Single and Video Clip – දහසක් බිළිඳුන්නේ ගිනි සාගිනි – A poem I wrote in Dec 1983
Posted on July 24th, 2016
Dr Lionel Bopage
This is to introduce a song I recorded this month. It is based on a poem දහසක් බිළිඳුන්නේ ගිනි සාගිනි (Hunger and suffering of thousands of children) that I wrote in December 1983. Its genesis relates to the period when I was held in detention along with about 20 others, on the first floor of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) in Colombo, Sri Lanka. My first born was then only six months old.
We were held under Emergency Regulations on the false allegation that we had led Black July Riots in 1983, in the form of a pogrom against Tamils, who were living in the south. I was held incommunicado for several months until December 1983, when my wife was allowed to visit me along with my baby daughter. The poem reflected my emotions at that moment.
Instigation of these riots took place exactly 33 years ago. I thought of publishing this song, as this occasion is a historic reminder of the injustices committed at the time against many, that led to the 26-year civil war in the North and East of Sri Lanka, and to the 1988-1989 insurrection in the South.
You can listen to this song at:
https://soundcloud.com/lionel-bopage-1/singithi-depa-osawa-tottering-on-tiny-feet
The video clip that accompanies this song is published on YouTube and Vimeo. It is available at:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eLGmnhBxBhE&feature=youtu.be, and
Please kindly arrange to provide publicity to this song and the video.
Thank you.
Lionel