.

Rich reward for reticent Romesh

by Kirthie Abeysekera
When Romesh Gunesekera returned my call from his Toronto hotel, my instant feeling was, 'There's a man I'd love to meet.' At the hotel foyer the next day, his handshake was firm and friendly. His alluring smile, I was soon to learn, was a disarming weapon in his armoury.

Romesh Gunesekera, 1994 Booker Prize finalist for his novel, 'Reef,' on his maiden voyage to Canada, is here for the 19th annual International Festival of Authors - a 11-day October gala of a galaxy of world-wide writers.

At the picturesque Westin Harbour Castle hotel beside Lake Ontario, Romesh rubs shoulders with the elite of the literary world gathered for readings, lectures and on-stage panel discussions.

Some 54 authors from 20 countries are assembled in what is said to be a 'showcase of the finest writers of fiction, drama, poetry and biography - celebrating the spoken word at the world's largest literary schmoozefest.'

Among the better-known writers are Canada's Alice Munro and Timothy Findley, Trinidad-born, Neil Bissoondath, Ireland's Maeve Binchy, American Mary Gaitskill, Romania's Hert Muller Somalia's Farah Nuruddin and many more from places as divers as Ukraine, Haiti, Chile, Pakistan, Switzerland, Italy, Tobago, Russia, France, Germany, Vietnam and Australia. Sri Lanka-born, Shyam Selvadurai is listed under 'Canada,' whereas Romesh is classified as 'Sri Lanka/UK.'

"Yes, I am a Sri Lankan," says Romesh as he tries a Canadian beer - a change from English ale. He picks a New York-style sirloin steak with mashed potatoes. I settle for fillet of sole, a-la France - no match for 'buth '-curry, a-la Lanka.

"But I'm also British," Romesh quickly adds. Of course. He has lived in England since he was 14. Now 44, he's been married 20 years to a Britisher who borne him two daughters, 12 and 9. He visits the homeland frequently with his family. But he's not sure if he wants to make it his home again.

"We had a very pleasant and comfortable chlldhood," he says. He has an older brother in Sri Lanka, and a younger sister in England. His mother lives in England too.

Is he happy in England? I ask. "I'm a happy person," he says evasively, implying he could be happy anywhere.

Romesh is of charming manner. Yet, during our ninety-minute luncheon meeting, I found it hard to draw him into a dialogue about himself or his work. He seems to be in a world of his own - dreaming perhaps, of his next novel. Amiable, yet paradoxically, withdrawn, his dress is as casual as the man himself. No, he does not carry a business (visiting) card.

"I must get some," he says as he takes mine.

His first novel, 'Monkfish' was a collection of short stories. He shows no inclination to discuss any of his books. In Toronto, he presents readings from 'The Sandglass,' a Toronto' Doubleday', September release. It's a novel about a family feud between the 'Ducals' and the 'Vatunas' - fictional families, he says.

Pleasantly readable for its literary style and fluency, the narative's direction is not easily discernible - the author rambling to and fro between Sri Lanka and England, leave the reader often confused. Yet, England's 'Times Literary Supplement' raves that the 'Sri Lankan episodes are often Dickensian in their blend of comedy and menace - the English ecenes are touched with lyricism and sensuousness. deft and subtle' 'The Independent on Sunday' sees 'The Sandglass' as 'a novel of true distinction... profoundly honest..beautifully and intimately evoked.' A publisher's blurb claims the book is 'an intricate novel of the love and longing that transform the world we know into one we wish to know more about; a world in which hope has to survive the darkest truths.'

Romesh does not attribute his writing to any special skills He's just a lover of writing - something he took to from his early days at Royal - despite an English teacher (in the post-1956 era) who could hardly speak English.'

No, says Romesh, he has no special interests other than writing. Yes, he did work at various other jobs in England before he began full-time writing - his life's love. No, he does not know many Sri Lankans in London. There's no answer as to where he gets his ideas for his novels - just a smile.

No, he does not know what his next novel is going to be. But there's a hint. He's fascinated with crime. He has read my book, 'The Underworld of Crime, Drugs and Sex (1991) - a collection of stories. Does anyone scour the Underworld now as you did? He asks. I don't have the answer. With the war and the daily massacres, crimes that made headlines yesteryear pale into insignificance today.

Though 'Reef' was short-listed for the Booker Prize, Romesh, with 'The Sandglass' did not make the list of participating writers profiled by 'The Toronto Star,' co-sponsors of the Festival of Authors. Shyam Selvadurai however, did, with his recent release, 'Cinnamon Gardens' - a 'multi-layered' story of a family living in pre-Independence Ceylon. The reticent Romesh is not a newspaper man's dream. Yet, within the novelist's cocoon is the man - unpretentious, warm and affable.

The future of Sri Lanka lies in the sea

by A. Denis N. Fernando
Fellow National Academy of Science

This is the text of an article by Mr. A Denis N. Fernando to the 'Bernard Soysa Science and the people's welfare - a commemration publication by NASSL Fellows.

The United Nations Law of the Sea Conference (UNCLOS) presided by late Mr. Shirley Amarasinghe, Sri Lanka's Ambassador to the UN, brought a new dimension to the exploitation and the utilization of the natural resources in the oceans.

Prior to 1994 the jurisdiction of Sri Lanka was confined to the land area of about 65, 500 sq.km and the Internal Waters, Historic Waters, Territorial Sea and the Contiguous Zone comprising a sea area of nearly 51, 300 sq.km.

With the ratification and acceptance by the required number of countries of the UNCLOS on 16th November 1994, a large area of ocean has come under the jurisdiction of Sri Lanka, namely up to 200 nautical miles (370.4 km) from the low water mark and limited by the median line between the adjacent countries of India and the Maldives. This area is called the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) which is completely under the jurisdiction of Sri Lanka, and comprises an area of about 437, 000 sq.km which is approximately 7.5 times the land area of Sri Lanka.

A Sri Lankan proposal was taken up by the Sri Lankan delegation headed by Dr. Hiran Jayawardena and Ambassadors Mr. Christopher Pinto, Mr. Karen Breckenridge and Mr. Susantha de Alwis for an exceptional method of determining the continental shelf applicable to the unique conditions of the Bay of Bengal and had been subject of intensive consultations during the Conference. The 141 plenary sessions of the Conference accepted this proposal and the statement of understanding was appended to the final act of the UNCLOS.

Thus further to this, a further area could be claimed under article 76 of UNCLOS. This would involve a mechanism of defining extensions to offshore areas beyond the 200 nautical mile limit, and would be applicable to coastal nations with a narrow continental shelf margin. This would entail the exercise of sovereign rights over mineral and certain biological resources of the sealed and the subsoil and also would have a measure of jurisdiction in matters related to environment and conservation, and is called the Extended Exclusive Economic Zone (Exd. EEZ)

In terms of this statement, the States in the southern part of the Bay of Bengal (Sri Lanka and India) have claims to seabed rights for a considerable area of the Indian Ocean in the Bengal Fan and is indicated in the Map 1. This sea space comprises of an area of over 2,000, 000 sq.km or about 30-times the land area of Sri Lanka. However these claims have to be made by Sri Lanka before l4h November 2004.

TERMINOLOGY
For purposes of distinguishing the land area from the sea area within the jurisdiction of Sri Lanka of both the EEZ and the Exd. EEZ, it is suggested to designate these new areas as:

(a) The EEZ falling within our exclusive jurisdiction as "LANKA SAMUDRA" which comprises an area of about 7.5 times of our land area as stated earlier.

(b) The Exd. EEZ is beyond the LANKA SAMUDRA and is limited by the continental margin as indicated under article 76 of the UNCLOS. This area is presently not defined as yet and

would have to be clearly defined and delineated for claims to be accepted by UNCLOS on the basis of sediment thickness. Its approximate area is delineated in the accompanying map.

It is at least 800 km from the low water mark and the approximate boundary of the deep sea Bengal Fan would comprise an area of at least 30 times the land area of Sri Lanka. As this area is beyond the LANKA SAMUDRA, we have designated it as PRALANKA SAMUDRA. This name has been suggested as Sri Lanka was called "Pra Samudra" in the Arthasastra of Kautilya to indicate the location of Sri Lanka which was "in the area beyond sea". This is in keeping with the description of the Exd. EEZ, which is beyond the LANKA SAMUDRA, and is therefore used as such here.

Thus in all our further references in this paper, we would refer to the EEZ as LANKA SAMUDRA, and the EXd. EEZ would be referred to as PRA LANKA SAMUDRA.

RECENT FINDINGS OF THE NATURE OF THE GEOID AND ANOMALIES AND POTENTIAL FOR HYDROCARBON
It is well known that in the Middle East where hydrocarbon is being exploited, is situated in an area that has what is known as a low or negative geoid and gravity anomalies. Therefore the presence of geoid and gravity anomalies within the LANKA SAMUDRA is of great significance and portends a significant economic source of hydrocarbon for Sri Lanka. In fact the late Dr. R.S. Mather, a Sri Lankan, who was earlier working in our own Survey Department, had recorded the largest registered geodetic anomalies in the ocean space south east of Sri Lanka which we would now indicate and describe.

The distances of separation between the Geoid and the Ellipsoid, referred to as geoidal undulation or geoidal height, typically reach amounts of 65 to 100 feet (20 to 30 metres) over the continents, while recent findings on data based on the SEASAT have indicated larger differences, on the research done by the late Dr. R.S. Mather, while working with NASA and the University of New South Wales in Australia. In 1978, NASA again engaged him and his research team to analyze the Geos - 3 Satellite data and determine a precise geoid topography of the ocean.

Satellite observations have revealed the existence of large negative Geoid Anomaly centred off the eastern coast of our Island, east of Batticaloa. This is known as the "Sri Lanka Low", and is the most intensive negative anomaly (about 104 metres) on the surface of the earth. This is indicative of the presence of hydrocarbon.

Residual gravity anomaly maps are normally maps obtained after removing the effects due to the oceanic ridges from the world wide free air anomaly maps. These also show an extensive negative anomaly over the South Indian ocean. with its centre situated close to the east coast of Sri Lanka. Residual Anomalies throughout most of the area in the range of 20 to 35 mgal (miligal), except between the Ninety East and Chagos-Laccadive ridges close to the south of Sri Lanka, where the average reaches - 51 mgal. These anomalies extend over very large areas and reflect lateral density variations in the uppermantle and the mantle transition zone or below. Direct measurement of the Geoid anomalies over the marine areas is now possible with the help of the Orbiting Radar Altimeters like SKYLAB, GEOS-3, SEASAT-1 etc. Independent measurements of both geoid and gravity anomalies are therefore available for oceanic regions due to the pioneering research work done by a team of research scientists sponsored by the NASA and headed by the late Dr. R.S. Mather, as stated earlier. This information on the largest anomalies in the world portends the presence of hydrocarbon in sea areas within the LANKA SAMUDRA and the PRA LANKA SAMUDRA and would be of utmost economic importance to us.

LIVING AND NON LIVING RESOURCES
The large area falling within the jurisdiction of Sri Lanka has given us much hope for the economic development of Sri Lanka in the next millennium, as it involves the exploitation of the natural resources on and below the sea in a total area almost 37.5 times the land area of our country. The immensely rich natural resources lying at our doorstep have not been investigated. Neither has the potential for the unknown resources lying in the South of Sri Lanka up to the South Pole been comprehended.

The wealth and resources within this vast area are enormous. Their exploration and exploitation will make Sri Lanka one of the richest countries in Asia. The resources are broadly: Ocean bed minerals, Petroleum, gas and shale,Potential for energy generation (OTEC as well as the emerging ocean current technology),

Fishery resources and Rights Resources including posslble levies on international shipping moving through this zone.

It is important to access and to manage these resources carefully after surveying them, mapping them out and formulating short, medium and long term plans for their.

EXPLORATION, DEVELOPMENT, CONSERVATIONA AND SURVEILLANCE
It is necessary to remind us that it has taken us over a hundred years after the formation of the Survey Department in 1800, to get a framework even to map our natural resources. This was accomplished after the framework for the surveys were done by establishing a network of geodetic triangles and a level network to determine the levels, followed by the compilation of the topographical sheets at the beginning of this century. It was only after the compilation of these base maps that it was possible to indicate the different natural resources on that base from geology, forests, irrigation, water resources, soils etc.

Today, however, we have new methodologies of science and technology using the full range of the electro-magnetic spectrum for making the basic survey measurements, using different remote sensing techniques, and thereafter to determine the resources both living and non-living.

EXPLORATION AND EXPLOITATION OF THE RESOURCES UNDER THE SEA
The task of exploration and exploitation of the living and non-living resources of the sea should include measures for prevention of other countries from exploitation of our resources. Thus this would also require surveillance. This Herculean task of exploring and exploitation would devolve on the scientists and technologists of Sri Lanka involved in geodesy, Hydrography and Oceanography for a start.

There was a tri-partite joint venture undertaken by the Survey Department (SD), Sri Lanka Navy (SLN), and the National Aquatic Resources Agency (NARA) to establish a National Hydrographic Office (NHO) under the umbrella of NARA in 1984. In the present context, however, it will be necessary to expand the activities of the NHO both in scale and scope, if the exploration activities of over 37.5 times the land mass are to be taken seriously.

The task, without doubt, has to be meticulously planned, and its activities closely monitored. We have to first establish control surveys and establish the requisite Geodetic network and level network in relation to the ellipsoid, for subsequent reference for use.

The fact that we took a hundred years after the establishment of the Survey Department in 1800 need not bother us too much, as today with the new tools of science and technology, it could be done in a very much shorter period. It is the right type of scientist and technologist that has to be mobilised and motivated. It is very essential that the task is properly understood and executed by persons with a vision to future economic development of Sri Lanka.

However, the first priority is delineating the limits of the Exd.EEZ, which we have designated as PRA LANKA SAMUDRA because its extent is defined by the thickness of the sediment and the claim for it is time bound. Any claim for it would have to be made to the UNCLOS before 14 the November, 2004 A.D., as otherwise the claim would be lost forever. Time is running out and hence this task has to be expedited immediately and given the highest priority. You, no doubt will agree with me that a task of this magnitude can only be undertaken by mobilising the UNDP and other technical assistance agencies and employ technically qualified and competent staff with experience to determine this boundary and make the claim before the deadline stipulated. This is without doubt the greatest challenge for our professional, scientists and technologists in Sri Lanka.

Once the task of delineating the boundary of the Exd.EEZ has been determined, then the exploration would have to be geared to mapping and determining the natural resources within the areas under our jurisdiction. It would be only after we have a better idea of our natural resources that we would be able to mobilise the department and agencies to exploit them.

Finally the task ahead of us would be to plan on the short term, medium term and long term. Firstly it will be necessary to delineate the PRALANKA SAMUDRA, and thereafter to explore and exploit the resources within our jurisdiction. It is clearly seen that the future of Sri Lanka is in the sea.

The scientists and,Technologists have a key role to play in the development of Sri Lanka, not only now, but in the next millennium. This is an unprecedented challenge.

Livy's golden years on radio

By Noel Crusz
(From Australia)

In 1936 at eighteen he won the Senior Reading Prize at Royal College where he was a prefect. Now at eighty this great-grandfather is still riding the radio waves in a nine hour shift at FM's 'Capital Radio' and ''Savana''. Livy Wijemanne's story is enthralling for it reflects the golden years of Ceylon broadcasting. Livy is more than a pioneer: he set the trend which others followed.

Not long ago the Director General of the Ceylon Broadcasting Corporation Eric Fernando presented Livy with a special award at the ''Obe Katahande Thama Mathakai ' ceremony held at the Tower Hall. As a tribute to the Radio Ceylon announcers of 1950 to 1998 it was a significant event. Livy as an announcer has had no equal: he trudged the coir -matted studios of Colombo Radio in Cotta Road, where Isabel de Kretser and Ned Rankine ruled the roost in the early thirties. The Scottish born Isabel who was the world's first woman announcer was watched by Livy as she broadcast the abdication of Edward VIII. Livy admits that she was a remarkable announcer with a voice that has hardly been equalled.

In my years in the ministry of the Catholic church I witnessed the sweeping changes in Radio Ceylon and the part that Livy Wijemanne played in its transition. His saga started on October 31 st 1948. The Post Master General (who was also Director of Broadcasting) summoned the young announcer and invited him to become the Assistant Controller of Programmes. A year later in 1949 the BBC's John Lampson was on a contract to organise Radio Ceylon which moved from Cotta Road to Torrington Square.

Lampson brought down Pascoe Thornton (also of the BBC) to do the spadework. Both Thornton and Lampson and later Colombo Plan BBC man Rex Moorfoot told me that Livy's experience and advice and commitment were of invaluable aid to them. Livy was made Western Programmes organiser with Thevis Guruge doing the Sinhala services and Sivapathasunderam the Tamil. This was certainly a long way from Wijemanne's student days.

At University College doing Zoology Livy had a confrontation with Prof. Robert Marrs and came to St Peter's College, where Fr. D. J. Nicholas Perera and the Priest Scientist Thomas Paris welcomed him. He did Zoology with my brother Professor Hilary and Dr. W. D. L. Fernando. He started the College 'Music, Art and Drama Society'. He befriended George Wickremasinghe who was running 'Radio Engineers', and persuaded George to present a Mende radiogram to St. Peter's. Whilst George's eyes were on film production he suspected that Livy would do his own thing in broadcasting.

At the pre-Medical course in the University Livy in defending a colleague aganst Prof S. A. Pakeman jettisoned his medical studies and took up law. A distraught father went to the astrologer Prof Bulathsinhala, who said:" Your son would do neither medicine nor law, but his career will be in a profession that calls for speaking ability and his voice. " At that time no one thought about broadcasting!

Then came the break: the PMG Col. J.P. Appleby heard Livy on the air. Pearl Ratcliffe was on leave and later resigned and Livy filled in for her. Appleby recognised a male announcer of class with a radio voice that was attractive and professional. There was correct intonation and the pronunciation flawless. Shirley da Silva, the Station Superintendent was asked to summon Livy, who was appointed to a permanent position. Livy succeeded Eddie Hettiarachi (Laddie's father) who had resigned as announcer. It was August 21st 1944.

As Western Programmes organiser Livy had Merle Swan for 'Talks", Richard Weerasooriya for Music and Pearl Ondaatje and later Hector Jayasinghe for Drama. Livy insisted on getting an excellent Australian trained script writer in Mark Bartholomeusz and Foster Stave was brought in to the Schools' service from St Peter's.

The Broadcasting station that had moved from Cotta Road to Torrington Square needed drive and Wijemanne provided it. He identified talent, welcomed new broadcasters and any experiments in presentation. It was Livy who first mapped out the logistics of 'Outside broadcasts', especially of the entertainment programmes relayed from the big hotels.

Livy knew how to work with a team and it was an era when Merle Swan broadcast so many programmes of quality. New voices came on the air, and they were vintage, and not a few were Wijemanne's discoveries: Tony and Irene de Costa, Alfreda de Silva, Christine Wilson, June Jansen, Christine Parkinson, Patricia Pantin-Munro, Jeanne Pinto, Mano Muttukrishna, Sujata de Silva, Sidat Nandalochana, Sita and Sali Parakarama, Arthur and Sheila Van Langenberg, Diane Sproule, Nedra Wijeyakoon.

The announcers too made their mark: Mil Sansoni, Tim Horshington,, Mark Anthony Fernando; Joseph Mather; Chris Greet, Eardley Perera, Vernon and Vijaya Corea, Jimmy Barucha, Joe Perera, Bob Harvie, Greg Roskowski, Cyril Lawrence, Ron Campbell, Malini Balasingham, Priya Ratnavira, Marion Weeraratne, Iris Cockburn, Eardley Peiris, Mervyn Jayasuriya, Shirley Perera and many others.

In early 1953 when I was in London with the BBC, Livy came on a Colombo Plan scholarship. With the reputed John Arlott he worked in Scotland, Wales and London. But it was at the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth on June 22nd at Westminster Abbey that Livy Wijemanne was chosen by the BBC to occupy a seat assigned to a Commonwealth broadcasters. The London Press took notice. Then the British Council invited him to reply to the toast of the Commonwealth proposed by the Chancellor of the Exchequer Mr Richard Mauldling at the Coronation Civic dinner at North Garnet.

I remember the BBC inviting Livy to present a 45 minute programme of Music of Ceylon in their Coronation series "Overseas Commentator". He also featured in Geoffrey Bridson's BBC feature Asia has a Plan. In Aberdeen Livy was given the facilities to record a programme featuring the children of Scotland. This took place adjoining Balmoral Castle, and the accompanist was no other than Eric Gross, a former pianist at the Galle Face Hotel.

At this time Ceylon broadcasting was in the hands of a brilliant administrator Mr M. J. Perera who had succeeded John Lampson as Director General. M. J. Perera had the talented newly appointed Vernon Abeysekera who took Thornton's place. Both had a vision and spared no pains to encourage talent. M.J. steered clear from political or religious bias. He insisted on getting the best training for his staff, and has never been equalled in the arena of Torrington Square. M.J extended Livy's Colombo Plan stint to Canada.

Livy would recall the interesting moments of his Canadian stay: "I remember recording an interview with a shapely young lady,who was shot out of a cannon every evening at a rodeo show in Calgary." he said."On this occasion her nylon panties disappeared though it was not part of the act!" At Winnipeg Livy was fortunate to meet Walter Kauffman who had been consultant to All India Radio for ten years. Kauffman was the conductor of the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra.

In 1955 Livy Wijemanne was made Assistant Director of the Commercial Service of Radio Ceylon, and became Director in 1956. Under Clifford Dodd the Commercial Service had a flying start.

In 1959 Livy was in the United States as delegate from Ceylon for a seminar on Radio and TV. This was organised by the Department of Telecommunications of the University of Southern California, where seventeen countries took part in Los Angeles. Livy covered the Miss World Beauty Contest at Long Beach for Radio Ceylon, and recorded an interview with some of the finalists including the winner Miss Japan.

At the MGM studios in Hollywood Livy interviewed the Israeli film actress Haya Harareet who starred in the blockbuster Ben Hur. Another bonanza was to meet Miklos Rosza who composed the music for the film that was breaking all box office records at that time.

Prof Walter Emery invited Livy to address the mass communication class on 'Broadcasting in Ceylon'. This was when the Ceylon radio man was attached to radio Station WKAR. Livy recorded an interview with the very popular singing cowboy Hank Snow and his charming wife Min at their residence in Nashville, Tennessee.

Livy then came to New York to await the arrival of the Prime Minister Mr. S. W. R. D. Bandaranaike, who was to address the United Nations assembly. He soon received the news of Mr Bandaranaike's assassination in Colombo. In an interview with the 'Voice of America' he paid a personal tribute to the late Prime Minister.

Livy's trip to Nebraska was eventually to benefit Radio Ceylon. The 'Back to the Bible' organisation was the first religious station to buy time on the Commercial Service. On Livy's return to Ceylon he became Additional Director of Commercial Broadcasting and later head of the service when Clifford Dodd's contract had terminated. With the conversion of the Department of Broadcasting to a Corporation in January 1967 Livy was appointed Director of Commercial Broadcasting.

Neville Jayaweera became Director General of the Corporation. Jayaweera wanted clearer objectives. He felt that broadcasting was primarily treated as a medium of entertainment and cultural diffusion, but its potential for social change had not been exploited. He got Stewart Wavell as Director of Training. He wanted radio to seek socially relevant goals. Livy had no contention with this vision .

In January 1984 Livy was appointed Chairman of the Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation by the Minister Dr Anandatissa de Alwis. Livy re-organised the Commercial Service, which was disbanded since 1971. He introduced a separate Music division.

Owing to terrorist activity from the Northern and Southern territories security became a vital factor at Independence Square. Livy overcame this hurdle. His rapport with Japan led to Japan offering to build a new studio complex. Relay facilities for Japan's NHK led to new transmitters coming to Ceylon. 'Deutsche Welle'' Germany too were given transmitting facilities with benefits to the Corporation. A complete plan to introduce an islandwide FM Service was also approved with foreign funding and this improved reception. It was at this time that the VOA moved from Ekala to the Puttalam district.

In 1989 Livy Wijemanne relinquished office and joined his son Dhanaraj in the travel business. On April 1st 1992 Livy was granted a license for a private Broadcasting Station in Colombo. On May 10th 1993 Station FM 99 came on the air with a single 18 hour transmission with Western, Sinhala and Tamil programmes. Station operations were started at the Galadari Hotel and in February 1996 it moved to Liberty Plaza. The station was now broadcasting 24 hour services in each of the languages.

In a sense Livy has achieved his dream. As usual he was the pioneer doing all the spade work. His efforts for Ceylon broadcasting received National recognition. In July 1990 he received the Kalasuri Class One from President Premadasa. In April 1996 the Prime Minister Sirimavo Bandaranaike conferred the Visva Prasadhini for services to broadcasting. Livy's success was that he understood the medium and was committed to it, and he had started as an announcer. He understood the axiom that broadcasting begins where listeners are. He has ridden the radio waves and enjoyed every minute of it, as much as he has made broadcasting achieve the highest standards.

Coomaraswamy commemorated

The 51st anniversary of Ananda Coomaraswamy's death in September this year marked the culmination of the 50th anniversary year commemorated in the United States with the publication by Princeton University Press of yet another collection of his essays titled The Door in the Sky. Americans have never ceased to honour Coomaraswamy who lived and worked in their country for thirty years.

Twenty years earlier, in 1977, the year of Coomaraswamy's birth centenary, Princeton published a highly acclaimed biography of the great savant by Roger Lipsey together with two sumptuous volumes containing some of his finest and most mature essays. Reviewing the latter books, the British poet, Kathleen Raine, wrote, 'There are many who consider Coomaraswamy as one of the great seminal minds of this century... This collection of his essays should go into every 1ibrary.'

In England, where Coomaraswamy spent the early years of his 1ife, at first attendine school and then going on to university, the exclusive Golgonooza Press acknowledged the anniversary by publishing a new title, Art for Whom and for What?, in the foreword of which the author Brian Keeble, a co-editor of the prestigious British cultural journal, Temenos, wrote, 'I am especially indebted to the books and articles of Ananda Coomaraswamy. Others before me have noted the peerless quality of his exposition of the normal doctrine of art and life.'

In France, where books by Coomaraswamy have always been available in translation, a French edition of his famous work, The Bugbear of Literacy, has just appeared, and in India, as is well known, the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts has embarked on an ambitious Indian Government-sponsored project to publish all Coomaraswamy's writings which are expected to run into over thirty volumes.

All this is in marked contrast to the official attitude to Coomaraswamy in Sri Lanka, the land of his birth, where successive governments in the 50 years of Independence have consistently and pointedly ignored the outstanding achievement of this famous scholar, undoubtedly the finest intellectual this country has produced in modern times.

Only The Sri Lanka Institute of Traditional Studies has paid homage to his memory especially with the publication of their Coomaraswamy Memorial Volume, The Unanimous Tradition, which received worldwide praise from traditionalist scholars and is now a collector's item.

Class first crime second

In the aftermath of the Rita John's brutal murder and rape I wish to make the following observations, on the sequence of events that followed it.

There were two incidents of rape reported after the infamous Crow's Island tragedy. One was the rape of a factory girl working in the Katunayake FTZ and the other was from a provincial town in the south. But these two events failed to attract the necessary media or public attention, may be due to the fact that the victims belong to the poor underprivileged sections of the society.

It was brought to light in the course of investigations that murder and rape was systematically taking place on the beach at the Crow's Island. But nobody bothered until that happened to Rita John.

The morale of the story is that you have to belong to the correct class or strata in society to attract any attention or action in such cover. The raping of a poor factory girl does not even merit any media attention (both print and electronic) in our country.

Then about the misinformed, misdirected and mis-guided lawyers of the Magistrates Court of Colombo who conducted a protest campaign against fellow lawyers who appeared for the accused in Rita John's case. Don't these lawyers know that retaining a legal counsel is a fundamental right enshrined in the constitution of our country. What if the members of the GMOA ask fellow doctors not to treat people who commit murders and rape. The Bar Association must give a proper ruling in matters like this which may arise in the future.

The appropriate action for the lawyers in this particular instance was to demonstrate asking for stiffer and harsher penalties like the death penalty to be imposed on persons convicted of murder, rape and drug offences to stem the very high crime rate that is overtaking the entire nation.

Coming to the question of the death penalty I think little headway is made in this regard. In my opinion next to the ethnic, issue the question of the high crime rate is the most burning and urgent isue at the moment. With elections around the corner this can become a major issue at the elections also. A Govt. which is insensitive to the wishes of the people and which is unable to protect its citizens from the thugs and hoodlums who are taking over the country might have to face the consequences at the election.

If murder and rape are openly committed in broad daylight, and it is not safe for ladies to walk the streets freely, the sole purpose of governance is lost. In this connection I invite the views of the UNP, the major opposition party with regard to the imposition of the death penalty in this country. Perhaps the UNP can announce how they propose to stem the high crime rate in this country.

As a practising lawyer, I wish to express my view on how the death penalty should be enforced. When an accused is sentenced to death in the original court, which is the High Court, there should be a mandatory appeal to the supreme courts. That means the High Court Judge should transmit the case to the Supreme Courts, which can on a full Bench Decision review the case and affirm or vary the sentence depending on the circumstances of each case. By this procedure it can be ensured that the Death Penalty is only imposed in the most gruesome pre-meditated and severe of the crimes.

P. V. Srirangan
Solicitor
Attorney-at-law & Notary Public, Commissioner for Oaths

Hindi and Urdu

This is with reference to an article entitled Urdu and Hindi by Shahid Abrar Awan which appeared in a leading daily newspaper recently.

The writer's contention that Urdu and Hindi are distinct languages is not tenable and needs to be examined in greater detail.

The fact is that Urdu is the same as Hindi at its basic level, both being derived from the standard Hindustani Khadi Boli dialect of Delhi and its environs.

The main difference between the two is that where Hindi has drawn from Sanskrit for its more complex terms, Urdu has drawn from Persian and Arabic.

Besides, whereas Hindi is written in the Nagari script, Urdu is written in a modified form of the Arabic script, including the characters for p, g and ch not found in Arabic.

In the basic spoken language however Hindi and Urdu are virtually the same, as for instance in such sentences like Ap kaisi hai ( How are you ? ), Tumhara nam kiya hai (What is your name ?) and Mai tum se piyar karta hu (I love you).

In India, to this day, Hindi speakers prefer the colloquial Hindustani (Urdu) popularized by the Hindi movie industry to the official sanskritised Hindi the Indian government is trying to ram down the nation's throat.

Many are the perso-Arabic loans common to Hindi / Urdu.

This includes such common terms as asman (sky), zamin (earth), duniya (world), insan (man), dil (heart), zindagi (life), mohabbat (love), garmi (heat), hafta (week), sal (year), subah (morrung) and sham (evening).To this short list may be added Hind and Hindustan for India.

In fact, the official language of the Azad Hind Fauj (Free India Army) founded by that valiant freedom fighter Subhas Chandra Bose to fight the British Raj was the Hindustani or Urdu.

It is noteworthy to quote some words of this great man whose desire for national unity and dedication to the cause of freedom remains a glorious chapter in Mother India's history.

"So far as our lingua franca is concerned, I am inclined to think that the distinction between Hindi and Urdu is a artificial one. The most natural lingua franca would be a mixture of the two, such as is spoken in daily life in large parts of the country."

Urdu, which literally means 'camp' or 'army' in Turkish could be said to have come into being during the Moghul period (16th- 18th centuries) when the Ahl-I-Urdu or the people of the camp-Turks, Persians and Indian felt the need for a common language.

The Khadi Boli dialect of the Hindus and their islamized brethren formed the basis of this speech in termns of both vocabulary and grammar, but was receptive enough to absorb a good many perso-Arabic and a few Turkish loans.

The spread of this language which originated in the Ganges Yamuna doab was further facilitated by the fact that the Moghul court was within the borders of the Khadi Boli speech area.

Indeed, the Khadi Boli dialect, upon which modern standard Hindi is based, owes its pre-eminence, possibly its very status as the Official Language of India, to the Moghuls as it was they who took the newly acquired language along with them during their conquests and spread it over a large area of northern India.

If not for the Muslim conquests, it is possible that the Braj dialect of Mathura which had for centuries been the medium of poetical composition, would have ousted the Hindi as we know it.

The official Hindi of which we talk about today is nothing but the very same Khadi Boli (Hindustani ) heavily sanskritised, a process which took place a little more than a century ago.

Azov Von Hussein
Colombo

Jettison the devolution package

According to a report in the "Daily News" of 12.11.98, during the course of an address to the SLFP delegates in the Hambantota District, President Chandrika KumaratungA stated that she "pledged to amend the political proposals aimed at solving the ethnic problem should the need arises." We welcome this statement if it indicates a change in the rigid stance hitherto adopted by the government that the devolution "package" must be accepted without any fundamental changes.

The next step required is for the government to examine seriously the severe criticisms of the "package" advanced by critics such as the Sinhala Commission in its Interim Report, Mr. H. L. de Silva, P.C. in his recent lecture at the BMICH; Professor B. Hewavitharana in his book "Economic Consequences of the Development Package" and Mr. S. L. Gunasekera in his book "Moderates, Tigers and Pandora's Package."

It will then become clear to the government that mere amendment of these proposals would not suffice but that it would be necessary to jettison the entire package and start de novo, with first trying to obtain an answer to the question, what are the grievances of the Tamils? For until an answer to this question is obtained, it will not be possible to think of remedial measures. We do not need to take any notice of the so-called "aspirations" of the Tamils, since we know that their ultimate aspiration is the creation of a separate state.

Dr. Piyasena Dissanayake,
Secretary, National Joint Committee.

State media used to attack the UNP

The state media is now trying its best to use the discredited Tamil politicians to attack the United National Party and misrepresent its stand on the devolution of power. The UNP has always stated that it is not against the concept of devolution of powers. In fact it was the UNP that first introduced the principles of devolution in Sri Lanka which was vigorously opposed by the SLFP then in the opposition.

The UNP consistently supported the principle of devolution of powers but does not agree to the package that has been announced by the government which they claim could be the solution to the present crisis. The government which states that 96% of the war is over and having found that the end of the war is not in sight now desperately wants the package to be accepted. This is clearly seen from the fact that the local government authorities in the northern province are not functioning and the members elected to the local bodies are unable to function in those areas.

The package has also not been accepted by several other political parties. The UNP has constantly stated that in the present context negotiation with the LTTE will be necessary to implement and arrive at a political solution acceptable to all sections of the people in Sri Lanka.

At present there is an urgent need to ensure that adequate medicine and food are sent to the people of the north who are undergoing untold sufferings in the conflict areas.

D. M. Swaminathan
Secy. Civil Activities (UNP)

| NEWS | PROVINCIAL | POLITICS | EDITORIAL | DEFENCE | LEISURE | BUSINESS| SPORTS | ADS |