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Dept.of Fine Arts, Faculty of Arts & Culture Eastern University Chemkallady, Sri Lanka.
e-mail-sjeya
 
 

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R. Murugaiyan
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Page 5
K.GANESHAPIONEERIN SRI LA
Born in Ampitiya Kandy on 2.3. 1920, K.Ganesh v in age now, had started his early studies in Kandy S and Raja College of Oriental Studies Thiruvaiyar.
More than the college education he was very m activists and study their life and started to write.
In his teen age itself somewhere in 1932. He too Writers Union and in the publication of Lokasaki
After returning to Sri Lanka in the early forties. He Sarathchandra and other pioneers to form an All
In a worldwide poetry competition he was awarde
Basically a poet and a translator, Mr. K.Ganesh appeared in the MANIKODI’’ a turning point mag
It was a pride to have written in the MANIKOI Lankan Tamil short story, has written stories in thi
Mr. K. Ganesh has written only six short stories an
In the mid forties (1946 - 1948) Mr. K. Ganesh a communist party jointly published a magazine nam in Tamil in Sri Lanka. Bharathi came to an end wil
Proficient both in English and Tamil, K. Ganesh h books into Tamil.
His first work of translation was MULK RAJ Al K.A.AbbaS' *HO CHIMIN'' ''LUHZUI' and SQ ( translation has been honored by the Sahitiya Acad. awards titled ILAKIYACHEMMAL: KALABOOS
A humanist and a lover of books Mr. K. Ganesh liv By - Theliwathai Joseph
WORKS PUBLISHED
Translation into Tamil :-
1. UNTOUCHABLE
--
Mulkraj Anand Karaikudi, Mac
2. SAFFRON BLOSSOMS - K.A.Abbas 95 3. AJANTHA K.A.Abbas 19C 4. PRISON DIARY Ho Chi Minh – 5. THE SONG - Azebaijanian W 6. CALL TO ARMS - Lu Xun 198l (l 7. BULGARIAN POEMS - Hsto Botev , Iv
(New Century 8. HAPPY CHILDREN - Jushi 1986 (Foi 9. WANDERINGS - Lu Xun 1986 (). HUNGARIAN POEMS - Sandor Petofi’s ll. POEMS OF PARPARA - Russian Poet 19 12. SOVIET POEMS Kubrianov's Po
(Writers Coope

NKAN THAMIL LITERATURE
who is a pioneer progressive writer and eighty-two years t.Anthony's College and then in Madurai Tamil Sangam
uch interested to move about with the left movement
k active part in the formation of an Indian Progressive hi', a progressive magazine.
joined hands with Martin Wickramasinghe, Edirnweer:
Island Writers Association.
d a prize by the then Emperor of Japan Hon.Hirohito.
has also written short stories. His short stories first azine of the modern Tamil literature.
DI” and only “ILANKAYARKON’, a pioneer of the Sri S magazine from Ceylon.
dhas contributed alot in the form of essays and poets.
nd Mr. K. Ramathan, another active member of the ed BHARATHI which is the first progressive magazine h only six (6) issues in the 2 years of its literary life.
as rendered valuable service by translating a number of
NAND’S “UNTOUCHABLES" in 1947 followed by on. He has translated more than 22 books. His work it amy and his Literary activities have been recognized hy SHANAM, etc.
es in Talatu Oya, a fevo miles away from Kandy.
1947, 1970 (Puthumai Pathipaham, dras India) 6, 1963 (Inba Nilayam,Madras-India) 4 (Kuyilan Padhippaham, Madras India } 1973, 1985 (New Century Book House. Madras indi:. . Writer Altai Mahamedov 1974 (Self Sri Lanka)
othumai Punlishers, Madras India) an Vazov, Geo Milev, Vapstarov, Peny(), etç. Book Shop, Madras India) 'eign Language publishing house, Beijing, China) (New Century Book Shop, Madras India) Poems 1998 (Chennai Book House. Madras India) 89 (Writers Cooperative Publishers. Colombo, Sri Lanka) ems 1989 rative Publishers, Colombo, Sri I. anka)

Page 6
13. ERHAI'SWEDDING - Jou Shu Li 1990
4. CRESCENTMOON - Lao She l990) (CI 5. MYDUTIES TODAY - Yang Ya Liang Ti (Foreign Langua 6. PLEASURE IN ONES WORK − Yang Y 7. SHIHAN AND THESNAL Chines 18. BAMBOO VALLE Vietnal Madras
9. BODY AND SOUL & BITTER SPRINGS --
20. UKRANIAN / POEMS -
2. POEMS OF IVAN FANKO 1994 − 22. COMPLTESHORT STORES OFLUXUN 1995
IN PREPARATION:
1. ASHOKAMALA AND OTHER POEMS (Kuru
EMPLOYMENT/MEMBERSHIP
Former (J. Editor) :- “Bharathi” — Jou ASS Stant Eclitor :- “Virakesari” — la News Editor :- “Suthanthiran” T Life Member :- Royal Asiatic So South Indian Jou Member :- “Sahithya” Tamil
− Peoples Council Correspondent - United Press of I Special Corresponden :- ** Nava India D. Colummnis - “Virakesari”. “Th
AWARDS
Sahitiya Award --Title of Ilakiya Chemmal (L Best lami translation for Vietnam Short Storie: Best lami translation for Poems of Ukrainian Festival 993.
By the Colombo Faculty of Science. University voicing the aspiration of the upcountry Literary Sahitiya Award-Kalabushan Ministry of Cu
MASTER VALLUVAN, THE LONG-M
The Kurral owes much of its popularity to its exc complete and Striking idea expressed in a refined an its charming effect. ... the brevity rendered necess an oracular effect to the utterances of the great Tam moral epigrams. ... Tiruvalluvar is generally very Rev. G.U. Pope, Former Fellow' of Madras Universi

Chennai Book House, Madras India) lennai Book House. Madras, India)
99() !es Publishing House, Beijing, China) i 1990 (Foreign Languages Press. Beijing, China) Folk Story 1991 (Dolphine Books. Beijing, China) nese Short Stories 1992 (South Asian Books.
India) 1992.
Zhang Xiang Liang (South Asian Books, Madras. Inlia) 1992. Poems of National Poet Taras Shevchenk l99. (New Century Book House, Madras india) (Elavishagan Publishers. Madras. India)
(South Asian Books. Madras. India and National Art and Literary Association, Sri Lanka)
nji Pathippaham. Colombo.Sri lanki)
nal of Progressive Writing 19-16. mil Daily & Weekly 1946 amil Daily Colombo 1950. ciety of Sri Lanka rnalist Federation 1954. Council Cultural Ministry 1975 97
ndia ll 949. ily. Coimbatore India i nakaran", "Elanadu" weeklies
lerary Virtuoso) Ministry of Culture. I99 }
by the Independen, Literary Festival 1992. Poet Taras Shevchenko by the Independent Literary
Students' Union on the Towards Spring Festival" fir
media, 1994 iture 1995
[SUjNDERSTOOD TAML, MEN ́TO)R
BY- WIGNESAN
isite poetic form. A kurial is a couplet containing it intricate meter. No translation can convey an idea of ury by the form composed in the Venpa metre gives il Masler of the Sentences. They are the choices if imple, and his cominentators very profound.”
W.

Page 7
Pardon these futile measly words from your great
Under what leaky hument roof by stamped-mud Trembling clair - oscuro straw-wickkutt On the stark anvil of crisp phrase and sparse synt:
By the raging nama-nir rhyming brine
At May ila While peacocks danced to your innate pulsating c
have you chipped away at uncut gems
Those the Yavanas brought with the mo or such as your sea-daring captain friend Elela-C Even those the Christian missionaries preach
In darede vil enticennent After St.Thomas fell to a vel stuck in his hosom
Or of
Those like you who were stamped under
Caste in c; Priest only to the proclaimed paraiyar drumbe The warp and woof of intricately woven venpa ve Elevating your weaving clan to fres
YET
In the humbled ways of your birth on whose steps have your pitched your ears
whose wisdom have you had to pilfer
filter whose ways have you had to ape whose mere thoughts have you then had to c
and remold into inextinguishable lines
Or had you tread the ahimsa path of gentle-foot J Treading gently the earth for fear of oping boot p
SEVENSTA Seven allilerative blockbuster words they rhy med initially in juxta-positioning lineal pa
pausing but in the fourth
to resume breath in Leaving the interstitial morphemes in resonating The economy of your parsing has wreaked havoc
Tough-mindcd men come from afar
with other gods to serve
and sacrifices to make in the name
and left meaning a hung pursuit in the hand of plagiarists prof.
no knowing nor divining the reason for your cras
concatenation of weight
advanced theories for y()ur elastic preg strung myriads of pages in exegeses

Potiya height: they can hardly belittle your true worth
floors vilakku
X
bur's S. Thome Sandy doors nimes
SOOS Cinkan’s ed
foot
st-iron strictures
'tCS
"Se sh artistic heights
OTTCCί
ennoble
nis ains
\RK WO)
struck si allels
he fifth
ollipses
down the ages in all trans-explicatory tongues
f their Lords bent your versification to limp rhyme
ssors preachers
wh()
Sman's d phonemes and mind
much perhaps to your amusement now)

Page 8
of manner of securing friend of the obtention and dispensation of the seductions in the dainty maider Nor of your infinite wisdom of the times Nor of your observation of the passing of life about y Nor alas of your inveterate nay obsessive need to po
In what
PERHAPS
What mattered was to get the lesson through
even one in ten wa If remembered by the unfortunate by birth Who never traversed the threshold of class and caste who never even buckled exceeding number
To you the ten - by - tens by one - hunc
perhaps you planned a flouilege
In old age by weeding out for posterity's privileged classes
the few quote katka kasatara karka karrapin nitka atatkut taka
vilampu suttapun aratu arate navinal sutta vatu
and you migh the mighty today are like those trodden poor of
at least were shackled to ignorance by force by godly a racially disc
now the privileged in blindness give you lip Service
and a lot of m hoping by this gesture to earn your merit
not earn YOU merit and the society's accol
You remain abused still
by the undistinguishing crowd who upon the mention of your name
risc
than
in their shored up selves
of belon the Self same pigment and tongue
none of your real worth passes into them nor the reason for your epigrammatic lines
Pray should I then beg forgiveness for this affront

- 06 -
ships
of education 's coyness
OUl
tificate s evident to the even half-baked
s well worth the while
S on their toes
red - and - thirty
d over and over
ht never have thought your day
who fear riminating Overlord
oney
ade
to feel proud
of what then
ging in

Page 9
Some apart
much remains redundant
obvious inapt by way of pointing to fresher vi and these that follow the rarity of your vers imbibe noting else from this age's han of instant wis
Your lines served an eminent purpose in your time
now we bed our m we live on another planet Your chain ganged lines served to teach the meek
the lane of mind the dislocated of your time
Yes some still wallow in the same myth
today not from want of will
but from the fear of rebirth
imprisoned in cont
and the rise of Dravidian identity
only deferring to the feignec reverts to the same mythic belief
Some kind of imagined power of breed
History is in the past It cannot help the present to liberate itself If one has not understood the difference If one has not disowned and let fall meaningless myt
If you dear Valluvan lived these times Would you not have disowned you own lines
well perhaps some or more not all finding their way into a florilege of your choic
for you know how love in the third part changed with
changing with the times so has the art of governance and the unconscionable ways and practices of the ai other precautions more pressing than mere friendshi would have compelled you to jettison many a couple
Who knows even your first ten would have found th
into a bin ethical lines of advice
would turn sour in tod
Nor child would heed to the letter your admonitions Nor no wife take place in the humiliating role of kitch No king will hase his reign on your strict plans of co No youth seek virtue in the puritanical preachment (
One Singular contention No peasant revolution No women's liberation No religious reformation

taS
e ly cornucopia dom
inds down by encyclopedic libraries
litioned belief
purity of Aryansing blood.
|hs
| ()S
tha classes
ir way
y's ear
f behaviour
an helper cern for etiquette s bygone observances
- 07 -

Page 10
Ο 3
the establishment the status quo the traditiona
All find mindful foundation
iI and extend license to those who cry sacrilege
in the coming dismantling of the clans of casti
Is poetry only meant for teaching what is time hono
what is authorized what seeks not to rock the ship
Helas My universally renowned peerless ancestor I'd like to th Yourd be the first to have recognized the always ch The first to have accepted the parting of ways For your intelligence your foresight and hindsight Your immensely powerful quill
would have sought other remedies
other mean a wayward world
a world far too gene and w to hatch the nuances of your admonishing wo
all afre
Nempeche your name is a comet hurtling dov' the ages
GOODBYESWEET HEART
Poni. (
Where do you want to take All my sad notes When every eye of heart's fountain Dried up in this waste land When my last word too Defeated to the last straw
Farewell. oh my sweet thought The thought where I gently float Let me remain here itself With my bruised wounds Being all my dreams shattered to ground
Oh my sweet thoughts. Flow not again out of my deep sea As rising waves Throw not my messages in vain Again and again.

- 08 -
race your pages
hierarchy the Almighty
l your ardent didacticism
a power
pred
oftale
hink anging world
s to convince
'orldly wise rd sh
Батехh
I am thrown lying In my silence. are all my dreams buried I am lying thrown in my street Like an empty mutilated tin Exhausted all of its contains
Farewell. oh, my sweet thought The thought where I gently float The death is certain Yes, honey. its for me too Yet I see not yours in any of my Scripts Even I myself request.
Farewell. oh. my sweet thought Oh my sweet heart. farewell to thee Is the love narrowed only to a fire Whenever I like to light Whenever you like to put it out

Page 11
THE LIBRARY
By: George R
The God of the ancient Egyptians - Ra Vanished behind the library Leaving forth his straddling rays The instruments of his pleasure To paint the sky with celestial lights A cyclorama of curlish red. As if to hint with an eternal eye At man's fury against his own.
An empty shell she stands before me A lost grail to knowledge and learning A cradle built for the civilized man
To revel in joy and wonder. Built to behold the wisdom of man, A witness to his ingenuity, All she saw was the human beast
Who raped her in his jealousy Burnt bombed, pillaged and abandoned Condemned to remain alone - with
Naught to shield her naked wounds
Nor heal her shattered Soul.
As I keep watching
think to myself How many battles has this structure seen How many men have died at its feet And there lain till they rejoined our mother For once it stood on a raging battle Where man killed man, or what? ... who knows
And yet it beckons me to see
The destruction of its majesty.
The domes are crushed and walls mosaic
With molten balls of metal.
The Stately statue of Goddess Sarasvathi Nothing more than a piteous wreak. Dark and black She reminds one still
Of that horrific night. When a nation los a treasure untold
To appease an insane whim.

UV -
ajeevan Francis
Yet even through her ruinous state Her forgotten beauty lingers - for An idle mind has power enough To deem her in her glory. Brilliantly white, noble and tall Reminiscent of Taj Mahal's beauty With gardens enclosing and birds chirping People in harmony came To learn great things and dream new dreams Beneath her tender lights.
Now she is Silent
And as the panoramic scene - begins to yield To the all devouring curtain of night She seems to whisper in words ethereal A message for all to hear, Man - it was you who created me A repository for your wisdom Yet ignorance proved more powerful still For its fire consumed your learning. And know you my proud and nighty gods The day may soon appear - when This my sad and lonely world Truly becomes your own
Desolate, Dark and Deary.

Page 12
THE JOURNEY
Thirukko vil Kaviyugan
Still visible that landscape With its birds, leaves and flowers In my memory.
The picture of flamingoes, standing With their long-legs pillared On the grassy meadow just in far off Distance, That I had enjoyed in a moving bus Still visible in my mind.
Along the way, the time shed its leaves My least happiness and my childhood That melted and gone away it tears, Would too collide a bit with this large tract of land. I'm afraid.
Having jumped out of the running bus, Not caring for ups and down I fell and my body full of sand: All my journey to ride, Had, alas. ended in a full Stop.
Taking a seat nowadays in a moving bus and sitting as if a trunk of body motionless A moving as if not knowing the movement
Or else, at times when I looked up the surface of the water Boiling with golden dots
In the hot sun. A poem incomplete, often visits me and vanishes, pricking my heart. What else
All had gone Yes, all my journey S. going with my father Who held the steering wheel. Wheezing and wheezing in agony | pretended that I myself Driving the bus. touching my father's shoulder Yet all had gone.
What else'
I attempl to ose myseli Holding the widow pane of the bus and showing to my daughter and as well to my son after a couple of two years The picture of flamingoes and trees
and telling,
See how beautiful. they are moving
Yet, the landscape still visible in my mind and my father holding the Steering wheel with the agony of whee/ing ...

- 10
oh. Almighty
this is my humble prayer Let at least a flamingo or a Swan (or Even a buffalo make their appearance without fail. whenever I travel along this grassy meadow.
Translated by: Pon. Ganesh.
INFINITE JUSTICE
BY: S. Jeyasankar
In every sky there's full moon reign To hide in fear there's no country foreign
The millennium and the new year Ushered in, rejoiced and did not yet wear The prophecy of Nostradamus did ghost - like appear The major powers attempts to make it truer.
For the people, in the name of people Under the names of States and institutions Attempts of power of freakish men-. Of swollen nerves and numbed muscles.
What name hear will the wisdom and prowe SS' That fail to make untrue the prophecy That revives shape and grimly shines By sending chill through people's spines
Will the wisdom of thousand years Perish in the face of this utter nonSense If it does perish are we all Still People primitive and inhumane.
Let Swollen nerves their swelling dispei Numbed muscles their numbness iispel The angry passion its arrogance dispel.
In the heart, let kindness blossom In the head, let wisdom glow And with the lives on the earth let human live
- O()
Translated into English by T. Kirupakaran

Page 13
NAVEENA ]
THE ASE
Original script: Re-created and Directe Translated into Engl
DIRECTOR'S NOTE
We are people who were forced to live amidst hom 20th century.
We would like () speak about the nuclear bomb wh a disaster or write out the end of this world by the
Man's power hunger is now stealing away his rig construe that the world has been created for mank) beings.
Having stuffed the lap of the earth with nuclearbor the super power pretend to be the protectors of pi
In the latter part of the շ()th century, coming up to ti State in the Subcontinents too.
The awareness about the efforts made to annihilat
The drama Naveena Pasmasuran does that artist
Naveena Pasmasuran" tries to speak to the audie manner so as to communicate with all people in w
NAVEENA
THE AS
Long live Oh! The lamp of light Of the gate way of faith Oh The lamp of light Of the in most shrine Oh! The source of beauty That glows everywhere, Oh Thc goal of life That pleasure Seek S. Oh! The source of you... the source of me! The Source of Sweetness long live thee!
INTRODUCTION: Let the fire flare up We pour out meat into it. Let the lire lare up We give offering to it.

- II -
ASMASURAN DR EN TOUCH
M. Nilanthan. (1993)
by S. Jeyasankar (2000) sh: By T. Kirupakaran.
ing and with bombs during the latter two decades of the
Ich at any time anywhere in a split moment can come as gigantic mushrooming of its deadly Smokes.
ht of determining the fate of the world. It is absurd to ind only. Conversely it is a beautiful home for all living
hbs fit to burn this beautiful earth several times to ashes. }ople.
he threshold of Eelam the nuclear bombs wait in a reacly
e the entire earth becomes the beginning to face them.
Lically.
ce through the traditional creative features in a flexible nichever space of performance available.
PASMASURAN OR HEN TOUCH

Page 14
The fire of virtue, wisdom and life Fire of penance and Sacrifice Fire of wrath, hostility and Treachery We worship all the above We protect and govern them Oh fire you are our hosom friend
We praise you Like you, let our lives give out heat and light Of hundred years.
Oh fire
Like you. let our Souls give out luster
Oh fire
Like you, let our wisdom radiate. Oh Sun god Oh fire we praise you Oh' Sun god! We glorify you. Good is your light. Good is your work and good are yo (The chanting of hot ho rises high up in the air. At t penanceful deep concentration).
(Humanitarians):-
Ho! ho .... Oh! the peacefulness of the mountains, the loneliness (Group of Scientists)
Ho Alfa....
i Ho: Beta....
Ho! Gama....
Ho! Nicu tron ...
Ho!...
(Humanitarians):-
HO Oh' the wind, the sound .... Ho! (ocean of antiquity .... Oh' Fire. the symbol of justice
(Scientists) :-
Ho! .... Uranium ....
Ho!.... Plutonium....
Ho!.... Deuterium ....
Ho.... ho! ... ho! .... (All of a suddlen characters run about in excitement. Si other directions)
(Humanitarians):-
1. Pasmasuran is doing penance 2. Pasmasuran is doing Severe penance 3. He is lying on hedges. 4. He is standing on ene foot with the aims stretchel 5. He is staring at the Sun with his naked eyes. 6. By the power of his penance the world of indra ha 7. Devas in fear have hidden in dark dungeons. 8. He has chained the wind. 9. The guards of the eight directions have surrender
(). The queen of the oceans was incarcerated. ll. The stars have lost their sight by the power of his 12. The sons of the Innountains have lost themselves ti

Ul. he center stage Stand pasmasuran on one fool in
of the rivers
ome run towards the audience and others towards
i ott.
s lost its pomp.
d to him.
penance.
him.

Page 15
Danger.... danger.... Oh people of the earth.... Danger.... (ho.... ho .... ho ....) from Albert Einstein to president Roosevelt.
Sir. According to Some recent work the element uranium co of energy. I can also predict that it is probable in the imi of power and large quantities of radium like elements. a bomb is dropped on a port it might very well destroy ing territory.
Danger ... oh people of the earth.... danger.
(Ho.... ho.... ho ....)
(one character imitates the announcement at a rocket Ready ... Steady ... Ten, nine, eight. Seven, six, five, three, two, one, Zero.
(noise like a bomb blast as if a rocket is launched is he God Shiva appears).
(Seientists) :- Eureka. Eureka.... Eureka....
God shiva :-
I'm St pleased with your power of penance.
God shiva :-
What boon do you want What hoon do you want Tell melt shall be given Tell me I shall be given.
(pasmasuran) :- Canne you for me my lord To give me a hoon? Came you for me my lord Pleased by my penance. To give me a boon. Came you for me my lord
Bless me with a boon my lord – oh lord Bless me with one inny lord To Swoop the World and keep in my hand Bless me with a boon my lord Bless me with one my lord.
God S:- What hoon do you want Ask, it shall be given
(Song :- scientists) :-
should walk on the moon my lord - I should Walk on the moon my lord Stamping my footprints on the face of the moon my lot Should walk on the moon my lord should

- 13 -
uld be turned into a new and very important Soul ve mediate future. By this we can produce vast amount would also like to bring to your attention that if Such the whole port together with some of the Surround
)a Se).
ard.

Page 16
Walk on the noon my lord We want aeroplanes which can fly
Faster than the wind -2 Give me planets
With eyes to
Spy the earth From the Space above By hovering in the sky. Give me missiles which can fly from Continent to continent Carrying atomic bombs On their noses end.
God S:- Confuse not me by asking for too many a boon. Ask for one and only one. The one that amounts to be the mother of all
Pasma:- All that I touch should become ashes my lord. I want that ashen touch my lord.
Song :-
Here comes the king Pasmasuran Here comes the one blessed with the boon. Pas masuran is our great king He did great penance and got many boons In arrogance he changed thc boon to curse And did perish in the end.
Scientist the greatest Scholar Through penance got the boon of nuclear power The nuclear power of science is creative But in the war it's immensely destructive.
Here comes the king Pasmasuran Here comes the one blessed with the boon.
Pasmasuran is our great king He did great penance and got many hoons In arrogance he changed the boons into curse And did perish in the end.
With one big bang Came the holocaust Babes and birds Wailed and wept.
Pasma:- Got the boon to rave the world I'm the king ofkings un rivalled is there anyone to challenge me? ( )(), (), () .... The VC ....) In thc leader blessed ever to be. (yes, yes, yes, ... for ever)

- I -

Page 17
Pas :- come! all of you to my side! All :- coming my lord coming my lord surren Pas :- Hereafter there will be no darkness in the All :- why? My lord? Pas :- Here, get this, electricity! All :- Ah! electricity electricity electricity' no Pas :- Whose footprint is that which is on the All :- (whisper) whose? Whose?
One of then All
Pas
ΑII
Pass. Scientists 1 Sc. 2 Person 1 Person 2 Sc.3 Se. 4 Person. 3 Person 4 Person 5 Person 6 Person 7 Pass
mm. yours? My lord.
yes my lord, it's yours my lord Ha! The hero of heroes I am ! The almighty king The all powerful scientist I am (chant): NA.....S.A...... SA...... Essence of nasty war... war... wal I am the one who got the boor I know all the secrets of the nu I know how to create a world v Only buildings will remain. Trees, bushes, creeperS. grass, Within a moment . . . . . . within a One and only one bomb woulc Our Sun will be dead. Darkness of death will shroud All our stars will fall down bur| All our river will be poisoned. Our seas will freeze to immobil Smoke will rise up like a giant r Under which will exist my rule.
(song) The hero of heroes I am
The almighty king The all powerful scientist I am
Pass
All
Pasma
Pas
Pasma
All
Go! Proclaim it to the whole wo
Done my lord (characters run; proclaimed my lord?
Mightiest the most fortunate Mightiest the most fortunate The fittest Survive The non - fits perish Miglitiest the most fortunate (other characters begin chantil Mightiest the most fortunate Mightiest the most fortunate He who owns the nuclear pow. Rules the world for ever. E equals mc2..... E equals mc2.
The hero of heroes I am The almighty King The all powerful Scientist you
Hey go and tell this to the mo No one shall hide the Sun with Let it be so my Lord

- 15 -
lered my lord surrendered world.
more darkness no more darkness urface of the moon?
SA.
... W..
of Ashen touch'
2lear power.
without human beings.
animals human beings everything will perish. moment. -
do.
and devour us all.
nt
ty. nushroom
brid
aimlessly to various directions and return) what is to be
ng the lines)
are? (all)
on. Out asking me.

Page 18
Pass
All
Pasma One man Pasma Another man Pasma Another man Pasma
Song
Pasma
Hum 2
Hum 1
Hum3
Hum 1
Pass (Song)
Pass
Pasma
Gods
PS
God S
:
No more Solar eclipse till I order Let it be So my Lord who is there? Summon river, Ga Suppose she denies - Send the missiles. My lord Ganga is worn on the t If so, Summon God Shiva. Lord is he not the one who bles That's past. Now I have the chal
In my hand is the magic wand Wonders many l will do None can hold me in the world (Ho. Ho.... chanting rises up) I am the king of wars And the king of wars I am.
I am death personified I'm determined to annihilate the w
The utmost reliance on nuclear w and technico-economic power.
When the power-hungry politici flask of Government, like a giant deposit the ashes.
Hereafter stop glossing the craze of honoring women.
No matter what we gain, the proti tion of the nuclear weapons whic
In my hand is the magic wand Wonders many I will do None can hold me in the world (Ho. Ho.... chantingrsesup) I am the king of wars And the king of Wars I am. He who owns the nuclear power Rules the whole world for ever. E equals me.... E equals mc E equals mc...... E equals mc.
Mightiest the most fortunate Mightiest the most fortunate He who owns the atomic power Rules the whole world for ever.
There is atomic bomb in my poss Summon God Shiva. I'm here Pasmasura. I am present
Come near me. Let me test the bC
Wat Pasmasura..... wait Don’t m
Don't be in a hurry Don't become arrogan.

- 16
nga to the Earth.
op knoťof the head of Lord Shiva.
sed you with the boon? m of the atomic bomb.
Orld (E=MC2, E=MC2)
'eapons, sprouts from the disbelief in culture, politic
ans and the intellectuals are mixed together in the mushroom Smoke will rise up and beneath which will
for power in the name of protection and in the name
ection of this earth depends on the complete eradica h can cause irreparable destruction to the earth.
ession.
averywhere at any time.
in first on you.
ake the boon a curse.

Page 19
Pasma :- Nay, I take it to my advantage. E equals mc2.... E equals mc2. (Pasmasuran leaps at God Shiva, go of the lines is heard in the backgro
All
Hiroshiuna Nagasaki Nagasaki Hiroshima Acid Rain Acid Rain Acid Rain Acid Rain Hiroshima Nagasaki Nagasaki Hiroshima Nuclear leak of Chernobyl Atomic disaster in North Carolina Even in the Space the menace sprea Subcontinents too face the threats. All over the space the missiles hov impact of radioactivity the world ov Hiroshima Nagasaki. Nagasaki Hiroshima. Hir(Yshinna.... Nagasaki..... Huru)shanma.... Nagasaki..... Black Rain... Black Rain. Black Rain... Black Rain.
God S
Kali Yugam. Kali Yugam. The time when boons become curse The time when boons become curse World full of vices
All :- Hiroshima Nagasaki. Nagasaki Hiroshima. Acid rain acid rain Acid rain acid rain.
(an abrupt silence. The noise of a bomber is heard, the chi back-center of the stage.)
Humanitarian:-
(reads a letter) On the 6th of July 1945 atomic age New Mexico.
Got the boon to raze the world I’m the King of Kings un rivalled Is there anyone to challenge me'? (n(), n (), n)..... Ine Ver...) I'm the leader blessed ever to be. (yeS. yes, yes....)
Humanitarians :-
Within only three weeks of the lst nuclear disaster
Gol the boon to raze the world I am the king of kings un rivalled
(Imitates the telephone conversition)

- 17
di Shiva runs away. The chase continues Chanting Ind.)
aracters of God Shiva and Pas masuran retire at the
began in the peaceful; desert of Alomogardo in
an atom bomb was dropped on Hiroshima.

Page 20
Tibbets :-
Commander-in-chief of Enola Gay B-29, Col "Little Boy' was released from the bomber. (In the background unfolds the scenes of the
Lewis-the Co-pilot: Look there Look there I can taste the nuclear fission It tastes like lead
Tibbets :- Oh! God!oh God! what have we do
Humanitarians :-
One man On 6th August 1945 Hiroshim: Anotherman : After three days on 9th of Aug
(Imitates a telephone conversa
Hullo Lesly Grove speaking Hullo Oppenheimer here. Doctor I am very proud of you and allo Well, technically sweet production is ou It went alright? Apparently. The explosion went with a t Right, are they all reasonably satisfied? Mm. highly satisfied.
With one big bang Came the holocaust Babes and birds Wailed and wept
Press reporter :- Your Excellency Presiden
Truman
Pass
had successfully accompl
:- Yes, I slept soundly than e are the most powerful in ti
:- The hero of heroes I am The almighty King. The all powerful scientist (The remarks of an on-looker of his (
Reporter :- His name is Mexico Jama
explosion of Hiroshima. Where were you at the tin
Mexico Jamaica :- I was standing only half a
R
M
:- What happened to you?
:- I saw another Sun in the sky. It was:
unconsciously and almost instantly by the bomb and was dying.
(Theme song) With One big bang
Came the holocaust Babes and birds Wailed and wept

- 18
nel Tibbets speaking.
bomb blast)
ne
died. ust 1945 Nagasaki too died. tion)
fyour people.
S.
'emendous bang.
t Harry Truman did you sleep well last night after you ished the nuclear explosion?
ver before because our effort was successful. Now we he world.
you are? (all) :xperience during the atomic bomb blast at Hiroshima)
ka. a living evidence of the holocaust by the atomic
e of the explosion?
سمیہ
mile away from the place of the explosion.
very strong light, a flash. I put my arms over my face felt my face was inflating. I thought I was directly hit

Page 21
:- Wh:II h;iripicnicíd titlics thall?
Which i was recs:Lixed II rhy h; it w:als; it'll. Ndih Lugh niny mither dieln” say Linythii hcen hurrit and hangi ışarı bu ıldırıy:TTr It wis i hLld.
(Thuппur sung)
With (OnL: hg hang Carne che hl, caus Babes añd birds Walla :Lind w:pt: Paና :- III:I lover I pe:Le. I ATI de:Icly I have atomil weapons asembler
:- Al:Lis (All llall dy hwn yn Lhe grou I'd Kili Yugini. Kali Yugi Th. "I'ınlı: Llışıl hçi, bık bitÇkırılt: CLI'Sé,
One person - Your h in Fur Dr. Einstein, can y L
wiür hor:;ık & ç yyıt"
Einstein ;- “Ti si rry. I : n't say : nything! :i
hi || 1 hu | rtl 'Y'. Till yw:Lr.
Опе пап :-
MM ... Y, LI Lrc Lunıbıl: , : sy T1 y hing ahli I third culd I. besssible I say ahut the flurth wirk eT , , which is cycnı III, bre: cc Implicatel i haLIn the si T
Eiristien :-
Y'il bl I liilln' 1 - Inlcrs LI mi... | : :arti x, y, zalħi, LI L Iħx fi i I r I li |lial liւ:Tլ: w | || 1յլ՝ Il 1 \\ 1, 18 ՀLIւ:h, էլ լr:1ւthւ 1էլL lii 4ınly li Lui qızılı li yec x hLII ill& + Lhic-Le:rışdı:54 |lıw'g'i's will will picrisly
HII munitarians :-
Ils you wh ! Irini lui. L’oc the (lux|TLIUtive power ( ) |1", у ш whis Lexplained u su Irs destruct HII | Las yw i wlh' i 'Lear" ıhL: 'eil gr:L-L|| Luli 1:1, 'c' i folk Lili
N:rrato" :- TI N: '', .
We: 'ci' ri i mji we till:Lille.
Tliւ iլւ:T | 11| lւլ:1 | ::: ! iլIII II. iliil King | li' :ill po 1 +'w'coor | Lu| × , ico|1 1 | x | | „Liro, || III y II; I 181 i x. Il. 111.g. . . . .
W III|::: :i', ' '','|| || !l ! Ni, ir: :: FT li li, li fl -" i I1 I li 'A', I'll
NI"E"altr :
LL LLLS0 aSLLA LLLSHKKaaS S S S S S S SSSS aa aaS
aLaLaLtC ESSS LLL aamaaLS SLaEE S a E 0GLLL SLLL S S L SLLS SSutHtHlaLLL K LSS LLLSaHEH LLLSHSSSSS S S S
 
 

- 9
ind burned. My face - was in flater like a hillii I. ng knew it very well. I wondered why III, shii | till is. I si Han reculized that they are the pl:'L's 5 || || Illy, s.k. 11.
against Lerrorisim. For hout Liels ilfiil white' pig ' il!" Ins il pc:Acc.
. Again Pasmasuran starts to chase alter God Shi .
possibly furcicli what will happen if the third world
LaL aS LLLLL LSLLL LLLHHEL LL LSLLL 0ELL EE0LLLLS
worll w:Lr hec::LIxt: ils luch : Jimple:Lled. BUL. 1',
W:LI,..., E11&r"
wirls war ll: iiiicly and delihs' illes. Thil is . . . . LL LLLL LELG LLLLLL LSaLLELL L LEa aL LLLLL aa S a he desiri yid. Everything th; th|''Illus (I thi' ('till
| Lill,
li: -!::All':'d w4, 4 %ılı !!! II
LL LLLL a S aaa aaLLLLLLLS L SSS S SSSS L LSSS SS a S SSSS ! . , լր|1ւ Հ| r1չ: 1:: "", itl11. : 1. " : 11 11:Ի
! 12’’ | | | 1 11 : ... ', " : : ::: : !

Page 22
Tiu terci: 1 m ( en Lurmenis in mer1n6 JTy Ti riais: Titesis,
Or 11 wake uI 11L 1wlrenloss.
L:La new w.brld fili: Jm up it [Luci unit her w Irld HLUTgc m. . . . .
"The XIII'yi will hi hic Fitrih is
At the TheTcy of a few hull cons. The lutc . Lluis Wild is In hi hı:Lingls Lil i fyw frem Fried Theri.
I Lc tlhlc irrat llric LL । W: Invik: he new lence in . . . . . . Wt. Im vikt frglII1 in il it is . . . . Ft T hic Earth And Sky L »
Fli Nurish ;ing pri Isher! " * .
i -: ולגולא5)
Milicht WI will W. |- Milrich Irwird v. || wL
(iiic I i I u Irid , I m Ii:lil: I r : LirI i 1 x Myllrul di ryw:Td yAll W: Dev ç d 3 TIę wici' hu'ge' M:r:li di rward Will W:
Film r :Llll lives ii i li v: i I1 pic: Lac' Marclılk ırward Will W." lil' hi wħ lil: world , b Il XL Irish
M:irol rwird will wL.
| 1:1 || Luch i 1 || ||:::"Ini Eng Lif Sinful pupHise his 11 dc thi. Nuclear Wciplin 11 ruintus nalure hils klist med the W. [ÖLev" | 4 | kl wledgc wc lrc llamimills in thc: w Irld Thisc aniııııls all laugh i Ls wilę i is L he: blir i hed |}İıgil'ılırıyı:ılı ılık:rı ilçİslı dıIlgır'ı kilgille Scc thic En:ldness , Llls wrl 11y lear dill:lle
E.
Ne:-
( ' , : - The stiprrrr" (irred raif I liirtirar Trier, Prrvrrévísi rri S SLLGE ELLSLLLLL a SSLL gSS LS LGLS 'r' y 'r's - E'''rfr'r' ''sexfff' hérfrgs rif gers,
y feirir yr :- || Kir? g { f }' "&

: 'til III :: I F1 :: II
''
-
॥
॥ . . . . .
| |
:
... I :
. . . .
|
: |1Tuin cynllscd "Till i 1 iis; nl
॥1॥1॥
| || ||
(Wነ'Yዛ ሰMሶ'†††¢ ̇ ና. - III. It HHHL LSESLLLLL LLLLLGGLESELL LEtLE LELLES S S S
hr.
it
II.
| |

Page 23
Aunty, the mooning moon
M.I.
It is the day prior to the full moon, with the moon t moon shines, learring along the line of tropic of c about to be appeared. It is long time before the bri deprived of stars that make conjuring magic lights other. The sky seems to be meant only for the moc
Aunty was caught in - between the moon and the
next after the winter, after experiencing hearty pers dot-like leaves upon which the shining dew-drc from above, like numerous small creatures without is fully covered with shades of the branches and
roused with a feeling that worm-like tender drum limbs, touching every inch of the ground, face loc Chandamama is swimming brightly locating himsel aesptically, recalling the days gone by, being stirrel with the thought for a moment that the whole unive She lies with her head on the ground, looking upw
'Chandamama, Chandamama... where are you goil
"Going to collect sand"
"Sand... what for
"to build houses'
"Houses... what for...?"
"Houses... for giving births to children'
"Children... what for ...?"
"To play jumping into pot of oil”
The days of childhood, singing and looking at the f are simply ignored of what they were doing at an ag was meaningful. Aunty has become joyful of her cl
The little rabbit in the palm of chandamama that see raising its head, looking northward. Having joyfull herself as if flying beyond and beyond, taking the looking up above. Her mind was like a pot, brimful
Aunty had given birth to a child of chandanama at morsel of food at mother's hand, aunty reminded o for the night made of then moon light. Grandmah always keeping a faded piece of mirror on her betel stains. Aunty has had meals looking at this palm-si is holding the baby. Hare having collected sand an baby just above aunty and just above her face.
There were several others at home to take aunty in milk, full to the brim and feeling in a torment of pai of such pain heartily. The relief of pain reflects on

M. Rauff
hat has not grown into its full stature for the night. The incer. No stars seen too, caring for. The star on pole is ghtening star disappeared on the phases and the sky is of green, blue, grey and yellow in colours, one after the in that comes floating slowly.
spreader branches of drum - stick tree. It is the season piration of the dog-days. The drum - stick tree with its ps landed from the moon light. Drum - sticks hanging egs, are dancing with the summer's wind. Aunty's body leave shot down from the tree. Her body has become - sticks crawling all over her body. She lay with all her ked upward with eyes, Chandamama is on his wings. fin to the darkness of the eyes. Aunty is full of pleasure d up with the crawling worms. She saddened emerging rse is diffused with the sweet thoughts brimful of heart. ard steadfastly..
ng.?”
ull moon, flashed back into Aunty's mind. Things that ge, have crowded her mind inspired her that everything hildhood memories.
ms to be made of white wool, is now ready to jump out,
y thought of taking the rabbit into her hands, aunty felt rabbit and embracing it, she on her upward position. of water, descending down. She stood spell-bound.
a younger age. Having adamant of eating the prepared f her mother's nipple of the breast, is startedlamenting ad caught the moon and given to aunty. Grandma was place in order to look her face at it and remove the betel 'ed piece of mirror. Aunty knows now that chandamama built a house chandamama is now holding the hare -
hands and play. When the mammary glands ripen with l, mother took aunty, hugged and breast-fed relieving her mother's face as that of this luminous moon.

Page 24
Aunty used to call Wappa, wappa with her lisping 1 bicycle with an affectionate Smile, grandma, having aunty with her small motor which grandma used for provided with a piece areacanut for her to put into the of the hare-baby Chandamama is holding. Aunty or face and hands into the whiten beard of grandpa. The is still afresh in aunty's mind.
Chandamama himself has a hare-baby to enjoy touch Seinumbu and Sinnavan have three cubs of cats, righ three cubs with grey curly hair and penetrating sharp vicinity. They visit aunty's drum-stick tree daily in S.
Aunty had been a baby for all at home. Now Chand have three children. Aunty wanted to cry aloud wher over the sky, like the flower of luminous light blushe with the summer's wind that stopped blowing, the mo ing pervade wet on land and aunty is in her upward po look. Aunty's fingers on her fore-head feel chill of t damp chilly. All of a sudden, aunty stirred up to herse pale and it was slowly milk whitened.
Heard the chirping sound of the field bird's right ove towards east, in a distance offew away from chandar shrilling and vanished. The rapid movements of their the clouds that came around and aunty becomes lon
A great stillness is moistening everything, pervad without anything, neither of chandamama, nor of bab a sort of novelty which frozens both body and mind. inner breath. An Identical sign of longing sexual des from all over her limbs, she herself became the little c for all her 40 years of life, she feels for such alonging prior to the state of screaming. Iit was doubtful for ht it heard close by.
Suddenly the gently light begins to appear on the car are moving swiftly from place to the other. In the ov awaits any time to show the tongue of wildfire. They of Smoke. The light's brim slowly expands, pervading laughs when the dark clouds move away all of a sud
Several feet away from aunty at the drum - stick tree, its wing is ready to charge the opposite. The cat has looks at the girl - cat stretching his tongue and lick second, he bouched upon the girl - cat and held he cautiously not intending to inflict even a scratch but gling to refuse to submit, the she -cat is withdrawing tive. She made a low manful sound. The male-cat, ra sand and it is heard clearly to aunty.
Again something like the crying Sound was heard submitting herself with no attempt to withdraw. The cat. Then a sudden bounch and touch of teeth on th
A delightness, longing for the pain of teeth. An e surrendered herself to the male partner. Then a plain desire felt as if she herself conceives and losing her

- 23
ips and her father immediately took aunty on to his witnessed that aunty was mischievous, had thrusted pounding betel and areacanuts. Aunty had also been motor and play. Grandpa's bleached beard is like that ce enjoyed a shy of pleasure when she thrusted her smell of the areacanut’s neem in the beard of grandpa
ning gently like that of the grandpa's bleached beard. htly duplicating the very appearance of Sinnvan. The eyes roaming about the street and dusting the whole earch of squirrels, dragan - flies and butterflies.
amama has a baby-hare and Seinambu and Sinnavan she thinks of it. The moon has become dominant all 'd with loveliness. The earth is left behind peacefully pisture - laden weather, the gently dewy drops shiverpsition lying with her wit’s end to recover from stilled he dew drops that fell upon her eye brows. The air is :nse herself. The reddish milky way suddenly became
r the horizon in the 4t. Aunty gave her ears eagerly nama, the fieldbirds in a semi-circle rounded up him, wings in an orderly manner The moon gleamed within ely again in the darkness.
ling the universe A state of quietness in the night by-hare. The loneliness that creeps into the feeling of Heard a child's heart's cry in a fainted tone of aunty's ire for all living beings which she feels as if raising it hild crying and as the one akin to the voice. It is today. desire. The regulated tone, out of a moaning pain just arjudge whether it comes from a far off distance or is
pet of the sky. Enjoyed looking at the clouds which's 'er-flowing of light, there are volumes of smoke that fellowish deposits gather from the bottom of volumes gall over the scene. Chandamama claps his hands and den. The baby - hare looked at aunty and smiled
cats lie in wait for making sex. The lustful male-cat on various streaks in scarlet and white color. Often he ing his lips in a torment of desire. In a fraction of a r neck with his mouth tightly. Strong touch of teeth forceful grasp. After several attempts in vain strugg her hind legs, lay flattened finding no other alternal sing his tail relieved of its grasp, urinated in the dried
deep into aunty's heart. The she - cat surrendered. male - oat started licking the private part of the she - e neck. A pinpoint grasp.
cstasy, on acceptance of pain. The girl - cat totally tative moan ful sound. Aunty in a torment of lustful virginity, She arched and heaved and lay still.

Page 25
Aunty's mind flashed back. The black one had be bundle, which were kept safe, fearing the forth-co with eyes not completely opened to see the world, w over the body of the mother-cat, in search of the nip to the sight. Aunty, out of the hateful feeling, chasec was trying to change its place, taking the kids in he some of the kittens, when the mother-cat was away
One day evening, aunty was sleeping in the hall afte looked at the little kittens with beautiful and lovel carefree, over the tobacco sacks, The little one wit would not hesitate to take them in their arms, hug kittens which were left behind escaping several trap: kids which irritated aunty for its hateful sight with t emerged out of ugliness.
The kittens had then started sleeping next to aunty C season that had been ceased. kittens always got a Aunty enjoyed looking at kittens, giving morse offo own they roamed about and it was a wonderful sigh their company.
When Sinnavan had asked for the kitten, the one wit say no. She, thereafter often inquired the children of her for catching Squirrel in the yard.
The she -cat with its yellowish skin, was lying in fro in a scarlet color with an ear halfly torn. The light do sticks started to fade away, a state of having been all bounching with his legs. The sound heard, casting
A crying started to perceive, out of aunty's mind. Sh her and as if she herself crying. The wonderfulness The luster, emerging out of some unwillingness. A became very clear to aunty. The drum - Stick tree Tender shootings of drum - stick, one, ten, hundred small crawling creatures above aunty's head. She lot all over her body.
Small worms started to appear something like eggs fo and begun hating. The norms started to grow long bottom branch of drum-stick tree. Aunty avoided cc children used to pick up caterpillars that were han; having very fond of these children had prevented ti Sinnavan to burn those caterpillars with cadjans w children. Aunty felt vomiting when she smelt-the b
At an upward glance, the drum-stick tree meant a lot bold she was. she was all alone lay under the drum
One day Sinnavan came entering the compound inst some drum-sticks to prepare curry with a favorable c seeing his children, aunty had asked him to pick som of beedi, Sinnavan had raised the hook and shook th she started, taking the drum-Sticks in hand than she sc rapidly. He immediately ran to the well and collecte her knees, Some inches away from the knee-cap, h stood erected, He had squeezed the banana leaves i

- 24
n lying with her six kittens near the sack of tobacco ning heavy rainy season. The kittens at the tender age 're making every effort groping down and crawling all le of the breast and aunty took it for a sort of offensive the mother - cat with the broom - stick, when the cat mouth in fear of male - cat, The male - cat had killed and aunty was purposely inactive.
r a shower of rain. To her utter astonishment, she had y patches on their their bodies, playing and jumping n its soft fur of skin. Anyone who noticed these kids and kiss them. Such lovely kittens. These were the of death. Aunty wondered. Alas, were these the very heir dreadful odour? Yes of course the loveliness that
uring chilly days of winter that started after the rainy round aunty even after they stopped breast feeding. od to them on a plate. Wagging their little tails on their ht to feast eyes. Aunty enjoyed the consoling spell of
n the soft black skin to keep it as a pet, aunty could not Sinnavan about the black kitten. Children who visited
int of the male - cat in a distance at hand. The male-cat Domed with smoky dim. The Woven shades of drum - lost in diminishing light. The male - cat buried sand, out sand particles.
he cried, she felt herself as if the crying sound akin to everlasting, consequent to the experience of hatred. meta - humaness made up of filthiness. Everything stood ahead, shooting woven shades in a phillotaxy. alas several hundreds in numbers were dancing like ged for millions and millions of these works to creep
und in pollen. Thanking of worms, aunty gotirritated er, eating blades of leaves and got collected on the ming to the vicinity in fear of catepillers. Sinnavans ing from above, with sharpened thin sticks. Aunty, lem from doing so, with threatening, She had asked hen he had visited her in search of his cat-cubs, his ud odour.
of things to aunty, she once amazed how courage and tick tree at the dead of night.
arch of his children. Aunty had a hook, ready to pick ried fish. When Sinnavan wanted to return home, not 2 drum-sticks offering the hook. Inhaling the last butt 2 tree with it. Drum-sticks had fallen. No sooner had teamed in fear looking at caterpillars. Sinnavan acted tender banana leaves. He made her to sit. Stretching had noticed something like a fine filament densely to his palm and stroked her knee several times.

Page 26
Aunty's left leg. Lively and unskinny, untouched seemed to be engraved into the shining fleshy par the color of orange, more beautifying. A reddish sv part above aunty's knee. He stroked on it applying of heart had it been. She relaxed, she enjoyed sen apart the smell of beedi, burnt in the air. Aunty h sensation of the touch emerged out of extreme ur over her body.
She was at her wit’s end when she had recovered fr Aunty felt a shy of pleasure crowding her mind v great relief had surged through her.
She felt like a queen that all limbs of her body touch of her womenhood and attracting Sinnavan of hist chest bones.
She inclined to sense that the life itself is like a pl moon into her eye-lids. Within a second, she fell in lie beyond millions and millions of age of the u disregarding the pain, her body experienced by the
The time was sliding down. The hare-child which ( The hare - kid was seen like a hill at horizon. The un his face. Like an appearance of a charming face wit
Seven nymphs at the eastern horizon, started to winl time since the scattered woven shades of leaves, w started to bloom at the disappearing moon. In a f shining, following which, the sound of ATHAN wo
Aunty did not like to remain lying at the tree any m sheet and tightly covered herself. Hearing the stir morning laziness. Aunty at once, wanted to see Sin
got an urge as if flying with fluttering butterflies hi
Translated by: Pon Ganesh
MO
It was raining outside.
What is the connection between rain and sad mem know ... but the minds sadness easily blends with
"Only sad memories remain after coming here.”
Even that TV program had brought to the surface h
"Surprise, surprise" was a programme which brou hadn't met for scveral years. Since today was pare brought parents and their children together in face
How many tears were shed What turbulent emoti
Now even the ohjects in his room seemed to melt in

- 25
by any ray of light. On stretching the leg, the knee-cap of her leg. Beautiful soft skin with brightening dots in elling in a size of one rupee coin was seen on the fleshy vith his saliva smelt with beedi smoke. Oh, what a relief ing pleasant smell of temple flowers bloomed, setting d become a serpant on the temple tree. Aunty had the ge instigated by thousands of caterpillars crawling all
pmhersenses. Sinnavangave some drum-sticks to her. rith thoughts that were understandable only by her. A
ed not even by the king, stirred up. She stood exposing hin moustache on lips and of his projecting handsome
asant dream at dawn. She winked taking tile floating to the consciousness sensing clearly the essence of life niverse. She got fascinated with contentment totally extreme fondling caress.
handamama wanted to jump with, was not to be seen. cle-moon who deliver light of water freely, has a scar on h scars attacked by small fox.
k their eyes when the moon lowered. It is so after a long hich had covered aunty's body, were displacing, stars ew minutes of time, the morning star would peep up puld she listen.
ore. With the mind loaded heavily, she had pulled the rings of aunty, the she-cat got up and relieved of her navan's children and inquire how Sinnavan is. She has gh and high above.
THER
by M. Pushparajan
ories? Does the sun's heat express the minds? I do not ainy weather...
is submerged grief.
ght together, without their knowing it, relatives who its day, the programme which had been telecast, had
to face encounters.
ns!

Page 27
In a corner of the framed picture opposite stood two clouds pierced by the orange rays of the setting sun. heart, pierced by seven swords, dripping blood.
A heart, filled with dolor, Dolorous mothers.
In that programme, it was Clara who had to bear the been separated from her son. When she described he manifesting the turbulence of her grief. When he cam grand-sons and grand-daughter even in her feeble
embrace them.
That was a sight which made tears well up in his ey
"How is it that they can live without seeing their mo Wouldn’t they have met each other if not for this pro
He looked at the picture of his mother on the table.
After the mass on New Year's day everywhere peopl by a slight dew, and strewn with exploded fire-crack - crackers, one after the other; the smell of exploded
The new clothes making a crackling Sound, the men v visit mother. It was only after that they would visit thi village on New Year's Day. There were exceptions to day, those who had married against their parent's wi
Even after he had married, he was in the habit of goin he didn't visit his mother, she would be upset. Thinki to his house.
A mother's love was ùniversal, something which tra had flung each one to different parts of the world.
Serveral writers were blessed because they had ma several mothers.
"How many children are looked after by a mother maintain a mother.'
He couldn't remember where he had come across lightning as it were when he had read it.
The three hopper chatties were arranged in a semic containing different kinds of batter. There was a sma a chulaku on top of a kadakam in the middle. There This was Ritamma's hopper shop.
From early in the morning she would bake hoppers fallen poovarsu leaves and arrange them in the chul come to buyhoppers.
The fire and the heat together with the Smoke emitt face redder, they made her eyes sting and Sweat run from her face with the fold or her saree. Sometimes sl on her lap. .

- 26
coconut trees against a background of massed black by its side stood a picture of the Mater Dolorosa, her
burden of the greatest grief. For thirty years she had son, her eyes filled with tears and her lips trembled, 2 in front of her accompanied by her daughter-in-law, state she rose totteringly, opening wide her arms to
es and sigh deeply.
thers? gramme ...?”
2 were wearing new clothes. In the streets, blanketed ers, youngsters could be seen lighting bundles of fire fire - crackers in the wind.
would go, accompanied by their wives and children to eir relatives. This was the unwritten law for the entire his rule too, with some families being divided. On this shes, were reunited with their parents too.
g to his mother's house daily. If for two days running, ng he had fallen ill, the very next day she would come
nscended race, country and frontiers. Circumstances
.de it their wont to bury in their hearts the griefs of
But all those children are unable to look after and
this quotation. But he remembered being struck by
rcle. On the right were three pots with wide mouths ll pot containing coconut milk on the left. There was was a small adukkupetti to hold the money collected.
in the unswept compound of the house littered with (u or place them in the ola backsets of those who had
'd by the coconut husks made her fair complexioned lown her body. She would frequently wipe the sweat e would be breastfeeding his four year old sisterlying

Page 28
On the days when Sales were slack he would have to the sea-shore for Sale and then go to school: there School.
When he returned home at noon from school, his mc even a pillow for her head. Her head would be res covering her face.
The fowls would have scattered the scraped cocon had been squeezed out the scraped coconut shells \
There was no need to go into the kitchen. Scratchir Perriyamma's house. ፉ
Before sunset, she would start pounding the rice arithmetic tables. As the mortar, a sibilant sound is would note how he pounded rice without spilling shrunken stomach shrunk still more.
It was of his regular duties in the evening to collect the morning on credit. "Tomorrow' was the general that the purchase of some items needed for the nigh
It seemed to him that the dogs in the houses where t to start barking. Was it hostility arising from a past b more frightened of the dogs sleeping on the roads t been waiting to hear his footsteps. Some came towal this had happened several times. He would avoid g who were going for mass and, without their knowled look back.
Whenever he refused to go to houses where there w eating fire but you are reluctant to do such a small t
Before she could break a poovarasu stick, he would f very late: when it was re; lys sometimes the neighb. village would be bustling and out-of-doors. He woul brother would be sleeping. With his head lying on h waken up to have his night meal, he wold Stare and beaten into taking his meal.
The sound of flour being kneaded and beaten into broken and arranged could be heard as he lay down. those setting out to sea calling out to one another,
Hoppers had to be supplied, for sale, to the leashop Angelus bell rang, he had to arrange the hoppers in escort him as it was dark. The street lights mingled w who were setting out to sea carried long wooden p. moving about abated his fear somewhat. His moth brightly by petromax lamps; he would head alone te
In the evenings when he collected the unsold hopp thinking about his mother. But the unsold hoppers c
He gazed once again at his mother's picture: she wa her thighs, lips pressed firmly together to overcome taken to be send to him after he had come to Londo

- 27
) arrange the hoppers in the chulakhu and take then to were days on which he was punished for being late to
ther would be sleeping on the floor or the hall without ing on her folded hand... her dishevelled hair partly
ut which had been stuffed into a vessel after the milk would be lying in heaps. And water split everywhere.
ng his head he would start walking towards his junior
. He would be seated on the steps memorizing the sued from her. Even as he memorized the ables he out of the mortar, gradually up with the pestle, her
the money due from those who had bought hoppers in reply he used to receive. They did not perhaps realize it meal depended on the recovery of this credit.
he went to collect the money waited for him to appear irth'? While going to mass early in the morning he was han the darkness. They began to growl as if they had rds him, barking and he would cry out Aiyo Amma: oing alone down that street; he would wait for others ge, join them in going to church. Frequently, he would
vere dogs, his mother would say “for your sake, I am hing."
ly from the house. Generally the night meal was ready orhood would be slumbering. On moonlit nights the d be studying seated in front of the lamp. His younger is open school books. When his younger brother was all asleep in front of his tin plate: he would have to be
shape in the Chula and the sound of coconuts being When, at midnight he was awakened by the sound (). he could hear the sound of coconuts being scraped.
some distance away from their house. As soon as the pairs in the basket and take them. His mother would ith the darkness to make the street appear twilit. Those ples and nets on their shoulders. The sight of people 2r would stop some distance away from the shop lit owards the shop.
ers and was returning home he would feel troubled. |uite often served as their night meal.
S scated in a chair beside a flower vase, her hands on her camera shyness. This picture had been Specially
.

Page 29
Mother does not know how to appear natural. It w with her. When her mother died it was she who insi that there would be no detractors.
Achchi was dressed beautifully and her body placed were covered with white socks. The hands, enclose sapphires, between her intertwined fingers. Two big mother stood crying amidst the candles, driving aw
In the pandal set up in the outer compound, grownarchis from the neighborhood were listening - som talking among themselves.
It was his mother who was most affected by achchi's they had their night meal.
Don't injure the bellies of the young ones' he coul in dried fish: one of the curing sheds on the seasho
After achchi’s death, they used to go always to juni
Now his mother began to suddenly break into sobs Lady of Miracles, she would be always crying. He c or talking with our mother while crying.
He would look at the lit melting candles in front of til warm melted wax. As he went round collecting the m mothers, seated here and there.
He had received knocks on the head from his moth church.
On night while she was in the kitchen, she had calle
** if I die you must see to it that like Achchi I go in s
Achchi's coffin is placed in the horse-drawn hearse in alter - servers' clothes. The boy in the middle carri in his hand, which he rings from time to time. In t sacristan reciting prayers. Behind the horse-draw
The body was laid to rest in a new tomb in the g statues; some are mere bare structures; some tombs : with patti flowers and shrubs, obliterating all traces
He looks again at his mother's picture. The Smile be
He had flopped onto his bed and lay there for a long
Only after the alms-giving had the news of his mo then, after returning from work. The sound of some
who is it?
'It's me, Finish your bath and come quick.
It was Thasan's voice. When I came out of the bathi embraced me. I understood then.

- 28
as her nature to ensure that others did not find fault
sted that the body be draped beautifully in a Saree so
in a coffin decorated with tussels. The hands and feet d in Socks, were on her chest, a rosary, studded with lit candles were placed on either side of the head. His ly the flies trying to settle on the face.
up men were singing opparis while on the verandah of them in the pose of the recumbent Buddha - and
death. It was with achchi's help that on several nights
d still hear achchi's admonishing voice. Achchi dealt e belonged to achchi. -
br periamma's house for their lunch.
. On the days she wanted to go to the church of Our
ould not fathom whether she was reciting her prayers
he statues. He was very fond of moulding the slightly ented wax he could see tears in the eyes of the praying
er, for getting up like this and walking arouqd in the
d him.
plendour" she said.
. Heading the procession are three small boys dressed es along cross. The boy by his side carries a small beli he middle of the two rows of mourners is the church
hearse are the children and the grand-children.
raveyard. Most of the tombs stand proudly, bearing tre in ruins. In the middle are mounds of earth covered
of those buried there.
hind the pursed lips seem to be mocking him now...
time, tears wetting his cars.
her's death reached him. He had been having a bath one knocking at the door.
oom, in a daze, Thasan patted me on the shoulder and

Page 30
This happens to everyone."
When did it happen?"
'I don't know. They had told someone who was goi
He had gone into the room, dried his hair and lay
Your mother has oral cancer, it seems. Here the available. They have told us to take her to Colomb Pt. Pedro and from there they have taken her by sh; panied her.'
His wife's letter made him tremble. In the days whe phone, his mother came on the line one day... het quavering.
**Thamby”
“Amma — what's happened to your voice?”
"They used current on the koduppu... son, when I the phone.
Amma'. His voice quavered and he couldn't spe
"Son, why are you crying?"
The tears on his lips tasted saltish.
“Thamby”.
'Mm.
We are planning to go home. If by chance, someth
"Mmmm... he said in a faint voice. After that he
It wasn't even one year since he had come to the U. to get here frightened him; on the other hand, there In his anxiety to settle the debt, the moment he fini. he took the bus, frantically scurrying from one ic
'What, have you gone to sleep? Come along, com
There was a bottle of whisky in Thasan's room.
He staggered into the room and fell on the bad. He f were people in the adjoining rooms. Soundlessly, h
Two months later he received his wife's letter.
To the last your mother kept on asking whether y
Tears welled up in his eyes; he couldn't read furth
Till your mother was buried, there was no bombin. thing. They buried your mother in your father's t

- 29
ng to Colombo. They had told my wife... dry yourself.
lown on the bed.
're is always fighting and shelling. No medicines are
). With the help of the Red Cross, she has been taken to p to Colombo. Your periyamma's daughter has accom
n, while going to work, he talked to his pariyakka on the Voice completely changed... the words indistant and
talk I feel pain." Her crying could be clearly heard over
k a word.
ing happens to your mother, you'll come, won't you.
couldn't hear anything Said over the phone.
K. The thought of the huge sum he had run up as a debt were rumours that all the refugees would be expelled. shed one job he took the tube, when that job was over
b to the other...
e along.'
2lt as if he should cry out aloud Amma, Amma. There e wept for amma.
ou would come.
or shelling by the Armed Forces that itself was a great )mb. The funeral house proceeding have been phot).

Page 31
graphed. When the pictures are developed, I'll send
He immediately wrote a letter asking her not to senc
"Even after thirty years, the son was able to meet his
Outside there was no blowing. Whenever the rainagain.
Translated by A.J. Canagaratna.
SNA
It appeared to me that Sasi's house is situated some night, cool wind blows and in the days, rays of hope The cool wind of the calm fullmoon gently touched tractor - garrage, paddy-store, mango trees, coconut garden lined the white, sandy court-yard of his hu chasing after small black rats. When the wind blew When the wind blew heavily the snakes and the rats chase continued. Again and again the chase got col rats multiplied in number, the snakes in turn multipli lived either by Surviving the struggle or by turning th ive and the accustomed-to-bear-all-burdens nature too kept on running, putting the burden on the wind continuing. The rats, in their life-struggle got bitterb The firm-minded rats too, continued in their effort away on the platforms of dark expanse. While my gla court-yard I began to realize one aspects of life.
Black is Sorrow. hatred. It is in some kind of Dracula that come piercing the mid-night, that this black, clo fear about the mid-night. I look at the moon-light and woman or a hare. The hare fails. Today the sea will fl boats and canoes a bit away from the shore. The sea, size on the fore head and silver flowers on the flowir
Both the sea and the moon are women, then, why ( looked at the wrist. It was five minuets past ten o'cl both the Sea and the moon are females why then on The linear pull attracts each other, it seems' he said devour the moon-woman and eject venom. Thinkir turbulance of the Sea to the wailing of the sea-wom Sasi. It is customary that the nightmares about snak
At that juncture. I saw the boy from the neighbouri the two plots calling "Sasi, Sasi'. "What happens have stungamma, she's groaning out of pain replie There, she looks healthier than we expected. Usua house. That is a short cut too. Whenever I went the she is not a relation to me I usually called her annm: show in her face.
`Amma, what happened'? I asked “l lay down here t

- 30
them.
the photos.
mother Clara.'
irops struck them, the wet leaves drooped and rose
KES
By: Amritha A.M.
where on a desertlike Sandy Stretch where, in the midrom the Sun reflect on the clouds and touch the Earth.
my body and reinforced that idea. A brinjal garden. palms, arecanut palms, a kennel for dogs and a flower ge house. On the white sand, long black snakes were heavily the snakes and the rats dissolved into the air. dissolved into the air. When the leaves reappeared the ntinuing. Both before and after the chases, when the ed too. The chases became struggle of life. The fittest e back to it. Then, becoming everything, the supporttriumphantly selected the snake-rat chases. The rats | and the moon. The Snake-and-the ladder game kept y the snakes, climbed a span up and slid a cubit down. s to escape the Odd. The life-shadow was dissolving ince was still deepening on the white-sand-modern-art
nights, the nights haunted with the howling of jackals ud-like darkness begins to shroud the moon and create try to discern whether the object in the moon is an old ow overwhelmingly and the fishermen will keep their wearing a sari with golden border, a pottu' of moong hair will appear like a 'Sumangali.
loes the sea roar that much? Contemplating on this Ock, Sasi came and sat on a chair beside me. Sasi, it y the sea is turbulent on full moon days?' I asked. . It is on a fullmoon day that the snake would start to g, that this is one Such fullmoon day and likening the an by beating the breast and the stomach, I looked at es originate during night hours.
g house came running along the foot path that linked d?" asked Sasi slightly perturbed. Something must i the boy. At once Sasi and I dashed to amma's house. ly, I would go through Amma's plot to get to Sasi's e she would greet me with a blooming face. Though ... I look at amma's face. the Severity of pain began to
sleep and felt as though something Stinging me. Its

Page 32
paining, but it will be all right.” said amma. “Let me two pin prick-like marks. I immediately understoo amma's son to take her to the adjacent room, disclos her other son that the snake is somewhere around
it alive, failing that, at least to find out its-species, an auto.
You might know Kovindan annan. He is the one wi m with brain dashed out and limbs severed, of the making three trips without charging even a single c the same Kovindan annan who took to hospital “parisariyar' for treatment, saved her life and provi in the midnight when the case of taking a pregnant v the pile of sand sags barbedwire fence he was the ( maiden delivery and saved both hers and the baby' their names would be published in the daily for neg single cent. It is certain that he would have saved s the night. Kovindan annan is really the James Bon would often take place in the forest. It is the mong would defeat and kill the Snake in the end. Then the antidote for snake venom to eat it and save his life. F humanism in the root and courage in the boughs. I h life-saving tree.
Calling “annan', 'annan' I patted on the gate of Ko studies my face through a shocktinged smile. No Soo house with a lantern.
I went near amma and called her out. “mm” she repl wobbled when I held it and fell aside. I guess it is the Elaphidae. “Have you found out the snake?' I, ask amma slept on. It struck me that something was unde give a blow on its head O.K.. Sasigot ready and Il was peacefully sleeping, coiled, on the spot where e head and a body of shining black skin like that of's is * Kandan Karuvalalai” ummistakably. It’s zoolog Sweet relationships with venomous snakes like thes ous snakes for our department museum. Sasi landec bag and took it to the auto.
Amma, Sasi, Snake, Kovindan annan and I sped to
white-sand triple junction and the University Cam Sandbags and barbed-wire fences. It was partly S anthill. what a pity, the whit-ants make the cells and life. Picking granules of sand little by little by their t sand into tiny clods of mud the make these wonder
While they run their kingdoms happily with their wi ants will be ousted. It seemed that all the anthills fou the same way. Now, there was not a single sign of li the background. As soon as we reached hospital, if v would administer one vial of anti-venom serum mix water into amma's body by injection and soon she ( hospital quickly. But we cannot. Instead of hundred down the rough and dusty by-route full of craters an instead of 10 seconds to get to the place. It so hap those who accompanied him came to the village w front of the anthill they were all killed by that venom

31
ee the spot I tried to have a close look at it. There were d what might have happened. At once I beckoned to ing the fact that she has been bitten by a snake, telling ere and asking him to search for it and kill it or catch rushed with Sasi to Kovindan annan's house to fetch
o rushed those twelve victims, to hospital, few of the rutal shelling last month in the neighbouring village, 2nt and saved the life often of them. Last week it was as asthmatic Muslim women who came to Kanesh led her meals without accepting a single cent. One day foman to hospital was abandoned by others for fear of ine who, braving the odd, took her to hospital for her life by threatening the lazy and undutiful nurses that lect of duty. All this he did without accepting even a everal; campus students by taking them to hospital in d of that area. As we all knew Snake-mongoose fight oose, though received several bites from snakes, that mongoose would run in search of a medicinal herb, an inally, the mongoose would identify the herb by seeing ope Kovindan annan also must be knowing about this
vindan annan. Shouting in reply, annan comes out. He ner I told him the matter that the auto pulled at amma's
ied in a low voice. Her eyes were rolled up. The head : work of cobra or "karuvalalai that belongs to family ed “no” came the answer. I closely examined the mat r the mat, “Sasi, come here, I'll lift the mat cuietly you ifted the mat. The beautiful black snack that bit amma xactly amma's head was. The snake had spoon-shaped jungan' fish with workings in ash black lines on it. It cal name its Bangarus Ceylonensis " . Sasi and I had e. We have caught and collected a number of venom| a heavy blow on the snake's head, put it into a tissue
hospital in the auto, On our way past Krishnan Kovil, pus, an anthill began to loom out among the pile of ympathetic and partly ridiculous to think about the snakes occupy them. White ants are creature of social iny mouth, ejecting saliva drop by drop and rolling the ful structures to establish the kingdom of their own.
res and children the anthills will be encroached and the nd along the winding road would have been formed in e on the road except for us and the noise of cicadas in ye told the doctor that Common krait had bitten her, he ed with ten milliiters of saline or ten vials of distilled :ome back to life. For this to happen we should get to meters we will have to detour one and a halfkilometers i mounds and Stones. One will have to take 0 minutes pened one day that when a victim of snake-bite and here the Coconut Research Center is, and waited in which came dashing with a great noise like a fire-bowl

Page 33
from the nearby anthill. Likewise, on another occas of pain in a bullock-cart in front of such an anthill v
The same thing happened to snake-bite victims on Karai villages, west to the Base Hospital which iss died pathetically, either with their heart or the nervo
How many of us in the world know about the anthil there in this world that is more brutal than this? V Protection was not given to four families of venomou cobras were empowered by the act of 1982 to becom
They become Kings and gods by governing and by time. King Cobras are worshiped too. Snakes are noct impose unofficial curfews on their own during the ni bite for Sure.
Now our auto stops in front of the piles of sandbags a lantern, I walk up to the outer circle of sand-bagpile me driving the auto very slowly. But one should not c lantern, explain the matter, prove his identity and Kovindan annan if the matter cries haste. That is per anthill.
Halting the auto, Kovindan annan came to me, go language. Despite the repeated calls not a single Snak it was the mongoose that called them. Because they c and non-mongoose. “We must take amma to hospita have studied that there are four families of venomou them for our department museum. It was at the famou these snakes in detail. One day I cut off the head of solution of potassium hydroxide and pulled out its f Cobra's is a bit longer but for vipers it is more curve howmay different colours. Indeed, snakes have nume others curved in shape to attack their enemies. Ther there are sand-coloured ones, curved, coiled end ee those that have triangular head and yellow skin on the and white. What about the sand-coloured ones withs of Sungan fish will have light black stripes. The colour tinged with light yellow and having humped ni leaves of a tree. Of all the exotic things I saw, so far, ti How true is the saying that one requires million ey dilated hood. The Zoological name in Latin is Naja ra-ja. Cobra is the only snake that shines in the shov
Hissing violently, throwing fiery glance and lookingh dough for rotti pressed against the rotti plate by a bot the body, bend backward, rise up a bit and dance. Th minus prickles. we wear a pair of black glasses at the at the back. The central part of the hood would be nei look as though fastened with a slender black belt fr rhombus-shaped scaled with red center would cover bowl eyes would look both straight in front and sidewhould cover the upper surface of the nose on the ul its forked tongue out and opened its mouth wider it w the tongue would open a cavity into the throat and upper jaw would hide within it the pair of fangs. A co is beauty? Is it the colour? The combination of colo beauty and beauty too in danger.

32
n a woman of full pregnancy who was Wriggling out s stung dead and safe deliver followed.
eir way to hospital on bullock-carts from paduvan senteen kms South to my campus. In the end, they al Is System affected due to snake-bite.
of King Cobras looked after by the King? What is ho said there are no King Cobras in this country? snakes under the act number 49 of 1993. But the king : kings and Gods.
giving and taking the lives of people at the desired Irnal creature. Forming into small groups, they would ght. If we happened to go near the anthill they would
round the anthill. Stepping down from the auto with S. Putting out the head-light Kovindan annan follows o like this. First, someone should get to the spot with inally convince them. But it is and exception with onality. It was terrifying to get nearer and nearer the
the lantern from me and called out in a different e came out sometimes the Snakes might have thought ould easily sense the differences between mongoose tl without any delay' I hastened Kovindan annan. I is snakes in this country and collected specimens of S Medical College in the capital that I knew all about the caste-snake that bit amma once boiled it in the angs. It looked like a boomerang made of fishbone. d than that of others. How many beautiful snakes in trous weapons, Some spherical, Some long and Some 2 are small snakes in red colour with black stripes., -tailed with spots like that of a leopard. There are Side with working of irregular Squarestinted in black poon-shaped head; their shining black skin, like that e is another kind which is camouflaged with green )se. One cannot say that kind from the branch or the e one that I like most is the dilated hoods of a snake. s to see the gracefulness of cobra dancing with its aja naja; perhaps may be the abbreviation of na-ga
business without any loss.
re and there, flinging the forked tongue out, like the e it would dilate its hood and dance. It would curve dilated hood of it would look like the shoe-cactus ront but a cobra does it the other way. It wears them her flat no spherical but a little elongated and would m top to down. From the edge to the center black le hood on all four sides in three columns. The fireays at the same time. Scales like that of a crocodile per jaw between the two eyes, When a cobra flung uld remind us of a baby with tender red lips. Below vo others on either side of the forked tongue. The a opening its mouth is really beautiful to see. What rs? or the symmetricality? There in danger too in

Page 34
Snakes don’t bit people purposely and end their di snakes that human families at Alikambe, Thampal streets just think howmany families will be on the farmer-hostile rodents and various other pests and
them while walking or move our legs or toes while deep into the flesh, hook into it and then inject veno only four families of snakes which causes death It aids and lack of knowledge about the treatments for Lanka that the death rate of snake-bite is the highes It is we who should be careful about the Snakes. Sna, hoods,
Had Bharathi lived today he would have sung as foi
A Snake in khaki hue Another in deep blue One in dark green One with stripes on the skin in the thicket one An in the busy city another Whatever the colour they bear At biting they are same everywhere Their fangs do deadly venom bred And end the lives of people indeed.
Now, there comes toward us, a snake in green with dilating its great hoods of hat. at that moment, in the l; as though blown off by a sudden gust of wind, foal bluish and the chest heaving amma drew her last brea peacefully in the tissue bag. One of the sn
Translated by: T. Kirupakaran
Literary Quiet ep
INDRAN AMIRTHANAYAGAM responds to a trar Lanka.
THIS book, Lutesong and Lament, has fermented i drunk.
As I leafthrough and through these pages, Isearch foi diaspora. I think of that old phrase, the great chain c i Oslo. Toronto, Chennai? Who are these Tamilians di of a strife that has pulled the chain around and arour "boys' as creeping by night through the silent lanes called Eelam. I note at least one writer in these pages broke bread on the young wood, and then moved fri his head trained to spot and avoid tigers.
I have observed the Sri Lankan scene from a mid espousing fully my now American identity. Yet, this Pass and the mysteries beyond. I see them from the to run. I gaze at them from the hybrid and thriving me to lose oneself and forget island battles can succeed

33
s. Instead they give life to them. Even now it is the and at other places. If snakes don't dance on the treets. It is the snakes that destroy the evil insects, haintain balance in the ecosystem. If we trample on eeping, out of fear, they will lunge, plunge the fangs into us as an act of defense. In our country there are not true that snake-bites are incurable. Wrong first nake-bites are the main causes for deaths. It is in Sri Two deaths per day. Only two? What a comparison. es don't only look graceful by their shapes or dilated
OWS
limbs, crawling through the hole of sand bags and ast minute brightness of the dying flame of the lantern ming at the mouth, eyes rolling up, the body turning ath. the snake that bit amma in the full moon light lay aked that killed amma began to speak now.
Review iphanies
slated collection of short Stories and poems from Sri
n the mind of this reader, become potent, made me
a missing link, the answer to a riddle that is the Tamil being. What binds the poets and writers of Jafftna, afting deft, understated sketches in poetry and prose i the globe? I recall in an early poem describing the of Jaffna to board the first craft of the young wood who conversed with that same sabre-toothed beast, m safe house to safe house with eyes in the back of
le distance, eventually giving up my passport and ute song and lament transport me towards Elephant arting gun in Colombo where I was born and began ng pots of London and New York where the attempts ut least for a time.

Page 35
Yet, I have now come back from these travels tota by plane. What, and for whom, are these laments'
(trans. S. Pathmanathan):
Last night
l dreamt
Buddha was shot dead
by the police,
guardians of the law.
For Christ crucified among palmyrahs and sea cro
Good Friday
The day they crucified you.
A hot wind
blew between shore and sea
One or two sea crows
flew in the immaculate sky.
The wind grating the palmyrah trees
whipped up inexpressible horror
That was the last day in our village. And what of the lute songs? There is lyricism in S.
new town / Before night falls / Faster, my dear, fa
There's a wonderful panopy of voices here; and from prose, I find a number of stories that deser arresting prose style, but rather for understatemen nies. I think especially of A. Muttulingam's "Butte reserve I have noticed in the stories comes from startled by the appearances of guerrillas in palmy and armoured convoys.
“Butterflies' relates the story of a lepidopterist w time he applies saying that he wants to look at bl to visit a nephew. Koneswaran had forgotten that
The information he had given in his first applicati ger, compares the information given in the secon match.
Koneswaran is timid, a character familiar to slee Malgudi. And he is patient. Finally, after 20 years sets off to study the monarch butterfly during its
Koneswaran is drawn from life. He is a professor the hobby that leads him out of class in the midd a rare butterfly that happened to fly in and out unaware of his wife's needs and wishes. The butte accept - her husband's whims. Bventually, Kones he sees the red and black-winged monarch butter his life, he will not take a specimen. He has reach

34
te upresidence in Chennai, anhour away from Colombo For killing the Buddha in “Murder” by M.A. Nuhman
ws in "Exile Days" by P. Akilan (trans. S. Canagarajah)
erendip, “Faster, my dear carter, fasters, let's head for the ster,” writes Nilaavanan (trans. A J. Canagaratna).
although I turn naturally to poetry and unnaturally away ve to be praised. Praise not for startling imagery or an tand concurrent achievement of small and quiet epiphatrflies' (trans. S. Rajasingam). And I wonder if the chaste
the same sober Tamil personality that must have been rah groves not to mention soldiers in helicopter gunship
ho has sought a visa to enter the United States. The first utterflies. Ten years later he tries again, saying he hopes
there is a computer in the American Embassy.
on was safely stored in it. The computer, like an astrolod application with that of the first and finds they do not
y Southern towns, perhaps a cousin of some resident of he visits a consul again and this time receives a visa and annual migration through the U.S.
of mathematics. He has a job. Lepidoptery is his passion, e of the day in front of bemused students while chasing of the window. Koneswaran is also married but rather rfly dominates. Yet she appears to understand - or rather, waran goes to a sanctuary south of San Francisco where lies hanging thickly on the branches. For the first time in ed a kind of nirvana and is walking, he believes, in holy

Page 36
land. He meditates on these butterflies who do not kisses his left eyebrow.
Koneswaran returns to the car and falls asleep and g. and sentimentalism. Beauty and mawkishness. Fine side of sentiment and beauty. The same can be sat sentiment is harsh and difficult the reading. I think of in “Humiliation (trans. Chelva Kanaganayakarn):
Behind the bars
of your laws
cannot be held;
from your muddy
permanence
I am a stone
reclaimed.
That year, I met Cheran for the first time and recall goi come back to Sri Lanka to find another talent cut do *Two other major poets did not reach 40. One succu Lakdasa Wikkramasinha. The other washed up on S gest poets, Richard de Zoysa. De Zoysa was murde
Wikkramasinha drowned in the 1960s. Death by wa and landscapes are filled with disappearances. Ch. sisted on braving the hardships of terrorism and w lament sung even more fiercely by those who have
These separate us :
Long mountain ranges,
a rainbow,
an invisible sun
endlessly falling
winterrain,
the proud light
of my dark face.
These unite us:
The heartbeat of waves,
an endless telephone wire which falls across continents and oceans)
and,
too frightened to question the future,
a tender heart.
(trans. Lakshmi Holmstrom)
This collection, published in Canada, is the labor of introductory essay and contributed some of the tra
the way back and sit with me at my desk in Chenna
Lute song and Lament: Tamil Writing from Sri Lar S23.95.
The writer is Consul for Public Affairs at the Americ in English and Spanish and his latest book Ceylon

35
require visas for their migration. One butterfly even
pes “to that land where no visa is required.” Sentiment lines separate them. Muttulingam stays safely on the d for most of this rich collection. In some cases, the Sivaramani, who committed suicide in 1991, and wrote
ing with him to a memorial service for Sivaramani. I had wn early, a common item in the island nation's letters. imbed to the undertow near Mount Lavinia, the great hore, Sri Lanka's legendary actor and one ofits stronred.
ter. Death by fire. Death by poison. Sri Lankan poetry 2ran has gone away to Canada. Some poets have inar while staying at home. The lute is played and the gone away. Cheran writes in “Meeting and Parting":
Chelva Kanaganayakam who has written a perceptive nslations. The translations have now traveled most of , less than an hour by plane from Jaffma.
ka, edited by Chelva Kanaganayakam TSAR, p. 171,
an Consulate General, Chennai. He is a poet who writes R.I.P has just been published in Sri Lanka.

Page 37
AYATHURA SANTHAN: IN THEIRO
The bilingual writer has been a rare phenomenon it nobody at all who has written creatively in both Si have written with any distinction in either Sinhala counted on the fingers of one hand.
Ayathurai Santhan is a recent newcomer to this select says of him in the introduction he has contributed to his mother tongue, Tamil, and then later transcreated English. Distinguishing Santhan from previous Tar Rajah Proctor, Canagaratna says, “The latter were ( British rule. Santhan is a product of the post - indep of education.
Since I was myself brought up under the linguistic a attempt any comparison between Santhan's writing that he's a writer who uses the genre of the short sto short indeed, as will be evident from the fact that ir length, these stories are comparable to the popular in common with that mode of writing. Santhan does resolution of the plot - the stock-in-trade of the popu sensationalism in his writing. Where, as in some of the writer has held back some secret element of the effect of many of his endings is to reveal some facet not foreseen. Thus, in “Fellow Travelero Ragu, takir that the old man in the corner isn't eating breakfast, even puts off having his own breakfast although he bag, Ragu is momentarily satisfied, but it turns ol concluding sentence of the story that rounds it C ultimately gets off the train, what Ragu feels is relie
There's a sharper edge to the conclusion of the story dayS Since he heard that Sella was in hospital and h whom Siva is much obliged. He finally makes it t biscuits, goes to bed 14, where he has been told Section of the ward, but Sella isn’t there either. Fina
“Oh, he'?...yes, he was on that bed. But he was al home.” “Alright? Gone home? What a pity! said Si
As one may see from these two examples, what is c thetic, but often gently ironic, contemplation of lif foreground of these stories have no major villainies expressions of empathy or compassion of some of th seven rupees for the small globe he buys at a pavem is touched by the child who must have come straig over Sweetening Sentimentality in the story; Vasu's in the last line.
As is natural in the work of a Tamil writer today, sev Jaffna. Reading them, I was reminded of the title of about his experiences in the First World War, Unde undertones and not in fortissimos and crescendos. H in bringing home to the reader the quality of life it constantly present. Rather, his very indirection an enhance the strength of these Stories.

36
WN WORLDS
(S. GODAGE AND BROTHERS).
Sri Lankan culture. As far as know, there has been hala and Tamil. But even the number of people who and English or Tamil and English can probably be
group. The Jaffna-based literary critic, A.J. Canagaratna the new collection: “He began writing short stories in them into English, Now he writes both in Tamil and in nil writers in English such as Alagu Subramaniam and :ducated in the English medium during the heyday of endence era when the mother tongue was the medium
partheid that has divided our two communities, I can't in Tamil and in English. But his new collection shows ry in an individual way. Nearly all the stories are very this slim volume of 80 pages there are 24 stories. In magazine or newspaper story, but that's all they have n't build his stories on the surprising twist as the final lar magazine-story writer-nor is there any element of his stories, the ending is unexpected, it isn’t because plot in order to spring it on us at the end. Instead, the of human character or behavior that we have probably g a train journey with his wife, is disturbed by the fact as everybody else in the compartment is doing. Ragu is hungry. When the old man takes a parcel out of his It to be only some betel and lime paste. But it's the ff in a way that is unexpected. When the old man f
7 titled The Worry'. Siva feels guilty because it’s four e hasn't been to see him, although he's a good man to the ward, carrying a kilo of grapes and a packet of Sella should be, but he isn't. Then he tries the other lly the patient in the next bed tells him,
right and he was discharged yesterday. He has gone
Va. -
haracteristic of Santhan's writing is the quiet, sympa2 and human behavior. The characters who are in the or heroisms; it's their small egoisms but also the little lem that engage his attention. Like that of Vasu paying ent stall when he could have had it for six because he ht from School to look after this shop'. But there's no friend Giri who accompanies him bursts out laughing
eral of the Stories are set in contemporary War-ravaged a book that the English poet Edmund Blunden wrote tones of War. In Santhan's book, too, war is present in lowever, this doesn't make them any the less effective a place where the risks of destruction and death are l his avoidance of any forcing of the emotional tone

Page 38
In The Cuckoos' House, the unnamed character, a shelling, bursts into sobbing when the tree that had felled. In An Endless Journey the lonely rider or friends and relations, is terrified by a helicopter w Luxury Siva starts laughing when his friend Bala, he shouldn’t have roofed his house with asbestos be a sudden wave of panic, and people start Vanishing by the time Mani finds a bus, the alarm is over an Santhan’s, the narrative makes its point without ob
The collection could, however, have benefited from roughnesses in the text that should have been smoo for from and from for form, which seems be the and there are throughout oddities in the Setting out sake of nitpicking, but because I think the book wa Regi Siriwardena
IN THEIROWN WORLDS: SANTHANSPORTRAYAL OF PEOPL
Santhan, a Tamil writing in Tamil and English has r own worlds'. It portrays much of the problems of the Technician by profession and a visiting lecturer of th since his school days at Manipay Hindu College. experience both as a Tamil and as a human being. novel and a travelogue in Tamil and one titled “The A writer of the people, Santhan is well known for hi
Santhan won the prestigious Sahithya Academy pri, Oru Oru Oorile'. He secured many other prizes incl in 1986.Though his Tamil stories appeared in transl “Illustrated Weekly of India', it was in recent timest His first collection was “The Sparks released in transcreations, according to A.J Canagaratne and the WorkSappeared in local magazines and newspapers V Endless Journey), the Island (The Globe), the Daily 5&6 (The Cuckoo's bird and The Demeatagoda ref
Having been introduced to Marxism and experienc broadened his outlook in relation to human and pol Sri Lanka in a clear perspective. His knowledge of issues at different planes. This led him to look at his acclaimed for his foresight in relation to the ethnic
One of the very promising contemporary writers in writing. Suresh Canagarajah comments:
“Even very simple matter-of-fact experiences of dail
in his masterly hands these casual incidents emerg 021983).
He furtherillustrates that Santhan hasa dramatic sty His use of casual conversational prose and colloquia
situations are taken from realistic settings. He alwa characters and incidents from a human rather than a of the Tamil as well.

37
nxious about the fate of his house under the continual been a multi-storied house' for the cuckoos is being the motor-bike, looking forward to reunion with his lich he believes is closing in on him. In "Health is a ho has been an expatriate for ten years, tells him that ause it’s bad for the health. In “Life’s like that there's off the street and shops put up their shutters, and then life starts moving again. In these stories, like all of Iruding authorial judgment.
ome editorial care in production. There are occasional hed out; the introduction in several places has form' outcome of typesetting from a handwritten manuscript; Df matter on the page. I make these points not for the
worthy of more attention in production.
ESLIVES THROUGH FLASH FICTION Kanadiah Shriganeshan
ecently published his second collection titled 'In their contemporary Tamil Society vividly. An Engineering e Jaffna Technical College, he started writing in Tamil With his varied experience he was able to sketch his He has published seven collections of short stories, a Sparks' in English.
S brevity.
ze in 1975 for his short story collection in Tamil titled uding a consolation prize for his essay on world peace ation (done by others) in esteemed magazines like the hat Santhan embarked on Writing originally in English. 1990. in this collection, nine out of ten stories are other one is written originally in English. Some of his Z, “Channels Vol.III (Life is like that), Channels V (An news (The source and The Habitat), the Third Eye agee and Health is a Luxury respectively).
'd in living with Russians for sometimes in Russia,he tical affairs. He started writing about ethnic issues of Sinhala and Russian helped him to understand human own community's plight with a keen insight. He was ssue in Sri Lanka through his Tamil short stories.
amil, he also won many a favourable criticism for his
life are used by Santhan as subject for his stories, and e as worthwhile experience.” (Saturday Review 19
e and projects his experience with a sense of balance. dialogue make his writing in Tamil very readable. The is detaches himself from his writing and sketches his amil point of view. His complex judgments are critical

Page 39
One of Santhan's literary mates Mr. Pon. Poologasi
“No doubt, A. Santhan is one of our finest writers in themes.” (The Present writers, The Daily News,
Prof. K. Sivathamby has this to say in his criticism (
“Santhan is an important name in the post-1970 capabilities in neighboring Tamil Nadu.”
He adds:
“These ten stories are indeed sparks of humanness in which the characters live and move. Santhan’s ness) of his short stories, which by deft handling of human situation. (Third Eye, Volume four, Decl9.
The writing in English enables non-Tamil readers existence in war-torn Northern Srilanka. Santhan is of war. Sivathampy goes on to say that Santhan
stories, or uphold any particular ideology. Rathe casual narration which suits the realistic setting. I have had on Santhan. Or is Santhan unconsciously
There is a human touch in Santhan's writing, em Sinhalease. He is large hearted enough not to be issue. He speaks for justice. He is able to narrate i is able to communicate the pathos of the situation. him to handle the situation / episode with a reason
Minerva press accepted Santhan's short stories for an impressive collection of short stories that depict Lanka. (A letter from Allison Thomas of 99.) Chelv at Toronto University, Canada, in a letter to the capture moments of intensity through understaten about A. Santhan when he writers about the flower
* A Santhan has become a major writer of short stc
He further comments on his stories in his introdu Santhan’s “In their own worlds’ has topicality anc Jaffna without being propagandist or judgmental. (
K. Sivapalan a critic and a lawyer by profession wri
"Simple events in life and predicaments of ordina stories as 'The worry”
His is a unique experience not available to many otl in Jaffna and absorbing what happens there, he i people living there,
“In their own worlds” by A. Santhan published by S Colombo l0 consist of twenty-four short stories. English in addition to the stories already publis description of a demolished statue's broken face in
Exploitation of the weaker members of the society

gam comments on his writing as follows;
with a unique contribution of his both in form as well as 50397)
in The Sparks' which appeared in the The Third Eye.
Sri Lankan Tamil writing with due recognition of his
that light up the rather gloomy” overcast background
characteristic is the very conciseness (if not the shortdramatic irony brings out in a rather telling manner the '6).
to get a glimpse of the agonies of contemporary Tamil able to depict the pathetic plight of people in the throes never tries to moralize on the events described in his than describing in a pompous style he chooses very t might be the result of the impact the Russian writers
following the style of famous parable writers?
bracing the down-trodden whether they are Tamil or biased against the Sinhalease in his treatment of ethnic ncidents without being sentimental at the same time he The detached mood he adopted gives enough scope for lable judgment.
publication. The publisher hails In their own world' as is the lives of the people living in war-torn Northern Sri (a Canaganayam, a Sri Lanka-born professor of English writer points out that Santhan has the rare capacity to ent. (1997) Prof. D.C.R.A.Goonetilike has this to say ing of Srilanka English literature:
pries in both Tamil & English.”
uction to 50 years of English literature in Srilanka. A | Suspense as well as charm. He brings out tensions in 1998).
tes about “The Sparks” (Island 26-06-91):
y people catch his eyes and become the themes of his
er writers in English. “Sivapalan adds that as one living s able to portray the anguish and the anxieties of the
Godage & Brothers, 675, P. De.S.Kularathne Mawatha,
This collection includes some new stories written in ned. The cover of this book reminds the readers the
one of P.B. Shelly's poem “Ozymandias.
by the “big people” is the theme of “The Carter a story

Page 40
found in this collection. The mudalali's hold on the u age' selling her wares to the very same soldiers who v man who stole his bull
The title story “ In their own worlds” is powerfully st manages to worm its way to safety and Ravi's brothe Vavuniya.
Although Santhan is able to portray the plight and pr Sri Lanka in a very concise form effectively “with a introduction, he should become a writer like Chinua, people's life would be brought to light with historic become the offshoot of vertern writers like Alagu S excelling them in the portrayal of the typical Tamil ex
BOOK R
Velikkul veli (A spa
Tamil and English
Published by:
Price: F
Kallooran (the pen-name of Ponniah Ganeshan) als poems under the title of Velikkul veli which means as Hum a quarterly magazine circle only known among:
The collection of poems contains 29 Tamil and 5 Er where his poems originate that his goal is journeying also he says, he is only journeying with Soul of his ow during the year 1978 and he was greatly disappointe Karl Marx, Lenin and Castro only to convey that he w he lost faith in it due to chauvinistic activities of the like prose which speaks of the point from where his
Kalloran says in one of his English poems,
“I am given an animal's name
In a land of people For I am taught to see Only my fame In newspapers, over radio And on television, In kitchen
Even in toilet I look for my name in vain
in one of his Tamil poems, he says,
A death is only with a few leaves of life And a life with Some dead thorns of death Scare-crows are made alive With my death and life With his life and death
(Tran
Kalloran in the anguished exploration of his human

39
Infortunate Woodcutteris deadly. Like mother "courwould shoot her son, Veerasamy hire the cart from the
uggestive. The earthworm which had a brief 'outing r-in-law returns to the haven of his own house from
edicament of the humans living in the North-East of Joycean epiphany”. A.J. Canagaratne remarks in the Achebe or Alex Hayley. Then only the real picture of al and analytical viewpoint. Let's hope Santhan will ubramaniam, Thambiah, and Raja Proctor perhaps perience.
REVIEW
ce in a space within)
poems by Kallooran
VIEW-HUM
RS. 75/=
o know as "Pon-Ganesh' has broughtforth a book of space in a space within. It has been published by View serious Tamil literary well - wishers.
glish poems. The poet declares about the point from g beyond time and space losing all his identities. And in. The poet has had close contact with JVP comrades d and dissatisfied with their activities. He symbolizes vas much interested in communist philosophy and that so called comrades. So he states thus in the free-verse poems begin.
slation)
ness, tries to show,

Page 41
Journeying beyond time and space Depriving of all my identities crowned I am out in a space within, All beyond the blade of a grass All beyond the blade of a flower.
(Engl
in a forward written by Shanmugam Sivalingam, a w himself, it is stated that he is of opinion that the s deeper as far as the Tamil poetry is concerned.
On the whole the poems of Kalloran, are so impres . By K.Gunarajah
Introduction in English For: A collection of African poem (In translation)
To:
Nelson Mandela The symbol of Awakened Africa.
Illuminating a poetic continent for the Tamil read
Decolonization, apart from altering the political la profound effects in the cultural sphere too. Whol became more visible, ironically, the language of the high profiling. The role of English and French in m point.
Mr. S. Patmanathan's translation of poets from Afri continent. The selection is fairly representative. Th larger coverage to Nigeria and Senegal. All the famili. Rubadiri, Clark and Soyinka and the not so familia themes and their tone ranges from the lyrical and th me, at least) was Jagjith Singh's poem “Portrait of ,
I hope the translator will help the monolingual Tamil historical and critical) and notes about the chosen
As an accomplished bilingual, Mr. Pathmanathan is
01.06.200

40
shpoem)
all-known critic on Tamilliterary works and also a poet b-essence out of the poems of Kalloran makes little
sive to the extent that they cannot be simply set aside.
er
ndscape of the latter half of the twentieth century, had e cultures, which had previously been little noticed, former colonial masters contributed to this process of aking African poet known internationally is a case in
ca has, in my view, helped to light up a whole poetic translator may have had his own reasons for giving a ar names are here: Senghor, Diop, Okara, Okigbo, Brew, r ones. The poet represented here handle a variety of e nostalgic to the ironic. An intriguing discovery (for An Asian as An East Africa.”
Readerby providing a comprehensive over-view (both OOetS.
particularly suited to this task.
A.J.Canagaratna.

Page 42
THE EXPERIENCE OF BEING A PART PLAY “FLIGHTLESSBUTTERFLIES'
“The Flightless Butterflies” was a drama produced University Drama Festival held in August 2000 at th audience saw the finished product, they had no experiences which we, the participants, went throug the request of our Director Mr. Jeyashakar, I've triec it in this paper, which I hope will enable those who and enjoy it more completely.
Miss Mythree, one of the participants and myself fir Fine Arts. It was then that he told us about the “Inter original script. He suggested a Tamil script which cc lems faced by the widows of war. I had my reservatic English without its losing its originality and beauty.
Our second meeting was at the English Unit where. myself, who were all to perform in this play met with Mr. Felix who suggested that instead of translating a script of our own. Mr. Jayasankar then Suggested th script on this. And so with this in mind we organize
Many different ideas were put forward pertaining t widows and children was a subject which seem to g war's effects were on the current and future generat grown up with this war and how this could affect individuals who not out of selfishness but out of she by their country and community, and were not jolt oneself was affected?. And even then the philosoph existence. These were some of the ideas put forwal place myself in many of the situation discussed b something I could relate to very easily.
As time went by these discussions were less well vacation but even these dwindled to a stand still and other members of our group.
Around early July, Mr. S. Jayasankar called us again gone and the drama festival was nearing, he had go story of “AMBI' a young man who had been over World of dreams for Solace, being unable to face the about this short story being turned into a drama. We to each of us. We however wondered whether we helplessness and give the audience a character they to themselves? One thing that struck us was that to would make them seem unnatural. So while showir how his own contemporaries and friends as well ass about the dialogue. Would it bring out the individua thus making it uninteresting and far from reality?
We had many discussions on the various aspects o the various characters and their characteristics, the v positions of the characters and the dialogue possibl individually, we were also encouraged to write. Th was satisfied with the scene. This brought out many

41 CIPANT IN THE PRODUCTION OF THE
Antoinette Rajeevani Francis
by the Eastern University óf Sri Lanka for the InterBishops College Auditorium Colombo. Though the heans of understanding the complex emotions and h, in the process of the production of this drama. At to capture the essence of our experience and convey have seen “The Flightless Butterflies” to understand
twent to meet Mr.S. Jayasankar at the Department of University Drama Festival' and the importance of an uld be translated into English which dealt with probn as to whether a Tamil script could be translated into
Vijandran,. Ithayaraj, Lallini, Pragasini,. Mythree and Vir. Jayasankar, Mr. Kirupaharan, and Mr. Felix. It was Tamil script into English it would be better to write a at we first find a theme for our drama and build our d our subsequent meetings.
o the problems our area faced. The problem of war et a lot of enthusiasm. Also the concept of what this ion of leaders, especially as they (including us) have the future of our country. Has it bred a group of er need isolated themselves from the problems faced d out of this existence unless someone very near to y “Life must go on" seemed at the very core of their "d by the group and discussed. I found that couldn't ut the last point seemed very familiar as that was
attended. We had a few discussion during our June for about a month we had no further contact with the
ind arranged a meeting at his home. As much time had t a short story written by Mr. Gowripalan. It was the protected by his parents. As a result he turns to the real World. Mr. Jeyasankar asked us what we thought elt that at times Ambi's problems were quite relevant could be able to capture Ambi's loneliness and his 'ould acknowledge as a part of our Society and relate show his parents as the sole cause of his condition g them to be over protective we thought of showing ociety in general, affected him. We were also worried characters? Or would all the characters sound alike
the drama. We discussed different scenes possible, ay different people thought placing themselves in the ... Mr. Felix and Mr. Gowripalan wrote the dialogues y were then compared and discussed until everyone ideas and angles, which would otherwise have been

Page 43
overlooked. This point was very evident once when v Jayashankar, Mr. Felix and the others talked about h Ambi's mother scolded her, but something seemed ve that any girl who felt she was being insulted would disrespect. This was a turning point in that scene and any person who was trying to help another only to b
During the formation of this drama we all had a lot of would turn out. We seemed to be doing a lot of bits what the finished product would be. One thing that k He never seemed to have any doubts that we would the courage to go on even when we were very unsul
The process of forming the drama was unusual and in subjects, which we had never discussed objectively Which I for one had not found in the University. C culture on our society and the influences of the war c the subjects we discussed. It broadened our views usually hid even from ourselves Mr. Jeyashankar h best out of us. Both he and Mr. Felix kept encouragir from feeling that we were not doing well what we sh
One thing that was new to all of us was the dancing mistake and upset everyone. The drama was also un of the chorus, which meant we were always in view couldn't go offstage at anytime. During the course of watched it. The drama was good, the dancing was gc pathetic even to our own eyes. What gave us this Mythree and I discussed this matter but we couldn' over the next day something made us discuss how we day the drama was filmed and all of us were exhauste had all looked terrified, especially during the dancir to look pathetic. This was another turning point in
sciously relax and actually enjoy ourselves during performed before the staff of the Arts Faculty. Perfo us all a lot of confidence.
The journey to Colombo itself was an experience th to leave at 8.00 a.m. We reached the University aroul p.m due to some incomplete paper work. We reached our lines and went to bed. The next day we had apra a rehearsal at Bishops College Auditorium.
Rehearsing at Bishop's College Auditorium was an much larger than any of the stages we had practises We rehearsed there for 2 hours.
The Drama Festival started at 7.00p.m. Our perforn performances gave us a chance to relax before the started but we soon began to relax. It was the first performance a life of its own. The knowledge that th
trying to communicate, encouraged us and infused
something special. The feeling of satisfaction whic hard work and the hours we put into the drama well v which none of us will ever forget.

42
te were discussing the characteristics of Rasathy, Mr. er as being a calm and collected person, even when :ry wrong in this scene. It was Lalini who pointed out n't keep quiet even if she thought she was showing the drama. This made Rasathy's character one which e rejected and abused could relate to.
doubts. We just couldn't comprehend how this drama and pieces of a lot of things but no one had any idea ept us going was Mr. Jeyashankar's cool confidence. produce a drama that was exceptional. This gave us 'e of ourselves.
ew to all of us. It gave us the chance to discuss many '. As the days went by our group formed a rapport. haracters and their characteristics, the influences of limate of our country on our daily lives were a few of on these subjects and made us think on issues we ld the ability to keep our group together and get the ng us to give the best we could. But this didn't stop us ould be doing.
we had to do. I was scared stiff that I would make a usual to us as when we were not acting we were part of the audience. This added to the tense feeling as we four drama Mr. Jeyashankar had it videotaped and we pod, the acting was good but something made us look effect, none of us could fathom. Lalini, Pragashini, t pinpoint what the problem was. When we talked it looked. We had been practising from morning on the d and that showed on our faces. But more than that we g, and were very tense. This was what had caused us the drama because after this we all started to conthe performance. A few days before we traveled, we rming in front of an audience helped us a lot and gave
at I think none of us would forget. We were supposed nd 11.00 a.m and were further delayed till around 1.30 Colombo around 8.30 p.m. After dinner we practised ctice at the University Guest House. Then we went for
experience in itself. The stage was beautiful. It was on, so we had to reset our dancing to suit the stage.
nance was the third that evening. Watching the first 2 performance. We were a little tense when our drama bursts of laughter and applause that really gave our |e audience understood and appreciated what we were us with a vigor that made our performance that night h we felt the night after the performance made all the vorth the while, and it gave us a feeling of contentment

Page 44
AN INTRODUCTORY ADDRESSTOT
Whoever was responsible for the initiation of the reaching vision. Mr.Jayasangar has carried this vis now it is in the hands of a few but we do hope man into the future.
For the success of any literary publication there mu advertise the quality and standard of the publicati efforts of Mr. Jayasangar and his team. So far we assessment of the Fifth and Sixth issues. Have wet
But as the saying goes, it is always good to know ho publication as well. Only then we will come to kno good idea to provide some space for reader's views
I think the purpose of our being here tallies with the “Development of divine in man, or the inner burnin ity". This cleansing or purification and enrichment a publication through this and future review sessions could reach this goal.
Today, English is no more the language of the Eng Peoples of the different parts of the world using E nationals. Today, other than the native English spe Australians and many others using English as thei these peoples carry their feelings, thoughts and c writers have made their respective influence to their creations in English and the works of Ravindranath T pride of place in the English literature of modern tim
The printers and publishers of the capital will not Thamils. So the “Third Eye" could be the only stag should be taken as a challenge to produce works tha the competitive world of English literature. The Than the regional and national barriers and reach for glob
Literary creation is divine in the sense they are last
patron and sonnet in his creation.
When in eternal lines to time thou grow'st So long as men can breath or eyes can see, So long lives this and this gives life to thee."
The clause "Eyes Can See' is a clear indication that vision, eye of knowledge eye of understanding an among the people who have the third eye quality lite the title of our publication let us work towards the reviewing and reviewingto make our endeavora gi

43
HE THIRD EYE REVIEW SESSION
L.A. Leon
Third Eye" publication, I am sure have had a faron of the “Third Eye" from the North to the East and hands would join together to take this vision further
st be constant critical evaluation. A good review will in. The Fifth, Sixth and Seventh issues are the sole have not had the chance to do a critical analysis or ken them for granted?
v others see us. This could be true for the “Third Eye" w our strength and weaknesses. I think it would be a and comments in the future publication.
title “Third Eye'. The “Third Eye' is defined as the g- the internal process of cleansing to achieve divinre what we are hoping to achieve for the “Third Eye" . It is through frank and unbiased critical review we
lish people. It has become almost a world language. English are much more in numbers than the English akers, there are the Americans, Africans, Asians, the r first or the second language. The English used by ultural stains of the users and the different creative literary creations in English. Thus the African literary agore and Sarojini Naidu, in English have established CS.
bother to print or publish the creative works of the e to make known the creation of the Thamils. And it it are of very high literary level to gain recognition in hil flavored English literary creations should transcend all recognition.
ing. William Shakespeare has immortalized both his
Shakespeare was referring to the eye of insight, eye of i refinement in another word the “Third Eye". It is rary creations will bloom and thrive. In keeping with goal of perfection through the continuous process of
at SCCeSS.

Page 45
THEATRE AS A VEHICLE FOR CREAT
This article titled “Theatre as a Vehicle for Creativity; staging English dramas at various levels-Zonal, Distri express my ideas about how theatre serves as a usef
Teaching is a noble profession, as everybody knows
are respected and admired not only for setting out a their personalities. Teachers have to keep abreast of and health, especially in the subject of English. Spea difficult task. Students from various family backgrou urban areas, rural areas and remote villages walk
English, even without knowing the alphabet. Som subject as others do. The teacher has to cope up wi
Sometimes with all kinds of extra work teachers do language teaching can be enriched with poems, dra students to grasp the language willingly and enthusi its limitations. Due to various kinds of extra curricula of most of the children effectively by classroom teac esting dramas, lyrics and Songs. Understanding poetr should be exploited by the teacher. But within the clas much time and pay attention to the teaching of litera
Students as we all know are endured with many talk these qualities within them. It is only when we reali. them.
With life full of complexity and confusion children wi leisure is stolen away by the extra classes and tuiti talents and ability. So teachers try to find extra tim organized by the Ministry of Education provide an o
pupils.
The teachers and students struggle very hard to pro The special talents and abilities of children hidden recitation competitions are a gateway to prove their a teaching them to create real characters are the respor can only pave way to achieve success. To put it in a the personality of a child.
had my first experience in teaching English drama a dramas should be taught and managed by skilled ex to our rescue when we were trying out dramas at tha fortunate enough to come across. We chose 'Jumb involved and it was very interesting to watch Mr. Pa how it was done. The responsibility of designing cc the designs came out very well. That experience ga students to renter the dialogue effectively. Then a parted, a humorous play that won the 3d place att it was a great achievement for us. Then I trained “Li Mr. Kirupaharan from the Eastern University gave students for the play Riders To The Sea" for these by a lecturer of fine arts who had tremendous exp movements. position and expressions were highlig

44
IVITY AND LANGUAGE LEARNING
Mrs. Eloma Mutulingam.
nd Language Learning” deals with my experience in it, Provincial and National levels. I would also like to
medium for creativity and language learning.
t. It is considered a praiseworthy vocation. Teachers ademic standards for their young but also moulding he latest development in the fields of science, math, king of teaching a language like English, it is a very inds and social status enter the school. Students from into the classroom with absolute no knowledge of students hate the subject as they can't master the h these types of students with patience.
lot have enough time and energy to teach. Therefore Ima, novels, songs and fiction. These can motivate astically. But this methodology of teaching also has |r activities a teacher is unable to bring out the talents hing. The modern textbooks contain beautiful, intery and appreciating it is a wonderful experience which sroom setting one finds it extremely difficult to spend ture. V
2nts and interests. But only a few of us are aware of ze these and recognize them we could really develop
thdraw into a world which belongs only to them. Their on. They lack the time to develop and refresh their e to coach their students. The various competitions pportunity to bring out the talents and interests of the
ve their intelligence and strength to achieve success. within them are brought out to light. The drama and bilities. Finding Scripts to cater to their age and group, sibility of the teacher. Perseverance and hardworking nutshell, teachers play an important role in moulding
t St.Cecilia's College. I was under the impression that perienced teachers because only such teachers came time. Mr. Paiwa was one of those such persons I was e Sale" a musical comedy. There were many songs Wa training the girls at School. I just watched the way stumes fell on my shoulders. It was the first time and 'e me a boost and encouraged me. I even coached the a next step traind Stanly Haughton’s “Dear Dehe Provincial Level English day contests. At that time tle Women and we got the 2nd place at District level. us a helping hand. They got involved in training the nior level. Our children were very lucky to be trained :riences in teaching drama. The technique involving ted. It was really a Successful drama.

Page 46
“Spreading the News” was another comedy drama, w 1st place at the District level English day competitio
At this juncture I would like to mention that with the much time in selecting students for programmes. W. new faces each time. More and more students got in
Whenever Mr. Jayasankar came to advise us on how absolutely impressed and he was very happy too. He powerfully. From then onwards his advice and trainin to him. His precious time was often spent with ou students were encouraged and appreciated by him.
stuff, which we could promote, to a higher level. “Sp Level for the first time and went to National Level, b
Then our next drama Chalk Circle” succeeded by wi Azdak' was much praised by everyone, because \ student who performed the character of Azdak. The ( us to reach success. It was unbelievable to see ol expression and pronunciation. It was indeed a turning
Our Principal of St.Cecilia's. Sr. Elizabeth A.C was aly of St.Joseph's Convent assisted the students to impr always supported us in our activities. They were dum on stage. They were over-whelmed at witnessing th dently. They supported me and encouraged me a lo classes and extra classes to come for practice regularl a chance for their children to exhibit their talents.
Our next drama “The Plough and the Stars" by Sean school from Eastern Province winning two best act history of English dialogue drama contests.
It was a remarkable victory for the great effort of ol thanks to our Principal for being with us throughout
We had a rare opportunity to perform our drama t Trincomalee. We were astonished to see the respons encouraged. We were proud that the message of our received from the audience was really important.
The schools which were awarded at the National le theatre dramas. It’s quit true. The National awards w of schools. Our aim was to win the National awal performances at Trincomalee and the appreciation ( National awards was on our way.
i am very grateful to the students who won the bi Mutulingam and Miss Prasanna Mahendran.
I am really thankful to the Eastern University especi opportunity to perform our dramas at the World Dran Mr. Felix for writing out interesting and meaningful his everyday assistance.
The above valuable experiences guide me and lead n hardships and strains vanish, as we taste the fruit strengthen our younger generation's talents and abil

45
ich i trained with the help of Mr. Naren. We won the lS.
leavy schedule of work in school we could not spend not only selected the best students but also trained 'olved in our drama programmes each year.
to produce a drama more effectively, we found him praised the students for bringing out the characters g continued to serve us. We are indeed very thankful r children, moulding and strengthening them. The It was really wonderful to know that, we had some eading the News" won the 1st place at the Provincial ut unfortunately we couldn’t succeed there.
nning the 3rd place at National Level. The character we were able to bring out the hidden talents of the !xcellent choice of movements and stage props aided ir children speaking out the dialogue with correct gpoint in the history of English drama at St.Cecilia's.
ways by our side ready to do all the needful. The sisters ove their pronunciation and expression. The parents b founded seeing their children performing superbly eir children speaking and acting fluently and confit. The children were ready to sacrifice their tuition y. Some of the parents were thankful to me for giving
"O'Casey brought fame to me and to my school. Our ress awards for a particular drama is a record in the
ur students and school. I wish to express my sincere the trying period.
o the public at the Provincial-Level competition at e from the audience. We were highly appreciated and drama had reached the audience and the support we
vels were always recognized as the best schools for ere the only yardstick which fathomed the standards ds to prove our students' talent and abilities. The of the audience proved clearly that target to achieve
est actress awards for the first time, Miss Suganya
ally to Mr. Jayasangar and Mr. Felix who gave us the a Day Festival every year. I am extremely thankful to scripts whenever we needed. Words cannot describe
le to continue my services as a teacher. The struggles, bf success and victory. We are given the chance to ties and to develop new interests. These should give

Page 47
a thrill to the lives of our children. We should bro Creativity and learning ability are absent in childre stealing away their precious leisure. It is in our hand drama which is a tool in making the English language would give both contentment and beauty to our liv
According to psychologists, every child is a source the students to display their creativity. Costume de between characters, stage creation, script develop exercise their skills. Dramas as highlighted above stimulate their linguistic competence for spontaneo confidence for classroom learning activities.
ASTUDENT'S EXPERIENCE IN ENG
Today the standards of English drama in Batticaloa that we in Batticaloa are capable of producing plays English plays is however quite recent and is due teachers and determined students, and also the Mini be given credit for this growth.
Before the commencement of the armed struggle it artists of our community and I have also heard that those days. However after 1983, drama and Engli teaching institutes, performances for the public be mere re-gurgitation of memorized lines with a few c
It was in this kind of artistic limbo where many of us or less accepted that there was nothing more to dra faced the first English day competition held in Batti Director for English in Batticaloa.
My School St. Michael's College partook in ever There was a determination and a team effort among manage to obtain a 3rd place in any of these.
This experience I think was one of the most impor cesses. There were many disagreements in the jud these competitions ever again and many never did. more determined to win the next time, and it was this factors in the future growth of drama in our school.
In 1993, for the first time English day competitions Schools from Batticaloa partook. We had now reac drama was produced in our School, by English teac who had only recently joined our school and was si St. Michael's to its excellence in poetic drama.
This junior drama namely “The Emperors Test” wa tions in Trincomalee. That year I partook in a few i stayed at St. Joseph's College, Trincomalee and it Caesar which became the inspiration for Mrs. Cool drama had won the st place, and I still remembe drama, she told me 'Next year we are going to competitions

46
baden their interest and also develop new activities. n’s minds today because radio, TV and Internet are s to make them interested and involved in theatre and learning more powerful and interesting which at least
S.
of creativity. Drama provides the perfect avenue for signing, music, rendering of the dialogue, interaction ment etc. are some of the areas where students can meet the communicative needs of our students and us performance. It also reinforces the students' self
LSH DRAMA
Rajeevan Francis
has reached a point where we can state in confidence which will equal the best in Sri Lanka. This growth in mainly to the efforts of two schools, their dedicated stry of Education and the Department of English must
1983 there were many great performances by many E English plays, and, even Shakespeare was staged in ish drama in particular was confined to schools and come rare and non-existent, drama was reduced to a lumsy actions, and that was called drama.
involved in the dramatic arts today grew up. We more lma than this, and so, it was with this attitude that we caloa. This was organized by Mr. Somanadar, the then
y junior category group event which was organized. the students of our division. Yet sadly we did not even
tant events which laid the foundations for future sucgments and many students Swore never to partake in There was however another group who merely became group which later on became one of the most important
were organized by the Ministry of Education, where hed the Senior category, and that year only the junior hers Mrs. K. Kanchana and Mrs. C. M. Coomarasanny oon to become the driving force behind the growth of
is Selected to partake in the Provincial Level competiindividual items, so I too accompanied this group. We t was there that we watched a performalius of Julius marasamy. The next day we go the results, ou scoot that evening. during the competitions for the senic
io Shakespeare's Julius Cae:3: fir lic poe: uiana

Page 48
The next year in 1994 the English day competitions w true to her word began to train Julius Caesar for th initial attempt at Shakespeare, was indeed an awks couldn't wait to run off the stage after speaking m kings than to Roman senators, yet or that time, this that we restaged it to be filmed and sent to Canada
Then in 1995 again Macbeth was staged for the sch many people because a performer's worst nightma last event of the prize giving, by the time the play w was a dozen children and the teachers who trained
At around this time we were notified by the Departr be held and our teachers decided to perform Julius
During the Divisional Level competition we compete since 1992 had staged a few Shakespearean plays a and as there were only two schools participating v commented that we were very lucky that no others that period 1st and 2nd places were allowed to parta next competition, however a few changes were ma competitions after that embarrassing defeat, our tea ers were however determined to see the drama t characters. Another more important change was the Naaren Sir who had only just recently joined St. M competition and it had won the I' place, and he pro next three weeks we almost constantly lived with h and ambition to perform and win. We worked hardc and so he experimented with many innovative way inspired a team spirit, no character was unimportar just a minute was trained with equal vigor as the auditorium which was being built. At that time it wa We used to practise all day and many times we wo practise. He also compelled us to do research into indeed this training which formed the basis for our
There is however a point what I wish to make, in the that it is the team of performers which count the mos it is almost impossible to train an uncommitted gi behind the success of this play, the commitment oft be applauded.
If Naaren Sir was the key, Coomarasamy teacher wa all external worries and allowed us to concentrate was an inspiration to us all.
Then came the District Level competition in which v although again we obtained the Second place again that performance. We again resumed our training v weaknesses was our voice production. Naaren Sir listen to the drama from there. Every time we were louder. Many of as got Sore throats during those d
Then in the Provincial Level competitions much to 5 Schools, we won for our School and Batticaloa th
Julius Caesar was awarded the 2nd place at the N received the 2nd best actor's award for his portray

47
ere not held in Batticaloa. However Mrs. Coomarasamy 2 school prize giving. This performance as it was our tard production, as an actor in that play I remember I
lines, the costumes likewise was more akin to Tamil drama was considered a fine production to the extent
ool prize giving. This drama was to have an effect on e came true. As the drama had been scheduled as the S staged the only audience remaining to watch the play he drama.
nent that the English day competitions for 1995 would Caesar for the competition.
against St. Cecilia's production of Hamlet. St. Cecilia's, nd as they were more experienced and skilled than us ve managed to obtain the second place and everyone chools partook in those competitions. Anyway during ke in the next level. So we again began training for the de, a few of our performers refused to partake in the cher Mrs. Coomarasamy and the other English teachhrough and they put new people to fill in for those entry of Mr. Naaren into the training of Julius Caesar. 1ichael's had produced a Junior drama for that year's mised to help us train for the next competition. For the is optimism and spirit which gave us all a true interest luring that period, Naaren Sir was also new to this field s to bring out the best in each and every one of us. He ht, everyone even if that person stood on the stage for other major characters, We trained in St. Michael's Snothing more than an open concrete slab with a stage. uld also spend the night at school with Naaren Sir to the drama and ancient life styles of Romans. It was future performances.
recent past I have trained a few drama and I have found it. A trainer can do wonders with a committed team but oup. Therefore even though Naaran Sir was the key hat team and the team spirit behind the endeavor must
sour anchor. She keptus all together, shielded us from solely on the performance; her untiring determination
re were a changed group. We performed to our best and st St. Cecilia's, we indeed felt proud of ourselves for ith new vigor, during the period, as one of our major would go down the steps of the auditorium and then not audible be would send a message for us to shout ays, yet hardly anyone complained.
2veryone's Surprise even ours, after competing against e first ever victory in the poetic drama competitions.
ational level competitions and Mas. Sanjey Rajendra l of Brutus.

Page 49
The next year we produced Macbeth. This drama wol place at the National Level. This was the first time tha the national award for senior poetic drama.
That same year our school also produced a senior dia on a story by Sir Alfred Hitchcock was originally writ of St. Michael's around 30 years ago. This play was this drama was not selected for the national competiti theatrical circles a new group who were to prove inv subsequent formation of ALBION.
The next year we produced Hamlet. Mr. Kirubaharan who our teacher Mrs. Coomarasamy used to repeate actively became involved in the direction of this play was the first time we worked with an experienced th pressed by his vocalization and acting skills. This ins ing he often used a quotation from Hamlet, quote:
"Put the words to the action and the action to the wor of acting and it is a piece of advice I have tried to fol
Hamlet again easily won through all the levels and wo I was awarded the best actor's award for my portraya
The following year we attempted a new competition. organized by the Y.M.C.A of Colombo. We produced held at the Lionel Wendt theatre. This play was howe and was produced within a very short time space. Ne and unfortunately, as that was the last year we were e chance to Surmount this challenge and to date no scl and it is still an uncrossed frontier for an aspiring sc,
That year we performed King Lear for the English shrouded with controversy, and even though we qual there we only obtained the 2nd place and thus disqua King Lear was a play which defeated us. Through plagued with bad luck and bad attitudes. In Julius Ca is not in the stars but in ourselves'. May be this is tr us with the arrogance that we were invincible.
However it may be, even though we trained subseq performed for our school, in this same year Mrs. C Naaren Sir left for Peradeniya to continue his studies, have been inglorious if not for the work done in thc drama in Batticaloa. It succeeded in raising drama fro form and our uncompromising search for better qua
At the end of 1997, Naaren Sir and a few or us who w with students of St. Cecilia's who like us had been a Together we planned and formed ALBION Performil Performing Arts.
in the next few years ALBION was again to make hi was the public of Batticaloa.
The story of ALBiON'S formation and subsequent

48
through all levels with ease and was awarded the Ist t a school from the North East Province was awarded
logue drama "Death is a Dream'. This drama, based en in Tamilby Mr. Kamalanathan, à former Principal translated into English by Mr. Naaren. Even though ons, this play was important in that it brought into the aluable in the next production of our school and the
Lecturer in English, Eastern University was a person ily approach for comments and advice. This year he . His influence had a profound effect on us all. This eatrical personality and we were all extremely impired many of us to improve our skills. While direct
is and this in effect I think summaries the basic skill low ever since.
n the 1st place at the National Level competitions and
of Hamlet.
This was the prestigious Shakespearean competition scenes from King Lear for the semi finals which were ver plagued with problems, both internal and external edless to say we lost hopelessly in these competitions ntitled to partake as school students we never got the hool from Batticaloa has won that prestigious award hool.
Day competition as well. These competitions were ified to partake in the Provincial Level competitions alified from further participation in that competition. out its entire production and performance we were esar, Cassius States to Brutus “The fault, dear Brutus le in that our continuous victories had filled many of
uent plays, King Lear was the last performance we Doomarasamy retired from the teaching service and , thus an era came to as end. The end of this story may ise four years which helped to raise the standards of m a mere sequence of line memorizing to a mature art lity set the standards for future productions.
ere involved in these school productions got together ctive in their school productions and had left school. ng Arts Club currently known as ALBON society for
Story and Set new standard for a new audience which
growth is however another story for a future time.

Page 50
HERELEASE OFTHIRD EVE-SEV
ession 3-An Impression .
he session dedicated to Alagu Subramanyam drew
A profile on Alagu Subramanyam presented by Jay have a limited or no knowledge on the life and work
The Sharing of thoughts on " Flightless Butterfly'
These were two good and powerful sharing; one by S.M. Felix as the scriptwriter, on the above topics wh
Rejeevani Francis shared the back-stage activities gradual build up of self-confidence and the undyings drama as an integral part of enjoyment and self-expr it in a thrilling and captivating voice.
The story of S.M.Felix made the audience to feel th
The Flightless Butterfly
The two sharing enlightened the audience of the gra
The performance of “The Flightless Butterfly" breath Batticaloa.
The performance starts in a world of dreams, goes incidentally is our reality of life today.
The experience of a student in English Drama by Re whole theatrical activities which took place in the lat
I hope his balanced views would of great help to th Batticaloa in the 90's in days to come.
The Poetry Readings:
Two readings by Delina Felix and Niroshini Srither: were Sweet and captivating and made the poems sou the poor bilinguals like me.
I feel that there is a growing trend among the leading
There is every freedom for those who opt for it. B introduce a new trend - a trend which encourages the poetry by involving in it. Had the poems been prese more useful.
The performance of Robin Hood' and the song b everyone -especially by children. Their efforts shou
The play ‘Othello by ALBON captivated the audi audience interaction. I feel that a right mood be create the teacher of English and student should be accom effort.
I congratulate the minds behind this pioneering effo way for greater wisdom, wider experience and constr

49
NTH ISSUE
SSASITHARAN
a crowd of enthusiasts of varying ages.
Sankar was a thought provoking one for those who f Alagu Subramanyam.
and the 'Show'
the participant Rejeevani Francis and the other by ich provided good nourishment for the listeners.
which shaped the destiny of the original play, the pirit of teamwork and enthusiasm. The feeling to feel 'ssion were the highlights her sharing. She presented
e other side of the play, the script writing aspects of
dual evolution of the play.
ed a new trend in drama, a trend relatively foreign to
through reality and ends with drama again, which
jeevan Francis was a good attempt to summarize the e 90's in Batticaloa, especially in the town schools.
ose who will trace the history'of School Theater in
In adorned the 3rd session. To be honest, the voices ind beautiful but their meaning incomprehensible to
schools in Batticaloa to follow the elocution mania.
ut the “Third Eye should take meaningful steps to reader as well as the listener to enjoy the meaning of nted along with their translations it could have been
y the YMCA English club were highly enjoyed by d be congratulated. Well-done children!
ence but the sound system was a barrier to actor - d through the Third Eye English Forum. Therefore modated more in the future to taste the fruits of this
its and thoughts. May this beautiful beginning pave Ictive criticism.

Page 51
In the sixth issue of “Third Eye" we published anal Magic Gobbles up the Realism”). Areader has se novelist, which might interest our readers.
Editor
WHY DON'T LIKE MAGICREALISM-ORHAN (Turkish novelist) s
o - a v here I should make a confession. I don't excess (at the end of One Hundred Years of Solituc carries a volume of Rabelais in hand), this vision o lost its demons. And now, what quite often seems excess. This new mode of telling stories through me and Sugary way of presenting the other, reducing edges and threat for a comfortable read giving the which seem merely folkloric no matter how horrific magic realism (which is perhaps away of communic 00 years or Midnight's children are read as experi India'
Source : Times Literary Supplement,
September 8, 1995.
Letters to the Editor
MARILYN KRYSL
2003 MESA DR.#4, BOULDER, COLORADO 80 ph: 303-444-6643 or 303-492-5213. FAX: 303-4 http://spot.colorado.edu/~krysl.krysl (d) Colorado,
Dear S.Jayasankar,
Thank you so much for THIRD EYE. It seems to me reviews which keep me informed about new publica by the review of Marquez' One Hundred Years of very popular, and no one much critiques magic rea as a mode which expresses the particular imaginati tribal people as well, and the offspring of interma article is making me question this.
By the way, I know Raymond Williams, who is refe in Boulder.
I also want to mention to you one novel by Marc because it is a satire and critique of Latin America USA)powers. Soothe book is about corruption-o think it is an important book, and it is also stylistic getting longer in each chapter; so that by the time sentence. The book is Autumn of the Patriarch, 19 wrote the review knows it. If not, you might sugges up with reading Marquez

50
ticle on “One Hundred Years of solitude” (titled “The nt us the following observation made by a Turkish
PAMUK
ke magic realism: derived from Rebelais’s demons of e, one of the younger members of the Buendia family fabulation has over the years and in popular versions to be imaginative', 'fantastic and funny' is plain llowing Rabelaisian humour has become a convenient
its otherness to tolerable proportions, softening its reader cute, lovable characters moving in situations they are. It's not coincidental that he best examples of ating between cultures rather than within a culture), say 2nces of “entire other contexts, be it Latin America or
304 92-8904 edu
a very good magazine, and I was happy to see the book tions by Tamil writers. Also I was intrigued in this issue Solitude. It is very thought provoking. Here Marquez is lism. In the library world it is respected and thought of on of people in Latin America-not just Hispanics but rriage between Hispanics and tribal peoples. But this
rred to in this article. He used to teach at my University
|uez which I think is his best novel of all, and I like it dictators and their complicity with Western (especially f the US and of Latin American governments as well. I :ally unusual. The sentences are VERY long, and keep we arrive at the last chapter, that chapter is one long 75. Perhaps you have read it. Possibly the person who t it to him. But he may not want to read it-he sounds fed

Page 52
Thank you for asking me to submit some work to TH The story is set in Shri Lanka, and is about a Tami American stories, an anthology that will be publis means that more people here will read about the war you must publish it. You can just have it for your o made about the culture--such mistakes are inevitab and there is no way around this except to try to lea
The poem “Famine Relief comes from my working interests me because it is ultimately about enviro though water is woman who is speaking to the pec
Then I am sending you a long poem, but you cant a section or two. It addresses many issues, and inclu translate for Suriya. This woman was the first batter when domestic violence was just beginning to be re. on trail for the death of their child whom he abuse. of TIME and NEWSWEEK magazines. In the po because there is a love song everyone here knows ca using this ironically, because the story of Hedda “love story. The child, a girl of six, died at his han least she was too weak to stop it.
My dear Jeya sankar,
Sri Ganesh posted me a copy of the 6 issue of Th it to me and that you will carry a special issue on n that I’m using my position in the Advisory Board I have done anything special to warrant a special is you not to do any such thing. There was a very big Dies", Please carry the following correction in yol
The first paragraph of the review titled A Story of should have read as follows:
"The title might beguile some readers who are un this is a PROUSTIAN kind of novel "Due to a typ of novel." The error is regretted.

51
IRD EYE. I’m enclosing some poems and a short story. woman and her children. It is going to appear in Best led here in October. I am happy about this, because it in Sri Lanka and know a little about it. Please don't feel wn enjoyment. And you can also tell me mistakes I've le when a foreigner writers about a culture nother own, rn to do better after the fact
in one of Mother Teresa's hospices. The poem “water" mental crisis. Though in the poem I have written as ple around her.
ake sections out of it and publish, if you want to, only des a poem on Hedda Nussbaum which I hope you will dwoman who came to national attention here, at a time cognized as a major problem. When her partner was put l, the photograph of her bruised face was on the cover em I begin each line with the world BLACK. This is led Black is the Color of My True Love's Hair. So I am Nussbaum and her partner is a terrible travesty on a ds, and Hedda probably was partly complicit in that: at
ird Eye. I was horrified to find that you had dedicated ne. Please don't do any such thing as people will think o blow my own trumpet. Apart from that, I don't think sue, I'm writing to Suresh too to contact you and advise mistake in my review of Sivanandan's “When Memory ir next issue.
Three Generation' in the sixth issue of Third Eye (p. 21)
aware of the author's background into thinking that ing error, the sentence read "this is a promotion kind
Yours sincerely, A.J.C A.J. Canagaratna.

Page 53
THE STORY OF
BY: M. NI
TRANSLATED BY: S.M
NTRODUCTION.
Although beautiful, our earth is a planet with ref Continent of Gods as all four main religions of the w the Continent of Gods, Asia is one of the two contin Africa.). The island of Sri Lanka which is in Asia is this island has become an island with a large numbe
In this island, for the Thamils who are fighting to get and parcel of their lives. In most cases, every Thamil Thousands of Thamils are leading a displaced life ir refugees have been detained as prisoners. In Europ. being deported any minute in a disgraceful manner
This short play is about the millions of people who h; living as refugees in their own land or in foreign soil
In the Eelam war, comparatively it is the Eelam war South of their homeland, having been displaced, are are living in refugee camps, temporary shelters or wit north, a considerable number from Valigamam and displaced.
During the Eelam War II, the highest number of refug Valampuri, in which military operation the Punahariri from the Islands poured suddenly on the city of Jaf Refugees' began to be created.
The play “The Story of the Refugees” was written fo Vilvaratnam, who was a refugee from Valampuri wa visualize the sorrows of the refugees. (He himself w
Apart from that, when the play was being practised among the performers. Their experiences communic all, an important point to consider here is that the process of stage creation until it reached perfection.
The objective of the play is to bring about the real attempts to avoid as far as possible, causing damag sible promises or to express self-satisfying declaratic in a question.
The tone of the play is the silence that is created expectation that this silence be maintained through when they move, or sing, We anticipate the theme r
This play was first staged at Uduwil Girls’ Colle, Music Direction was by K.Sathiyan.

52
THE REFUGEES. ANTHIAN.
INTO ENGLISH
FELIX
ugees. The Asian Continent is also known as the orld had had their origin in Asia. Although known as ents with the largest number of refugees (the other is called the Princess of the islands. Though attractive, r of refugees.
their motherland back, refugee life has become a part has experienced at least a short period of refugee life. their motherland itself. Those who went to India as : these Thamils remain uninvited guests in a state of
ave been uprooted from their motherland and are now
II that has produced more refugees. Thamils from the living injungles. In the north, the displaced Thamils h their relatives and known people. Particularly, in the
almost all from the whole of the islands have been
ees who were displaced, were the result of“Operation pad was closed. Large crowds of refugees of Valampuri, fna in one day. A short while later, the Story of the
Ir performance by the Uduwil Girls’ College. Poet S. is with us. He served as a model which enabled us to Irote the final song of the play.)+
at Uduwil Girls’ College, there were some refugees ated directly, also helped us to create the play. Above initial script underwent several changes during the
state of the refugees in its true form. This creation 2 to the real sorrow of the refugees by giving imposons through the characters. Due to this, the play ends
when sadness becomes anger. Therefore it is our Dut the Play, viz: when characters talk to each other, music too to be a manifestation of silence.
ge in 1992. It was directed by S. Jeyasankar and the

Page 54
THE STORY OF I.
Cast: A family : father, mother, daughter (al Three middle-aged or slight, Two couples : middle-aged or slightly Couple A (Husband A wife A) Coup A single man : C A single old woman.
(In the backstage is heard confusing riotous excited scre With this, the characters enter the stage with a motion of are heard mildly).
- archi, our Archi's missing.
- came running with nothing but the clothes we were we
- thambi, thambi.
- didn't even lock the house.
- came running, leaving behind the curry on the fire.
- didn't bring any of our things.
- amma, amma. Amma's not to be seen.
(Suddenly firing and bomb blasts are heard; characters a lie flat).
- amma, amma. Amma's missing.
- archi, where are you?
- thambi, thambi.
(The characters who were under cover come out slowly
Mother: Can't go.
Father: Can't go beyond the Main Road.
Χ Bridge's blasted.
Y Smoke is visible from the coast.
Z Oh! The village's burning.
Χ Aiyo, he went to bring our children,
Z Our archirefused to come.
Y Look here; we came running with or
Wife B : hs it true? You brought your chicke
Hulsband B : Keep quiet, it was a great miracle th
C : Thambi, thambi, did you see the one
Father : Can't go now, annai
C Aiyo, aiyo.
Mother Oh God! Can't we go back to our

53
E REFUGEES
tle girl)
older women called X, Y and Z.
stler. e B (Husband B wife B)
lms. The screams gradually increase in intensity. being dragged. Above the Screams, a few voices
aring.
refrightened; they fall to the ground instantly and
has not returned yet.
ly the clothes we're wearing.
ns"with you?
at we escaped. Who cared for chickens?
who came with me? He's missing.
buses?

Page 55
Song : We're the ones who are corn We are the ones who became Of all broken agreements.
Having been dreamers, Having been confused by fal Having become refugees allo Being uninvited guests, We remain disgraced as we a
In our homes, the old are left In our homes, dogs howl.
In our homes, lights never bu The roads of our villages are Aiyo, In the harvest time, Our fields were lost Aiyo, In the time of plenty, Our sea was lost. Oh! Abandoned were our vil The victims were we We were the victims. (The intensity of the song falls; father raises his
Father: Relief
Re ..... li .....e f Re...... li.....ef
First stage : Dry rations.
(Other characters join in the queue to receive relie rations)
Second stage : Kerosene. (Again the characters join in the queue. After re.
Third stage : Milk powder.
(Again the characters join in the queue, but this t relief)
Song Aelealo Aiilasa
Aelealo Aelealo Aiilasa Aelealo
Ship's coming, letter's coming (2) Aelealo Aiilasa Aelealo (2) Rice's is coming, Sugar's coming (2) Aelealo Aiilasa Aelealo (2) Medicine's coming, stamp's coming (2) Aclealo Aiilasa Aelealo (2)
What else has not come ...... 9 What else has not come ......
(All characters sit with a stumble.)
(The music of the night or the silence of the ni

54
red, he first victims
е реасе, er the world,
lone,
I), n ruins.
lages
/oice gradually and rises)
f. They return to their former place, after they receive dry
:eiving the relief, they return to their former place)
me they begin to dance with a stagger after receiving the
ht is announced by the sounds of insects.)

Page 56
Child Amma, I'm frightened.
Mother Wait until it dawns.
Child Amma, it’s cold
Mother Wait, until it dawns.
Child Amma , I'm hungry.
Mother Wait, until it dawns.
(Silence)
Child Amma, where's appa?
Mother He went to bring firewood.
Child When will he come?
Mother After he cuts up the firewood.
Music continues . This music is the fore music of
of the play.
Song continues :
Song
lnterlude :
Father
C
Father
C
Father
C
Father
(During the song, two characters - father
There comes your husband. Having readied a small cart, Laden with bananas Drawn by two bullocks, so red
(The cyclists talk with each other in the t
Annai, from where?
Maha Vidiyalayam Refugee Camp.
Where to?
Kombadi, to get kerosene
Native place?
Trincomalee, and you?
Islands
Interlude rises; second stanza of the song "There com
Bony's the bullock, Quicks the Sand, Puls not the bullock, So suffers your husband, Pulling the cart.

55
the songs that are to follow. It is the theme music
and C mime riding a bicycle.)
background of the interlude.)
es your husband”

Page 57
Interlude.
(Cyclists talk to each other within the interlu
C . So, you stay with your relatives?
Father : Mmm... with relatives, burden on
C Yes, burden.
(The cyclists mime moving the bicycles, and mov
(Follows the music of the dawn... it dawns with :
Mother . In our village, we had plot of land.
X : We too had a house. Though sma
Y : Mmm, our house in our village.
Wife A : in our village, we had a paddy fiel
Wife : In our village, we had a sea for us.
Mother : In our village, we had kiths and kii
Y is overcome with emotions, gets up, runs screan
Husband A : Here, we have to begin every
Wife A : We're a new caste here.
Husband . A new race.
Wife B : A new class.
Z : A new caste called refugees, a nev
Song The first stanza of the song: “We
the interlude music of “There con
Song : Bony's the bullock, Defective’s the cart Pull not the bullocks So suffers your husband Pulling the cart.
(Interlude of the song tones down. Father mimes children.)
Father My back's broken
Mother : Drink tea.
(Father drinks tea, child goes near
Child : Appa, what did you bring for me?
(Father looks at the child silently)

56
de.)
others, dead life
e away from the stage.)
cough - a sickly dawn.)
and we had a house on it.
ll, it was ours.
d for us. Though a small field, it was our own.
Though a small sea, it was our own.
ns of our own. We had a life of our own. We had values.
ning. Other characters hold him down and console him.)
thing from the beginning.
V race, a new class
re the ones who are cornered" is sung. It is followed by nes your husband' and the last stanza.
iding a bicycle, parks it onto a side, approaches wife and

Page 58
Mild silence.
Mother : They say there's no relief this time. Father : Not even firewood tO CUt.
Mother : So, what to do?
Father : We have to beg.
Mild silence
The child reads from a book.
*Aakkandi, Aakkandi Where did you lay your eggs? Split the rocks, to lay the eggs In the seven seas. Though laid four eggs, Hatched three eggs only.
Circled three mountains For food for older chick Circled seven mountains For food for younger chick Circled Coral Mountain For food for the chick I saw. Son of mysterious gypsy Laid a snare on my way That entangled my two legs and two wings The tears of my eyes And the tears of my chicks Flowed in the canal Whereby washed the travelers their feet, Flowed into ginger Enriching the roots of lime Flowed into ladies fingers Enriching the roots of pomegranate Thus dried therein.
*(Aakkandi: lap wing)
Child : Amma, my eyes are aching
Letters are not visible. Light, not sufficient.
Mother : Read in the available light.
Child : Amma, maths copybook is full.
Mother : Why? Where's your copy book that
Child : I left it at home when l came running.
Mother : Ask from the boy who sits next to yo

you bought last month?
Didn't even bring the maths book.
57

Page 59
Child : Ask whom? I don't know anyone.
Mild silence.
Song Silver flowers all over the sky,
w No hands to gather them.
Refugee children all over the wor
No one to embrace them.
Birds chirp all over the open field No one to listen yearningly, Voices of children on the way, or No soul to feel compassion. (Silverf
Shoals of twirling fish in the sea, No one to enjoy lovely sigh Refugee children drifting in the b
No way to reach the coast.
(Silverf
Supreme justice all over the worl
With sermons plenty. Night and day alternate,
No radiance for refugee chil (Silver f
(The ringing of the postman's bicycle is heard. Wife
Old woman : Letters?
From abroad?
Wife A Yes. From Son.
(reads the letter)
Father, mother and everyone. I am well. May God g problems there. I don't know where you are. I even
Last month we were in an African country the name of do not know where the agent will take us next. Never
Among the agents, there is not a single good or hone
S.
Anna phoned from Switzerland to say that your gra Swiss.
Last time when anna phoned me, he said the Swiss g He is very much worried.
Husband A : Mmm... Here we're refugees an
Old woman : Wherever we go, we're asylums
Wife Grandson's started talking, itse
Husband We’re mot lucky to listen.
Y: Our children who have to care for us in our last c (Woman with a sigh. mimes chasing the dog.)
Old woman : No children even to light our py

58
, the streets,
OWOS. . . . . . . . . . )
t.
Oats,
Ιονvers......... )
d,
dren. lowers........)
A goes to one side of the stage and receives a letter.)
ive you good health. I heard from B.B.C. about the don't know when this letter will reach your hands.
which we do not know. Now we are in Bangkok. We theless he says he will eventually take us to Germany.
st one. However we have to trust them. Let god help
indchild has started to talk. The child says amma in
overnment is going to send back the Tamil refugees.
dour children are refugees in foreign land.
eekers. Our fate.
€IՈS.
lays, are not with us.
re.

Page 60
Husband Though with children, we are lon
Wife : Our family's scattered.
(Old woman coughs continuously
X and Y move towards the old woman. .
Y : Archi, archi, what's happening?
Old Woman : Severe headache for the last three
Y Yes, your eyes are red.
(they touch Archi)
X : Your body's burning.
Y Contagious disease?
The child's mother drags the child away when she trie
Mother : Come here. Don't go near Archi.
Father : Yes. others are also going to get it
Husband A : 颜 Archi, didn't you take any tablets
Old woman : Who's there to give me medicine?
Wife A Why, can't you go to the govern
Old woman : Who's there to take me?
Father : If you neglect it like this, everybo
Old woman : What can I do? Who's there for n
Father : Where are your children?
Mother : May be abroad.
Husband : Who knows where they are and W
Old woman : Children, don't leave me alone. I
(Music - Prelude to the song, or the song begins dire Stanzas, are rendered in the background of the interluc
Song : Ailing mother,
So lonely, Where are your children? Born through mortification
Χ : The queen of sorrows
The mother of young You're left alone now.
Song : At the time of age and sickness
Engulfing you. To whom have you come From your native land Leaving behind your roots
ү : Her sons disappeared,
Her daughters kidnapped. She became lonely with the childr Left behind as orphans.

ly like the barren.
a sickly cough.)
days. Whole body's aching.
s to go near the old woman.
Archi is sick.
ment dispensary?
|y|| get it.
he'?
hat they are doing.
have no one.
ctly. The sentences that come between every two le.)

Page 61
Song : When your house
Was burning in the moonlight, Sans son, daughter, You dwelled there, mother.
Mother : She spent her long lightless ni
In the woods. She crossed the unsafe roads, Crossed the rivers And crossed the mountains To bring food To the children under her care,
Song : Listen
You mother of sorrow and wid You are barren - like Though children you had, Mother, mother. (Mus
Old woman : Oh god, I’m left alone. If I we people, I would not suffer as a
(At this point all the characters move onto the frol
Mother : (Facing the audience)
Aiyo! When will the time come for
Child : (Facing the mother, crying)
I want to go home I want tog
(All characters face the audience and ask the audi
C : When will the time come for u When will the time come for o
X : Our houses are in darkness. V
husband : Our compounds are in ruins. snakes. We must go there, Sw cow-dung and lay “Kolom d
X : The Sounds of bells in our ki worship.
C : Have you seen mythambi'? Ify
without fail.
Old woman : My children, my children, chil
Music rises and dies off. Silence.
Acknowledgement:
Song: “There comes your husband...." . Th
A new caste called refugee, new race, new Song: "Aakkandi, Aakkandi': Thamil folk Song: "Silver flowers...." By Poet M. Ponar

60
hts
c of the song ends.)
e in my house, in my village, with my children and my n orphan. ۔
it stage towards the audience.)
us to be happy with our children in our compounds?
go home! Go home.... go home.
ence)
s to return to our homes? ur scattered families to come together?
We must go there to light the lamps.
Venomous snakes have built their hills - venomous eep them clean, plaster and polish the floor anew with esigns”
vils are no more. We must go there to continue our
ou see him, tell him that I'm here. Don't forget. Tell him
ren..... children..... children.
ND .
mil folk song. lass'. From the poem of Ahilan. )ng.
balam.

Page 62
A Review of" Williangu gall thoguthi o A. M. Riya (Colombo: Moontravathu Mani
These are days when we talk of blurred genres in th between fact and fiction are getting blurred. Journal to capture reality. For example, the New York Times five page narration of what happened inside the Wol into the building till the moment it collapsed. This those working inside to their acquaintances outside. 18 people who worked in the floors above the ones no one can vouch for the veracity of these reports, understand what happened during those frantic last another example, in his “biography” of Ronald Rega tance who follows Regan through the different stage know that the author is almost half the age of Regan a Some readers accept this as a useful fictional device 1 greater immediacy. Moreover, even serious academ reality they encounter in their research. Anthropolog into novels to capture the customs and practices of r job of capturing the culture than decontextualized inf background that I was curious to read how Riyas (a would merge his primary area of scholarship-Zoo
At his best, Riyas manages to fuse zoological infort for the other. In the title story, Vilangu Natatthaikal, human and the other in the animal world—that ironi observes how a new male takes over the leadership headship by brutally sexually assaulting the offsprir While the narrator spends time in this lonely islando project, he also comes across a mother who has lo questioning by those in uniforms'). She is now livin family life (especially as she has to look after the u When the story ends, the abusive male monkey falls the older monkeys for its violation of their sexual executed by the militants, and a board hanging from may feel that justice has been done in both the hum sentimentality. The story raises the question wheth would only continue, and lead to new forms of abus
Ahamed doesn't fall into the competing traps of eith celebrating people as superior to animals in confor themes are evoked in diverse stories, in this story the that of human beings parallel each other. At the end, of the gunshots (of the boatman being executed by th on how we all inhabit a universe that features relate
What adds to the significance of the story is that t background of the ethnic conflict so violently wagec the narrator is a final year university student who v keys. He has to do this study as a project to comple in a remote island. he sees the effects of the fighting narrator sees abandoned houses, dilapidated bridg birth place beyond recognition. He is questioned controlled by them. Interestingly, we see only males

61
ntru alathu vilangu nadathaigal by S Ahaned than Publication, January 2002).
Dr. Suresh Canaharajah.
e world of writing. At the most basic level, the lines ists are resorting to slightly fictionalized descriptions has recently published (on the May 26, 2002 issue) a ld Trade Center from the moment the planes crashed is pieced together from a transcript of calls made by Though most of these people died in the event (only hit by the planes are supposed to have escaped), and this narrative is the best account we have in order to minutes in the top-most floors of the building. To take n, Edmund Morris fictionalizes his role as an acquains of the former President's rise to power. Though we ind couldn't have lived through Regan's whole career, that enables the biographer to present the subject with lic authors are using fiction to capture the empirical gists like Dennis Tedlock have turned their field notes non-western communities. Such narratives do a better ormation from the researcher's field report. It is in this faculty member in the Sciences at Eastern University) ogy-with literature in his collection of short stories.
mation with the story element without sacrificing one the narrator describes two sets of events - one in the cally comment on each other. In the animal world, he of the “troop,” and how one in particular abuses its ng of its new consort (the mate of the previous head). bServing this group of monkeys as part of his research st her husband (disappeared after being taken in for 1g with a boatman who helps her continue her difficult pbringing of her daughter born to her first husband). dead from the tree, presumably attacked, punished by norms. Under another tree nearby, the boatman is his neck reads “For raping my daughter.” Though we an and animal worlds, the author leaves no room for er the cycle of new leadership (especially of males)
SC.
er romanticizing the animals as better than humans or mity to dominant humanistic ideology. Though these re is a tension in the way the world of the animals and when the narrator ends the story tautly with the noise e militants), we are left with some disturbing thoughts d forms of authority, domination, and violence.
hese juxtaposed dramas are being played out in the in the region. The framing device for the story is that isits his native village to study the behavior of monte his Bachelor's degree. As he steps into this village between Tamil militants and the Sri Lankan army. The es, and an eerie isolation that have transformed his py both groups of militia as he enters into the areas in the militia he encounters. One Wonders whether the

Page 63
fluctuating fortunes of each group, in a battle wag dominance that both; humans and animals share. Wł boatman occurs on the last day of his project, wher Submit his final report, we are aware that he has lear an important rite of passage. As the graduate leaves i effects of power and violence. It would be nice if g. with such life lessons.
With such an engaging plot in the story, we hardly m Ahamed throws in from his scholarly background. overarching,” “monogamy, “baniyan troop” etc.) of parenthesis, we are not bothered by these. Actually cance of the story. We begin to compare the practices our own. I was left wondering about our cultures o animal world we socially condemn incest and sex punishment meted out to those who violate this not nevertheless. Is there something deeper than our Soc such forms of sex (as evidenced by the heightened cized revelations of priests abusing children in the U. together effectively to develop a powerful vision of
If Ahamed is also interested in teaching us somethin The Zoological knowledge gets a sugar coating thro that people shouldn't attempt to help a fallen monke lead to the other monkeys attacking the intruder to and provides the authoritative view from the scho monkeys never lose their grip as they leap from tre monkeys do in fact fall and lose their life at times strategy of science education is compared to that of for popularizing scientific knowledge through his interesting as he has the talent for teaching Science
Unfortunately, this tension between both fields is “kurankukalin rajyaththil” the story element is wea zoological information patiently waiting for the plot ending. Nothing significant happens as the story en Zoological ruminations of the author.
Similarly, the connection between the human and th serves as a random metaphor for aspects in the h changes color becomes a motif for the diverse milit essentially the same in their practices of force. The the chameleon in the course of the story don't add about a boy who has lost his father and older bro excuse the invitation of the narrator to catch Some goes on to brutally kill them and rip them apart. With form of revenge the helpless and lonely boy can wr story gains some literary value from this psycholog
Similarly, other stories like “Pampukai" don't deliv Snakes are once again motifs for Soldiers who hid with deadly force against those who intrude into the the author provides on the different forms of venom to the plot. These reflections are occasioned by the As the author attempts to take the lady to the hospit costs the life of the mother. The author concludes t snakes kill by delaying the provision of treatmer dramatic. As the narrator and a helpful cab driver (c

62
ed in the name of freedom, is part of this cycle of en the final killing of both the male monkey and the the narrator is ready to leave for his university and it more than what he came for. The project constitutes nto the adult world, he goes with a bitter lesson on the aduating from a university always provides students
ind the zoological information and observation notes Though he introduces many technical terms (“male en glossed with the Latinate and English originals in , the information he provides helps build the signifiof monkeys with human male/female relationships on f sexuality. It appears that both in the human and the ual exploitation of children (as we see in the harsh m); yet in both species such practices seem to occur :ial norms that makes people still covertly experience public awareness of child abuse and the much publiS media these days). Thus zoology and literature come the world we share with other species.
g about the practices of animals, he does achieve that. ugh literature. I certainly appreciated getting to know y as the suspicion whether they are a friend or foe can death. Ahamed also challenges popular assumptions larly world. He demystifies the common notion that es. He gives evidence from his own observation that . I couldn't help wondering how more effective this a creative scientist like Jay Gould who is well known easy and colourful prose. Ahamed's strategy is more
through stories.
not preserved in many other stories. In stories like k. There is no compelling plot. As I went through the to reach its climax, I felt cheated. The story has a tame ds. The thin plot appears only to be an excuse for the
e animal are not always significant. The animal simply (uman world. So in “Onaankal, the chameleon that int groups who come in different uniforms while being many other sorts of information Ahamed provides for much to understanding the militants. The story talks ther to the different groups of militants. Using as an live chameleons for his dissection purposes, the boy some restraint, the narrator implies that this is the only 2ak on his killers and gain some form of catharsis. The gical reading.
er the thematic profundity I expected. In this story, the e inside underground mud-formed bunkers and strike ir territory without proper permission. The information and the different types of treatment are not tied strictly case of a neighbor who is bitten by a Snake one night. al, they are stopped at an army sentry point. The delay hat while snakes kill by striking someone, these human it. I expected the climax to be more heigh ened and lescribed as a “Good Samaritan') overlook some of the

Page 64
accepted practices in getting permission at the sentr lack of a response from the army indicating a possibl mistaken identity exacerbated by the darkness of the "Good Samaritan' were going to be killed by the a trouble' or “out of the frying pan into the fire”- environment of the occupied region. But after sever quickly concludes with the mother dying because t
It is striking that the narrator of all the stories I read local university, who is engaged in observing anima curious about their activity. This appears to be a ve nearly all the stories are written in the first perso “Krishnapillai,” the story of a child-laborer in a ea person narration make the story too sentimental. Con who attains a tragic stature because he is seen throu should explore other points of view to his stories. animals on the human world. When I started reading t see the human world though the eyes of animals-as
I was also curious why the persona narrating the stor has an ambivalent attitude toward his identity. Thoug author, the inside pages (with publishing information atmosphere in Eastern Sri Lanka, Ahamed could ha writing. He has certainly succeeded in hiding his
identity that doesn't intrude too much into his zool guage of the narrator thinly reflects the dialect of M frankly can give an additional complexity to his storie tation, and victimization in many experiences of the N torn between the two other locally dominant commu reading this collection, I assumed that the experienc Lanka would emerge from the stories in some form.
Despite the above limitations, this collection of storie open a genre of writing that is new and interesting understanding of animal behaviour, but a deeper insig craft becomes more effective and mature, his Zoology fact, more complex plots can raise new questions for , ior in the animal world can raise new questions for tween literature and the sciences doesn’t have to be
also help further Zoological inquiry by raising new q
Footnote:
1. This transliteration is that of the author himsel
Collection, or Animal Behaviour.”

63
point (in their haste to get to the hospital), with the suspicion whether they are rebel militants (a case of night), I imagined that the snake-bite victim and the my. This would have been a tragic case of “double ll of which are common occurrences in the tense paragraphs of information on snake bites, the story e sentry keepers respond late.
appears to be a Zoologist-a young scholar from the S as part of his research, while also being personally sion of the author himself. I was also surprised that . The voice can become a problem in stories like ting house who has lost both his parents. The first pare with this the narration of the boy in “Onaankal" h the eyes of someone else-the author. The author t is even possible to adopt the point of view of the he book I anticipated at least a few stories where I will in “Animal Farm,” for example.
y doesn't have an Islamic identity. Ahamed certainly h the front cover of the book gives a pen name for the in English) give his real name. Given the communal ve wanted to steer clear of ethnic affiliations in his Muslim identity and adopting a nondescript Tamil ogical reflections. (Perhaps in some stories the lansuslim Tamil.) But representing his Muslim identity S. There are stories of betrayal, manipulation, exploiMuslim community in Eastern Sri Lanka-as they are nities, the Hindus and the Buddhists. When I started es of an Islamic writer on the current conflicts in Sri
's is certainly an impressive debut. Ahamed is bold to
At his best, readers are not only left with a better ht into human life. To invoke a paradox, as his literary too would be communicated better to his readers. In toologists. Imagining different possibilities of behavanalysis and observation. Thus the relationship beone-way. While literature draws from science, it can uestions in a more productive two-way relationship.
. The title roughly translates as: “Animals, the First

Page 65
THE GOD"
THE gold with the spear, his body all fire, Nil he with live hands but his brother Six faces smilingas. One. Where will find him, my lower Where will find him. now
In the age of unknowing, five summers bold, When the ruit was in flower. My in Icelce was sold. li hic season of unrest, I'll nyt lucaye him, I'll not leave him forgold!
, shy maiders whisper. words without Ileani Their sweet lips enlwining, But my heaart is aflaire for his corning. Come now my warrior, all armed for the fray. Come with the spear of your cunning.
Subtle, the silencu tis speech in his cyes. Treacherous. the pearl of his similc! DTLink in Imy Sęises | wąIll:r. My rıhaliness, Ilıy surrcrıder, W Td5 cm te||||
To the jewel of the evening, To my lord and lower write. These words haye na T1 nean iTng, And the madness is catching, '''t my had live-letter write
My talilily and friends. I'll forsake. My hii ise :: Il y cal Lille, My laids and illy Wealth, My Weight in gold. I'll stake For one rivishing simile!
Ånd nov When the Way-larer sings Of Walli, the gypsy, the fame of her spouse. The god with the spear, how he beguiled her, My heart is aflărie, lilllcone. My body all fire
(From the Fulk Songs of the Tamils)
Note: The god will the Spear (vel) the younge Kid of einergy. 1: pları: Mars represented in || laces. Taunted I a peactick and carrying the lge- the Eige afspeeld,
This issue of the Third Eye was si Rad. West Cryid I, Surrey, C
The sponsorship was a ranged thi Waradakumar and Mr. S. Pathm

WITH THE SPEAR,
By: T. RarrrrrrrrrrhéFr (Times of Ceylon. An Ital - 1957)
ir soll of Siwa. is; L | 1: Hindu mythology with six 'el or spear. He is also the god of Kali Yuga or the modern
|cursored by Besir Fords, 259 - 26 i Leptırdı RO, 2RL
(Ligh the auspils of Dr, K, SuFumar, Mr. W.
1. Ja ly+r.