Features
Rediscovering Martin Wickramasinghe
By Uditha Devapriya
The Martin Wickramasinghe Collection at the National Library in Colombo contains over 5,000 books. Most of them are worn out and dusty, though well preserved. Some are recent additions. The oldest among the collection date to the early 1910s. Straddling different periods, genres, and subjects, they remain a useful guide to the man who owned them, read them, and wrote on the topics they covered.
Arguably the most interesting point about them are the annotations. Wickramasinghe was a voracious reader, “omnivorous” as he called himself, and he spent much of his income on books. He was indiscriminate yet critical in what he read. This comes out quite well in the annotations. Some of the older books have notes every few pages. The more recent ones hardly have them at all. This shows that Wickramasinghe was learning about these subjects for the first time through these texts, and that he was reading as much as he could about them. As he read, he remembered. As he remembered, he annotated.
Most of these annotations are marginal comments. Some point to other sources. Many are critical, hardly any laudatory. On the side of one page in the 1934 edition of Caroline Rhys Davids’s Outline of Buddhism, to give one example, he argues the author seems “ignorant of modern anthropology.”
In his copy of Maurice Baring’s An Outline of Russian Literature, published in 1914, he critiques the author’s characterisation of Leo Tolstoy: responding to Baring’s comment that “Tolstoy wrote about himself from the beginning of his career to the end”, Wickramasinghe writes, “This observation is wrong”, adding that “it is… altruism which impels Tolstoy to confess all the wrongs he has committed.”
Between Baring’s book and Rhys Davids’s, there is a space of 20 years. During this period Wickramasinghe had matured and evolved. Beginning his life in Colombo as a bookkeeper to a shop owner, he went on to write articles to the Dinamina. In 1914 Wickramasinghe wrote his first novel, Leela. His preface to the first edition makes it clear how much of an influence the books he was reading had upon him. In no ambivalent terms, he notes the futility of drawing lines between Western and Eastern philosophy, science, between ways of looking at the world. The story itself unremittingly critiques tradition and order.
Such attitudes could only have been fostered through the books he was devouring. As he himself recounts in Upan Da Sita, he started reading rationalist and Western texts almost as soon as he shifted to Colombo in 1906.
Wickramasinghe’s granddaughter Ishani remembers his library all too well. “As a teenager I read D. H. Lawrence, Tolstoy, the Russians, from his collection,” she says. “For him, reading was a window to the world.” She recalls he was insistent that his children and grandchildren read English and that they did not limit themselves to Sinhala literature. “He regarded Sinhala literature highly,” she notes. “And he had a complicated relationship with Western culture. He critiqued it, yes, but he also recognised its value.”
The leading litterateur of his day, Wickramasinghe was one of the leading Sri Lankan, South Asian, and Asian cultural figures of his time. As Sarath Amunugama reminded me not long ago, he was a contemporary of not only Piyadasa Sirisena and W. A. Silva, but also Ananda Coomaraswamy and Cumaratunga Munidasa. Yet despite having passed away almost 50 years ago, Wickramasinghe’s life, work, and thought have yet to be studied fully by scholars. Last week marked his 135th birth anniversary.
In her study of Geoffrey Bawa, the historian Shanti Jayewardene notes that we have still not understood the intellectual modernists of South Asia. She includes in this pantheon not just Coomaraswamy and Cumaratunga Munidasa, but also George Keyt, Lionel Wendt, Chitrasena, Lester James Peries, Ediriweera Sarachchandra, and Ian Goonetilleke. Writing of Coomaraswamy, she notes that they all remain “poorly understood.”
Jayewardene also includes Martin Wickramasinghe. She refers to Anupama Mohan’s point that he “projected on to the rural, the possibility of recovering a subjectivity unsullied by colonial inequities.” Mohan’s book, Utopia and the Village in South Asia, dissects his writings on Sinhala rural culture and his supposed idealisation of it.
Whether Wickramasinghe’s framing of the culture he came from was as romantic as Mohan makes it out is debatable. Yet those writings, influenced as they were by the books he read at an early period, represent a rupture in the intellectual trajectory of colonial Sri Lanka. This is why it is difficult to place Wickramasinghe in the same league as Keyt, Wendt, and the 43 Group. The latter had to study the culture they were born to. Wickramasinghe, on the other hand, was a product of that culture. He did not have to study it to write on it.
Wickramasingha
The biggest challenge for scholars of Wickramasinghe, and of cultural modernism in 20th century Sri Lanka, is a lack of familiarity with his source texts, particularly those written in Sinhala. While Keyt, Wendt, and Peries have been studied exhaustively and examined from various perspectives, Wickramasinghe remains limited to a Sinhala speaking audience and a Sri Lankan scholarship.
This is a regrettable omission, given the many contributions he made, not merely to “Sinhala” culture but also to our understanding of that culture and the ways of life, and of seeing, which underpinned it. His novels, in particular those he wrote after 1944, have enjoyed a much greater reputation because they became prescribed texts at schools and universities even during his lifetime. As the political researcher Harindra Dassanayake puts it, “When you ask the question, ‘How did you first come across Wickramasinghe?’, you always get the same response: Madol Doowa.”
Perhaps such a reading is reductive. Seminal though his fiction was, it must be remembered that Wickramasinghe wrote 13 novels and some short stories, in addition to a few plays and two books of poetry. Though he forayed into journalism some years after his first novel was published, he made use of the space he got to write as much as he could on anything and everything he had read until then. This was a formative time in Sri Lanka’s modern history, when radical politics had reared its head and calls were made for self-government, when universal suffrage was about to be granted and the colonial order was rupturing from within. Wickramasinghe’s intervention at this point, massive as it is, can be gleaned from the articles he was writing, and getting published, in the press.
In this regard, he made two seminal contributions. He began writing articles in the Dinamina in 1916 and almost immediately wrote on science, evolution, philosophy, and anthropology. In Upan Da Sita Wickramasinghe recounts attending debates, reading periodicals, and subscribing to foreign magazines, all of which helped transmit Western radical ideas to a deeply colonised society. In writing on these topics, in a mode and form accessible to a Sinhala speaking audience, he went beyond other cultural figures who lacked such contact with mass audiences.
These articles, authored under the penname Hethuvadiya or “Rationalist”, gained enough attention, and controversy, to convince D. R. Wijewardene to hire him at Dinamina in 1920. 12 years later, he was promoted as Editor.
Not long afterwards he also began writing in English. In English he wrote mostly on Sinhala culture, Buddhism, and other aspects of Sri Lankan society and history. This intervention has yet to be appreciated in full. Before Wickramasinghe very few Sri Lankans or Ceylonese wrote so much on Sri Lankan culture and history. As Senake Bandaranayake has reminded us of Ananda Coomaraswamy, such intellectuals, drawn as they were from the very colonial societies they critiqued, projected a view of the country which tended to be anachronistic and romanticised.
Wickramasinghe went beyond these frameworks and, as Amunugama observes, explored the underpinnings of Sinhala society. In this he did not have to discover or rediscover his society, as Keyt did through literature and poetry and Wendt through photography. By the time he came of age, he had immersed himself in Sinhala and Buddhist literature well enough to write on them for foreign audiences.
Taken together, these contributions make up two sides of the same coin. He was an outsider looking in and an insider looking out. As Nalaka Gunawardena puts it, he was also the public intellectual of his time, “a powerful shaper of public discourse” who made it clear, perhaps for the first time in Sri Lanka, that “one cannot become a public intellectual without reaching the public.” It goes without saying that such a contribution would not have been possible without the many books he read – indiscriminately, yet critically – and the familiarity he was able to acquire with both local and Western texts. These interventions also required much humility, a quality Wickramasinghe never lacked in his writings.
Underlined in his copy of Anatole France’s On Life and Letters: Second Series, published in 1922 and perhaps bought during that time, is an aphorism that could not have better summed his way of looking at the world:
“One seems to be almost attractive as soon as one is absolutely true.”
In being true to himself, Wickramasinghe carved his own path, his own destiny. Nalaka Gunawardena puts it well: “Rarely has he been surpassed in this country, in his time or since.” It is this that has yet to become the subject of a definitive study.
Uditha Devapriya is a researcher and author who can be reached at udakdev1@gmail.com. The author of four books, he is currently working on a study of Wickramasinghe, an official publication by the Martin Wickramasinghe Trust.
Going forward, it is hoped that a reported ceasefire agreement between the US and Iran would provide a basis for a degree of stability in the Middle East and pave the way for substantive peace talks between the powers concerned. The world is compelled to fall back on hope because there is never knowing when President Donald Trump would change his mind and plans on matters of the first importance. So erratic has he been.
Yet, confusion abounds on who has agreed to what. The US President is on record that a number of conditions put forward by him to Iran to deescalate tensions have been accepted by the latter, whereas Iran is yet to state unambiguously that this is so. For instance, the US side claims that Iran has come clear on the point that it would not work towards acquiring a nuclear weapons capability, but there is no official confirmation by Iran that this is so. The same goes for the rest of the conditions.
Accordingly, the peace process between the US and Iran, if such a thing solidly exists, could be said to be mired in uncertainty. Nevertheless, the wider publics of the world are bound to welcome the prospects of some sort of ceasing of hostilities because it would have the effect of improving their economic and material well being which is today under a cloud.
However, questions of the first magnitude would continue to bedevil international politics and provide the breeding ground for continued tensions between East and West. Iran-US hostilities helped highlight some of these divisive issues and a deescalation of these tensions would not inevitably translate into even a temporary resolution of these questions. The world community would have no choice but to take them up and work towards comprehending them better and managing them more effectively.
For example, there are thorny questions arising from the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT). Essentially, this treaty bans the processing and use of nuclear weapons by states but some of the foremost powers are not signatories to it.
Moreover, the NPT does not provide for the destroying of nuclear arsenals by those signatory states which are already in possession of these WMDs. Consequently, there would be a glaring power imbalance between the latter nuclear-armed states and others which possess only conventional weapons.
Such a situation has grave implications for Iran’s security, for instance. The latter could argue, in view of the NPT restrictions, that the US poses a security threat to it but that it is debarred by the Treaty from developing a nuclear arms capability of its own to enable it to match the nuclear capability of the US. Moreover, its regional rival Israel is believed to possess a nuclear weapons capability.
Accordingly, a case could be made that the NPT is inherently unfair. The US would need to help resolve this vexatious matter going forward. But if it remains, US-Iran tensions would not prove easy to resolve. The same goes for Iran-Israeli tensions. Consequently, the Middle East would remain the proverbial ‘powder keg’.
Besides the above issues, the world has ample evidence that it could no longer speak in terms of a united NATO or West. Apparently, there could be no guarantee that US-NATO relations would remain untroubled in future, even if the current Iran-US standoff is peacefully resolved. US-NATO ties almost reached breaking point in the current crisis when the US President called on its NATO partners, particularly Britain, to help keep open the Hormuz Straits for easy navigation by commercial vessels, militarily, on seeing that such help was not forthcoming. Such questions are bound to remain sore points in intra-Western ties.
In other words, it would be imperative for the US’ NATO partners to help pull the US’ ‘chestnuts out of the fire’ going ahead. The question is, would NATO be willing to thus toe the US line even at the cost of its best interests.
For the West, these fractious issues are coming to the fore at a most unpropitious moment. The reality that could faze the West at present is the strong opposition shown to its efforts to bolster its power and influence by China and Russia. Right through the present crisis, the latter have stood by Iran, materially and morally. For instance, the most recent Security Council resolution spearheaded by the US which was strongly critical of Iran, was vetoed by China and Russia.
Accordingly, we have in the latter developments some marked polarities in international politics that could stand in the way of the West advancing its interests unchallenged. They point to progressively intensifying East-West tensions in international relations in the absence of consensuality.
It is only to be expected that given the substance of international politics that the West would be opposed by the East, read China and Russia, in any of the former’s efforts to advance its self interests unilaterally in ways that could be seen as illegitimate, but what is sorely needed at present is consensuality among the foremost powers if the world is to be ‘a less dangerous place to live in.’ Minus a focus on the latter, it would be a ‘no-win’ situation for all concerned.
It would be central to world stability for International Law to be upheld by all states and international actors. Military intervention by major powers in the internal affairs of other countries remains a principal cause of international mayhem. Both East and West are obliged to abide scrupulously with this principle.
From the latter viewpoint, not only did the West err in recent times, but the East did so as well. Iran, for instance, acted in gross violation of International Law when it attacked neighbouring Gulf states which are seen as US allies. Neither Iran nor the US-Israel combine have helped in advancing international law and order by thus taking the law into their own hands.
Unfortunately, the UN has been a passive spectator to these disruptive developments. It needs to play a more robust role in promoting world peace and in furthering consensual understanding among the principal powers in particular. The need is also urgent to advance UN reform and render the UN a vital instrument in furthering world peace. The East and West need to think alike and quickly on this urgent undertaking.
Marking World Health Day on April 7, health experts have called for a stronger commitment to science-based decision-making to address increasingly complex and evolving health challenges in Sri Lanka and beyond.
Dr. Dayanath Ranatunga, Assistant Representative of the United Nations Population Fund, stressed that health is no longer confined to hospitals or traditional medical systems, but is shaped by a broad spectrum of social, environmental, and technological factors.
“This year’s theme, ‘Together for Health. Stand with Science,’ reminds us that science is not only for laboratories or policymakers. It is a way of thinking and a tool that shapes everyday decisions,” he said.
Dr. Ranatunga noted that modern health challenges are increasingly interconnected, ranging from infectious diseases such as COVID-19 to climate-related risks, demographic shifts, and emerging forms of online violence.
He warned that maternal and newborn health continues to demand urgent attention despite progress. Globally, an estimated 260,000 women died from pregnancy and childbirth-related causes in 2023 alone—many of them preventable through timely, science-based interventions.
“In countries like Sri Lanka, where fertility rates are declining and survival rates improving, every pregnancy carries greater significance—not just for families, but for the future of communities and economies,” he said.
The UNFPA official also highlighted the growing threat of Technology Facilitated Gender-Based Violence (TFGBV), including cyber harassment and online abuse, noting that these forms of violence can have deep psychological consequences despite lacking visible physical harm.
He emphasised the need for multidisciplinary, science-informed approaches that integrate mental health, digital safety, and survivor-centered care.
Turning to demographic trends, Dr. Ranatunga pointed out that increasing life expectancy is bringing new challenges, particularly the rise of non-communicable diseases such as diabetes, cardiovascular illnesses, and cancers.
In Sri Lanka, nearly 13.9% of mothers develop diabetes during pregnancy, a trend attributed to obesity and unhealthy lifestyles, underscoring the urgent need for preventive healthcare strategies.
“Are we investing enough in prevention?” he asked, noting that early intervention and healthier lifestyles could significantly reduce long-term healthcare costs, especially in a country with a free public healthcare system.
He underscored the importance of data-driven policymaking, stating that scientific research and analytics enable governments to identify gaps, anticipate future needs, and allocate resources more effectively.
The UNFPA, he said, is already leveraging tools such as Geographic Information Systems (GIS) to improve access to maternal healthcare, including mapping travel times for pregnant women to reach health facilities.
Digital innovation is also transforming healthcare delivery, from telemedicine to real-time data systems, improving efficiency and ensuring continuity of care even during emergencies.
In Sri Lanka, partnerships between the government and development agencies are helping to modernise training institutions, including facilities in Batticaloa, equipping healthcare workers with both clinical and digital skills.
However, Dr. Ranatunga cautioned that technology alone is not a solution.
“It must be guided by evidence and grounded in equity,” he said, pointing out that women’s health remains significantly underfunded, with only about 7% of global healthcare research focusing on conditions specific to women.
He also drew attention to the growing health impacts of climate change, including extreme weather, food insecurity, and displacement, describing it as an emerging public health crisis.
“Health does not begin in hospitals. It is shaped by the environments we live in, the choices we make, and the systems we build,” he said.
Calling for renewed commitment, Dr. Ranatunga urged stakeholders to invest in prevention, embrace innovation, and ensure that science remains central to policy and practice.
“Science is not just about knowledge—it is about ensuring that everyone has the opportunity to live healthy, dignified lives, and that no one is left behind,” he added.
By Ifham Nizam
Melantha Perera is well known as a very versatile musician.
He was involved with the band Mirage, as their keyboardist/vocalist, and was also seen in action with other outfits, as well, before embarking on a trip to Australia, as a solo artiste.
I now hear that he has plans to operate as a trio.
However, what has got many talking about Melantha, these days, is his awesome work with the visually impaired Bright Light Band.
They have worked out a special song for the Sinhala and Tamil New Year, aptly titled ‘Awurudu Kaale.’
Says Melantha: “This song has been created to celebrate the spirit of the Sinhala and Tamil New Year and to share the joy of the Awurudu season with all Sri Lankans”.
Yes, of course, Melantha composed the song, with the lyrics written collaboratively by Melantha, Badra, and the parents of the talented performers, whose creative input brought the song to life during moments of inspiration.
Melantha Perera: Awesome work with Bright Light Band
This meaningful collaboration reflects the strong community behind the Bright Light Band.
According to Melantha, accompaning the song is a vibrant video production that also features the involvement of the parents, highlighting unity, joy, and togetherness.
Beyond showcasing their musical talents, the visually impaired members of Bright Light Band deliver a powerful message, through this project, that their abilities extend beyond singing, as they also express themselves through movement and dance.
Melantha expressed his satisfaction with the outcome of the project and looks forward to sharing it with audiences across the country during this festive season.
He went on to say that Bright Light Band extends its sincere gratitude to Bcert Australia for their generous Mian sponsorship, the CEO of the company, Samath Fernando, for his continuous support in making such initiatives possible, and Rukshan Perera for his personal support and encouragement in bringing this project to completion.
The band also acknowledges Udara Fernando for his invaluable contribution, generously providing studio space and accommodating extended recording sessions to suit the children’s availability.
Appreciation is warmly extended to the parents, whose unwavering commitment from ensuring attendance at rehearsals to supporting the video production has been instrumental in the success of this project.
Through ‘Awurudu Kaale’, Bright Light Band hopes to spread festive cheer and inspire audiences, proving that passion and talent know no boundaries.
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