1st February 1998

Recollecting independence

Conversations with a grandson

By Manel Abhayaratna

Fifty years of Independence - nostalgi- cally I remember that magic day when Independence meant the flashing lights of myriad fireworks - even as they dazzled my eyes, conjuring images of such exquisite beauty and symmetry, my child's mind registered that it was a unique occasion, that date on which we rejoiced at the Independence we had received from British rule.

Today, as I watch my grandson, the same age I was fifty years ago, but more mature than I was at that age, I wonder how he would remember this golden Jubilee - would he remember the festivity or the answers I reluctantly gave to his innumerable questions and would he fifty years hence have found the answers?

I try to visualize for him the panorama of years from that day in 1948 to today. I tell him of the change in government we had and he asks, 'Did it change the way you lived?'I ponder for a while, "Yes it did. I think we felt a pride in the fact that we had a government all our own - No more could the foreigners dictate to us."

"In 1972 we declared ourselves a Republic - but I think the year 1956 was more important - it became the water-shed of our journey through the years of Independence. The Government attuned itself with the aspirations of the common man, the Sinhala language was given the foremost place, and a national ethos developed, emphasis was later given to agriculture. Local production was encouraged and through the years we tried almost desperately to create a national identity, a national economy. In fact, I added proudly, "we stopped almost all imports of foreign goods and tried to be truly self sufficient."

My grandson was not that impressed. He muttered something about his mother saying that even to get a tin of milk to make milk toffee one had to queue up and added "Amma says that it was a difficult time one had to stand in queues to get anything and there were no toys either. Ugh, I would not have liked to be here then."

I decided that I had better shift from the economics of our fifty years to a topic less controversial. Before I could do so my grandson said "Tell me about your life after Independence."

'My life - it would have been more easier to recall the carefree days before!' "My life, well it did change. Women had more opportunities to study and get into professions that earlier were the preserves of the men. The earlier traditional roles of teacher and nurse now gave place to those of administrators, doctors, managers, bankers, journalists-any job was possible."

I remembered the days when we enjoyed our Independence and yet the world had not caught up with us. I remembered the days we spent with our grandparents, the lingering smell of treacle on hot oil and the sound of Rabanas and the cacophony of bursting crackers. Today much of this is only a momentary experience I thought sadly, my grandson celebrating fifty years of our Independence surely is missing much, for in our rush for progress we have given up much of our own values and way of life.

Yet on the other hand what a lot he has gained - the global village is truly his. Independence has brought him into the electronic era and he talks with familiarity of computers and Internet, but along the way he has lost the leisurely way of life, the easy friendship, when childhood games of make believe filled the house, school was not a competitive race and time was not swallowed up by the electronic media. To him these meant the hall-marks of fifty years of Independence.

My grandson was curious of the ongoing conflict 'Was it always so?' he asks and I say 'No but when one receives Independence in a country latent nationalism tries to find expression, especially if one group feels that another is usurping its rights or liberties'. "But when did that happen?" he asks. "Today I cannot go into the Tamil medium classes because I cannot understand what they say. Even though we have a common play period, yet we stay in our own language groups. It makes us feel different from each other. Surely in fifty years we should have had more togetherness" he says. I do not have an answer, only hope that the next fifty years would see a united nation. Perhaps his generation may succeed in building the togetherness for they may not make the same mistakes we did.

Continue to Plus page 3 * Off to London for talks and more talks

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