Geethanjana Kudaligamage

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

The culturally marginalized family of the movie ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”Colomba Sanniya,ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ was a victim of the western ideology of modern progress and the canonical Marxist ideology that presented ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”economic disparityƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ as the root-cause of class difference in Sri Lanka. According to this interpretation, as we all thought, and some people still think, economical disparity is the only split in our society. If anyone surpasses this economic barrier, he/she must be able to switch their class status overnight. So Appuhamy also thought in the same way. Dreaming to get rid of all their agonies through newly acquired economic powers, Punchi Appuhamy and family attempted to get a crash-entry into the center of the society and ended-up in disarray, realizing that ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”economicsƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ is not the real issue but the ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”cultural.ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ Actually the movie revels what Manik Sandrasagara never intended; the chronic condition of internal colonialism as our primary social-economic issue in Sri Lanka.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Problem of Marxism, as many post colonial scholars observed, is imbedded in its very inception of its philosophical foundation that derived from Hegelianism. Under which, it becomes an extension to Hegelian Eurocentrism, developing into another brand of totalizing universal humanity. Hegel, as Dussel described, was a racist who believed in white supremacy over other races. If we blame Hitler for his belief in German superiority, we would not be able to spare Hegel, for his belief in German spirit as the superior spirit to any other sprits, and the superiority of its race. Marx himself was a Jew. It is so ironic to see how this superior German spirit he believed, barbequed millions of his fellow Jews in less than sixty years after his death.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Post Colonial scholars criticized not only policies and institutions of the ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”RightƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ but also the policies and the theoretical systems of the left as well. Sri Lankan Marxists theorized Local situation in relation to existing ideology of Marxism. According to such theoretical foundations of Marxism, colonialism never occurred as an inhuman enterprise of Europe. Instead it interpreted this phenomenon as a step forward toward universal human progress along the line of Hegelian theory of identifying European story as the history of universal humanity. This story of the European man on the other hand, made to be the story of manƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s evolution all the way through manƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s primitive stage to his modern sophisticated social structures of capitalist mode of production. In such context, Marxism saw European colonialism, especially British and French colonialism as a progressive phenomenon that transformed all tribal and feudal systems around the world into capitalist systems of production creating the ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”material conditionƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ for socialist revolution. So colonialism, as they saw it, brought backward societies world over into the capitalist mode of production and its social relations, bypassing the other stages in social evolution described in Darwinian ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”Theory of Evolution.ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ They believed colonialism was progressive, insofar as it transformed backward masses into capitalist social conditions. That means, they believed the western bluder of civilizing of the non western man. ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ 

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Marxism, insofar as it inherits the system of the Hegelian dialectic, is also implicated in the link between the structures of knowledge and the forms of oppression of the last two hundred years; a phenomenon that has become known as Eurocentrism. ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ 

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ To this extent, MarxismƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s universalizing narrative of the unfolding of a rational system of world history is simply a negative form of the history of European imperialism; it was Hegel, after all, who declared that ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”Africa has no historyƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ and Asia was in its infancy, and it was Marx who, though critical of British imperialism, concluded that the British colonization of India was ultimately for the best of global humanity because it brought India into the evolutionary narrative of western history, thus creating the conditions for future class struggle there. Such an arrogant and arrogating narrative means that the story of ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”world historyƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ not only involves what Frederick Jameson describes as the wresting of freedom from the realm of necessity but always also the creation, subjection and final appropriation of EuropeƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”OthersƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢. (Yong)

This is why ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”HistoryƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢, which for Marxism promises liberation, for the European ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”OtherƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢, in our case, for Punchi Appuhamy, also entails another forgotten story of oppression. ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ 

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ This is what Marx says in his own words about India in ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”The Future Results of the British Rule in IndiaƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ (1853), commentsƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚¦

ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-Indian society has no history at all, at least no known history. What we call its history is but the history of its successive intruders who founded their empires on the passive basis of that unresisting and unchanging societyƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚¦.England has to fulfill a double mission in India; one destructive, the other regenerating- the annihilation of old Asiatic society, and the laying of the material foundations of western society in AsiaƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚¦ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ That is Marx; here I do not see any policy difference between Marx and British colonial governor of India, even I do not see that big variation between Cortez (Spanish conquistador in Central America) and Marx either. In regards to colonialism and its cultural subjugation, Marxism and imperialism had no quarrel, can comfortably shake hands in Wellassa, in the aftermath of the British obliteration of people and their property there. Marx expected Punchi Appuhamy to go through this cultural aberration and expected him to be passive victim of the European enforcement of the anthropological account of the relation of European history to that of the rest of the world. If however, had any chance of success in communist internationals, turning the whole globe into communism, then Eurocentric communist globalization process might have subjugated the whole world under the tag of proletarian revolution, eating-up the whole planet quicker than existing system of production and consumerism of global capitalism, for capitalism and communism both are Eurocentric.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Maintaining cultural exclusivityƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ 

Not only Marxism based on Hegelianism, but also colonial administration also based on European ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”rationalismƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ which, again based on Hegelianism of universal humanity; in which Europe was in the center. In Sri Lankan regional model, it was the Colombian who represented this colonial Eurocentric ideology in the local socio-political scenery.

Under such condition, more Eurocentric one becomes more modern-sophisticated and more worldly wise one. This situation created a cultural split separating our society into our two major camps. They were the Colonized Colombians and the natives. As Dr. Shelton Gunaratne has described it, it was between ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”KulturesƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ and ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”HaramanisasƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ of Sri Lanka. In our schooling years, we also became familiar with these terms. But we pronounced it like ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”KultoorsƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ and ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”HaramanisesƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ but only after I saw the way Dr. Gunaratne spelt it , I realized that there could be a deeper humiliating meaning to this insult. Instead of letter ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”KƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢, if we use ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”CƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ in the word ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”KultureƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ the word becomes ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”CultureƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢. I wonder if this was the real intention hidden in it. I think this term is a part of the Colombian arsenal of their cultural politics.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ However, maintaining cultural imbalance of the native and the Colombian is another bizarre affair of the Colombian, always dominated through the exclusive initiative power of Colombians enjoyed through its cultural hegemony. The cultural targets were setting by Colombians and always kept moving away from the native in the face of nativeƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s desperate attempt of catching-it-up. For example, somewhere in eighties, President J.R. Jayawardane saidƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚¦

ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-The change in our society that we have brought is evident in the variety of frocks worn by these young ladies in this audienceƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚¦ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ (I do not remember his exact words)

But it was true. After 1977, due to open economy, cultural outlook of Sri Lanka under went a drastic change. Within ten years, Sri Lankan consumer patterns turned up side down.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ This was the era that Jill Garments began to produce high Quality ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”WrackƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ denim Jeans in Sri Lanka. The widespread availability of quality denim jeans in the market made young folks of natives to wear them. Colombian cultural antennas went in burst to ring their warning bells. Because costume was one of their most important sign and signal displayed their cultural and class exceptionality. Colombians thought this trend as a threat to their cultural exclusivity.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ This move of the natives prompted the absurd Colombians to initiate an unbelievable thing. They discarded wearing denim jeans, and began to wear ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-Mall-JungiesƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ (High Roller Hibiscuses and Bahamas Ma-Holla Backs like shorts)

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Imaging a situation in which eminent people in the caliber like Prof. G. L. Peiris walking along Galle-face green wearing a ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-Mall-JungyƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ and T ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢¢”š¬…”Shirt with phrases like ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-Honey! You drive me crazyƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ or ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-IƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢m unmarried, causeƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ IƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢m for the free-market principle,ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ or ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-I love shoes bags and girlsƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ and even with some bizarre ones like ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-Your ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚¦ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚¦ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚¦. is my goalƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ (I deleted ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”hƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ word in the blank space for ethical reasons)

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Another strategy they used was minimizing female clothing, thinking the culturally restricted females of natives would be hesitant to follow the same. In fairness to Colombian girls at that time, I must say that they were the only members of Colombian society who unwittingly served the society by exposing their body for the enjoyment of young ones like us at that time. At a time when media was not developed like today, their generosity was the only source that kept our teenage fantasies incarnated over and over again and again. For behalf of my generation, I would like to thank those Colombian ladies; they must be around forty five years of age by now, for their invaluable generosity and kindness in the past.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ The reason was clear; they thought the trend was taking their exclusivity away from them. They were becoming ordinary. But, the crisis aroused when they had to select the new symbols and the signs to display the exclusivity of their affiliation with their high culture or their ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-minority culture.ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ They had to select something that native wouldnƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢t acquire. The ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-Mall-JungiesƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ did the job because the native, with all prevailing odds, still was not spoiled to that lower level to wear those Jungies.

As I said earlier, this strategy of the absurd ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-Minority CultureƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ of Colombian is not least different to that of the pig mentality; the pig snobbishly consumes human waste to maintain its exclusivity from the Lion. Lions never have to challenge their stance, but it is very important to keep them informed and place them in their due position anyway. Jayawewa!!!!ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ 

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Dear readers please note; with enormous patience similar to that of the Smithsonian expert who researched about local monkeys, and living in Dambulla for many decades, I also observed this beast called ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”ColombianƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ for decades. Every thing I am telling you in this series are result of those observations.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Changing Hair color; white being and the non-white

I knew a white man and a daughter who worked under me in a business. The man was an arrogant white supremacist. The chubby short Blondie was not less arrogant, and had a bad mouth of saying things creating problems among other workers. Since I had the upper hand, the man was friendly with me. Let us call the man Mike and the girl Sara.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ One day, this girl came totally changed. I askedƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚¦

ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-Wow! What a changeƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚¦? WhatƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s going on Sara?ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚

ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-Yeah!ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-I changed my hair color, isnƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢t it cool?ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ She asked.

ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-Yes, it isƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚

She had dyed her hair in black. This was the first time I had seen a blond girl changing her hair into black color; not into any other color, but ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-black,ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ that was surprising because it was considered to be impossible, and almost a taboo within the white culture, but goes only other way around all the time.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Then I asked, ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-How do you feel about it?ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚

ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-I love it; because my boy friend Curtis loves itƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚

ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-Which Curtis you are talking aboutƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚

ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-Curtis Henderson, I am dating with himƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚

ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-Really, HmmmƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚¦thatƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s interestingƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚

I knew him. He was the black guy working next door. But this incident caught my heart for obvious reasons. I thought Curtis must have done a good job. He had changed oneƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s racial consciousness upside down overnight. He has done what even Martin Luther King couldnƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢t do for decades and couldnƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢t see until his death. What Malcolm-X had to die without realizing; What Nelson Mandela could never reach until he served twenty five years in jail. Wow! What a phenomenal character. As a poor boy coming to work by a push bicycle, this man has added a new chapter into the world of body politics of a superior race that armed with a overwhelming nuclear arsenal. He had shaken this world just by the only tool he had, something that even dozens of ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”scudsƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ couldnƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢t do in global politics.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Turning white racial consciousness from white to black is not realistic idea at all; it is an impossible in the white universe, although blacks dreamed to be white all the time. Let along turning a white into black, even convincing a white to admire the fact of blackness is even a mammoth task and even that considered to be unrealistic.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ 

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ With a certain amount of comical joy in mind, when I met girlƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s father I said,

ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-Steve, your daughter is a rebelƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚

ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-M! M!! What do you meanƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚¦… about her hair?

ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-YesƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚

ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-Actually I couldnƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢t tell you, she had been put under medication for her mental disorder for sometime now. DonƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢t take her serious GeetƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚

ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-Are you kidding?ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚

ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-No, IƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢m seriousƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚

Although I never expected to hear this, that reveled me a very important thing. That is, ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”A white one who acts normal to our standards becomes abnormal in the white world. In philosophical terms, for their ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”RationalismƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ is full of irrational myths of supremacist racism, and its accompanied ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-NiggerizationƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ of the ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”Other,ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ only ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”IrrationalityƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ can be ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”RationalƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ in that world. In its flip side, their ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”RationalityƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ is full of ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”IrrationalƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ myths to our standards.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ The desire of the non-white to be white is evident in widespread trend of bonding black hair of non whites and using contact lenses of blue color to turn their eyes blue.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 coloring hair to make them blond is a manifestation of the chronic inferiority complex. Some looked like animals with different colored fur, with black eyebrows and brown hair.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  To verify oneƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s race nowadays, one has to go to honeymoon to explore body parts that got hair, usually not exposed in the day light. That is also not guaranteed due to the extent to which that the modern ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”beauty cultureƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ has sneaked into the very private locations of men and women to mess with such sensitive spots of the body nowadays.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Coloring hair is a part of the racing among the races, which is a direct result of the racial philosophy of colonialism and its knowledge. If you have worked with different races, you will realize one fundamental common characteristic of all races in their body politics. Every non-white race living in metropolitan centers of the world competes among each other to secure the second spot for them in the hierarchy of races. But never challenges the first place, acknowledging the superior position of the white race among universal humanity. Fair enough; isnƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢t that symbolize what we were talking about all this time? Changing the natural beauty of human body to make it look like the white body demonstrates the desire of the alleged inferior one, at least to satisfy with penetration to the white being cosmetically. It is little complicated when it comes to womenƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s desires of the same thing.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Capitalism, the Sri Lankan model that nullified the purchasing power

I know some rural millionaires still live in the periphery with all their wealth; terrified even to think of going for a wedding party in a five-star hotel in Colombo. The cream and the essence of the city life have been denied for them even to buy their desired commodities through their purchasing power. They being proved that, the economic power, as the fundamental characteristic of capitalist power, have been annulled in the presence of the strong cultural chauvinism of Colombian bourgeoisiesƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ class in Sri Lanka. Why is it? This is their own country, and their countryƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s culture must be the majority culture of the land. How can one justify this cultural segregation of the native in his own land? The essence of the city life has been reserved for the exclusivity of the Colombian through other mechanisms. How many in our society knows that until very resent times, (I do not know if the situation still remains at the same), the Hill Club of Nuwara Eliya required its customers to wear a tie if they want to dine in the restaurant? The village level millionaire is denied to buy those goodies of the city without being acquiring some prerequisite cultural qualifications to buy them; it is at times, an unsurpassable cultural barrier for some of our native folks. If any native cross this thin line of segregation, most probably may have to under go a sensitive process of humiliation.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ 

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Maestro H.L.D MahindapalaƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s article ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”RadhikaƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s remembrance of Regi and his motherƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s shame -Part IIƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ revels another version of the application of this above said arsenal of humiliating tools against the native through the insulting incident of RegiƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s mother. As HLDM says, RegiƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s experience was just a single occurrence among millions of other occurrences. At least Regi himself came to grief within, and expressed it in public. The sad part of these millions of stories is the lack of awareness of the victimsƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ of their becoming instrumental to the existing hegemony of this said suppression including their own ones; who historically dropped sweat and blood to send these talented individuals up in the ladder. The situation nicely symbolizes in this song of Nanda Malini. The original song was about the brain-drain. But I used it here in a different meaning with a slight alteration.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Sarungale bata pathurin, Numba saduwe apey lamai

Sarungale latu ula, rali keruwe apey lamai

Sarungale kola alawa, hada keruwe apey lami

Sarungale numba ahasey, apey lamai thama bimai

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ 

Sarungale numba wenuwen, guti kawe apey lamai

Sarungale nool yoda, uda ariye apey lamai

Sarungale uda giyada, mathaka nathey apey lami

Sarungale numba wagei, apa hara yana apey lamai

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ 

(With sincere apology to Sunil Ariyaratne, I changed the word ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”rataƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ into ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”apaƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ typed in bold letters.)

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ 

As HLDM article revels, RegiƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s case nicely goes along with the meaning of the above song.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ 

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Modern transformation, a common ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”object of interestƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ unrealizable in Sri Lanka

I have heard a story of Simon Nawagaththegama who had witnessed his father going on his knees and paying homage to Dr. Dahanayake to get his son, ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”SimonƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ entered into Madya Mamha Viyalaya. I think it was Kurunagala Maliyadewa. Can we be happy with the overall out come of Simon afterwards? Was he given proper social space for him to release his maximum creative powers? ArtistƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s or scientistƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s life is thriving only if the society projects a constant challenge and a dilemma in the form of demand that the artist to try every possible talent heƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s got in his disposal to find a way-out. The society sets upon him/her historical challenges, he answers to the history. This condition keeps him in the bay all the time, connected with his creativity. Then only he will be able to let loose his creative powers. Simon could be a giant if he be born in another country. But he became what he was in Sri Lanka, because Sri Lankan soil was contaminated, so the tree of ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”SimonƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ was prevented reaching its full potential; not just because our country was poor, but because our social space is poisonous, our cultural inequality that projected through the gap between state and the masses had a lot of fall-outs, and related pot-halls. He could be even better than Sartre, or Ibsen. But as a tribute to this artist, I do not go in detail to explain about his fate in our society. What we all knew was that he became a victim of the booze, and drinking spree. He continued to booze until his health finally gave out.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ One day he came to our house with my friend Dananjaya Karunaratne, a young artist and a dramatist. For my bad luck and for the good luck of Simon, I had a liter of Jack Daniels. I offered it for them thinking that it was a good day to hear a lot of spicy stories about women from Simon. When we finished the bottle, it was around two in the morning. So I went to drop them. When we reached Beleck-kadey junction I asked Simon to give me directions. Instead of doing so, he asked me to stop at the stage that was putting up by some young JVPers for a meeting next day. He asked from a young manƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚¦

ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-Oya lamaya dannawada ara natti karaya Simon Nawagattegamage gey thiyenne koheda kiyala?(Do you know the location of the house of that playwright Simon Nawagaththegama?)

I was shot out of the seat like in a fighter plane, when I heard this. ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ 

The young guy was laughing, but Simon was in a fully serious mood, as if he was trying to figure out the reason for him to laugh. Then the guy saidƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚¦

ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-Sir, mama hariyatama kiyannam oya sirge gey thiyenne koheda kiyalaƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚¦Ara paren dakunata harola yanakotaƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚¦ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚

(Sir, IƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ll tell you exactly where your house is located, turn right into that street and thenƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚¦.) For the bad luck, the guy had recognized Simon.

He explained the location of the flat, the floor and the house number as if he was living there and Simon was coming to visit him.

Although it was funny, the incident reviled me that Simon was not bothered about worldly material life. He was living in a world of his own, he even did not bother if his world was compatible with the physical world surrounded him or not.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Coming back to our main theme, on the other hand, Colombian put all effort to maintain its purity and their exclusivity by putting its thrust into two opposite directions. One through the self-alienation from the native culture receding themselves toward its external center in Europe, with even identifying themselves ideologically and politically with Europe and its global political agenda in rapid pace in this culture of globalization; and on the other hand, pushing the native into further extreme periphery, threatening the very existence of the native and his space by all sorts of betrayal, in coalition with the European agenda of liquidating the periphery, setting themselves furthest apart from each other.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Although the Colombian is in the minority, he does not feel he is made inferior, but superior to the majority natives. How can one rationalize this? If not by widespread ideological fallacy made by SL Marxists to dominate the canonical ideology of the social forces struggled against oppression, majority natives of twenty million people willingly wouldnƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢t give in to just twelve hundred thousand (1.2 million) of English speaking peopleƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s cultural dictates. But the numbers of the Colombians must be considered much lesser because, as a matter of fact, we cannot count all English speaking people as part of this ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”Minority culture of Colombians.ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚

(To be continued)ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚