Review
'Marana Manchakaye dutu Sihinaya'
Amarasekera's best effort

Some would say art is for the sake of art, that it has nothing to do with social justice and that the artist has no social obligation. There are others who hold the other extreme point of view that artists and specially novelists must write for the masses and that they are obliged to do so. Leo Tolstoy the great Russian novelist belonged to the latter school of thought and he deeply felt for the suffering masses and wanted to change the social system for their benefit.

Gunadasa Amarasekera is a writer who deeply feels this obligation. He uses the short story like a surgeon's knife to dissect out the social ills, to incise and drain the abscess that plague our society, and reveal what is beneath the superficial smooth surface, the putrid pus and slough that has collected over the rotten years. He cuts deep and sees nothing beautiful but decay. He sends a clear warning that the patient may not last very long unless drastic action is taken.

Amarasekera's latest collection of short stories entitled 'Marana Manchakaye dutu sihiniya' continues from where he left off in his previous collection 'Gal pilimaya saha bol pilimaya' in which he laid bare the hidden agendas and invisible powers that work their horrible deeds underneath the surface. His message was clear; the society must be cleaned up so that the inherent strength and goodness of the individual is allowed to pervade the society, and truth will triumph over falsehood. Some may argue that this is not the job of the novelist and that the novel or the short story will suffer in artistic value what it gains in social relevance. That may be so for the connoisseur and art critics who live an isolated existence but not for the writer who feels strongly about the injustice, the deceit, and the decay within.

Amarasekera carries on courageously in his latest collection of short stories and improves markedly on his previous achievement. 'Marana manchakaye dutu sihinaya' has five well knit stories mostly based on contemporary incidents and people. He sees in these incidents and people what others cannot see or pretend not to see and inspired by what he sees Amarasekera uses his creative powers and the lyrical language that he is master of to lay bare the truth.

How politicians build their false image and create a facade to cover their true character is shown in the story named 'Marana manchakaye dutu sihinaya'. The politician in this story is almost killed by an assassin. Such an experience should have made him a better person, less power hungry and kinder to his opponents. Instead he uses the incident to show the people what a noble man he is. He says he had a magnificent dream while he lay almost dying. He had dreamt of his brilliant academic career at Oxford University. In the dream he was crowned by a God like personage. Isn't he the chosen one to lead this country? Later there is another attempt on his life and in a delirious state in the hospital he raves crazily about his past. What comes out this time is the real truth. He talks about how he had struggled at Oxford and his hatred towards his opponents are also revealed.

How the bogus intellectual evolves in a society like ours is shown in the story named'Puthage Sishyathvaya'. Denepitiya has given up his roots in the deep village, his connections with the JVP and even his brother, in his climb to the top. To stay at the top he connives with the various NGO groups that are working to destroy the Sinhala Buddhist Culture and to help these efforts he pontificates that the youth violence in this country can be attributed to the Sinhala Buddhist Culture! What is really pathetic about this sad state of affairs is that sensible people like Goonethilake who knows about the ontemptible side of Denepitiya's character are prepared to accept these bogus intellectuals as noble men! Amarasekera with great skill shows how this sad situation has developed in this country.

'Palu Wella' describes a delightful journey to a beautiful village which seems to be untouched by modernisation. Yet the little village is simmering with conflict and discontent. The writer attempts to compare the past beauty and the self sufficiency of the little place with the present situation where one sees the results of long years of neglect and exploitation. The dialogue about the harm that urban based economies do to the village sends a clear message. A village based economy is the need of the hour. The village intelligentsia is aware of their heritage and they are possessed by a jathika chinthanaya. This is the only hope that one can have in this strife torn island.

A story that will not fail to appeal to all readers alike is 'Chesge kathawa'. Ches is a gem of a man living at the edge of society. He does not expect much from society but when a little kindness is shown to him his real nature can be seen. His political awareness is surprisingly quite good. Ches has so much hope in the JVP. The war in the North is "somebody else's war" and therefore he does not want his son to join the army. But when the son returns from the war without a leg Ches gives up all his work and diligently cares for him. When the JVP does not deliver he is a totally disillusioned man and he wants to sell his little property and go to the village. Why are such good people made to suffer and clutch at straws? Isn't this a glaring weakness of our socio-political system?

There can be only political solutions to the crises we face in this country. This is why Amarasekera's theme is political in all his stories in the present collection which make absorbing reading to the discerning mind.

N. A. de S. Amaratunga

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Racketeering job agents

Iam an employee of a recruiting office in Riyadh, KSA and revealing an organised racket among some recruiting agents, sub agents etc, in Sri Lanka.

Many of the Sri Lankan housemaids sent to Saudi Arabia are old and feeble. There was once a case of a patient discharged from a mental hospital sent to Saudi. What is worse is that there are many housemaids refuse to work upon arrival and return. This may be a ruse by some businessmen to benefit from the insurance moneys which is guaranteed to those returning within three monies.

Recruiting agents and sub agents must stop any or all malpractices as the domestic help market is being captured in a big way by the Indonesians.

The few who request for Sri Lankan maids those who had some DECENT Sri Lankan help previously.

Even most of the drivers who come end up being repatriated or assigned other jobs as they lack either experience or common sense or both.

I know a man who came as a driver stating he cannot drive manual driven vehicles. It is strange considering he cannot every drive even automatics. Another driver had to be shown how to start the car, move the seat forward etc. etc.

Sending domestic help to the Middle East seems to have become either a joke or a racket as even mentally unsound candidates end up here only to face what must be something of a nightmare to most of them.

Nizam Samoon
Saudi Arabia