ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Geethanjana Kudaligamage

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Rajapakse, regional politics, ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-Eurocentric DevelopmentalismƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ and the western hegemony (Part 8-B)

ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-Well! Well! Well!!! There are too many idiots in this world. And having said it, I have the burden to prove it.ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚Frantz Fanon

Manik Sandrasagara and Tyrone FernandoƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”Colomba SanniyaƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ was laughing at the post-colonial social-aberration of Sri Lankan society.

But ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”Colomba SanniyaƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ was in fact not laughing at the absurdity of the dominant Colombian ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”minority cultureƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ for their boasting of something that they really do not possess; but instead it was laughing at the native who struggles to get into this misplaced cultural void of Colombo. With many apologies to late Manik, I must say the movie was unwittingly laughing at the wrong end and the wrong subject. I think the directorƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s aim must have been criticizing culture of Colombo. But the outcome of the movie did its opposite.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ I do not want to say anything bad about this late artist. I have met him for several times including one of my exhibition openings at ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”Paradise RoadƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ gallery Colombo. He was a worm hearted person, and I have had the opportunity to chat with him for a couple of times. I respect him for his ideas. But I think Colomba Sanniya was a mistake, a complete paradox to his thinking. One might ask why this upheaval is all about regarding a movie that was screened thirty years ago. But my dear, do you know ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-Old means gold?ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ Some time, old gold contains precious ingredients than the new. ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-Colomba Sanniya caries a lot of components to support my arguments in this subject matter.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ I think the reason for ManikƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s movie to bring opposite implications to his intended meaning, was largely due to the absence of critical tools in our society to analyze the situation in Colombo. Firstly I must say, in cultural politics, laughter is not pretty at all. It is an ugly political tool; especially a colonial tool. I do not understand why Manik did not realize this. In a way, manik Sandrasagra was a victim of the canonical western ideology of the history, civilization and the theory, especially the theory of the Sri Lankan socio-political analysis of the traditional left. His belief in western notion of civilization is evident in his following statement regarding civilization. Manik had said regarding his escape from the city and living in a village in north central provinceƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚¦ ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-The fact (is) that IƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢m away from civilization, and I have no idea of what is going on around me. Our country is being stripped, robbed and raped by the various political parties in it, and itƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s mainly the middle classes that are getting thrashed around.ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ http://livingheritage.org/manik-unplugged.htm

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Everything is true, except his notion about civilization. He was pointing his finger toward the direction of an aberration while standing on the soil of civilization. He was confused, so he thought he had escaped from civilization. But actually he had escaped from eccentricity of filthy Colombian culture. This reveals that his thinking is different to that of the insinuations of the laughter instigated in the movie. For that reason, I have no quarrel with him. From this point onward what I say must be taken within that context, under such condition.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Here he articulates about civilization according to western interpretation to it. Although he had fall out with it, still he believed that Colombo 7 possessed the seed of civilization, which the white westerner left behind. But events of his life reveal, in reality, he couldnƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢t get along with this so-called civility. Commonly accepted idea of civilization in modern societies is derived from the notion that ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”CivilizationƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ is solely western invention that is developed exclusively in the west. So the western education edifies ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-CivilizationƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ as something identical to the history of the west and its development, including modern development.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ This is not the first time I heard this western exclusivity in the concept of civilization. In the movie ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”Gandhi,ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ when Gandhi arrives in India from South Africa, implying that they will take him to the city soon, Nehru says, ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-We will go to Civilization pretty soonƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ (I do not remember the exact words) In another occasion in a personal conversation, correcting my word use in relation to Anatolia, our senior politician and critic J.R.P Sooriyapperuma once said, ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-Geetho, the word ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”civilizationƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ can not be used in regard to the regional cultures such as Anatolia. (Modern Turkey)ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ I do not suggest that anyone is at fault here for believing this, because that is the position that whole education system maintains. The only challenge to this canonical western notion, other than our continued disbelief in it, came from Post-structuralists and Post-colonial writers. This notion of civilization has been proved wrong by them, on the basis of that western theory was based on false interpretation of the world history.

Read, ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-White Mythologies Writing History and the West,ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ by Robert Young. Routledge London, New York.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Sighs of ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-Other LankaƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ quietly vanished into ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-thin air”

I said the laughter in ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”Colomba SanniyaƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ was aimed at the native. But the native was innocent and uncorrupt. Andare (Punchi Appuhamy) the protagonist of the story was not given a breathing space for him to put forward his ontological resistance in the eyes of the laughing Colombian.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  In overnight, Punchi Appuhamy had been given two frames of reference within which he had to place himself. His metaphysics, or in less flashy terms, his customs and the sources on which they were based, had been disappeared, misplaced and if not, had become worthless because they were in conflict with a civilization that he did not know, but imposed itself upon him. Was he a savage just coming out of the jungle? No! Did he have any civilization that he could identify himself with? Yes. But Colombian culture did not want to accept it as something worth to acknowledge. Then why we were laughing at him? The current Colombian is living in the same teenage ignorance that I was living in 1976, which made me to laugh at Punchi Appuhamy then. But I feel that I am indebted to him now, and I want to pay him back.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ 

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ But in the case of Colomba Sanniya, the laughable abnormality was located somewhere else. Who is the abnormal; Protagonist Andare (Punchi Appuhamy) or the antagonist Colombian? For every standard, it was Colombian that was abnormal. But he was missing in the movie. Was that a mistake? For me it is a very important question; because, instead of having AndareƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s antagonist to represent Colombian universe in the unfolding events, Colombian ideology was hiding in the script and behind the camera of the movie. What actually happens is Colombian translates his laughter upon us in the audience, and we laugh behalf of them. In a way it is a shrewd political strategy, the same strategy Colombian practically used in national politics throughout the post colonial history.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ This is how Wikipedia explains about the movieƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚¦..

ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚¦ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-Kolomba Sanniya (Colombo Mania) is a 1976 Sinhalese language comedy film directed by Manik Sandrasagara that follows the lives of middle and upper class people in rural and urban Sri LankaƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚¦ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚¦ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚¦ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚¦

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-Andare, (Joe Abeywickrema) a rustic villager find a valuable gem when he went to bush to perform his morning ablutions. (no toilets in the village) He sells the gem and buys a house in Colombo. The whole family, Andare’s elder sister (Denawaka Hamine), brother Jakolis (Eddie Jayamanne), son (Freddie Silva and daughter (Geetha Kumarasinghe) try their best to get adjusted to the life of Colombo 7 and as they find eventually, it was not an easy task.ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Why living in Colombo was not an easy task for Punchi Appuhamy? Is Colombo 7 a different geographical entity in the state of Sri Lanka like Switzerland, Rhodesia or South AfricaƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s Transvaal? Are these inhabitants in Colombo 7 a different race, different to the rest of Sri Lankans? It seems they consider them as different. So then why shouldnƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢t rest of the Sri Lankans offer them official minority status of a different race? At least that will limit their desire to rule this foreign nation called ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”Siri Lankawa,ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ at least which would minimize their messing with the rest, even plotting against the rest claiming that they represent the Sri Lankan opinion.

This is the same colonial social aberration that initiated the blood bath in Kampuchea. When poll-pot had to confront with these colonial bourgeois elements, he reacted violently. Are we going there again? IsnƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢t that enough having tasted the brutality of the clash of these two extremes in 1971 and 1989? Colombians are taking a wrong route involving with western plot against the nation; even now they are not showing any signs of getting back to the right track. We are going to discuss about the Colombian role that they were given to play in national politics in relation to globalization, in a future part of this article.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ 

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ However, the question is why Punchi Appuhamy wanted to go to Kurunduwatta in the first place, wasnƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢t there any other place to go and settle after he became a millionaire? Why Punch AppuhamyƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s native culture couldnƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢t find a place in Colmo 7 if it is an indivisible part of the nation? By what force excluded Punch Appuhamy, and what is the disqualification of him, and who disqualified him and on what ground? These are fundamental questions that need our careful scrutiny.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Kurunduwatta, the symbol of apartheid and segregation

Colombo 7 is the symbolic geographical and ideological nerve center of apartheid and segregation in Sri Lanka. It is equivalent to any place of colonial Apartheid had being imposed upon natives in places like ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”TransvaalƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ in South Africa that separated natives from the ruling elite for the purpose of preserving racial and cultural purity of the white race. During colonial era, the colonial rulers, as a minority alien race, lived in Colombo 7. For obvious reasons, they were paranoid of their survival in the land, and were living in fear of intrusion of the ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”Other,ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ that was the native, whom they thought constantly trying to menace their lives. IsnƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢t that the same way that Colombian also thinks even now? Under such conditions, the white rulerƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s architectural needs had to address this specific aspect of fear. As famous modern architect Frank Lloyd Write once said, ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-Architectural space is similar to that of the cave of the primitive.ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ The primitive carefully considered its location, its security, its vulnerability or safety from all external threats; he must satisfy his sense of protected endurance with all those aspects. The planning of this ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”TransvaalƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ of Sri Lanka is not different to that. The rest fulfilled by the police station of cinnamon gardens.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ 

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Across the landscape of Colombo 7, we can see all the elements of exclusion, intended exclusion of the outsider, which is the ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”native.ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ It has all its evidence of racial segregation and apartheid that exclude the native from the white race in the past and from the Colombian at present. The architecture and its buildings, the streets and their names, orchards and parks, land marks and their names, market places, recreation centers and sports grounds, even food smell, all were given a sense of alienation to the native. This element of segregation was quite open during the time of direct colonialism, but now this reality is hidden, within the ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”parapet wall cultureƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ of the Colombian who exchanged positions with the by-gone white racist, but could be felt in the area of Colombo 7 even today. Punchi Appuhamy was a victim of the dominant ideology that maintained white historical legacy of Colombo 7.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ But strangely, the antagonist or the opposite of the protagonist of Appuhamy was given to some handpicked few white fellows. They act like if they sought to prove our long held, widely accepted mythical notion about European, as one who is generous, hospitable, kind, and honest. Until the last stage of the separatist war Sri Lankan people thought in the same way about white European, and still Colombian thinks as such.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Although the real stakeholder of this laughable anomaly was the Colombian, he was not there in the movie. The laughter was instigated from the back of the camera, so that was easily transferred to the audience. The audience laughed at this rural familyƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s cultural crudeness and inability to get along with this social aberration. By highlighting the unfamiliarity with alleged alien way of life and its associated civility, the movie director makes the audience to laugh. Now the question is why they laugh at native subject?ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ The reason is clear. They consider their adaptation to western culture as an attainment to universal civility. Anything universal means you know ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”the pure form of white manƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s world view and the way of living.ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ They laugh at the native on the basis of nativeƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s dispossession of what they possessed. They do not see that they are the clowns who are boasting for something that really they do not possess, but borrowed. And their life is contingent to constant change by someone outside. So they are under the indivisible cultural bondage to be in vigilance of any change coming from the real owner of what they have borrowed. The formula of what they are boasting of having is as follows.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Boasting for possessing something = boasting for something not owned, but borrowed

Boasting for something borrowed = boasting for having nothing of its own

Boasting for having nothing own = boasting for having ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-Nothing.ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Therefore they are boasting for the implicit ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-something;ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ while not knowing that assumed ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-somethingƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ is equivalent to ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-NothingƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ in existence.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ That is why I say Colombian philosophy is an empty vessel. But the Colombian is living with it, believing that the vessel is full of something. Like the pig thought about its culture of eating otherƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s waste thinking that it (pig) possesses something that lion can never even think of possessing. Who is laughable my brother?

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ But the Colombian had the audacity to laugh at the native. This audacity is nothing but similar to the audacity of the fox that laughed at its acquaintances in its clan for their having tails.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ The fable is interesting. The character of the fox without tail connotes the Colombian mentality. This fox got its tail broken as a result of getting entrapped into a fox trap (colonialism) in the village (the presumed civilization). But he justified it in comparison with the most cultured animal, the human (white being) with him and found something in common between him and the man. Gradually he developed the attitude (superiority complex) to think that he is superior to the rest in his herd. Then he began to laugh at his members in his ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”varigeƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ branding them as an uncivilized bunch for having tails. Who is laughable my brother, who is laughable?

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ However, when their political authority is institutionalizing this boasting of the self-same empty vessel, then it becomes a state sponsored boasting that victimizing a nation. They equalize this culture of ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”empty vesselƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ as the authority demanding others to take their culture of ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”empty vassalƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ as universal progress or else, leave it. This is another peculiar characteristic of the ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”Alien culture of the Colombian.ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Double tongued Janus face of ColombianƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ 

On the one hand Colombian culture alienates the ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”nativeƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ on the ground for his being uncultured.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  This aspect of alienation of cultural primitivism is an absolute adaptation of the original colonizers racial policy and its resultant marginality and apartheid into post-colonial cultural politics of the local. In which, the Colombian usurps the position of their white master, the bygone oppressor. Then again, on the other hand, at the very moment when the native attempts to exchange his identity with that of the Colombian alien identity, the Colombian absurdity unleashes its whole arsenal of humiliating tools in mortification and sarcasm for the mental torture of the new comer, leaving no way-out for the native, but despair and abasement. ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-Colamba SanniyaƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ fulfils the harassment of this second wave of marginality and alienation of the native, leaving the entire notion of political and cultural independence from colonial rule in confusion and crisis.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Unfolding story of the movie demands our careful scrutiny into two aspects. Firstly finding the rationale behind the instigation of Colombian laughter and secondly, the reason for Andare to believe that he must move to Colombo 7 after becoming a millionaire.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ The movie strengthens the white manƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s legacy in his succeeding ColombianƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s believe in result of the tainted mentality of the incivility and primitive nature of the native. The rationale is clear. From the Colombian point of view, the one who is most adapted to the western culture gets the highest status in the civility, as Colombian believed that western culture as the most civilized, sited in the top of the hierarchy of cultural pyramid,ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  while the one who is alien to it being tagged as uncivilized. So as explained earlier, Andere was uncivilized according to above said standard.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ The movie is skillfully covering-up the fundamental characteristic of the absurdity of Colombian culture. The presence of White social element in the movie as dominant cultural counterpart of the protagonist Uduppiligedara Andiris AppuhamyƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s cultural primitivism is misguiding, and it is a well calculated mischievous decision to divert the blame of humiliation of the native throughout the movie away from Colombian for being the real culprit who laughs at the native. The physical presence of the real humiliater of the native is missing in the movie. As in the case of photography, it is the mentality of the man behind the camera that always mirror through photographs. The camera has captured incidents ridiculing the native for being inept to deal with sophisticated alleged high culture. The real Colombian is missing in the picture, but time to time appears and disappears insignificantly. Even in such brief presence movie portrays the ColombianƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ as worm hearted bunch of chorus singers singing hymns of heaven who welcome this village family into the city. They invite this uncultured family to their parties, and enjoy the outcome of events. Colombian is taking pleasure out of these native jestersƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ behavior among some eminent members of actual Colombian culture such as Kumar Ponnambalam. Through their behavior, the village family proves that they are not more than a laughing lot. That is the outcome of the movie.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Colomba Sanniya represents exactly how Colombian attitude toward the native. It is no different to those vicious Udurawana jokes of Peradeniya culture, ridiculing the one who struggles to learn oppressing instrument of ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”kaduwaƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ through making errors. The actual desire of the one who ridiculed udurawana is not just laughing, but actually uplifting his/her own ego (Ego-centrism) through imaginary Udurawana. The movie represent the Colombian humiliation tacitly; by removing the actual role of the Colombian in Colomba SanniyaƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s cultural aberration. By doing so, they do the utmost political justice to the Colombian class, like our Marxists did their service through sidelining the colonial cultural aspect from their socio-political analysis. They portray Colombians and the White social elements in the movie as kind hearted Nightingales. But in reality, the soft-city of Colombo (the word soft-city being used in equivalence with the word software in opposite to hardware) is brutal and callous, Janus faced, frantically wild and coldhearted.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ 

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Secondly, the philosophical fallacy that explodes in ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-Colomba SanniyaƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ is the Marxist interpretation of the ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”social abnormalityƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ of Sri Lanka. According to which, the crack and the split that prevent social reconciliation among masses of Sri Lankan society is, firstly, Sinhalese chauvinism (The fallacy # 1), Secondly, Economical disparity. (The fallacy #2, for being a half truth) I am not going to say anything about Sinhalese chauvinism, because largely it has been confused with Sinhalese ethnic consciousness and has been already proven wrong by many writers. But I will pay much attention to the concept of this ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”economical disparityƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ that skillfully hides a core issue of ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”internal colonialismƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ in our social fabric. This is the real culprit, Colombian ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”Jim Crow,ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ the ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”Chauvinist Uru-meeyaƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ who digging under the feet burying all our creative brains of the nation. This is the ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-ChauvinismƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ that had been attributed to Sinhalese masses in confusion. This Chauvinism marginalized both Sinhala and Tamil natives alike.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ 

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ If marginality in Sri Lankan society operates only on economical grounds, then the ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-Kakka StoneƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ (Kakka is a Portuguese word) of Appuhamy must bring economical and cultural liberation to the family in the story of ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”Colomba Sanniya.ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ But in the contrary, the ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-Kakka StoneƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ brings only humiliation, agony and disaster to them. They also believed in modern progress, like we all believed. Describing this belief of modern progress Marshal Berman saysƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚¦

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-There is a mode of vital experience ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢¢”š¬…” experience of space and time, of the self and others, of lifeƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s possibilities and perilsƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢¢”š¬‚that is shared by men and women all over the world today. I will call this body of experience ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”ModernityƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢. To be modern is to find our selves in an environment that promises adventure, power, joy, growth, transformation of ourselves and the world ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢¢”š¬…” and at the same time, that threatens to destroy everything we have, everything we know, everything we are. Modern environments and experiences cut across all boundaries of geography and ethnicity, of class and nationality, of religion and ideology; in this sense, modernity can be said to unite all mankind. But it is a paradoxical unity, a unity of disunity; it pours us all into a maelstrom of perpetual disintegration and renewal, of struggle and contradiction, of ambiguity and anguish To be modern is to be a part of a universe in which, as Marx said, ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”all that is solid melts into airƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ (Marshal Berman, ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-All that is solid melts into AirƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ 1982)

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Andare thought the center of modernity in Sri Lanka located in Colombo 7, within the streets of Ward Place and Rosemead Place, Horton Place and GregoryƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s Road. But what he found among these streets was marginality, apartheid, segregation and internal colonialist operation command centers, with media gate guards of some English Sunday news papers.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ 

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ (To be continued)