The search for roots is the central theme in Martin Wickramasinghe鈥檚 writings on the culture and life of the people of Sri Lanka. He imaginatively explored and applied modern knowledge in natural and social sciences, literature, linguistics, the arts, philosophy, education, and Buddhism and comparative religion to reach beyond the superficial emotionalism of vulgar nationalism, and guide us to the enduring roots of our common national identity that exists in the folklife and folk culture of Sri Lanka...
Martin Wickramasinghe鈥檚 vision was primarily nurtured in the tolerant, humane, realistic attitude to life traditional to Buddhist folk culture. He valued the intellectual freedom and independence inspired by the Buddha鈥檚 鈥楰alama Sutta鈥� which he saw as a tradition to question tradition, not unlike the Western scientific attitude. Through his writings, he consistently opposed dogmatism, casuistry, elitism, and oppression in any form, be it cultural, religious, political or social.
His works have been translated and published in English, Hindi, Tamil, Russian, Chinese, Romanian, Dutch, German, French and Japanese languages.
Are we the only ones who has a glorious past? Even the men who has fallen to the state of "Vedddas" have a past. People who has no future are the ones who praises about bygone days. Malin says.
This was in response to his mother, who says admiringly that we talk and admire about our history , because we do have one.
With Yuganthaya, which stands for end of an era, trilogy of Gamperaliya finishes. This book does not have a story plot as such but tries to convey to the reader, how Sri Lanka was influenced with the arrival of British and how the city of Colombo transformed and westernized.
This book centralizes on few selected characters, such as Saviman Kabalana, Aravinda Viharahena, Malin, Chamari, Nalika and through them author tries to send few messages to the reader. Using these characters, he wants to pass some of his own political thoughts of the newly transformed country out to the reader.
Malin is a freedom thinker, who is able to empathize with the low/middle class workmen, labourers and poor people while his father tries to mingle with the "suddhas" and higher class people and tries his best to get maximum work out of his poor workers at minimal pay. He works by commanding his employees, rude and tough, all of which Malin despises, and watching this man-slave inspires him to rekindle the Labourers front movement which had been inactive for sometime. He leads this movement with kindness and compassion which earns him respect among the poor workers, who were unfairly treated by his father. To his protest march , not just the workmen joined, but anybody who wanted to pose a challenge to the social norm joined these rallies. The participants included, small traders, some were just people of insane poverty who were angered by their state in society, and wanted to let it out. There were others who were enslaved by their parents or teachers hence wanted to be let out and lash out their anger. Some were wives of demanding husbands. All of them had one thing in common, to be free.
Aravinda Viharahena , unlike Malin comes from a small working class in society. With his UK education for medicine , he introduces English medicine to the village folks, to whom this feels like magic as opposed to the eastern/auyverdic medicine they were used to. He treats who ever comes to him with sickness with kindness and no regards for money. Martin Wickramsasinghe , through this book tries to emphasis how western medicine took over the traditional Sinhalese medicinal way of treating patients as well.
In between we can also see how the author shows how we slowly strays away from a traditional marriage in Sri Lanka , using the characters , Mangalika and Vajiran who both craves for a taste of freedom, one wants to escape her unhappy marriage for something fun and the other wants a marriage which does not tie him to one woman. Mangalika and Vajiran both has the same ideals and finally finds each other. We also see , the start of divorces of women, as Mangalika divorce from her husband to marry Vajiran. Earlier times in Sri Lanka, women were tied to one husband for her entire lifetime, no matter how sad or unhappy she was, due to the fear of loosing her reputation.
For me this book was not a a work of fiction but an eye opener to how the lives of Sri Lankans changed post independence . After we gained independence , how we slowly tried to adapt to the western culture , through our ways of living, way we dress, how we speak, rising of posh and grand hotels in Colombo, night clubs etc.
I have to say I am glad I decided to stick through to the end of the trilogy of Gamperaliya, learning so much about about my own country and how the new Urban world opened doors to many pros and cons that we see and live everyday of our lives now .
Maybe this is a great book at the time but for me it's mediocre. I've read few books from the era that flows in the same style and I can see it was a trendy style back then.
This I do not recommend but if you want to go with the flow and read the great trilogy, go ahead.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
the third and the final book of Martin鈥檚 trilogy, which started from 鈥楪amperaliya鈥�. 鈥榊uganthaya鈥� revolves around 鈥楪amperaliya鈥檚 Nanda鈥檚 daughter and her children. Simon kabilana is the son-in-law of Nanda, is a powerful ruthless businessman who uses terror to keep his workers under control. He thought using same methods to control his workers might work on his children as well. Seeing his fathers ruthless acts Malin, simon kabilana鈥檚 son became his father鈥檚 complete opposite. Malin who came back from England after completing his education had become a person who鈥檚 idolizing Marx and Lenin, causing his father鈥檚 workers to clash. Malin eventually gives up his fortunes in his father's company and works toward a confrontation with his father.
While iam reading the final chapters Nalika, simon kabilana鈥檚 wife also 鈥楪amperaliya鈥檚 Nanda鈥檚 daughter. Nalika started to show her clear dislike towards her daughter chamari鈥檚 relationship with Aravinda, who鈥檚 a surgeon and a son of a village businessman 鈥榤udalali鈥�. The only reason Nalika is against for Aravinda is because his father is a village man, whom she considered as low class people. To be this is like a clear joke. If you are someone who鈥檝e read 鈥楰aliyugaya鈥�, in there also Nanda was against for Nalika and simon鈥檚 relationship is due to simon鈥檚 father did business with low class people. What hilarious is how Nalika have forgotten her own past by possessing with pride. When Nalika鈥檚 daughter tells that she heard her grandfather and great grandfather also did low class jobs Nalika gets angry and try to coverup the dark and embarrassing history of her family. 鈥榊uganthaya鈥� reveals the dark side of a rising economy , social structures and the society of Sri Lanka.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.