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TAMILY
SRI LI
K.
S SVAK
 

***** 현T*******雕壽議『譯
sae
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| RITING
ANKA

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Cantempalacy
TAMIL WRITING
IN
SRI LANKA
K. S. SIVAKUMARAN
Distributors : WJEYALUCKSHM BOOK DEPOT.
248, Galle Road, Wellawatte,
Colombo-6. o
Tel: 88930

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(C) October, 1974
THIS BOOK IS DEDICATED
TO MY MOTHER,
THE LATE Mrs. HAN KAHRAVIAM SELLANANAR
Printed at : The Kumaran Press,
201, Dam Street, Colombo-12.

Fo RE Wo R D
Disraeli's dictum about “ Two Nations' needs amendment here. We are thrie nations, culturally speaking. If there is little communication b2tween the exclusively Sinhala - speaking and the Tamil - speaking, the English educated tend to be a community apart. With the post - 1955 winds of change, the more enlightened sactions of the English cducated, it is true, have attempted a conscious, sometimes painful adjustment. Nonetheless the largely linguistic barriers to communication remain. While th: danger of mutual isolation to basic considerations of national well - being such as unity is too obvious to require reiteration, few among the English - educated, who are also fluent in either Sinhala or Tamil, have realised that this cultural situation offers them a challenging opportunity. They could act as productive links, as agents of communication.
Mr. K. S. Sivakumaran has scen this opportunity and, with commendable enterprise, done something positive to meet its challenge. He is a student of Tamil literature and a keen obs:rver of the Tamil cultural scene. For nearly twenty years now he has been writing in English on Tamil literary and cultural events and issues for the leading English language newspapers in this country - Ceylon Daily News, Sunday Times and Ceylon Observer. He has also contributed articles to more serious periodicals like Community and New Ceylon Writing.
He has not stopped there. While performing the useful function of introducing to the English press (and therefore, to English speaking Sinhalese) matters of interest on the Tamil cultural scene, he has translated into Tamil the literary - critical work of Ceylont se critics published in the English - language press.
Mr. Sivakuma ran who works for the S. L. B. C. is not only deeply devoted to Tamil culture but to those broader moral and eristic values which form the necessary foundation of all Serious citicism.
Mervyn de Silva Editor-in-Chief, The Associated Newspapers of Ceylon Ltd.

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INTRODUCTION
One of the exciting stories waiting to be written is the evolution of an indigenous Tamil Literature in Sri Lanka - the creative and critical activities of the writers - who made this growth possible. Such a history will be a record of tribulation and triumph, and I feel it is time that some one attempted writing it. Most of the Tamil writers who have contributed to this development and advancement were, and are, fully engrossed in their work and problems that they have very little time for either introspection or elaborate documentation.
Under the circumstances the history of Ceylon Tamil Literature has hitherto largely been neglected. It is true that, in recent years, a few University teachers have evinced some interest in the subject, especially in the history of 19th century Tamil Literature. Some recent studies have endeavoured to probe into the provenance of the Modern Movement. But the main body of contemporary Tamil writings in Sri Lanka remains to be critically evaluated. Here is a rich field awaiting explorers.
One of my most pleasant memories of the years I spent on the editorial staff of Thina karan (1957 - 1961) was my close association with Tamil writers, many of whom played a prominent part in the Movement for an indigenous Tamil Literature in this country. The young writers who initiated this movement and responded to it in the mid fifties, could hardly have imagined that it would have grown to such proportions and that its partia cipants would compel recognition for themselves in India and else where. No greater tribute could be paid to its basic Soundness
than that it has withstood several vicissitude and established itself
in the consciousness of the Tamil literature.
I first came to know Mr. K. S. Sivakumaran as a young contributor to the Thinakaran. He was then bubling with ideas and full of enthusiasm. I myself was then fresh from the University and remember having many a discussion with him on literary issues. It is also quite possible that I had imperceptibly persuaded him to concentrate on literary criticism rather than "creative' writing in which he was bent upon at that time.
彰

Looking back over the years I am gratificd to see that the little encouragement I might have given him has been some benefit to him,
Perhaps, the best contribution of Sivakumaran has been his indefatigable effort to introduce and elucidate contemporary Tamil works to non-Tamil readers, especially the English reading public. I consider it a great service rendered by him. In that sense he has greatly helpid to bridge the gap between writers working in different languages. Indeed, he has done a tremendous lot to propogate the aims and achievements of the modern Ceylon Tamil writers. The scheme of the book is basically thematic but it is also roughly chronological in the sense it delineates the origins and development of a quarter century of our literature. Naturally there is a certain amount of overlapping in the different sections. But such overlaps supplement one another in fully treating the main theme of the book. The author has not merely described the Tamil literary sc: n, but has, at times tried to understand and expound i ome of the underlying factos til at shaped its features. He has, I believe, succeeded to a great extent in clarifying the broad principles that influenccd the mainst rearn cf our recent literary cffusion. But he does not forget that his primary aim is to introduce Tamil writings as clearly and objectively as possible.
Sivakumaran is a prolific writer. Inevitably such voluminous and at tim:s hurried writing tends to be uneven. The present selecticn at best serves only as a cross section of his varied writings. But I am happy to Sce that some of his important
pieces have found a place in the present volume. Beth as a translator and interpreter of Tamil literature, Sivakumaran has
played a significant role. I wish him greater success in the ccming years and hops to see many more selections of his writings in print.
K. Kailasapathy, President, Jaffna Campus, University of Sri Lanka. Thirunelvely, W Jafna. 01-10-1974,

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The articles and reviews can and hers were originally published in national newspap2rs and journals. They appear hero with only slight modifications - updating and adding more facs. I do not pretend, however, that this is a exhaustive survey of the contemporary Tamil literary scene. As f.r as the reviews go they are a persoral choice; but major outputs have been commented on. If a few novels, collections of short stcries, anthologies of poems and critical works lad not been mentioned her it is beeause they were ether not very important or that they could not be reviewed before the publication cf this book. I have not discussed those writors who began writing about the beginning of this decads, if their writing were n bit available in book form. Having been a participant in the contemporary literary scene, I wrote theze articles and revews with frt hand knowledg; but I have also relied on papers and books of the senior wr.tirs, who had critically analysed our literary heritage. Their analysis appear to be correct for me. l have had the benefit of discussions with Dr. K. Kaila Sapathy and Dr. K. Sivatham by, who besides elucidating som e of the problems, have at all times given me much encouragement when I wrote these articles and reviews. The pieces on “Literary Trends' and “Publisations' included in this book were based on an article written by Dr. Siva hamby.
I am indebted to Mr. Mervyn de Silva (Editor-in-Chief Associated Newspapers of Ceylon Limited), a versat lc jou nalist of international repute for publishing most of the articles collected in this book (since 1970) in the Ceylon Daily News and also for the encouraging foreword he his given me. My thanks are also due to Mr. S. Muthiah, formerly features editor, Sunday Times of Ceylon, Mr. C. R. Hensman, wh) edited Community, and Mrs. Yasmine Gooneratne who edits New Ceylon Writing for publishing some of the articles in this book. A few reviews included in this book were broadcast over the Si i Lanka. Broadcasting Corporation in the Arts Magazine programmo compiled and presented by Mr. Vernon Abeysekra, Mr. Reggie Siriuvardne, Mr. G. K. Hathottuwegama and presently by Mrs. Marion Abeysuria. My thanks are due to the Director

General of Broadcasting, Mr. Ridge upay Tilekaratne in this respect. I cannot fail to pay a special tribuie - to Dr. K. Kailasapat hy, President, Jaffna Campus, University of Sii Lai ka for his introduction. He had been my ment cr and guide for a long time ard continues to advise me on many matters.
At this instance, I must not forget my father Mr. K. Sellanainar, without whose encouragement and understanding, I would not have entered the literary field.
K. S. Sivakumaran
2), Murugan Place, Colombo - 6, Sri Lanka.
6-0.74.

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CONTENTS
Towards Sinhala - Tamil Understanding
(I) A Question of Dialogue; (II) A Tamil - Sinhala Dictionary.
1 - 3 Literary History - (1) Ceylonese Attempt at Novel Writing; (II) From Donoughmore era to the end of the Sixties; (III) Oru Sila Withi Ceivom - Norms for Poetry; (VI) Literary Trends - 1956-1970; (V) Publications - 1956-1970; (VI) Indian Magazines and Local Journals; (VII) A Southern Attempt; (VIII) Hill Country Writings.
4 - 18 REVIEWS
Novels: (A) The first four novels of S. Ganeshalingan; (B) First novel by Ilankeeran in Book form; (C) A note on Daniel's Pancha mar; (D) A Novel from the Winni; (E) Five Novel' as; (F) The Indian Connection; (G) Inter-Racial Love and Marriage. 18 - 36
Short Stories :
(A) Vellipathasaran; (B) Eelathu Parisukathaikal; (C) Poattikc Kathaikal; (D) Yoganathan Kathaikal; (E) Thoni; (F) Vee; (G) Nansahamatta.en; (H) Puthu Yugam Pirakirathu; (I) Man vasana i and Kadal; (J) Kuralum Kathaiyum; (K) Kadavularum Manitharum; (L) Pathukai; (M) Daniel Kathaikal; (N) Yuga Pira visam. 50 - 36 ܫ III Poetry:
(A) Elikoodu; (B) Ho Chiminh’s Kavitha ikal; (C) Akkiini Pookal; (D) Veedum Velium; (E) Kurumpa; (F) Kanikkai. 51 - 55
VI Criticism : w
(A) A Note on Kailasapathy’s Book on Tam i 1 Novels; (B) A Note on Sivathamby's Book on Short Story; (C) Iru Maha Kavikal (D), Ilakkiyamum Thiranaivum. 55 - 59 V y Miscellaneous :
(A) Pore Parai; (B) Yogasupami; (C) India. Thathuva Gnanam; (D) Pandaithamilar Valvum Valipadum.
59 - 64

TOWARDS SINHAA - TAM
UNDERSTANDING
I. A Ouestion of Dialogue
Serious minded Tamil writers and readers already know a great deal about the Sinhala writers, through the Little Magazines in Tamil. Even mass circulated dailies have published translations from Sinhala writing. Martin Wickremasinghe, Ediriweera Sarathchandra, Siri Gunasinglhe, Gunadata Amarasekera, K. Jayatileke, Wimal Dissanaike, Reggie Siriwardena and A. J. Gunawardene are names very familiar to Tamil readers. Works of Dayananda Gunawardens and Martin Wickremasinghe have also been dramatised (in Tamil. Seminars on Sinhala cinema with particular reference to Lester James Peiris' films provoked stimulating discussion on Aesthetics among young writers.
So, there is a conscious effort on the part of yonug Tamil writers to understand what is taking place in the Sinhala Literary world. Can this be said of the Sinhala reading public on local literary scene? I fear not, at least not in the field of nglish writing.
Soms of the short stories translated into Tamil from Sinhala, towever, had a few Tamil speaking characters; but I have not read a single Sinhala short story which attempted to portray the Tamil living in full. On the other hand there have been a few itories in Tamil which portrayed Sinhala characters in perspective.
I believe Tamil writers are seriously looking at their Sinhala brethren as part of their own experience, own thinking and own identity, though politicians regard things differently. Many Tamil writers have told me that they are interested in meeting Sinhala writers and entering into a dialogue with them to discuss common problems. Except for a few dons who work together in various university campuses, the others involved in writing have not met at all.
So, why cannot there b a dialogue among Ceylonese writers?

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Initially there will be certain difficulties of direct communication among them, because of their respective spoken tongues. Unfortunately a majority of the Tamil writers in Ceylon are not so fluent in English and I suppose this is so with some Sinhala writers too. Nevertheless the English educated writers among them can act as translators or agents in communicating their ideas. The number of pople proficient in both Sinhala and Tamil is also increasing.
It is interesting to note that while the majority of the major Sinhala writers had been influenced by Western writers and literary modes almost all the Tamil writers are rooted and wedded to their own local idiom. One reason why the local Tamil writers are not particularly interested in Wes:ern bourgeoise writing is that a good many of them come from lower middle and working classes. People like Dominic Jeeva (Editor of "Mallikai') K. Daniel and Illankeeran (Editor of "Janavegam") are proud to be called proletarian writers. Instead of looking at the West for everything the Tamil writer in Ceylon wishes to have literary connactions with his Sinhala counterpart in particular, and Asian writers in general.
In a broadcast over the Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation Mr. Reggie Siriwardena once suggested that the Sinhala writer could draw inspiration from neighbouring Indian writers and translate them into Sinhala, instead of translating Western writers. Relevance in terms of changing Asiatic Society is equally important to Ceylonse writers both Sinhala and Tamil.
So, why cannout there be a common consciousness among us as to what a Ceylonese idiom is? Surely we can find common grounds despite slight ethnical variations. Unity in diversity is all the more necessary now than ever before. Literature can thus forge a path for understanding and mutual appreciation.
II. A Tamil - Sinhala Dictionary
The Sinhala Sandesa poetry bears many references to the fact that Tamil had infact been taught in the pirivenas in earlier times according to Peter Abeysekera in his foreword to a Tamil - Sinhala Dictionary. He made reference to this
* A Tamil - Sinhala Dictionary-Edited by N. D. Peiris, published by
Atlas Hall, Colombo. (1972).

to emphasise the close relationship between the two races since ancient times. He further said 'just as much as Sri Rahula was well versed in Tamil, people like Nanool Thuraiyar were fluent in Sinhala'.
I have to quote from the forewords written by eminent Sinhala scholars to stress the importance of a Tamil - Sinhala Dictionary. Dr. Premadasa Udagama while hoping for a new generation of bilingual (Sinhala - Tamil) learned men who would help in the country's welfare, has commended the individual effort of N, D. Peiris in compiling this useful dictionary for students, writers and translators.
Apart from the dictionary itself, the long introduction by the late Ven. Panditha Hissalle Dharmaratne i Thcro is also elucidatory. The late Thero was awarded a Gold Medal at the second International Tamil Seminar held in Madras for his translation of the Tamil epic Silapadikaram into Sinhala. I quote from him;-
When Jaffna was under the dominion of the Sinhala Kings, a great number of Tamil words got into the Sinhala vocabulary. Since the 2nd Century to the Kandyan peried the influence of Tamil can be seen in literary words, grammar and inscriptions, Tamil bhikhus from South India came to Sri Lanka by about the 14th century. Not only the clergy even the laymen gained proficiency in Tamil during the Polonnaruwa, Dambadeniya, Kurunegala, Gampola, Kotte, Sitawaka and Kandyan periods in our history. Sri Rahula, Vithagama Maithri, Rana sekelle Alagiyavan minuka Vetti and Kirimaltiyanae Kivindu were notable Tamil Scholars. After 1815 however, the Sinhela people turned to English. The absence of suitable books in Tamil for the Sinhala beginner discouraged them from studying this language.
It is in this respect that the new Tamil - Sinhala Dictionary is useful.
Mr. N. D. Peiris is a well known bilinguist. He earlier brought out a Sinhala - Tamil Dictionary and he has worked on this new project for the last six years and has more than fifteen years experience in teaching Sinhala to Tamil students. Mr. Peiris
deserves the gratitude of both the Tamils and Sinhalese for his untiring efforts to initiate a dialogue between the two çQmmunities.

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LITERARY HISTORY
.. Ceylonese Attempts at Novel Writing
The Ceylonese did not depend on South Indian writings for their reading matters in Tamil even as early as the eighteen - nineties.This fact is brought out in a little Tamil book by Sila y oor Selvarajan called The Growth of the Tamil Novel in Ceylon detailing the history of Tamil novels by Ceylonese writers from earliest times till 1962. As the scope of the book did not allow the author to critically evaluate the novels, he merely gives marginal comments in passing.
It all began in 1891, when S. Ignacittam by of Trincoma'ee adapted into Tamil a Portuguese Novella called " Orzon and Valentine'. This book was the first Tamil novel of Ceylon.* Written almost eighty years ago this is also the second novel ever written in Tamil. Prada pa Muda liyar written by S Vedanayagam Pillai of South India in 1879 is considered the first attempt at novel writing in Tamil. But modern critics do not reckon the early attempts as novels proper. Kamalambal (1893) by Rajam. Iyer of South India ranks as the first novel in the accepted sense.
Trincomalee also produced the second novelist as far as Ceylon Tamil novelists were concerned. He was T. Saravana muttu Pillai who wrote Mohanangi in 1895. Sri Lanka lad to wait til 1924 for the appearance of the first woman novelist in Tamil, S. Selam mal. Her novel was called Rasad u rai.
Till Rev. Bro. John Mary wrote his Punithaseeli, most novels written in Tamil in Ceylon were either adaptations or translations. Hic brought in the Ceylonese idiom with Jaffnese flavour. The year 1929 saw the publication of Saraswathi by the second woman novelist S. Rasa Ammal. Notable novels during the thirties were Aranganayaki (1934), an adaptation of Sir Walter Scott's 'Kenilworth' and Malai Velayil a translation
Recently Mr. S., M. Kamaldeen has brought out an interesting fact to indicate that the first novel by a Ceylonese was Asenbae by Siddique Lebbe published in 1888.

from Turgenev by S. Wythillingam. Till. the latter part of the nnsteen thirties a spate of didactic novels were written. The contemporary social problems came to be treated only with M. A. Selvarathanam's novels. He wrote a number of novels, on progressive themes, while H. Naliah wrote on communal unity amoung Ceylonese' : Somawathi - 1940). During the fifties popular novelists came to the limelight. Most of their novels were historical, detective cr romantic. Late Professor K. Kanapath ipillai adapted European stories injecting local dialects. The Indian Tamil dialect spoken in the Up Country was given expression in S M Peer Mohameds novels - K. Gamesh translated Mulk Raj Anand’s novel Untoucha ble into Tamil.
But it was after 1956 that serious novels came to be written in Tamil by Ceylonese. Contemporary social themes were analytical treate by Ilan keram, V. A Rasa ratnam, S Ganeshalingan, Nandi, Benedict Palam C. V. Velupillai, S Ponnuthurai, Yalpanam De van and others.
s Sila y oor Selvarajan’s book is very handy for a student to learn about our own attempts in the field of fiction. There is also an appendix giving the list of novels published from 1891 to 1962 and excrpts from some novels. The author has written on this subject in English in Community - Ceylonese Writings - I. The author himself a poet, a talented broadcaster and a versatile journalist deserves praise in bringing out this timely book.
II. From the Donoughmore Era to the end of the Sixties : The advisory panel on Tamil Literature of the Cultural Council of Sri Lanka released a publication which gives a comprehensive survey of Ceylonese attempts in poetry, short story and literary criticism, right from the Donoughmore era up to the end of the sixties. One would have wished the inclusion of novel and drama in its scope.
There are also interesting articles on the role of the cultural council, Ceylonese Muslim pcets, the chronological growth of the Navalar movement. “Thoothu’’ (Sant'esaya) literature, the impact and continuity of ancient literature on modern, the growth and problems of Ceylonese magazine production in Tamil, besides poems and relevant quotations on Ceyloriese idiom, This
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is a very useful publication to the student of Ceylonese Tamil
Literature.
Writing on the growth of the short story K. Kaila sapathy (Ambalattan) says that the Tamil short story both in Sri Lanka and Tamilnadu has lost its literary quality during the past few years as more people are writing novels under the influence of political, social and economic changes. Discussing the pioneers in the field the writer says that Ilankayarkone (the late N. Sivagnanasundera m) was greatly influenced by Western literature. The other pioneers S. Wythillingam. S. Sivapath as underan, and Samba nthan depicted rural Sri Lanka in romantic tradition as much as Ilankayar kom did but were not -deeply affected by Western literature. These writers enriched the Tamil prose style with their vivid imagery and imagination. They were essentially formalists who were interested in universal themes rather than indigenous characteristies. They did not see any direct relationship between literature and life. They acclaimed the short story as an integral part of an art form only. Their approach and attitude to the short story was lyrical, ۔۔ـ
The next generation of writers functioned as a “group' as opposed to being mere aesthetes. Their writings were published in a short - lived journal called Marumalarchi (The Renaissance) Its promoters were Navatkuliyoor Nadarajan (K. S. Nadarajah), T. S. Varatharajan (Varathar), S. Panchadsara Sarma and A. S. Muruganaathan. But this journal as every other little magazine failed to reach broad sections of the reading public. However, it produced some fine short story writers like A. S. Murugananthan, A. N. Kandaa my, Rajanayakan, Chokkan, V. A. Rasaratnam and Thalaya di Sabaratnam.
With Sri Lanka gaining Indipendence in 1948, racial and political problems became important. Two solutions were suggested for these problems. Communal oriented solutions based on race, language and past glories were put forward in national garb. The other solution was based on socialist principles. The progressive ideology attracted many young writers. The fifties saw the emergence of some of the finest short story writers in Tamil. S. Ponnuthurai, Piththan, K. Daniel, Dominic Jeeva, S. Ganeshalingan, N. K. Raghunathan, M. S. M. Ramiah, Neervai Ponnian, Silayoor Selvarajan, Kavaloor Rasaduraiand K. S. Ariyanayagam
6

were some of them. These writers depicted the lives of the ordinary prople living in their respective areas with human understanding and sympathy. In the same period many writers wrote love stories in this styles of the South Indian magazine. The changes in 1956 led to the closer examination of social problems in perspactive. It was during this period that the conflict between pundits and moderns took a sharp turn. Purists had to give way to inevitable change. The use of spoken idiom at last found a place in creative writing. I langayarkose, Kanaga Senthinathan, V. A. Rasarntnam, Varathar and Chokkaa who belonged to the earlier generation adapted themselves to the changes and wrote equally well in the modern idiom,
As Tamil was the medium of instruction even in the University as from 1960, more and more people started writing short stories. Unfortunately these younger writers modelled their short stories on the South Indian magazine stories that flooded the market. In a way Ceylonese individuality began to be shaken up but only for a moment. 8.
Bccuse the mother tongue educated youth had certain limitations as far as global knowledge was concerned and because he had to dep2nd on South Indian magazines for his understanding of this knowledge, he churned out mediocre, romantic, escapist pieces as the average South Indian writer does, Neverthless the Peradeniya Campus produced a few short story writers who were not totally 'art for arts' sake people.
Among them late S. Kathiragamanathan, S. Yoganathan,
Chempiau Selvan, Nandhi, Sengai Azbliyan, Thuruvan, Kuathavai,
Muthu Sivagnam, Kohila. Angayan, 1 may avan, Saranathan, M. Ponnampalam and Vamadevan were promising.
Besides them Benedict Balan, George Sandrasegaran, Abdus Sa mathu, Maruthoor Koth than, Saral Nadan and Kumaravan also wrote from outside the University. But the quality of the short story in Tamil at present is not up to standard contends Dr. Kailasapathy. It is too early to judge the n2w writers who have come into the field during the past three or four years.
This publication also includes an article on the history of criticism, in Sri Lanka written by Dr. K. Kailasapathy.

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The poineers in Tamil short story writing were also the leading lights in Tamil literary criticism in Sri Lanka. People like S. Siva pathas underam, S. Wyth ilingam and Ila ngayrkone wrote on literature and criticism. Late Professor K. Kanapathipillai, late A. N. Kandasamy and K. Ganesh were also interested in writing about the purpose and social function of literature.
Modern literary criticism as a conscious effort began only after 1956, although the earlier efforts were commentaries and appreciations
The neo - commentators and belles - lettres writers were followed by the modern critics. Premjee, K. Kailasapathy, K. Sivatham by Muruga iyan A. J. Camagaratma, M. Sameem, late M. Thalaya singham, Sillay oor Selva rajan, Kavalloor Rasa durai, Kanaga - Semithinatham and Eelathu Somu, began to write seriously on contemporary literature.* M. S. M. Kamaldeen, J. M. M. Abdulkadar, A. M. A. Azeez are three crities on Muslim contribution. Late M. Ramalingam, Mouynaguru, M. Satgun am were and are interested in evaluating folk literature. .
Writing on modern poetry, Murugaiyan singles out Ceylonese poets as shades better than their counterparts in Tamilnadu. Commenting on the late Somasundara Pulavar he says that the poet was essentially a traditionalist,
Murugaiayan also speak about Navatkuliyoor Nadarajan (Dr. K. S. Nadaraja) and Navaliyoor Nadarasan (S. Nadarasa) and concludes that late A. N. Kandasamy who belonged to the same generation wrote with social conciousness. The next generation of poets were greatly influenced by local racial feelings at the beginning and later graduated themselves with more saner thinking. Neelavanan (Sinnadurai) and Thanthonrie Kavirayar (Sillayoor Selvarajan) are two other important poets. The new wave poets include M. A. Nuhman, Shanmugam Sivalingam, Mounaguru, Subadran, R. Siva mandan and M. Pon na mbalam.
* Dr. Kailasapathy also mentions the names of Chempian Selvan, K. S. Sivakumaran, M. Ponnampalam, Shannmugam Sivalingan, V. Kandavanam and S. M. J. Faisdeen as critics involved in assessing modern and contemporary writings,

III. Oru Sila Withi Ceivom - Norms for Poetry
flow to reconcile modernity with the conventional poetic tradition is a major question for the famil poets today. Convent onalism suffers stagnancy, true, but there is also New Poetrypseudo in character. A heavy burden of long standing tradition versus nihilistic New Poetry and the problems cropping up amid modernity are matters for critical study. Blind worship of tradition and superficial admiration of the modernity are really symptoms of decadence. Why this state of decadence?
Poetry criticism is almost a neglected field in Tamil decries the voice of a poet, who is also a critic and what he says isa true. This decadence is due to lack of competent critics to assess postry in the contemporary sense. Even if we have academics and fin literary critics here, they have not so far taken poetry criticism seriously. So the critic in Murugaiyan has shown that poetry criticism is not elusive after ali if certain funda -- mentals are observed.
He has laid down certain norms that can be followed both by poets and critics in writing and assessing poetry. These are described in his little book called Oru Sila Vithi Ceivom which is both a critique and a pace - setter for the avant-grade, The first chapter is a sort of running commentary on modern poetry in Tamil practised in Sri Lanka and Tamilnadu. His masured comments on Somas un dara Pula var, Navatkuliyoor Nadarajan, Nabaliyur Nadarasan and Mahaka 2pi are to be noted The new generatiof of poets who shone after . 1956 (people like Neela panan, Kasi Anandan, Rajabharati, Thanthontri - Kavirayar and Murugaiyan) used pcetry as a powerful weapon for socio- political movements.
The us of th: language of the common sprech, this selection of uncbnventional postic themes and the innate desire for exp crimentation marked them as different from their counterparts in Tamilnadu.
The Parallel literary scene in South India was characterised by three factors: the concept of Dravidianism, Musicali y of rhythm an i New Po try (Verse. Libre). Names like film lyricist Kan na dasan, Suradha, Mudiara sam, Karum amidhi, Pitcha i -
moorthy, Va, idees veram, Gn, a nakoothan, Kam badasan and others are associated with South Indian Tamil poetry.

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Murugaiyan analyses the question of simplicity, content, rhyme and other aspects in modern poetry in the rest of the chapters. For fear of digression I shall describe here only his comments on New Poetry. The author difines:
The harmonious blend of ideas, the structural pattern of imagination and fancy and the rhythmic quality are some of the characteristics of a good poem. When these and other elements find a balance of norms, what may b called a good poem evolves. The Tamil New Poetry totally ignores rhythm, As a result the equilibrium is lost and the whole thing falls like a
pack of cards.
The new poetry ignores metre too, but metre is not something that cannot be mastered. Murugaiyan goes on to explain the metre in Tamil poetry as lucidly as possible and scientifically too drawing illustrations from Tamil poetry of different periods. This fundam2ntal weakness of new poetry in Tamil is its complex rhyme. This discordant note coupled with their content make new poetry in Tamil a farce says the author. The alien or s, range themes in them discourage many to appreciate them.
Borrowed emotional experience from alien social setups remain a fanciful exercise in Tamil poetry. They lack the power to make an impact on the majority of the Tamil speaking people. Hence new poetry in Tamil is not a healthy outcome of a poetic tradition, laments the poet - critic.
When the West itself has revalued and devalued poets like Eliot, Pound and others, our imitators here still regret that the Tamil readers have not yet understood the masters of the West. Acording to Murugaiyan these new posts welcome hypocritical works a great. Defeatism and pessimism mark the essence of New poetry in Tamil.
Murugaiyan compares the new poets to the character from the novel Inside Mr. Enderby. They are bathroom poets says the author. There are few other new poets who wrote on positive values but completely cut off from involvement. These are romantic dreams for a revolution. Fancy and dream, romantic poetry that is, should not be confused with true poetry warns the author.
An awareness for positive development should be the first guideline says the author. The illusion that a bygone virtue
10

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alone is desirable should be dismissed. History of mankind is not a tragedy of demise. It is a story of positive - values, The romantic agony and the melancholic pessimism should no more cnvelope the brooding poets, rules out the writer, ܫ
Rhyme and metre are only servants of the content. Techniques are there for art and not technique alone is art. Economy of words and images drawn from immediacy perceptible to the senses and which are intelligible to the readers is another factor that the poets should take into consideration, and finally clarity and not obscurity should be the keynote in modern poetry, points out Murugaiyan.
These are obvious observations that anyone should follow in any branch of writing, but it is emphatically put in Tamil because at this moment poetry in Tamil is rather on a low ebb.
I have only introduced this book here, for the author says a great deal about poatry in general and Tamil poetry in particular, quite seriously. Aspects or elements of poetry are fully treated in this book. Murugaiyan usually writes in an academic style, but here his style is compact and direct.
iv. Literary Trends 1956 - 1970
Pre-Independence literary attempts in Tamil by Ceylonese did not press for a Ceylonese identity as a part of a whole body of Tamil literature. The lives of Tamil speaking Ceylonese were depicted as the continuity of Tamil heritage derived chiefly from the tradition of South Indian literature.
The advancement seen in Ceylonese Tamil Literature after 1948 is an important landmark in the whole body of Tamil literature. The pre-independence Tamil literary movement was mainly interested in the advancement of the Tamil Language and religion.
Contemporary history of Tamil literature can be traced from 1948. Between 1948 and 1970 much has taken place. This period can be subdivided into three phases: 1948-1955, 1956-1965, 1966-1970, in line with the change of Government. In a way the story of the Tamil literary movement in Sri Lanka is the story of the strength gained by the progrcssive writers of this country.
The progressive literary movement in Tamil which began to function in full force during 1956-1963 was the primary force in

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determining what was Ceylonese literature. Under the flag of Ceylonese literature this movement brought into its fray all the Ceylonese Tamil writers. As the nature and scope of this movement shaped itself the national identity and realism in literature were emphasised.
Just as much as the progressive movement had its political base the anti-progressive movement too was politically oriented, By 1955, even the progressive writers began to isolate themselves for political reasons but their differences were not on fundamentals. Only the approaches were different. However, the literary scene became static. Socio - Political stimulant was required for literary development. Between 1965 and 1970, the progressive movement came to a standstill because of political charges. This break was
temperary.
After the political and social changes of 1956 the literary activities point to a national consciousness. A knowledge of the Tamil literary publications in Sri Lanka will indicate the extent of Ceylonism in local Tamil writing. With the new political consciousness social Ewakening and economic changes, those speaking the Tamil Language in Sri Lanka started writing c n those lines. People living in the Northern, Eastern, Central, North Western and Southern Provinces became the subject of literary works. This tendency was not seen earlier. This was an important event in the Island's Political and Literary histories. Higher education in mother tongue helped the Ceylonese in many fields to progress further in the post 1956 pericci, But this did not continue by 1965 as a result of a state of stagnancy. The desire to preserve the pre- 1956 status quo uvas greatlv felt during this pericd.
Due to a conglomeration of many individual talents and farsightedness, the progressive movement began to flourish by 1955. Nevertheless those holding divergent views on rational development functioned in unison because of common literary identity. Those pundits who possessed certificates for their crudity in the Tamil language and those philistines who did not possess such certificates got together and spoke of Ceylonism in Literature. The latter did not have any special awareness fer I amil Literature, till that time. They were members of the illiterate families and yet they had creative ability and sensibility in them,
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In the process progressive ideas (which were bent on effecting changes) and concepts grown out of the influence of practical living clashed. This is an external manifestation of the social conflict that takes place at the grass root level. The iden for new social order is usually in conflict with the prevalent views on society. The invincible changes however are a different matter. As a result the reactionaries started opposing the changes and were very vehement in expressing them. This was the situation before 1970.
v. Publications 1956-1970
Despite heavy eompetition from South India and pcor readership of Ceylonese books in Tamil in Sri Lanka, creative writirg in Tamil has progressed very well here. It is en :ouraging to note that between 1948 and 1970 a total cf seventy one novels, ifty seven collections of short stories, ninety eight arthologies of poetry and forty nine plays were published in Tamil by Ceylor ese.
The quality of book production comparcs well with that of South India but the Tamilnadu's system of distribution is hard to beat.
Except for one publishing house, the others were tot interested in publishing creative writing. About one thousand eopies only were printed in each work and not all copies were sold out. Many writers had to bear the cost themselves. They even had a hand in the sale and distribution cf their own books.
One reason for the roor sale of Ceylonese Tamil fiction is that these books are not tied up with the nation's educational system. Only a very few books by Ceylonese had been recomme'nced as Tamil texts in higher forms and not a single Ceylonese fiction had been prescribid as a Tamil text. Even the libraries did not display Caylonese books. Another reason why Ceylonese Tamil fiction is not widely read is because of its lack of popular appeal. The literary quality in these works discourages these readers nurtured in the South Indian tradition of escapist reading matter. Books printed and published in South India were less expensive and reached a wider market. A total of fifteen novels were printed in India and out of these seven were written by one novelist. Only eight novelists published more than one novel and only five short story writers brought out more than one collection. Whereas
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between 1948 and 1955 only one collection of short stories was
published, during 1956 - 1965 as many as forty collections were brought out. Nearly seventeen poets have published more than one. anthology. During 1965 - 1970 as many as forty three anthologies
of poatry were published. Only two were printed in India. A
majority of the plays published were historical, only few
plays can b said to be social. Six dramas have been also published
but only one one-act play saw the colour of the print. About
nine folk plays were published during 1948 - 1965 on the initiative
of Dr. S. Withiananathan with the help of the arts council.
Whereas the Ceylonese Tamil writers is socially committed, the counterpart in South India places escapist art on the top. Since literature serves, as a catalyst and also it mirrors history, creative writing should be well integrated with the nation's educational system.
VI. Indiam Magazines and local Journals:
One reason why there is an overwhelming fascination for Indian 'Pop' magazines in Tamil, among Ceylonese is that these journals as any other popular variety appeal to the cheap escapist nature in man. Many of the South Indian writers make up their stories rather than create them. Their art in well-made products is so deft and compalling that the reader enjoys them for their sheer flow of patterns. This is not to say that they are fine craftsmen of story telling. The subjects chosen by them are another matter for study. Serious short story writers as usual are not well known but the popular writers are household names.
Ku mudam, Anandawi kadan. Kalki, Bom mai, Pesum Padam, Kala imagal and Dinama ni Kathir are more avidly read by the middle class families in Tamil homes in Ceylon, than the locally produced journals. These South Indian magazines have captured a wide market in Ceylon. These journals call themselvc) “Magazines for the entire family" and in actual fact they primarily cater to the women-folks at home. Two of these are full-fledged film magazines. But most of them exploit the film scene.
Popular as they are they have one thing in common. They are attractively produced with three colour cover and profuse illustrations, Serialized stories on escapist themes (historical romances
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unrealistic upper-middle-class love stories), snippets, articles on and by film sars and politicians, a few articles on religious events and various othar interssting pieces fill thc pages of these plush magazines. The editoria's are invariably on South Indian Politics. Ii is true that literary magazines like Manithan, Thamarai Depam, Gna na ratham, Kanaiyali, Yean, Kasadat ha para and Sem malar do come from Tamilnadu and carlier there were Sarasvathi Ezhuthu and Nadai; but a majority of the Tamil readers in Ceylon have not heard of these magazines at all.
f am not saying that little magazines as these ean have a wide market. But at least they could be popularised if the influx of these so-called family magazines could be kept at a minimal level.
One may ask why on earth there should be a limitation on the flooding in of popular journals, when a majority of the people really love them? Love for journals that dissipate the taste, dull the thinking power, mould an escapist character divorced from contemporary realities, is as damaging as a cultural onslaught on a people whose social, political, economic and even linguistic (different dialects) differences are mueh mai ked, It is for this reason, in the national interests that the Tamil people in Ceylon should not bc allowed to live in the dream world, as it were of South India.
Fortunately the Tamil magazines produced locally are to a great extent devoid of these South Indian delicacies, But the tragedy is that nobody reads them except the writers, who write to these magazines. Middle clase Tamil homes in Ceylon will subscribe to even three or more South Indian weeklies than buy the locally produced monthlies.
Earlier in Sri Lanka there were Tenaruvi, Katpakam. Eelachudar, Anjali, Malar, Viveki. Maragatham and other jouana's devoted to contemporary literature.
Now namics of Lanka's rivers figure prominantly in local Tamil journalism, Ma' eli (Mahaveli), edited by C. V. Velupillai and Kalani (Kelani) published from Kilinochi are two magazines which speak of national integration. Besides these two there are Anu, Poorani, Kumaran, Thamil Amuthu, Sirithiran, Mallikai, and Thayakam all semiserious and literary and Kalasam, Geetha, Kathambam and Manikam
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in the pulp teenage fashion. So we find a variety of Tamil magazines to cater to the needy, yet Tamilnadu journals like Kumudam Dinamani Kathr, Ananda Vikatan, and Kalki hold sway in Tamil speaking homes. State assistance to local magazinc production is essential to popularise our own talents. State subsidy, provision of n2wsprint, assistance in distribution to schools, associations and libraries, government advertisements are some way to encourage local magazine production - Sinhala, Tamil or English.
A rewarding attempt would be to publish limited varieties of mugazines, each specialising in a particular field By such a method, more people can be induced to buy magazines which are of special interest to the reader. One magazine can be devoted to short stories, another to criticism of the arts yet another to novels and so on. There can be academically bent journals for students in higher forms. As a matter of fact, a periodical called Chin thanai was published in this vein. Attempts are made to revive this journal. Valar mathi is now published to cater to the students.
Without adequate finance, no such noble ventures can mate
rialise. It is here that the industrialists should come forward voluntaraly to patronise these magazines. Can this be done?
VII. A Southern attempt
Down the Southern beat twelve miles east of Matara lies Dickwella. Right in the eentre of this village is an area of one hundred and fifty acres live a Muslim community of nearly three thousand five hundred people. They call their dwelling arca Yonahapura They live like Muslims as in any other areas and also serve a useful purpose in assimilating and interpreting their immediate environ, which is the Ruhunu Sinhala culture to the others. These interpretations come in the Tamil language by way of translations and original writings in modern idicm. Those in the North and East are able to know and feel and even react to the Sourthern way of life through such writings. Because these Muslim youths are bilingual (Sinhala and Tamil) the Tamil reader benefits immensely. So we find pockets of literary activities in places like Dickwella.
Dickwella Writers' Association has brought cut their second publication “POO' iflower) in Tamil. We find quite a few interesting articles in this issue,
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Muslim contribution to Sinhala Literature by M. H. M. Shums, “The Origin of Dickwella' by M. Hamsa Muhammedu, “ Ceylonse Muslims in the field of Trade'" by M. A. Inayathulah and short stories by S. I. M. Hamza, Dickwella Kamal and poems by P. M. Abdul Sattar, Yonahapura Hamza and Vallai Cheelan, literary gossip by M. J. M. Anwar Khan and quotes from local Tamil writers are quite noteworthy aud useful reading.
VIII Hill country Writings*
C. V. Velupillai a hill country Ceylonese, is one writer who has contributed substaintially to the literary awakening among Tamil writers of that region.
Velupillai, true, writes in English (Born To Labour 1970) but most of his writings have been translated into Tamil as well. He writes for the last thirty five years and yet he says that he is not a poet, nor a writer: 'The subject I have chosen made me what I am "". He is modest but the younger group of writers respect him.
The hill country Ceylonese writing in Tamil often complain that their counterparts living in other parts of the island do not acknowledge their literary merit. It is not that the critics do not want to consider the literary talents of the up-country Tamils, but it is just that adequate books are not available for them to evaluate. Nor has there been an attempt made to trace the nascent literary development of the Ceylonese of recent Indian Origin living particularly in the hill country. The Tamil intelligentsia in Ceylon is opposed to South Indian infiltration of ideas through cheap 'pop' magazines. But it is by no means anti - Indian. In fact it welcomes saner and intellectual writings of the Indians. In the same way the Ceylon Tamil writers are not particularly against Tamils of Indian origin in Ceylon, so long as they are rooted in Sri Lanka. For the
* This is based on on a talk delivered by Mr. C. V. Velupillai. But during the last five or six years, young pople hailing from the hill country have shown tremendous progress in their thinking and creativity and a good many of them have had no formal education. Among the graduates, particular mention should be made of Vamadevan, Mariathas and M. Niihthiyananthan. Benedict Balan, although from Jaffna, has written an excellent novel on estate life called,CHONTHAKARAN.
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past half a century Ceylonese from the hill country have been writing in Tamil. - Journals like Loka Upakari, Amirtha Gunabodini, Anantha Bodini, Mahavikade Thutan, Nawakasakthi, Modern Review and Indian Review were some of the lindian Journals which were read by the Ceylonese, particularly those living in the up-country. In fact late C. Subramaniam, R. Ramiah and Vettivel wrote to some of these South Indian Journals. From Matale there was Abdul Kadif who wrote poetry in the early priod. Modelling their verses on South Indian poems people like Periampilai, S. S. Nathan, Jabar, Kanthasamy and Emden A. Wijeratne wrote on Adam's Peak and the races at Nuwara Eliya, Radella and Peradeniya. C. V. Velupillai and K. Ganesh were inspired by Tagore and Sarojinidevi and they wrote very frequently. By 1934 the Tamil daily ** Veerakesari "" came to be published. A. Sithamparanatha Pavalar wrote the life history of Lord Buddha under the title ' Baudha Dhayana '. K. Ganesh translated one of Mulk Raj Anand's novels and C. W. Velupillai wrote in English a verse drama called 'Pathmajani'. The forties saw the spread of learning and this induced many to write, C. V. Velupillai, P. Krishna samy, Thiruchenthuran, Raffael, M. S. M. Ramiah, Thiagarajan, Panneerselvam, Thelivathai Joseph, Thamil Ovian agd others wroto a number of stories depicting the life in the tea gardens. Theyilai Thottathilae, Walvattore Valvu, and Vallipokkan all by Velupiliai were published during this period. K. Ganesh wrote fine poems in English which credited the appreciation from the Japanese monarchy. T. M. Peer Mohamed, Abbas, N. S. Nathan, late Periasamy were some others who merited attention. After 1957 progressive themes were handled by these writers. They now turned their attention on the social conditions of the people living in the Estates. Thennavan Kumaran, Rama Subramaniam, M. Sivalingam, Sikkan Raj, Mallikai Kumar, Eela Kumar, Isak, C. S. Kanthie, Karmegano, Ra. Sivalingam, K. Ramachardran, S. Visvaratnam, Saral Nadan are some of thesə writers. Kurinjipoo, Kurinji Malar, Thuvanam,Thayakam, Malainattuchirukathaikal, and Born to Labour are some of the collections that have been published recently.
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REVIEWS
I NOVELS
(a) THE FIRST FOUR NOVELS OF S. GANESHALINGAN
I will not be exaggerating when I say that Ceylonese Tamil writers like S. Ganeshalingan write realistic social novels, better than their counterparts in South India. Local writers write with & sense of realism. They are also aware of the root causes of social problems. They analyse them in a way that is acceptable, to all. Their novels provide intellectual reading - fare,
Ganeshalingan has so far written six novels and brought out three collections. His anthologies of short stories are: Nalla van (The Good Man) Ore Inam (The Same Class) and Sanga mam (The Merging). His five novels are better than his short stories, because they are more readable, apart from the seriousness (of their content.
He first wrote Neenda Payanam (The Long Journey) followed by Sadangu (The Customs), Sevvanam (The Crimson Sky), Tharaiyum Tharakaiyum (The Earth and the Star), Pore Kolam (The War Dress) and Mannum Makkalun (The Soil and the People). Ganeshalingan is associated with Kumaran, a monthly in the left - wing tradition.
Neenda Payanam is a novel about the gradual changes that take place in a small village in Jaffna. The changes are mainly Social and political. The social changes are in relation to the awakening of the so called low caste people in their village. The depreesed class people, so called, tear down thc barricades of man imposed social values which are rooted in religious beliefs and eventually they become strong enough to gain representation in their own local authorities viz. Village Council. In their long journey towards social and political emancipation the depressed elass people have had to strive for three long years. It is their struggle that is described in this novel.
This is a novel on the problem of caste. The caste problem cannot be said to have been totally eradicated. It exists in some form or other in all grades of society. The irony is that even
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among the so called low caste people, a kind of superiority of one caste over another exists as depicted in the novel, for instance. There is sincerity in the novel. The author's main concern is to depict and record with compassion the sordid life led by this particular class of people. That way he has succeeded in his attempt. It is realistic in tone, narrative in style, and authentic in description. The author's keen power of observation of humdrum events in the lives of a group of people in the down-trodden class in society is well brought out.
The story begins when a Sambattu Pallar caste boy is beaten up by Vellalar caste youths in a temple festival for having slept in the temple premises allocated to the Vellalar or high caste. In the meantime the hero's love interest is also described. He hae three women associating with him. One of them belongs to a high caste, another of his own caste and the third also of the same caste as he is, but a shade lower than his, called Sembattu Pallar. By making his hero marry the latter girl, the authcr wants to stress the fact that reformation of society takes place first in his own home. In describing the love sequences, the author's lyrical description is beautiful and poetic. Even in other places the limpid and simple style of the author contributes to the readability of the novel. Employment of polished eolloquial language adds colour to the narrative. There is no worked up sentimentalism in the novel. Every incident seems plausible enough. But I must add that some incidents seem to have been rather long drawn, as for instance, the private lives of certain characters in the novel, who are not of major importance.
From the point of view of readability the novel is interesting. Even commonplace incidents assume significance in the novel. From the point of view of sincerity of purpose, the author must be congratulated for having come forward to treat boldly this subject.
Ganeshalingan has depicted well fully certain major aspects of life and living of the untouchables. If this novel, Neenda Payanam can be translated into Sinhala or English it will enable non - Tamil readers to learn and know about the lives of this particular Pallar community among the Tamils in Ceylon. The Novel has all the potentialities to be filmed as a lyrical cinema like the Gamperaliya. .
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Sadangu in Tamil mean ceremonies or rituals and in this particular context it une ans marriage ceremonies. This second novel of Ganeshalingan copiously records all possible ceremonies, customs and observations assiciated with an average Jaffna, Hindu, Rural wedding. So to one who is not familiar with all these, this book will also serve as a reference book.
Among many other things, the novelist laughs at the foolhardiness of certain conservative people, who only look to the grandiloquiance of customs and ceremonies but ignore the susceptibilities and compatibilities of the marriage partners before arranging marriages for them. In other words the writer scoffs at the parents, who refuse to see a different generation emerging. According to him, the parents strive hard to thrust their own concepts of life, rooted in a feudal set up, thereby doing a lot of damage not only to their off-springs but also to themselves.
In the words of the novelist, the human emotions or inward life of partners are never considered and only the outward marriage observations are given importance among upperclasses in an feudal society ... although such a feudal society is crumbling, the emotional conflicts of those caught in its whirlpool remain still complex. Man's day to day life is entwined with the political and social set up that exists. People react in relation to political conditions... ... and so on. The novel is written in the conventional form with a small difference. It has a potted political history of Ceylon in its narration from 1956 onwards.
Dr. K. Sivatham by has written a fairly lengthy foreword to this novel, highlighting its socialogical significance.
Dr. Sivathamby underlines the fact that the caste system is the axis of the Indian feudal society. He says that the caste system evolved out of Vedic Aryan classifications of easte and the then existing Tribal groups. He goes cn to say that - the Ceylon:se feudal set up is quite different from the Indian one and that even in Ceylon the set up among the Tamils also varies from place to place, as for instance between. Jaffna and Batticalca. Illustrating further he says that though the four divisions of cate have been accepted as the influence of Hinduism, the Brahmins are of no eccnomic importance and on the contrary the peasants or farmers as land - owners are impor
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tant. As agriculture had becn the primary economy and as the farmers were mainly Hindus and as there was an unrelented contact between South India, and Jaffna, the society was based on the caste system. There are castes in Jaffna which are not to be found in South India. Why the Portuguese, the Dutch and the British could not totally change the Jaffna Soicety was because of the sprry system of caste practised there. Dr. Sivathamby writes more. He gives valuable information regarding the social patterns of the Jaffna Tamils analysed from a marxist vievepoint. In short this novel is a comment on the changing social values of a progressive society. But whether the political situations have a motivating impact on the characters, is not clearly drawn by the novelist and further the characters in this novel are not truly representative of a feudal society that the novelist speaks of. To my mind they are representatives of a middle class society. But this is a matter of opinion. Ganeshalingan's canvas though limited in its breadth - yet is deep enough with a psychological dimension. This book not merely tells a grave story in a realistic manner, but it also makes people approach contemporary mal-adjustment in an intelligible and righteous way. V. This novel is yet another example to show that Ceylonesc Tamil writers are on the right track as opposed to their innumerable counterparts in South India, a majority of whom churn out chunks of mass cscapist literature. كم
Sevvanam translated as The Crimson Sky is the third novel written by Ganeshalingan. This is a socio- political novel with a contemporary setting. It may even be described as a contemporary historical novel as Dr. K. Kailasapathy says in his foreword. The novel does not come to a definite end and this is a notable thing I observed. It centres around an upper - middle class businessman who shot up to accumulating wealth suddenly by forces of political and social changes. His foil is a university educated Trade Unionist who prefers to associate himself with the proletariat. There is also a female secretary attached to a Press, and the extravagant wife of the businessman providing feminine interest in the story.
The novelist suggests a marxist solution to eradicate all evils in society. As a readable book the novel is very absorbing and stimulating. Bourgeoise morals, sex, love, wealth,
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affluency, politics, society - in fact every influential factor that makes up life and living are unobtrusively touched by the author. There are certain failings in the novel, as for instance, in character delineation and absence of experimentatton in structure. But then the form is determined by the content. At best levels an artist's perceptive mind is at work in this book. The narrative skill of the author is as usual abundantly manifests throughout the novel.
The fourth novel by Ganeshalingan is called The Earth and the Star) - Tharaiyum Tharakaiyum.
Ganeshalingan selects particular phases in local contemporary history as the background scenes for his novels. In the novel unier review, the ugly scenes of 1958 form the backdrop. But it remains only as background scene because the novel is about somethiug else. One can even call this an explanatory novel explaining the theory that love, sex and married life do not cxist in an idealistic sense, and that happiness in married life is largely a byword for affluency. Apart from the main theme, the novel also condemns the attitude of the lower middle class or working class families in trying to ape the ways and manners of the richer classes. This novel realistically portrays life among the lower middle class Jaffna Tamil families living in Colombo for purpose of employment. From another level the novel also analyses the psychology of women against that of men in relation to matters like sex and love. The hero has experiences with three women. The main character is drawn in an effective way. In the beginning of the novel he is an unemployed village youth in Colombo, lost in love with a rich girl in his native place, As the story develops he finds employment in the Government Service as a temporary clerk. The novel shows his rise to the middle claas status and his attempt to keep in line with the rest of the bourgeois life and his difficulty in facing problems confronting him because of his artificial status. The middle class man in a society of classes, the Tamil clerical servant class three and the attendant economic problems these are the basic elements in the novel that the novelist takes for dissection and analysis His conclusions may s2em radical in a liberal set up but it is the bold point of view of the writer and the interesting manner in which he has written the story that deserves praise.
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I will describe Ganeshalingan's novel "The Earth and the Star' as a minor classic in Tamil.
(B) First Novel by Ilankeeran in Book Form
THENTRALUM PUYALUM is the first novel by Ilankeeran that had a Ceylon:se setting. His earlier novels were set abroad. This novel was the first of a series of realistic portrayals of contemporary Tamil and Muslim societies in Sri Lanka begun by Ilankeeran after 1956. Later novels such as Ingirunthu Enge,
Kalam Marukiraith u and Avallukku Oru Velai Vendum have been seralised in newspapers and they have not appeared in book form yet. Neethyae Nee Kerl is his second novel in book form.
Ilankeeran Is the non - de - plume of Zubair, a Jaffana Muslim who has at different periods lived in South India and Malaysia. He published for a short time a literary magazine, called Maragatham, which died a natural death, due to inadequate financial support. Ilankeeran who is presently editing Janavegam, is one of the finest political analysts in the Tamil Language. He had earlier edited Tholilalie, another
political weekly,
Ilankeeran - novelist and journalist - is himself a synthesis of both the old and the new, He is the product of the class struggle and a living force of what may be called progressivism. As a marxist writer and a member of the proletarian social startum, Ilankeeran has identified himself as a progressive writer. Some such prior knowledge of this novelist's deepest convictions vis necessary to cnable readers to approach his work with understanding. Whatever his political beliefs may be, Ilankeeran is far above his contemporaries in South India as a novelist, both in his ideas and in his artistic interpretations of them. He cannot be dismissed, as many others can, as a mere nagazine story writer, catering to housewives and to adolescent tastes. He is a serious novelist, with depth of vision. Each novel he has written has shown a steady advance and his development as a mature writer has run parallel to the improvement and progress of the Tamil novel as a literary form.
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Thentratum Puyalum (The Breeze and the Storm) reveals the attitudes of a Ceylon Tamil writer of ability to certain problems in contemporary society. It may not be a major novel, but it records the acute observations of a serious and progressive thinker.
The massage of the novel is imparted through the words and actions of the characters involved. The plot, as a love story, has its interest, but the writer's ideas, his Philosophy of life carry the greatest weight. The resulting stiffness and inadequate characterisation causes the novel to fall short of being an outstanding piece of artistic, creative work. The story centres on a lower middle class family in Jaffna, which is torn apart by conflicting values. Balu, the son, falls in love with a rich and beuatiful girl in Colombo, where he is searching for employment. She assures him of her faithfulness, and the passionate relationship that develops results in the girl, Manon's pregnancy. Her parents, on hearing of this, take steps to bring about an abortion and marry her hastily to a cousin possessed of the status, education and wealth that makes him a suitable husband for their daughter. This unexpected betrayal sours Balu's attitude to life, and fallen a victim to both mental and physical disease, he dies. The novel tries to show that the failure of
this love is caused by class distinctions, and the differences they create in the mentality of the two opposing classes - the rich
and the poor, “high society' and the middle classes. The love affair of Balu and Manon, skil fully handled by the author, begins like a gentle breeze and ends in a storm. Another story runs parallel to this - the love of Balu's sister, Thangam, for a neighbour of low caste, Poopathi. In spite of severe opposition, the attachment deepens between them, giving them the strength to make sacrifices for Balu, and ultimately the courage to venture on marriage. The contrast between the two relationships is emphasised in the novel through Natarajan, a young friend of Balu and Poopathi, who is the mouthpiece for the novelist's progressive ideas. Natarajan is pictured as a mature young man and his comments on events as they take place draw their standarda from the ideals of common humanity and the selfrespect of the individual.
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Colombo life is seen as opulent and fals2. In his search for employment, Balu encounters corruption and in sincrity. Ho writes to Poopathi - “A bribe in the pre - requisite for a job, either in the Government or in the Mercantile sector. The Socalled “great ones' in Colombo who promised to find me a job have hearts as thin as custard, although their posts and bungalows are big...... '' Commenting on the alien culture and Sophistication that have infiltrated the bchaviour and attitudes of Tamils in “high soeiety', the noveliet makes his attack through Natarajan: - 'This great ones in our Tamil society have their namics in Tamil, but their minds are Anglicised. Their dress, style, and manners are Americanised. No wonder the Tamil atmosphere eannot be sensed in their homes. Their children won't call them Amma and “ Aiyah' - mother and father - in sweet Tamil. It is amusing to hear them speak at eetings and at public places as the saviours of Tamil culture and civilisation. Balu do you know whare the Tamil language has a true development, do you know where the Tamil culture and civilisation are really flourishing? Thay are in the homes, minis, and lives of th poor Tamils. Certainly not in the bungalows of eminent folk. Sometimes, unfortunately, an excellent satire becomes shrill propaganda: - 'The hard earned money won by the toil of labourers and workers is spent on cosmetics imported from the West. This foul capitalist society produces only a sup:rficial, beauty conscious class that overwhiclns the country in a useless flood. The world's capitalist countries rob our island of its national wealth' - these are Natarajan's thoughts when on a fine day, he and Poopathy sit in Victoria Park and watch an affluent social clais taking its ease.
But social classes are, however, viewed with a critical eye. Balu's discomfort at Colombo's easy manners, and the true reason for it are made clear when he visits Manon's home as a tutor, and is entertained by her with a freedom that would have been impossible to think of in Jaffana. “Balu was hungry, but he did not eat too much at her house; the false pride of the middle classes prevented him from doing so. When his tells Natarajan of Manon's bauty, pride, status, wealth and ability his friend retorts:
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You have now left a summer place for a place of winter. You may be glad of it. But be careful the cold might be intense enough to freeze you to death. As Balu becomes more and more
fascinated by Manon, he is influenced by her to an extent that
brings the novelist's comment - As Balu moved in high society his mentality began to acquire a new shape. It is environment that shapes our ideas and our behaviour, Natarajan is pessimistic about the future of the Balu - Manon relationship "o Love may succeed against caste barriers, but it is difficult to go against dislerences of status. People like us - the Middle Class - are obsessed with caste feeling; people like Manon's parents are obsessed by status consciousness. There is no doubt, however, that it is in the people like us that Ilankeeran finds positive hope for the future. Only those of us in the Middle Class give importance to love, morals, shame, and good behaviour, the great ones do not care for these. They have different meanings for such terms in their dictionaries. They are not worried about all these things. They are interested only in seeing that nothing obstructs their comfort. In the struggle of the poor, the meaning of life is established. There are so many people like us. Their ives are not pleasant or comfortable like the Galle Face Promenade. The storm that blows over you blows over them also. But they are not disheartened. They spend their lives in battle. They fight for food, clolhing and shelter. It is the battle for these three that is the history of mankind. And again, many think of life as a mirror, which when broken into pieces cannot be put together again. They become obsessed with this idea. Life is not a mirror, but a river. If swum with confidence, the coast appears. Love can come and go, but life remains. ...'
Within this general examination of social conflict, particular evils are pinpointed. The difficulties placed in the way of inteligent and sincere young people by the barriers of caste are examined in the Thangam - Poopathi relationship, between a low caste parson like Poopathi and a high caste girl like Thangam it is only love that is possible. But they cannot take their love inside the place of marriage ... The wall named '' Caste' has not yet crumbled., Poopthi knew well that this love might not, succeed. He expressed the conflict of his emotions to Thangam who replied, " I can forget you only if the moon in the sky
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comes down to play on the earth'. The dowry system is condemned by Natarajan to Balu; It is not only you Balu, many prople are distracted by the dowry. Moneyed people do not worry about it; they have everything that is necessary. The dowry system is one of the many curses in our society. The so called great ones of our community, have they taken any steps to destory this horrible system, and to free the lamenting lasses frcm the barricades of adulthood? The dowry is a murderous system, for it breaks the lives of maids. The debate in carried from words to the action of the novel.
When Balu returns to Jaffana, his father upbraids him, and tells him of Thangam's intimacy with Poopathi. Balu reflects on his sister's situation and his own, on the one hand the barrier of caste on the other the barrier of status and wealth. He does not even consider however, will ether thic re exists real compatibility of temperiument between Manon and himself. Thangam, on the other hand, never thinks abó ut the feasibility of her marriage to Poopathi, and he is in his turn, unable to forget her, although he is fully aware of the social implications of a marriage with her. Society around them regards them with contempt, and when Poopathi is assaulted by a thug who bears him a prsonal grudge, the n2ighbourhood in general think him suitably punished for his illicit love for a high caste girl. Though Thingam is moved to near despair by this event, Poopathi reacts to the experience with courage and without selfpity. In a letter to Bulu, he writes “Man has developed - in knowledge and culture. The fact that I was attacked that day shows how Jittle our Tamil community has developed. 'Laugh and the world laughs with you, cry and cry alone', it said. That day I laughed when I was bcaten. No one wept or laughed with me. Though I laughed aloud I wept within myself. I do not expect the world to weep with me.
In his search for positives to place against the evils in society, the author finds part of his answer in personal relationships. As confidence in parental wisdom and authority crumbles it is affection bitween sincere and whole personalities that must replace it " There is no relationship between age and knowdge', says Natarajan. Cur parents age does not necessarily imply that
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they are wise or correct in their actions. It is against the laws of human justice and civilisation to allow the spread of divisions of caste, kind, and community..... Parents look to caste, kind, and religion when arranging marriages for their children. But the philosophy of conjugal love does not rest on these. It rests on the physical and mental development of the partnars their. familiarity with domstic matters, compatibility, ther love for each other and capacity to live harmoniously together. But in the last rescrt, if love fails also then the fighter must look within himself for strength to alter the shape of society so that it will allow the freedom and self respect of every man: "Though he is of low caste, Poopathi is a nobel man, Balu. He is prepared to sacifice his love in your interest, though it might ruin his life...... You do not have the same heart...... Poopathi's is not like yours. If he had married Thangam, the caste and dowry systems whould have received a great blow, for the marriage would announce the progressive world that is developing. Their love and marriage would be a challenge to society as it is and indicate the rattorn of coming changes...... Love is only an important aspect of life and not life itself. One could go on living after failing in love, and accomplish many thirgs . ... Only in novels and epics do you find women who sacrifice wealth and comfort for love. In everyday life, seldom can you find one. Even if she' shares his miseries and turbulent life with her husband, she will not remain happy and satisfied. She will only deceive herself, and gradually life will become a pretence, hiding disgust. It is foolish to expeet those used to comfortable living to live miserable lives for love.
Our scc.iety is split into many divisions..... the thoughts, ideas, justice, culture and morals of upperclass society are different from ours. Those who say that love has the power to weld the likes and dislikes of these conflicting classes into one, are mere romanticis's. not realists. If their theory is correct, all the poor will begin to love the rich. It is absurd to be angry with love, and meaningless to speak ill of it. The love of people of similar status succeeds while that of others fails. The society of our time with its class distinctions, should radically change and only in a classless society could one sing the song of freedom." ۔
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The novel ends with the marriage of Thangam and Poopathi and the death of her conservative father, from shoek. Balu dies too, and Natarajan promises to look after his widowed mother, Progressive ideology thus triumphs at the close. Ilankeeran's style gives his ideas easy and forceful expression. Thentralum Puyallum has many faults as a piece of literary craftsmanship, but its virtue is its great sincerity.
(C) A Note on K. Daniel's 'Panchannar'
K. Daniel has brought out two collections of short stories and a novel. Although he has serialised a novel in a magazine earlier, his prize winning Panchamar is his first novel in book form. This book is more than a contemporary historical fiction. It is a documented piece describing the history of the represertative Jaffna people in the first part of this decade: the oppressed in the Jaffna community rise up in arms to challenge the feudal set up. The happennings behind the cadjan fences in Jaffna are described to us, and we living in other part of Sri Lanka can now see for ourselves what is actually wrong with the Tamil Community.
(D) A Novel from the Wanni
A very readable first novel in Tamil, on some aspects of a hamlet in the Wanni has come our way. It is fiction, but the surroundings of Than ncer Murippu are so authentically captured, that one could even take it as a case study for sociology, but unfortunately the writer A. Balamano ha ran pays little attention to the sccial or economic aspects of the theme of the novel. He is rather preoccupicd with his characters, (particularly the heroine Pathanjali), moulded in an idealistic framework than the social aspect of the novel. His heroine true enough, reacts realistically, but the novelist's idealism of a perfect world, without urban associations, prevents her from emerging as a truly 20th century character.
This is not to say, that the novel is bad in itself. We have to consider two factors, before passing judgement: One, this is the first novel of this young writer. Two, it is an offbeat novel in local Tamil writing, because the location and events in the story,
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are new to the urban Tamil reader. We must congratulate the author, for not being ashamed (as most new writers influenced by teenage magazines from Tamil Nadu would be, for they write about upp3.r. middle class city types) to write about the simple life of jungle dwelers. So, in his first novel itself, the writer had plunged in to the description of a world that is hardly known to the (ophisticated amongst us.
The episode where the heroine gets entangled in adultery, is highlighted in the novel; the novelis:'s effort for the most part, is spent on clearing her, from any possible moral onslaught by an urban society. In fact he is trying to compare her with that bird (Nilak ili) which does not fly well above ground level. According to Balamanoharan, Pathanjali should have continucd to live like that bird, without trying to fly. New knowledge through magazines had been responsible for her guilt complex, says th novelist. He resolves her problem, however by ending the novel on a positive note for her; the child born to her in adultery resembles her husband - so there is no problem:
Nilakaili lacks polish although it is readable. This is partly due to the writer's limited vision. Balamanoharan seems to be obsessed with the idea of an ideal pure world where modernity has no place. This is very clear in the novel. Nostalgic yearnings for the past, is a kind of idealism and not progressive in the light of modern happenings right round the world, where youth plays an an important part. Nilakili is actually a halfway house between South Indian way of sentimental writing - Ahilan, Parthasarathy. Varatharns an-and local sntimental writing. Sentiment in itself is not a bad thing, but it should be genuine and should b3 in its right place. But these are shortcomings, which the author can easi'y overcome soon. Instead of being moved by the behaviour of the characters he himself has created, Balamanoharan can benefit, if he sees the motivation of his characters in a social background. After all, is it not true that focal setups account for the peculiarites of social relationships? This novel has receved an award for 1973.
(E) Five Noves:
What is known as the novella or novelette has become a convenient genre for most writers in Tamil here, as the short story
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proves to be a much demanding art form than the novel. It requires miticulous craftsmanship to write a neat good short story as it has got to be a depiction of a single experience or incident; and as such the short story has its limitations. Its eanvas is not broad enough to aecommodate the complexity of modern life in toto. So in Tamil too, novellas have gained currency. S. Yoganathan has written five such novellas. These are now collected together in a book form. Ten years ago while being a student in the University, he brought out a collection of short stories. Yoganathan is now a divisional Revenue Officer.
Oli nanakku vendum (We need light ) is the theme running through in Yoganathan's five novellas, although there is not a single story by that title. What the actual titles translated into English are; Twenty years and three Desires, A word called Comradeship. Janaki, That day should come and Thiruchi tampalam. These were written between 1963 and 1972. A word called Comradeship, is being translated in world languages under the UNESCO scheme. Twenty years and three Desires is to be published in Sinhala very soon. V
The sixties brought into the fore a host of Tamil medium graduates who excelled in the fild of writing. Some of them are very prominent: Late S. Kathirgamanathan, S. Yoganathan A. Kailasanathan, K. Guna rajah, A. Rajagopal, A. Shanmugathas, K. Navasothy and Muthu Sivaganam. But not all writers were alive to contemporary or were they capable of comprehending their immediate environment and society. Most singled out varsity life as a separate experience and indulged in cynical or pessimistic herbourings. Undergraduates like Yoganathan and Kathiragamanathan however saw Varsity life as somthing similar to the larger life outside. The conflicts within the campus were aetually conflicts in society itself. Yoganathan understood this and brought in typical characters in his writings to prove his point.
Discouraging self-centredness as part of the Jndividualistic trend and emphasising the need for collective struggle to bring in Social justice; need for educational reforms to suit the changing society, the urgency to mould conservative behaviour - these are the underlying themes in Yoganathan's novellas.
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Janaki: A Brahimin Girl throws away conservatism aside to adapt herself to esrn a living not only for herself but her widowed nother as well. Thc vociferous brother of her had already thrown away his rituals, to become a clean cr in a lorry. Janaki had to learn what life was by joining a nurses' Training School where her mentor was a girl from the depressed class. If conservatism and hyprocrisy are attacked in this story in Twenty years and three Desires, the writer is bringing in through a dialogue between different temperamental people in the campus a consciousness for social reality. The characters are all typical varsity characters. Dammica (daughter of a middle class peasant) Sumanadasa (son of : an old womain who earns a living by working in a building site) Dharmapala (a son of a farmer) and Sivakumar (son of a petty shopkeeper) represent different social strata, race, temperament and ideas. Self-centredness and insular thinking mect tragic ending particularly when broader and united effort is required to bring good to the under privillegid. This is obvious in the novella. But, here is the writer's analytical realism as Raymond Williams would have meant it and not mare photographic realism. The solidarity theme is recurring in th: other story called A word called Comradeship, As said earlier the need for more realistic educational policy (this has come now) is called for in the fourth novella, That day should come. The iast novellette Thir Chittam palam is again calling for positive attitude towards life and discourages self pity. Yoganathan's book is well timed. It carries a for word by Dr. K. Kai'asapathy. A prize for 973 literary award had been given for this collection.
(F). The Indian Connection
A short novel Veeduyarukku by Kavaloor Rasathurai throws much light on the comical situation of the Tamils living in the metropolis. It is comical at the surface but a pointer on the calculative business - like mind of the average Tamil, be he Indian or Ceylonese. It is common knowledge that a very high percentage of the Tamil speaking Ceylonese and Indians (boh Nationals and others) live outside the North and East of Sri Lanka.
A Jaffna family shares a house with an Indian family, owned by a Sinhala Mudalali somewhere in Colombo. A father, a married
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son whose family is in Jaffna and a spinster daughter reprerent the local population while the TRP holders comprise a father mother and a bachelor son. For fear of impnding threat to leave the country forcibly, the Indian family hastens in to a hideout on a day when the Immigration Department boys make a surprise visit at their dwelling. Exploiting this awakward moment the Jaffna - born Tamil brethren try to grab the situation to their own end, all in the grand nation l way. Alas, the Sinhaia Mudalali, real business mind he is holds supreme to the utter frustration of the master minded Dravidan Tamil speaking clans. At thc bottom of it, it is a class warfare than anti-Tamil or Anti - Indian. That is the storyline, but it matters less. The rovel in its (stence is an expose of the fast functioning Pettah and Panchikawat:e trade.
The Indian connetcion as one may call it - an un favourable Cinematic cliche - is dramatized through the prote gonist the Nadar of the infamous Pettah domain. Th clumsn2ss of the typical Jaffra household is also told in style. Also pointed out is the vanity of the capital accumulating Sinhala land lord. It is true that these people are only representative and not universal but there is no malice and a fine sense of humour pervades right along the description. It is a fine story cfa Tamil seeing his own people in funny situations. Rasathurai makes his comments on the Tan, il pe king Ceylonese through a Sinhala politician, a mamber of the CMC. “When we refer to the Tamils we first think of the Thosai. I know that the Thosa i Ka de culture is not your culture. Kurak kan Pittu, Odial Pittu, Paya sam, Paniharam and other delicacies cannot be found in Colombo. If, you people can run Hotels like the Chinese hotels and servis Jaffna food, how nice it would be? If you run a Kool Kade alone, you can reap profits. Your writer Alagu Subramaniam declares that the Kool is the most delicious food in the world in one of his short stories. Without doing such a thing you have pawned your economy, culture and literature to the South Indians and feel fully satisfied with that: You Jaffna Tamils living in Colombo are a worse lot. Your individuality, culture, eating habits etc have been pawned to them. We have head of the Mudalal í exploiting the labourer, the imperialists exploiting the under-developed countries. But have you heard of any country exploiting another eountry in the name of language and culture? The TRP Nadars never brought wealth from
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their country. They earned this exploiting and deceiving the people of this country. Like religion conscience is also a myth. Conscience is only an archston to uplift the religion. The subconscious mind is actually the voice of fear and not that of gcd'. The Sinhala politician upbraids tine Jaffna son when the latter called cn him complaining the Nadar. Some positive side of the Indian Nadars is also seen. The Sinhala lard lords prefer to rent out their houses to people like Santhana Nadar, for they would give the key money and advances and also pay their rents on due dates.
The author in the process of story telling has also added a few truisms, which do not stand out or deter the sm octh reading of the novel. As for instance; Ethics and codes are generally in contrivance with human nature. Despite moral preachings by the sages and great men the world is disintegrating in the field of human conduct. These values are really man's ideals. The burden of life smothers them. Orderly life or a life lived in good conduct is actually a luxury. If the human rac3 could be compared to a flowing river, then the Tamil race is not dynamic."
Kalyaloor Rasathurai's Veedu Yarukku is interesting reading fare; it is also a clinical revelation of the unscrupulous business world dominated by the Indian connection. A dramatic version of this novel was also staged in Colombo.
(G) inter-Racia Lowe and Warriage
Arul Subramaniam's Alvarkalukku Vayathu Vanthu Widdathu (they have corne of age) is a spendidly written novel by a new writer. It gives excellent reading fare as a novel showing the gradual development of characters and their relationships with each other, besides it is also a progressive piece of writing on the theme of national integration.
A Tamil youth, Ariyam from Trincomalee, conditioned by the local political climate there, comes to Colombo only to realise that tha Sinhala pople are not bad as all that. He develops an attachment-both physical and platonic-towards Monica at whose house he is boarded. He marries the girl eventually, but is in a dilemma as to whether he should break the news to his parents, whom he dares to disobey. It is this struggle between conviction and commitment and the attachment and obligations
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to his parents that worries him. He is not irrational as to take hasty decisions. It is his slow process of both keeping his wife and winning over his conservative, hard-ccre parents to his side that the novel describes. I will not be doing justice to the novel by merely telling what the novel is about. Readers themselves it should read it to see in what a grand manner he has written his realistic social piece. Trincomalice has produced an outstanding writer and his first novel is a major contributicn to Tamil fiction.
As Dr. K. Sivathamby has written in his foreword, this book too should be translated into Sinhala for the benefit of the majority of the readers, specially to show that not all the Tamil people are cast in the same mould. Those who scorn at our local Tamil writers that their writing are merely propagandist, will have to sit back and review their thoughts, as pcople like Arul Subramaniam are writing in such a way that structure and theme are inseparable in their creative writings. A rul Subramaniam has the naive, unspoilt freshness in him and this helps him to write his stories without any inhibitions. His is a realistic tone. As a contemporary writer he sees the inner realism rather than the obvious.
II SHORT STORES
(A) Welli Pathasarann
'Ilankayarkone” was one of the earliest innovatcrs of Tamil short story writing in Ceylon. The author, hidden by this pseudonym was th: late N. Sivagnanastlindram, a Divisional Revenue Officer. His short stories were published in reputed journals like Manikodi, Soora vali, Sakthi, Saraswathi and
Kalai magal of Sou h India. Ilankayarkone was essentally a formalist and some of his pieees like Under the shade of the Thalai Tree and The Cousin, were beautifully written expositions of humanism. Humanism that was violent but gentle in its expression was the characteristic note in his writing. The collection Veliaphthasaram consists of fifteen stories. A nulla Maria Madalena, Menaka, Thai, Yalpadi and Sigiriya are stories that have nothing to do with the contemporary society of the Tamils in Ceylon. Thalaimilalilae (Under the shade
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of the thalai Tree) impresses because of the structure it has assumed in giving poetical expression to the author's sentiment towards the main character - a little girl of twelve. Machchal (The Cousin) is a narration written in the first parson about a youngster and gives an account of his family history in relation to his twenty year old cousin. The title story, Wellipathasaram (The Silver Anklet) describes the romantic attachment of a newly married couple. This story seems to have fascinated many readers as scen from the appraisal written about it by some. Manithaku rangu (The Human ape) deals with the humanism and op2n-heartedness of an ugly man who happ2ns to marry a very baautiful and lascivlous woman. Nadodi (The Wanderer) is a satire on the Tamil pundits who rest on their laure's and are enraged wherever any avant garde experimentation is undertaken by their contemporaries. The progressive ideas of the writer is reflected in the story. Well written with lively coloquial dialogue, Anathai (The Orphan) is a satire on sophisticated women who have the licence cven to give birth before marriage and to discard the child.
(B) Eelathu Parisuk Kathaigal.
This is a collection of nine short stories, and they were at one time or an oth 2 r awarded prizes in compatitions conducted bcth by local and foreign journals. Not all the prize winning stories are included in this collection and this is representative of one section or school of writers only.
Pakkuvam (Puberty) by A. Muttulingam is in my opinion the best story in this anthology. It is not only written in a compact and coherent form, but also deals with a delicate and new theme. The story is simple - the attainment of maturity of a young but unattractive girl immediately after her younger sister had preceded her in this biological change of life. Because of an inferiority complex and because of the attractiveness and popularity of her youngs r sister, this girl has becn developing a mood of depression. But a man cones to her rescue in comforting her psychologically - he describes her as a pretty girl and requests her to be attentive to her appearance. The medical probability of this quick transition in her mental and physical growth is left to be questioned and yet the writer deserves praise for his
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suggestive undertones which make the story artistically convincing. This story was written in 1960 and it still holds its place as one of the outstanding stories written by a Ceylon Tamil writer. Thiru Senthooran's Urimaienge? (Where are the Rights?) vividly describes the failure of an estate labourer to obtain citizenship rights by registration. The colloquial dialogue employed and neat and realistic characterisation make this story a convincing one. A new comer to writing, Thiru Senthooran shows promise. Malaiyum Madu vum (The Mountain and the Mouse) by Sahidevi Kandiah, though written in sentimental strain, depicts the inconsistencies in the attitudes of people of different social status although they may be physically and intellectually attracted to one another.
I do not know how the film Susan Slade, impressed the writer of Ithaya Kumural (The Throb of the Heart) but the story is similar to the film. A mother and a daughter conceive and give birth at the same time. The mother's child dies at ohildbirth. The daughter's child becomes the mother's child as the daughter has no legal has band. The daughter cannot claim rights as mother for her own son for he goes as her brother. This precarious situation is described by the young writcr, Chempian Chevan, using the flashback technique. Based on the 1953 mis-adventure in the name of cominunal riots, Nanda upathi written by Navam sardonically condemns racial hatred a, those who hold dear to one may also be afflicted by this disease. Anuranachalam - Bhikkhu turned Tamil teacher - kills his girls Nandawathi, accidentally - (She had once saved his life) thinking that he was taking the life of somebody else. Although this story describes certain improbabilities in magazine story fashion, the underlying message is of some value. Thedi Vantha Kangal (The Eyes that came in search for me) by Uthayanan, alao describes the sacrifice of a Sinhalese girl for the love she had for a blind Tamil man. She becomes a victim of the riots because she had loved a Tamil man. Here too the incidents are in magazine story fashion. Marumanam (Re - marriage) by Sitpi is also a typical magazins story with all its sentimentality and melodrama of love and the marriage of two people of different castes, while Urinaikkahauyir (Life for the rights) by Muttu Sivagnanam is reportage of another incident during the
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riots and emergency: Nattukku. Iruvar (Two for the State) by Chengaia aliyan is a piece of propaganda writing with a motivation of a political ideology. There is hardly any element or aspects of short story writing in this.
All in all, this volume indicates where a few of Ceylon's Tamil writers stood in short story writing way back in the early sixties.
(C) Poattik Kathaikal
There are nine prize winning stories in this collection. The story that was awarded the first prize, Poo (Flower) by M. A. Rahuman is an exercise in filmic stylc trying to record tine subjective mood of a character in the monolouge technique. The structural pattern of the story is convincing y organic and it ends in a symbolic analogy. It questioningly challenges the propriety of a married woman's interest in another man though her marriage was the result of a love a fair. Rahuman's story is remarkable and on 2 expects the same excellence to show in all his future writings.
Unarchikkappa ( Beyond Emotion ) by Chen pian Cheluan, lacks the sustaired unity cr coheicnce of the single idea he wishes to put forward, although it ravingly elaborates the egoistic hatred of a son for his father and the submissiven2ss of the ego in him at the end when his father dies. The writer's style is forceful and metaphorical. Anna (Brother) by Sitham para Pathini describes the angelic attitude of two people - a tutor and a women student - towards love. The story is a straight forward ore though the technical device is lackneyed. Indo - China Bai Bai by Mani mekalai is written in O, Henry fashion and ridicules the follies of extreme nationalism, while. R. Balakrishnan's Welvi ( Malediction ) touchingly describs this patriotic and nationalis, ic feelings cf Kepettipola. In apposite image and free use of synonyms betray a laborious style; this is particularly so in the earlier part of the story. Wehuli ( Nave te ) by Maruthamunai Majeed is also melo. dramatic but it do is not show any signs of imposed pre-conception. The main character is a prototype of one of Jeyakandan's story. (He is one of the outstanding short story writers from
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South India). The fervent desire of an innocent odd job-man for a girl who is unapproachable is described here. Neerodai ( Stream) by S. Paramasamy is an essay on alien inspired nostalgia and the rootlessness of indigenous people on their own soil athd intrinsic culture. The idea is a reflective one but the atmosphere and tons of the story is rather vulgar and crude and it is artlessly handled. Uruthi ( Firmness ) by Gopathi is an annecdote of the firmness of a man in respect of his opposition to a re - marriage encouraged by his mother while Yarukku Perumai ( For whom is the honour ) by Suseelan is a narrative of a young man's nobel act in a precarious situation.
This collection was symbolic of the trends in writing that prevailed among the younger group of writers in the sixties.
(D) Yoganathan Kathaikai
Though by conviction Yoganathan is a Socialist Realist, he is more a subjSctive writer. probing the minds of characters rather than reporting objectively the transitional conditions of his society. But he is not an Utopian writer failing to gather material for his stores from real life. Yoganathan shows a genuina willingness to experiment in form of style, This is what is evident in Yoganathan Kathaigal. In this collection there sire seven stories. Many of these defy the conventional formulapatterned structure of a short story.
In his story, The Artist, Yoganathan indicates the character traits of pseudo artists who refuse to see and understand the sordid aspects of life around them. Cholakam (The Day season in the North ) vividly describes the poverty and gloom in the lives of a fisher family in Jaffna. Another story describes the reactions of a pregnant teacher towards her pupil in lyrical prese. Here again the symbols are appropriate and aesthetic. The interior monologue technique is successfully tried out in the story which pictures the last phases of Ambapali's (the courtesan's) life and hr cventual devotion to the Buddha. Colours and The rhythms are varied are excellent exercises in picturing in words the rapid streams of thoughts of characters who are remantically involved. ,
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Yoganthan's lyrical styles shows his mastery of words. There are however instances where due to over - enthusiasm perhaps his words remain mere rhythm - fillers.
La Sa Ramamirtham and Mowni are two South Indian writers whose style is akin to Joyca and Kafka respectively; Yoganathan's stories show a close affinity to the writings of the Indians as far as the technique and morbidity content are concerned.
(E) Thoni
Thoni (Boat) is collection of short stories, that won a Sahitya Mandalaya Prize for Tamil fiction. It's author V. A. Rasaratnam is a realistic story tellier and has a special knack for descriptive writing with a sans 2 of poetical diction. Harmonous blending of form and content in the sense the New Critics profess, is evident in most of his stores. A few stories in this volum) can be considered outstanding, if one takes into consideration the pariod in which they came to be written. The fifteen stories in this collection were written in 1951 and 1954.
esides the characteristic rural flavour in his stories, the writer has qualities like precision, economy and subtlety in his prose style, He is not a photographic realist but an artist with a true s 2nse of penstration who carefully records both external and internal traits of character and environment. The essential strength of his stories is his characterisaticn. He has been inspired by Anton Chekov. More than physical description or emphasis on plots and action, his stories concentrate on character - development. By saying this, I do not stress that his collection is an altogether successful harvest, for there are a good many stories which are commonplace in treatment and content, but yet this overall impression is satisfying.
(F) Wee
Vee is a one letter word in Tamil and may be translated as a pregnant flower. The author, S. Ponnuthurai, has also a publised two novels - Thee (Fire) and Sadangu (Rites). He is often discribed by Tamil Literary critics, as a good contemporry Tamil prose stylist in Ceylon. But he is not merely a stylist. He is a talented writer too. Although sex has been his
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favourite theme and is often preoccupied with it, this collection is a better representation of his other interests as a short story writer. His stories are something to be rc.ckcned with. He is a serious writer. I do not propcsa to make an exhaustive survey of his storics. I confire myself to a few passing commants on th: stories in this collection.
The are (The Charict) sars the critire Cld age of a happy - go - lucky man in nostalgic flavour. It is symbolic and depicts the life pattern of an average Jaffra man in his own surroundings. I regard this stcry the b2st in the collection. The Arrow may b2 described as a histcrical story depicting the re - awakening cf sex in Somadevi. This is the author's fancy. The Unit is a sardonic pieze satirizing half-baked politicians and intellectuals, but the essential background is pictured in an authentic mannet. A stcry with a rural background, depicting the chastity of a devoted wife, is The Fence. Eera is the Tami title of a stcry portrayirg the mental process or a widow - a Muslim - immeia'e'y after the fun:ral cf her husband. Th: Muslim dialect is beautifully brought out in this story. A story written in the Batticaloa dialect is The Price' Here again the undercurrent of thought of a chaste woman who sues her husband for a divorce is vividly captured. The Black Spot is a stcry with an anti - climax. This remailing stories are different in tempo and philosoph cal in tone. There is a story for each of thic four r;ligious b liefs: Hindu, Buddhist, Christian and Isam. As a whole they are noteworthy bec. use his approach is daring and bold. ۔۔۔۔۔۔۔
(G) Nan Sahamattaen
If all literatue is a statement on life as critic Mervyn de Silva calls it, late Kathirga manathan's story Vietnam: the holy pronon ncements of your own angels (In Tamil: Vietnam. Unathu Devathaikalin Deva Vaku) is such a human statement. It is a statement expressed through the character, a patriotic Vietnamase girl condemning the American presence in Saigon and the continuity of the Vietnamese tradition of resentment to any form of imperialism, Japanese, French or American,
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If nationalism begets internationalism, then a clear example is the attitude of writers, who emerge from the narrow con
fines of nationalism, when that nationalism has served its purpose of creating patriotism. Kathirgamanathan had this attitude when he wrote the story mentioned. That was the last story he ever wrote, for he died at the age ef thirty. A posthumous collection of three short stories and one translation has been released. Kathirgamanathan was a major talent among the first group of Tamil medium graduates, many of whom took to writing and he was one of the importont short story writers in Tamil. One of his short stories was among the five Tamil short stories selected by the Sri Lanka Sahitya Mandalaya to be published by the UNESCO in forty two languages, and this story called, A Village boy goes to school, is included in the collection under review. Kathirgamanathan was awarded the Sahitya Mandalaya prize for his earlier . collection of short stories called Kottum Pani (the Falling Dew) Kathirgamanathan worked as a journalist in a Tamil evening daily and latterly as a CAS officer in the public service.
A Village boy goes to s2hool is an autobiographical piece as the author himself admitted. Although tending to be naturalistic in his description of the village Karaveddy, the author had written a fine realistic piece on feudal village school set up and the inner struggle of an emerging progressive youngster against a malicious caste concerned teacher symbolising the decay of the old order. The comment is implicit and the portrayal moving.
The third story in this collection, depicts in sympathy the plight and determination of a servent girl to liberate the curbings imposed by the mistress of the house. More than a mere protest story it deals in subtle manner the psychological workings in the minds of the servant girl. The translation from English of the Urudhu story by Krishan Chand relates the Bengal famine of 1942. I cannot die by the famous Indian writer is considered by many as one of the finest novellas in world literature. The translation by Kathirgamanathan is facile and neat.
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Like all progressive writers, Kathirgamanathan too had an ideology, but he was not overwhelmed by it. He had the innate feeling for the form and a fine sence of subtlety. He experimented in style and structure, although the short story for him was a genre with limitations. He had all the potentialities in him to blossom into one of our major novelists. But death robbed him away from us, It is a sad story.
(H) Puthuyugam Pirakirathu
The late M. Tholayasingam had been toying with the idea of spiritual reformation for sometime, His book Pore Parai (The war Drum) - clucidated his point of view. As a forerunner to this book, Thalayasingam brought out a collection cf short stories called Puthu Yugam Pirakirathu (A New Age is Being Born). Whatever the author's philosophy is, one can enjoy reading his observations of the scciety in which he lived. There are eleven stories in this collection. The theme in most stories is sex but it is treated as a symbol and also as a natural part of life that has to be enjoyed without inhibitions.
His story Weelchi (The Fall) in a way introduces the content of the rest of the stories in this collection. It describes the helplessness of an angry young man (not the western type) against odds that circumvent his daily routine. The man in the story attempts to emerge from the sullen and depraved tastes of his time but he fails to do so. His attempt actually results in a showdown - he becomes one among the philistines. It is not only a fall of an intellectual to the level of a philistine, but it is also the fall of Altman brought about by modern conditions.
In the title story a leftwinger (whom his wife accuses as your progress has killed our god') puts the blame on God for a personal calamity. What the author is trying to show here is that just as much the end is important, the means too should be important,
The story Thedal (The Quest) is an allegory. The later realisation of a coward who faces himself for the first time. He searched within himself but only to realize that he had he had not lived at all.
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Kottai (The Fortress) is a symbolic piece of writing - clash of new ideas with old values, difficulties encountered in establishing new ideas, the ultimate failure of individuals striking against the hardcore of society.
A story called Irattham, (Blood) depicts the resentment of a young man brought up on Jaffna culture. The desire to face the truth with all its nakedness is what he wants to do.
In Koilhal (Temples) he speak about the ideal that will transcend death. Pirathial (The Outsider) is a story of an outsider seen inside out. In Tholuhai (Worship) sexual intercourse is treated as a symbol to illustrate divine creation. In Sabathan (The Promise) he treats sex as an obstacle to attain the ultimate purpose of life.
Welli (Space) is just the opposite of what Weelchi says. Here man is merging with the Supreme. The author has tried to show the failure of an age of reason and institutionalism.
According to Thalayas.ngam overindulgence in sex brings only W. D. but overindulgence in reason alone, shunning every other human feeling brings about a world wide catastrophe. The hero in “Vel' is Veilantic so his remains calm. Remaining calm is the best way of showing protest and revolt and it is also a reunion with Brahman believed Thalayasingam.
(I) Man Vasanai and Kadal
S. Velupillai (Su. Vae) and K. Sokkalingam (Sokkan) share between them the prizes for short stories. The former's Manvasanai (The Fragranxe of the Soil) and the litter's. Kadal (The Sea) are good examples of short stories in the conventional style-meaning their content is not daring or in the round and their technique is in the classical form: Cautious and didactic themes which would give contentment to teachers rarticularly (those educated only in the mother tongue) of the earlier generation. 1 am not suggesting that Su Vale and Sokkan a re not modern: but beca se they are modern in this decade of phenominal social changes all cver the world, their writings leave mre un respcnsive. But a strcng point they hold is that they write well (ncat classical prosa) with attention paid to unities of the short story.
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(J) Kuraum Kathaiyum
Books for the Juveniles in Tamil are in terribly short supply in our country and books available are not totally suitable for the young people and it cannot be said that the books written cater to different age groups.
In recent times however, two books - one called Oadipona van by K. Navasothy and the other entitled Kuralum Kathaiyum by N. Mahesan have dem anded attention. Both have moral overtones and both ar, meant for children between ten and twelve years. The first is a short fiction. and the other is a cellecticin of stories using the Thirukural as its source. In other words a few couplets from the famous classic is interpreted by way of stories.
Love without selfishness, sweet words, duties of a fathcr and the son's duty in turn, hospitality and renrember ance of one's past good deed in the midst of that one's later bad deeds are the themes in the latter collection. The intention of the writer is laudable and he succeeds in imparting morality to the young without much ado.
(K) Kadavilarum Manitharum
Bhavani has for her themes the romantic and sexual strings that vibrate the hearts of young couples, and lovers to be. A striking note however is her sincere cfcrt to put in plain w Crds, the undertones and hidden aspirations that cften ripple ard bubble around in the sub-conscious mind. She does not hesitate to portray such phantasmagoric cxplorations of the mind. The situation as well as the characterization in the stories create an impression that the writer is indifferent to the prevailing social set up and barriers.
She attracts the attention of the readers by startling them with highly shocking depiction of characters, who attempt to defy the conventional social beliefs and morals of the Tannis. In this sense, Bhavanis collection of short stories Kada vularum Manitharum is a stirring and provocative attempt at creative writing by a Ceylon Tamil Woman.
There are fourteen stories in this collection. A story called, Anbin Vilai tells the love and marriage of a brother and a sister
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to each other, not knowing that they were of the same blood and skin. When they came to know that there had been a si full mistake, the wife takes her own life, leaving the daughter with the husband's brother. The daughter finds her peace in society highly challenging, but the lover cf the daughter comes to her rescue after hurdling several obstacles. Manni para is another provocative story which deals with the sexual relationship between two lovers on the eve of the marriage of the girl to another man. Saria Thapa is a story of a maried wc man who hated her husband and child. She fell in love with a friend of her husband. She undergocs an emoticnal struggle whether to élope with her lover or stay with the child ard husband. Set in the same stain but incorporating a more convincing theme is the story called Kappu. An ugly woman, who happened to travel with a beautiful married woman and arother male passenger develops a hatred towards th: attractive woman. The male rassenger not knowing that the latter is married, begins to make advances to the mnrried lady and fails. This ugly woman then realises that her uginess ha 3 protected hcr frem unscrupulous pasengers like the one who travelled with the two women.
There is a realistic settir g in the story called Vidi vici Ncaki. The rest of the stories are melodramatic presentaticn cf lackneyed themes. However cbjectiorable the cor, terts of her stories may bte, one cannot dismiss the fact that thcre is unity in the form.
(L) Pathukai
Dominic Jeeva edits Mallikai, a literary monthly. This collection by him consists of eleven stories. He has also brought out two other collections Thann erum Kann erum and Salaya in thirupam. His themes are the problems of downtrodden and proletarian socity. Caste differences, social discriminations, capitalism, literary escapism, bourgeois sophistication are all cond amned severely by him. But the stories also have more altruistic and humanitarian themes. Depicting transitional social conditions with what may be described as photographic realism will not have any permanent value unless the depiction has a more profound and underlying unversalistic appeal. That Dominic Jeeva has. He has established through his new collection that he is an efficient craftsman too.

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The main features of this collection may be listed as follows:- depiction of benevolent or philanthropical values; protraiture of characters, who are ordinary and who belong to the lowliest of the low; description of regionalistic surroundingsJaffna; consciousness of a truly Ceylonese Tamil culture as different from that of South India; employment of ordinary language - colloquial - to give a true colour to the realistic picture that is depicted; use of colourful and forceful figurative language; adoption of an easy and lucid style; philosophizing subtlety of themes; compact and coherent structure.
The story entitled Kahitha Kadu (Jungle of papers) impressed me most. This story is a satire on pseudo - intellectuals, but the author does not clearly present his intentions, in fact giving both sides of intellectualism - the tragic and the sublime.
Kaivandi (Push Cart) tells a story of a union of two families brother's and sister's who had been segregated on account of pseudo - superiority claimed by the in-laws. This union is made possible by the interference of a latrine cooly. The title story Pathukai (Shoes) tells of an incident in the life of a cobbler and the author should be congratulated for his characterisation of the cobbler. Vaikarisi (Last Acts of Cremation) is yet another study in human relationships and the plausible and psychological treament given it makes it a convincing piece of writing Kurali Viththai (Black Magic) ends in somewhat magazine story fashion but it is enlivened by the beauty of colloquial speech and description of characters. The same is true of Van di Chavari (Cart Race). The remaining stories are commonplace. One story entitled Manath athuvam (Psycho. logy) is written in an epistolary manner and describes the love affair of two middle class characters. Papa cha lukai (Concession to a Sin) is another story depicting caste differences. Nagarathin Nilal (Shadow of the City) tells readers about the tragic life a rickshawalia leads. Mirugathanam (Animo sity) shows a picture of humanistic and in human love between a stray dog and a dead boy. The last story Thalakavadi (Rhythmic Vehicle) may not be described as short story in the true sense of the term. It is more satirical reportages of the experience a bus conductor undergoes on his daily route.
In the last analysis Pathukai is a succssful anthology.,
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(M) Daniel Kathaikal
Like Dominic Jeeva, Daniel too is a member of the working class. He has shown his cleverness as a successful craftsman in a few of his stories. In the collection under review plausibility in the treatment of psychology, where it occurs, is lacking in stories like Maanam (Shame). In Thanneer (Water) for instance, he apparently oversimplifies issues and presents a biased picture of characters and situations. Asai (The Recalling) is written in the first person singular. It describes certain major incidents in the later life of a hemophrodite, in relation to his place in society as a man lacking manliness. The writer tries to show that such unfortunate persons could only serve as pimps. This character also gives an account of the pathetic experience a young prostitute undergoes in a brothel and the writer attempts to create a sympathetic plea for her, by his characterization. All this sounds sentimental.
Uravum Wilay vum (Contact and Consequence) is modelled on a story called Ponnagaram, written by the late Puthunai Piththan (generally recognised as one of the best short story writers in Tamil). But Daniel's story is better in its treatment. In Puthumai Piththan's story, a poor young wife sells her body in the dark to a passerby for a few annas, to buy medicine for her dying husband. In Daniel's story, the married woman pretends to flirt with a fellow passenger in a train and steals a sum of nearly hundred rup2es, but she takes her own life, when she finds that her husband had died of his ailment in the train itself. In both the stories, the motives are to save their husbands at the expense of losing their chastity. False modesty or sex do not play their part in these stories. Maanan (Shame) is written in a manner to shock readers. A depressed class woman, almost nude, removes her only rag in public to help a high caste woman, who had accidentally fallen into the well in her compound; and in doing so, she herself slips in and falls into the well, while the other woman reaches the top. The writer is underlining his interpretation that the high caste woman does not have the heart to disrobe herself to save her rescuer, because she is concerned about shame and prestige. This is a one sided depiction of character. Valli and Marana. Nilal
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(Shadow of Death) too attract the attention of the reader while the rest are commonplace. í Daniel's first collection of short stories is not altogether unconvincing. A change over to the study of human problems in universalistic vision, not necessarily proletarian might be welcomed. Daniel shows much promise. But he has to free himself from a lopsided notion of sex in our society. He has subsequently brought out a collection called Ulaganka Vellapaduhirana (The Worlds are being Won over).
(N) Yuga Piravesam
Pulolyoor. K. Sathasivam writes to point out the inner realism of social patterns. He wants to bring realism in content by analysing the true factors for a social conflict. So his stories are directed in this sphere. He achieves his purpose with remarkable ease in form. There are eleven stories in a collection called Yuga. Piravesam (Entry into a Yuga).
Marital relationship and other relationships are synonymous with economic relationships. Also the relationships between working class people and the affluent lot are not always a happy meeting ground - they often lead to frustration, yet feeling for fellow beings can transcend class or social distinctions. These may seem contradictory but they are truisms as revealed by the author.
Then there is the subtle support for family planning. The inevitability of changes is suggested in another story. Ignorance and superstition prevailing in the estates lead to the discriminate treatment of the plantation workers laments the writer. Maturity in conjugal relationships, optimism in tackling problems and decided course of action to wipe out social ills are reflected in the stories.
There is a kind of classical approach in writing these stories - the structure is identified with the theme to give an aesthetic flavour to the basic relationships among all sorts of people. This merit carries the writer to a leading place among our Tamil short story writers. Young Sathasivam works as an assistant medical practitioner in the hill country. He may be described as one of the best talents to flower in the seventies. His stories have won acclain in South India too.
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III. POETRY
(A) Eli Koodu
They called it poetry - new poetry. Whatever its name it is a new form of expression and the agc old Tamil cannot be an exception to the moving designs of the times. Fluidity is the essence of tradition, and the inevitability has to come cven in Tamil poetry. So the new poetry or free verse with a purpose, to pin - point paradoxes in Social life. The quick quips serve to register deeply in the minds of the reader.
Dickuvella Kamal is one of the new jet - sets, who arrange words in that order to bring abcut images in flashes. The images themselves are self explanatory and serve as social comments. The thirty two quips he has written to various journals on these lines are compiled into one little collection Elikoodu (The Rat Cage ) The immediacy and contemporenety in them outwit any caustic critical observation in formalistic terms. Erudite critics, who shunned this kind of attempt will have to now rethink about new poetry, if collections like Kamal's continue to make a frontal attack on them. What's in a form. If neeessary content itself becomes new form. Subsequently, new collactions called Por ikal (compiled by Ambu Jauv a harsha) Aru va dai (Poonahar Mariathas) Poalikal (N. Logendra lingam ) and Sinhala Theevukore Palam. A maipoam (a release of the South Indian p3riodical Yean, including Ceylonse new poets) have been brought out. Most of the local journals give priority to this kind of poetic attempt now. More than two hundred new writers have come to be known through this new poetry. As Murugaiyan has said earlier serious poetry criticism is necessary to put them on the right track.
(B) Ho Chi Minh Kavithaikai
Ho Chi Minh's prison notes have been translated into Tamil for the first time A Ceylonese poet and a pioneer progressive writer in our country, K. Ganesh has beautifully rendered the poems written by the great Vietnamese, when the latter was in prison in South China in 1922 - 43. Written originally in Chinese and translated into English by Eileen Palmer these prison poems have now reached the Tamil reader. Rated high even by the
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Chinese literary crities, these poems are exquisite even in translation. Ideas and emotions are inseperable in Ho's poems.
According to facts gathered from an article written by Dr. Kailasapathy, a quarter century ago, M. lzmat Pasha had translated into Tamil the notes of Julius Fucick, the Cz:ch who was murdered by the Nazis in 1942 for his patriotism and communistic beliefs. This book too is in the same vein as Ho's prison notes. Even Oscar Wilde's prison notes had been translated into Tamil. In Sri Lanka, the late A. N. Kandas a my had done some useful translations. K. Ganesh and H. M. P. Mohideen are others in the field. Mr. Garesh is presently interested in introducirg South East Asian writings in Tamil. We understand that he is currently working, translating Azerbijan, Vietnam, Hungarian and Sinhala writing.
Ho Chi Minh's story and the Vietnamese history are recorded in the introduction to the bock. Ganesh is an unassum ng writer who is respccted by the young and old for his it cere and honest views on the arts. In this bock, the Vietra mese culture as found in Ho Chi Minh has been introduced into Tamil and that has now enriched Tamil culture. So Ganesh has served aa a bridge to merge these cultures.
(C) Akkini Pooka
Love of humanity, the urge to see a new world emerging and determination to wipe out social injustices through collective efforts seem to be the characteristic traits of the young pcet Eelavanan, whose collections of new poems (new in the senfe contemporary) has just been released. His skill of selectivity, his choice of words, his aesthetic sense and his scoial commitment are remarkable. The poet's willingness to 'associate himself with new thoughts and ideas are a significant observation one could make in reading his poems. He discards worn - out ineffective ideas and beliefs. He desires literature should be created for those who struggle with fire in their abdomen. He also holds new ideas on literature and the ltke. His wants spiritualism to be related to practical life.
Eelavanan a’so attacks the beauty' poets (meaning mere aesthetes) who fail to note the needs of the time. He wants songs to be sung for those people who burn like flowers in a
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furnace of films. The fire flowers (Akkini Pookal) he refers to are those under privileged suppressed, exploited lot. He says it's enough that we remained like rolled up “olas' after labouring and tiring ourselves, let us form ourselves into a front to SCO social justice is done. The poet hates war. He condemns the mass scale genocide in the name of war in global war spots like the M. E. and Vietnam. Some of his poetic usages are original: the tears that polish the floor, lightning flashes in the eye, the soft breasted lass walked on the brims of the paddy fields like the dancing decorations in a chariot, moving gently in the breeze. His feeling for the working class is demonstrated in his poem about the plight of the plantation workers. The poet dreams of a soeialist world where everyone will not live for himself but for everybody else, who in turn could put their heads up and walk with self respect. So he wants preparation made in this direction. Eelavanan's collection is a significant
contribution to the latest creative writings by the younger generation.
(D) Vecedum Veliyum
"Mahakavi has already been correctly recognised as a major force that directed the more important trends in Ceylonese Tamil writing', This opinson by yet another poet and critic Murugariyan can not be dismissed as mere sentiment because even younger poets like Nuhman and Shanmugam Sivalingan accept that the late Mahakavi (Rudramoorthy was his real name) was a great poet, According to them, this poet was a realist and an innovator. An innovator ? - Yes, as far as experimentation in structure was concerned, Mahakavi had a fine sense of form, But l3oking purely from an objective point of view, I see in Mahakavi the traits of a Romanticist. He was not a romantic in the Western l9th Century tradition, but he had this characteristic as far as idyllism gocs. Perhaps one would liken him to Robert Frost of our own tims - that kind of good - neighbourliness and
end ng ths walls, without commitments.
Rui rum) brthy died while holding a post in the CAS. The following wbrk by him have been published so far: Two collection of postry (Walli and Veedum Valiyum) one collection of lim:rics (Kuru imba) onc poetic drama (Kodai) and two short epics
(Kanımıniyal Katlani and Oru Satharana Manithanin Charithiran).
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* Veedum Veliyum is a slim volume of twenty five poems by the post. The first part consists of purely persenal lyrics and the other half is devoted to the outside world. Love, sex. prostitution and romanc attract the attention of the poet in his prional poams and w: have no quarrel there. In this section w2 find poems on “second marriage - re - marriege of a Tamil widow - This theme could have been novel two decades ago, but with Women's Lib and all that, it carries less weight now “Ahalikai' is the only narrative poem included in this section; this again is mythological and facilitates fancy and imagination for a romantitist. This poem makes the reader pause a little because of its variant interpretation. Poems written between 1954 and 1964 find a place here.
We now come to the second section. It is here that the poet’s desire to resign to mere observation and his hesitatancy to plung2 into firmer comment becomes obvious. Although the poems is this section are of a later period (1955 - 1969) the poet refuses to be cereberal. A few poem, however please us for their naive detachment - if detachment is a kind of poetic virtue. Th: ''Lizard' for instance is a beautiful picture of innocence facing cruelty for the first time. A child's bewilderment at watching a lizard swallowing an insect is pictured in the same kind of wonderment and detachment. A thin layer of social consciousness can be deciphered in the peom Neerulan (Tne Sea Farmer). A fisherman in debt rejoices at is catch, but returns home disappointed, as the earnings go to settle his debts. Veesatheer is a poem that calls for humility even when one gives alms. Thiruddu describes the juxtaposition in experience of a miser who refuses to give a cent to a beggar. He nad to eventually fall victim to pickpocketing while on his way home in the bus, In yet another poem called Nermai, the poet speaks of dishonesty as a virtue for the poorer clascs in a word of injustic. Also included is the much quoted poem. An insect in the size of a dot. The upholders of Mahakavi praise this poem because the poet sympathises with the insect he killed accidentally and pleads guilty for the crime Humanism Well the c are th: poems I liked as poetry for sheer pleaure and readyrs of this collection may choos) their's: if only poetry
1973 Sahitya Prize for Poetry was awarded to this work.
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6r pleasure had been motivated by some kind of social consciousness, Mahakavi's Veedum Veliyum would have earned the reputation of a mirror that reflects clear images of life. It must b! emphasised however that Mahakavi is still, a better pipet than most of the other poe's across the Palk Straits.
(E) Kurumpa
Kurumpa is collection of limmerics by Mahakavi. Short and compact quips on social bhaviour with a mixture of connotations that border towards lewdness in its content. S. Ponnuthurai has written a lengthy appreciative noe on these Limmerics.
(F) Kanikkai
Kan ikkai (Offerings) is a book of poem by T. Ramalingam. The theme of most poems is sex. The postic feeling is genuine in that the poat is describing the social behaviours and stigmas of a static hypocritical society of Jaffana. Also included in this book is a critical essay by M. Talaiasingam.
IV. CRITICISM,
(A) A note on Kailasapathy's Book on Tamil Novels
Dr. K. Kailasapathy's Tamil Novel consists of six Sudied essays on what may be described by a student of English literature a the most fundamental as picts of the art of fiction. In the first essay hx disinguishes between Epic and Novel in relation to oth cr world literature. The second essay is on Prose and Nouel, while th third is on Novel and Individualism. English original and Tamil adaptation is the subject of the next essay. The fifth essay discuses the Decline of the Short story and Groupth of the Novel, while the last is on Realism and Naturalism. Although primarily meant for the student, this bock is an asset
to everybody to appreciate modern Tamil Literature in contemporary universal consciousnes.
Dr. K. Kailasapthy is a well-known Tamil intelectual in Sri Lanka. He is a leading critic and a university teacher. He was responsible for the conscious development of the idea of Ceylonese Tamil literature Socin after the 1956 awakening. He was the
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editor of the “Thinakaran" b-fore joining the University. He is now the first President of the Jaffna campus of the University of Sri Lanka. Author of many books in Tamil and one in Englih (The Heroic Poetry), he obtained his doctorate from Birmingham University. His Tamil Books include, Studies in Comparitive Literature, The Tamil novel, Studies in ancient Tamil Literature, The Top and the Bottom, Tuo o Great Poets and Poetry Appreciation with Murugaiyan.
Each of his Books is a forerunner in its field and highly acclaimed in both accademical and literary circles. In a way all these books are Episodic histories of Tamil literature rewritten in modern terms.
(B) A Note on Sivathamby's Book on Short Story
The Origin and Groupth of the Short story by Dr. K. Sivathamby, traces the development of the short strory form historical and social angles, Remarkably analysed, this book is a comprehensive survey and the best of its kind now available in Tamil. The critic takes only those writers who are of importance in the process of development. His comments are based on the attitude of short story writers towards art and society. Although the critic records the process of devolopment in its historical perspective, he indirectly welcomes those writers who use literature as not only as a mirror of life but also as a guiding force for social upliftment.
Dr. Sivathamby is one of our leading critics, drama is his special field. He is the head of the Dravidian studies at the Vidyodaya Campus of the University of Sri Lanka. Along with H. M. P. Mohideen, Ilankeeran, Premjee Gnanasundaram, K. Ganesh and Kailasapathy, Dr. Sivathamby had remained a very important. Theoretician of the aylon progressive writors Association.
(C). Iru Maha Kavikal
Rabindranath Tagore and Subramania Bharathi were two great Indian poets of their time and their influence on modern poets in various Indian languages continues to pervade even now.
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Both were sones of their time when national feelings were running high in colonial India. Strangely enough, they had almost paradoxical views on life and politics, yet there were common grounds on which they held identical views. Their parallels and diametrically opposite lines are graphically analysed by Dr. K. Kailasapathy in his book Iru Maha Kaviga. This book is used in many South Indian Universities and Calcutta University has also recently included this book as a text in its Tamil Department.
Dr. Kailasapathy says: it is true that sufficient is known of Tagore but Tamil poet Subramania Bharathi's achievement as a national fron:liner in politics and literature is not fully explained to the non - Tamil speaking readers.
Both Tagore and Bharathi ridiculed the idea of Maya (Illusion) which is professed in Hindu Thought. The physical world we see is nothing but the joyous dance of the almighty believed Tagore. Bharathi said that what we see is Sakthi and that is eternal. It is true, however, that the poets believed in Vedanta. They believed that life is for living and not for renunciation as promulgated in the Vedanta thoughts. They did not go beyond this philosophical outlook. Their attitude towards the Indian National Movement was based on Vedanta. They were the products of their time, although Tagore was much older than Bharathi.
They both believed that equality could be brought about on the lines of Vedantic thoughts. The idealistic views of equality enshrined in Vedanta and also the voice of the Saiva and Vaishnava Saints for special unity found favour with Tagore and Bharathi. The differences between the two were also very sharp as for instance Tagore was an individualist while Bharathi believed that the society that produced him was far greater than his own self. Bharathi was essentially a politically oriented poet. His national songs published in 1903 were case in point. Although Tagore did not lose touch with politics till his death, he considered literature a his spiritual idalism. While holding a foot on the literary world, Tagore wandered on the edges of the political world. Bharathi on the other hand
took shelter under the shades of the literary world quite accidentally while his feet, were firmly rooted in the political world. Since
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Bharathi gave importance to the Society that producdd him he began to adapt himself to the realistic of the world. Tagore quite conversely wrote for most part bakthi and serene songs. His believed that the 'Jeevana Divtha' (which held a phenomenal hold on him) was responsible for the happinings in the world. Tagore dream that a world of love and cp.mpassion could be created with rationality. '
Bharathi converted his patriotism as divine love. At the same time he concluded that patriotism alone would not give the swiftness and depth that were needed for national consciousness. To do this he compared his country to his mother and patriotism to maternal love. He proclaimed that praise for heroism was much needed than divine poojas. Both poets laid the foundation for Indian nattional resurgence. The rise of nationalism shook India all over. This development was commonly felt by both Tagore and Bharathi. Yet Tagore created for himself a secluded world of a t, literature, and religion. He racted unfavourably to the popular mass movements. Bharathi on the other hand become part of the movement and this helped him to use his conventional poetic themes reach the prope. Bharathi's experimentation on poetic forms alone was another achievement.
Dr. Kailajapathy's initial comparative studies of these two poets have prompted others to procede further.
(D) lakkiyamum Thiranaivum
I have a feeling that outmoded mathods of teaching Tamil Literature in schools have dulled the sensibilitics and critical acumen of many students. I say this bicause in conversation with many teachers, I have often found them considering literature as something remote and inviolable and meant only to be admired and not critically evaluted. This attitude is a residue of the medival commentarial tradition. In many instances the teachers do not seem to know the purpose and function of teaching literature and are clearly ignorant of the critical standards as understood today.
In these circumstances a basic book dealing with these mintters
is much wanted today and to fulfil this requirement Dr. K. Kailasapathy's book on Literature and Criticism bas come on our way
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I am sure this book will serve a very useful purpose to students and teachers alike in the understanding and teaching of literature in higher forms. This book will be also useful as a handbook to young writers.
This is the first time a book in Tamil has been written in specific terms, where the nature of literature is explained in relation to various literary movements and theories. Modelled on books in English on the subject, the authcr has included three papers he read at a seminar held on the new syllabus for Tamil in Teacher Training Colleges. The first essay is on Language and Literature, while the second speaks of literary principles and the third explains the critical concepts. Dr. Kailasa pathy speaks mainly about four approaches of literary criticism - the organic, the sociological, the psychological and the formalistic. He recommends the formalistic approach propagated by the New Critics as most suitable as far as classroom work is concerned, but is quick to indicate his preference for the sociological approach among the theories adumbreated. What strikes me as the most notable aspect of the book is its bold and original attempt to evluate critically the literary theories emanating from the West, especially from the Anglo-Saxion world, and to harmonise them with parallel concepts in Tamil. In doing so he has skilfully shown how social economic and even political factors havc a bearing on literary concepts, To facilitate his arguments Dr. Kailasapathy draws freely from the history of Tamil Literature. Another welcome feature of the bock is the treatment cf the problem of style in a chapter. The average teacher of Tamil literature habitually thinks of style in terms of “Poetic diction". The author has, very briefly at least, drawn attention to the importance of style in the analysis of prose. A number of passages from both early and modern writers are included in the appendix by way of exercises. These ha, e been carefully chosen. All interested in literature and criticism, who know Tamil should read his book for a batter understanding of the subject.
V. MISCELLANEOUS (A) Pore Parai
Late Thalayasingam was also interested in literary criticism and h writtch a numb:r of pieces on contempbrary Ceylonese Tamil literary trinds. He called them "Notes in Has:e'.
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But in 1970 we saw a different Thalayasingam. His book called Pore Parai (The War Drum) was the newest of its kind in Tamil, Perhaps Colin Wilson's the Outsider and Beyond the Ooutsider had inspired Thalayasingam to write this bcok in Tamil. It is meant to sirve the same purpcs as the ds :ant thunder announcing the approach of the rain. It gives a glimpse of what mankind could achieve, if its own activities are directed along the proper channels - proper that is according to the author. Thalayasingam writes a long preface explaining the unrest experienced in different parts of the world. He indentifies this unrest as the labour pains cf the birth of a new way of lifea new era in fact. Every page of this book is packed tight with histcry, insight and a deep knowledge of ancient and modern writings. In addition there are a few short stories and poems included in the book to express his point of view. He is fully conversant with the most recent and the mest ancient writings of the West and East. He gives the most sublime interpretations to my thcloges and carries one to the realm of pure thought or consciousness, bayond the experiance of ordinary; man. Thalayasingam lapidly traces the history cf communism, as we see it today. How Karl Marx was greatly attracted by Hegel's Philosophy and turned it upside down, asserting that capitalism, vested interests and antiquated religious beliefs were the causes of all social evils, and if they were uprooted there would be social justic and frkedom.
He seems to say that the whole human race has come to a stage where everything has to converge on a particular point, a particular philosophy and a way of life. This cannot be purely material communism, he says. He would like to evolve something further without loing this Marxist content, This has to be a spiritual movement that is highly scientific. To him this is symbolised by a synthcs.is of Marxim and the tenets of Sarvodaya. In other words Thalayasingham, wants to re-establish social reforms on a spiritual bais, but there are so many who feel that a number of attempts in this direction have besn failures. In a sense such attempts remind one of the existentialists endeavour to integrate thir philosophy to Marxism or what has been dono in India by Sri Arabindo in br ngang about a synthesis of materialistic spiritual world outlook which he
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called "Tntegral Yoga". But perhaps what happens is that with the lapse of time, the grip of the reformer scems to slacken an mankin slips back to basic necds. The whole world has been covered by the nob'est of religion for centures and yet one sinds the nzed everywhere for further progress. It seems that progress occurs in cycles. But that is another vast subject, Thalayasingam, devotif g his talents to abstract thinking, with feat firmly p'anted on the ground, descrves praise for his indi
vidual approach to establish his own convictions. His book has beed awarded a Sahitya Acaiemy Prize for 1970.
(B) Yogaswami -
In this decate of scientific attempt to give meaning to yogic tant rams and orien all mysticism, it is not totally irrelevant to make a study of con"emporary ascetics in the historical and social background. Yoga Swami was one of the living legends of this counry till r cently. He lived for nearly ninety two years in Jaffna and a'tained Sa madhi in 1964. S. Ambihaipahan (well known in religious and educational circles) has attempted to give a brief biography of tilis ascetic in his book Yoga Suрату.
D sconnected though in sequence the book gives a broad picture of this parsonality and a hievements of the sage. It is a paintaking effort but the result is very useful to a student of sociology in Tamil. There are hardly any biographies of Ceylonese in Tamil. In this resp2ct this is a useful book. What I liked most in this book is th author's attempt to establish the fact that even in our own land here were mystics who drew the spact and awe of many. The author finds a parallel in Yoga Swami's emergence, with the religious revival in the 19h century. The visit of Swami Vivekanani to Sri Lanka in 1891 and the religious and social changes that were taking place in the country form th: background to the life of Yoga Swami, for instance prohibition campaign, the birth of the Hindu youth association, the contact with Swami Vipulananda and other activities are related to the life of Yoga Swami. Although Yoga Swami died in 1951 th: young:rgare ration do not seem to know in detail the part plays, by him in tha country's social and religious awakening AS: tic though he was he played a prominent part in politios and Local activities.
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An important aspect of the Hindu Tradition is that however much on: might hawe progre55 cd in spiritu al life the initiation by a Guru is a necessity. The greatest sages and in tellectual giants had all their gurus. To the youth of thc present generation this would secm mysterious particularly when these gulus are sinple illiterates an sometime only fit to b: in thic lunatic asylum. Yoga Swami's guru was Chell a pali Swamy, an acknowedged lumatic. Si range 1 hough both their names appear in the shur list of renowned Tamil teachers of Hindu religion rublished in the Tamil a manic Pinchangam Yoga Swami's Leachings and activities resembled that of Zen Buddhism. Though I Christian, Yoga Swamy practically abatdoned all formal f religiolis and followed the path of great sages transcending all sons and namics – H: v. És a truc ascetic nt hear: arid follt, wcd the Imiddle path. He was an outright at luvist find taught nhc nim, but encouraged dialistic wership as a stepping staic to that ab trict philosophy. In this he followed TI ay uma nay ar of the 17th century Like Mascarin Gosala (who was a conter" porary of Buddah and Mahavira) Yoga Swami was a fatalist and his impics scd upon this complete surre n'er tc God cer to un Elf er abolc ratural law of evolution. Gossa lan who was. also k; incwm is Mhk kali (Gosala newer overcame thc fic cling if an overwhelming inevitatility behind the appalling historical transformation.
Yoga Swami's admirers and follower could be council in hundreds including foreign is like the German Swamy and Lord Sulbury's son. Tic bock includes a select in f sayings by the Yogi The author of this book S. Arnbihaipah (17 deserves he gratitude of all Hindus in this curry. Waluible information of his gr: at Inan would have been lost to pics arity, if nr. for his noble work in pablishing this ink.
(C) India Thatuwagnanar
K. Lakshma T 112 " book dan Indian Philo Erphy is a compendium of tt.c Component parts of th: I dian Philosophy right from the WCry beginning, it is at cxhaustive, authentic and Compact book. Certain aspects of Indian Philosophy, Materialim, Jainism, Buddhism, Weds ntha, Saivaism - these are some of the main heads under which the author clucdates and ela boats the major Es lects of philosophy. Thc ill hor does not at all ints deal with his subjects chro Tologically but as far as possible he maintairs th: bala lic between th: ags of different trends. H. also compares crlain a picts of Indian Philosophy with Weitern Philosop'ıy. Busically his approach is dit criptiv c athar han historical. The author 1 e fers to Indial Philosophy as Fre: - historic, conclusive, spiritualis lic, fundamental and piacticable. Although LLL GLLLLLLL LLS LHHHHHLLLLLLL SaHLHaaLLLLLLSLLSSS LLL0L CLLL LLL LLL LLLGGLCS
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terist 'cy of Indian Philosophy, at the crid of the book he is sceptical about th:2 conclusiveness of theories in Indian PhiloEophy itself.
LLLLLSSLSLLS LLLS HSKlL L LL GLLLS HHHHSLLLLLL LLL LLLLCL triniition Tina other sys cm ; ar Orthodox. Tre main 5 treams of In lia p'ı lokop'ıy. t'ı bugh Tooted in ıh: Ve 'aı ard Upanishadas, wire ration lised by man with his p) wer of thinking and accumulation of estrienc:. The a'athir in his climpindi Li. In presents unbiased a: :ouths of different fields of Indian Philosophy - resenting ca ci fr and agint each of them in a non commi al manner, ex ccpt i 1 donc p'a :e where he has op :nly streso ed his can victions. In the opinion of the author Dr. S. Radakrishnan ove simplifies h: basic d.fferences between Buddhism sancl Wedanta, LLa0LLL LLLLaLSL SLL LS LLLLL LLSLL St LLLLLLLCL LLLLLL LLL LL thing in univer, a listic visin and always scek unity amidst diversity, but in actual fact this: a Lu, hor b:lie wes hat 1h: differancis between th: realins of philosop'hy are far greater than that, Exc:pt for this ecceptional deviation, thic alth or mintains a uniquely blanced style of interpretat, on. The cpilogue is a fire cs ay on th: n:ed if kn wing about phils sophy which also summariscs the whole book in simpler terms. A long list of stipplementary radings which includes twenty th;cc works in English by such c minent authort es likc Radak I islınan, Bertram Russil and oth irs in also appendel. Equivalent terminology in Ta mil tJ curr... n t ph , loso,”hical Li... age and an index arc also included.
( D ) Pandai Tharanila?" Waluryum Waipadum
Dr. Kai as a pathy's work reveals him to be an original thinker, whose intellectual pitul suis ar not mere part 1 in e exercist , but guidic Incs for thic emitri rig TIP Tnili int cl Ii gentsia, He writ: s with a historical sense, and his subjects arc analytically treated, h's general contertion being that it is lic ccoromic backgrrl und (of a Fociety that dict r m 'mes the shape of litr Tatuie, art, philosophy, religion, la guage and the like. He is also, it woul, seem, intereted in fulfilling the need if stude. Its to understand 1 h2 rel4. Lionship between soc al life and the , tudy of the arts, of li era ure, of chics, and of religion.
There are cight essays in this book, taking the subject up to this crld of the Chola priod. In his cc Timinary on the Taml literature (f the Pallava Period, Dr. Kalasapathy surgests that the literature in qu.stion was a product of the conflict between a e 13 mically sound mercantile class th "t pricised Jain is rin, an Lh: land owning agrarian class, which believed in S11 winn. Hij wiew chill:ng:s the C stablish:d wiews rf Savism, a HH LLL LLLL LL LC LL LLLLL LLLL S HLH HH LLLS LLLGLL S tL LLLL LLLLLL piety, which cxempts onc from all consequences of the past

Page 38
Karma and opens the gates of Heaven. Dr. Kailasapathy's suggestion that Saivism can be seen as a by - produet of the class struggle is something to reflect upon.
In his essay on Dharma and Politics, tha twin epics SILAPADIKARAM and MANIMEHALA are cited as works that depicted the social evils that prevailed at the time and indicated ways in which they could be overcome. The author suggests that the attempts of the poets at social reform failed because they based their ideas on the theory of Karma and of renunciation, while the actual disease was ons of social inequality and injustice. The Bakthi cult paved the way for the establishEnent of the Chola period, during which devotion . without question was the order of the day and the King the representative of the Divine. There developid the master slave relationships, and the feudal system.
According to Dr. Kailasapathy the heroic poets were the mouthpieces of the ruling classes. Dramatizing and glorifying war, suggesting that there was heroism and beauty in its horror, they were propagandists for the Kings, and were prompted by material reasons as well as aestheric ideals. Hero worship provided the opportunity for laying the foundation of a strong monarchy; the ignorance and sentinentality of the common peop'e were contributory factors that built a hero into something that resembled a divinity - all these things being fundamental to the social change that was to follow.
Tracing the beginning of Soul - consciousness in man, the author suggests that it has led man by degrees to the concept of god - consciousn:ss. Embracing rituals and magic, the latter has led at last to the worship of the Mother Goddess as the source of all fulfilment. In one of his essays Dr. Kailasapathy traces the original worship of the Mother - Goddess, Murugan, and the final emergence os the nameless He - God of the Indus Valley civilization, now known as Siva The He - God of the Indus Valley has assimilated in the first in starce, the local Mother Goddess (Kottavai) as his consort, and Murugan (the local hero of tribal clans) as his son.
To the serious student of history, Dr. Kailasapathy's bock is searching review of the past with a purpose; yet it is practical, because it confines itself to the dialectical materialistic concept of history and sees all things in its light. To the student of Tamil literature, his work offers a masterly introduction of certain fundamental principles of evaluation. I have found it an admirably written essay in literary criticism on a social and philosophical subject. *
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.........Perhaps. the has been his indefati elucidate contemporary especially the English great service rendered greatly helped to bridge in different languages... to a great extent clari influenced the mains
effusion. - Dr. K. KA Campus, University of
a to ..Sivakumaran i:
Tamil culture but to th
values which form the criticism, - MERWYN Associated Newspapers
K S, Sivakums ran to general knowledge in activity in the Tamil lang (New Ceylon Writing - 1
米 米
K. S. Sivakumaran College, Colombo, pres of the Sri Lanka Bri introducing Tamil Writi Sunday Times, Communit, also well known as a (
arts and literature and

best contribution of Sivakumaran gable effort to introduce and Tamil works to non-Tamil readers, reading public. I consider it a by him. In that sense he has the gap between writers working - - - - - - He has, I believe, succeeded ying the broad principles that tream of our recent literary ILASAPATH Y President, Jaffna Sri Lanka.
米 米 米
3 not only deeply devoted to
lose broader moral and artistic necessary foundation of all serious
DE SILVA, Editor-in Chief, The
of Ceylon Ltd.
s% 兴 米
has contributed a great deal Ceylon of contemporary literary uage. - YASMINE GOONERATNE 972.)
(38) educated at St. Joseph's ently works in tha News Division padcasting Corporation. Besides ng through the Ceylon Daily News, and New Ceylon Writing, he is 'ritic in Tamil on contemporary
as a broadcaster.
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