Mixed Vidyalayam

: Girls category competition

Boys Junior Dragon boat event was won by J/Thambaddy GTMV team consisting of twelve paddlers who pulled their boat in unison with much vigour and morale. They were followed closely by another team from Jaffna Islands (Delft) J/Delft Maha Vidyalayam. During the last stages of the race, there was a close competition between these two teams. The results were as follows:

1. Gold medal – Thambaddy GTMV, Kytes Island, Jaffna

2. Silver medal- Delft Maha Vidyalayam, Delft Island, Jaffna

3. Bronze medal- D S Senanayake College, Colombo

4. St Patrick’s College, Jaffna

5. Wesley College, Colombo

6. Gateway International College, Colombo

7. Wesley College, Colombo, (team 2)

This great achievement by Jaffna Island schools was due to unstinted support and guidance they receive from the Sri Lanka Navy, especially Secretary of the Canoeing and Kayaking Association of Sri Lanka, Captain (SBS) Chaminda Wijesiri, an injured war veteran. This potential international level talent was spotted by him when the Canoeing and Kayaking Association held the National Canoeing and Kayaking Regatta six months ago in the Jaffna lagoon adjacent to the picturesque Jaffna Dutch Fort.

The Chinese Embassy of Sri Lanka and Sports and the Youth Affairs Ministry jointly organised the Regatta at Diyawannawa lake, which was to be held near the Port City. It had to be shifted to the Diyawanna Lake due to rough seas. The Army and Navy Commanders and Director General Sports (Retired senior Naval officer Rear Admiral Shermal Fernando) helped transport the Jaffna teams to Colombo.

Winners with Preethi Perera the former President of the Canoeing and Kayaking Association

The teams were provided with accommodation at the Sports Hostel, Colombo, and the Youth Council Hostel, Maharagama free of charge, and Rear Admiral Shermal Fernando took care of their meals.

Girls from these two Jaffna islands also performed extremely well. They lost to Vishaka College Colombo team, but secured Silver and Bronze medals. The final results of Girls category were as follows:

Gold medal- Vishaka College Colombo.

Silver medal- J/ Thambaddy GTMV, Kytes Island, Jaffna .

Bronze medal- J/ Delft Maha Vidyalayam, Delft Island, Jaffna.

WP/ Jaya/ Janadipathi Balika Vidyalaya, Nawala.

Five fully equipped Dragon Boats donated by China were handed over by Chinese Ambassador in Colombo Qi Zhenhong to the Canoeing and Kayaking Association. Chairman of Canoeing and Kayaking Association, Rear Admiral (SSD) HNS Perera has already decided to keep two boats in Jaffna for the use of the northern children.

Winners with Rear Admiral Damien Fernando (Chief of Staff of Navy) and Captain (SBS) Chaminda Wijesiri

Our next step is to train combined Jaffna schools teams (both girls and boys) to take part in the world famous Snake Boat Race in Backwaters of Kerala, India scheduled to be held in September this year. Bravo to these children! Mother Theresa once said, “We can’t do great things – but we can do small things with great love”. Keep paddling children!

(The writer is Former Navy Commander and Former Chief of Defence Staff, Former Chairman, Trincomalee Petroleum Terminals Ltd., Former Managing Director Ceylon Petroleum Corporation, and Former High Commissioner to Pakistan.)

by Admiral Ravindra C Wijegunaratne ✍️
WV, RWP and Bar, RSP, VSV, USP, NI (M) (Pakistan), ndc, psn, Bsc
(Hons) (War Studies) (Karachi) MPhil (Madras)