Athuru mithhuru dambadiv thuru - raja kapuru settiya…..the ever popular verse revolving round a children's game has been coming down generations with grandmothers teaching it to their grandchildren. Environmentalist Lal Hewapathirana uses the verse effectively to communicate a strong message on the need to protect the environment.
His verse reads:
Aturu mithuru dambadiva thuru
Asanu menavi, meya sumithuru
Parisarayata vemin sathuru
Kimada, karanne anathuru
Friend, why are you an enemy of the environment, he asks.
He catches the imagination of the reader with this opening verse in a collection of absorbing poems he has composed. 'Mihikatha Matha' (Mother Earth) is the title of the collection comprising 30 different themes.
Lal, who I remember started a career in journalism as a city reporter on the 'Dinamina' five decades ago, shows a deep commitment and dedication to the cause. He uses his talent with the pen to stress on the need to protect Mother Earth like one's own life. And he does it by creating situations close to one's heart.
In 'Daru pema',(Mother's love) for example, a she elephant addresses her little one. They walk through a patch of bare land. The mother tells the little one how trees have been cut and they have to walk in the scorching sun. She laments how on the day the baby was to be born the father was shot and killed by someone at dawn. Her community then came to her rescue, encircled her and protected her throughout the day. She warns the baby not to loiter about alone since heartless human beings can harm them. "There is no one in our animal world who is as cruel as the human beings. God will help to protect you," she advises.
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In 'Kalapuwe shokanthaya' (the sad tale in the lagoon) the voice of a fish is heard warning a baby crab to quickly swim as fast as possible to the deep waters. The water is getting polluted with waste water from a factory being diverted to the lagoon. The fish sees the impending danger of how the whole lagoon will soon be polluted and they will have no choice but to move into the sea. Here again the fish blames heartless humans.
In eight verses, Lal relates the tragedy of cutting down trees in 'Gasata gasak'. We cut down trees for firewood - we make furniture and adorn our houses. The result is unbearable heat with no shelter for the earth. The monsoons come – there is heavy flooding washing away the rocks, soil and sand, flattening the hilly land, dragging the harvests away. Fathers lament, mothers weep, children are scared – the whole village is a funeral house. Lal questions: then why do we cut down the trees? Why don't we protect the trees? Why won't we love the trees just as we love our life? Why won't we use some alternative to firewood? His message: What satisfaction when we get the shade under a tree, when we feel the comfort of a tree, when we see the majesty of a tree.
The themes are varied and meaningful. Lal offers simple practical advice through easy to understand short verses.
Dharma D. Kuruppu has done line drawings to illustrate each theme. These expressive drawings add a lot to the lovely verses Lal has created.
Why did Lal select verse as his medium to give a message on the environment? He explains: A child's ears and mind get used to the lullaby sung by the mother from the day he is born. He gets used to the voice, the rhythm and the singing. This association remains throughout one’s life. For centuries, the verse remained extremely popular. Today the young ones seem to prefer the song rather than the verse. They are not exposed to the beauty of the verse. How rare are the 'kavi madu' where the poets displayed their talent those days?
Lal believes that any complex message can be conveyed effectively through verse. That is why he selected this medium to handle a problem like the environment which raises a whole range of issues. "We have virtually forgotten the importance of protecting our environment and our resources for the future generations. Therefore society and each individual should be reminded over and over again about the need to protect them. They should be told that the destruction of the environment means the destruction of man," he says.
'Mihithala Matha' is a fine effort by Lal. The message is delivered in a simple, straightforward and effective manner. It shows his maturity as a skilled writer and committed crusader for the environment. |
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