A Spark from The Editor, Thuppahi, 26 October 2024, by resurrecting a TPS Comment from 2017
Perchance I recently came across an old comment from Professor Chandre Dharmawardena [based in Canada] which raises explosive questions about the dry zone irrigation projects in Sri Lanka launched in the mid-20th century — questions which engage the political currents of that period and thereby invole such figures as DS Senanayake, LH Mettananda, GG Ponnambalam, SWRD Bandaranaike.
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Chandre Dharmawardena … an original article …with highlighting imposed by The Editor. TPS
It is interesting to look at the agenda of the workshop held at GANNORUWA in August 1974 [see references below] and ask what questions (and topics) should have been raised at that time, in hindsight, in the context of a number of issues where the Mahaweli project went very badly wrong.
Although there are many issues to consider where the Mahaweli project made mistakes, I will here write on just one issue that led to the deaths of thousands of farmers, beginning from late 1990s, initially mostly in the Mahaweli C project area (I think).
The map is adapted from Balasooriya et al 2020.
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AGRICULTURE IN THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OF SRI LANKA’ … conference organised by the Ceylon Studies Seminar ……16th – 19th August, 1974 …… at the In Service Training Centre, Gannoruwa
** The times of the mid-morning and afternoon tea-breaks will be announced each day.
** The names of the chairman and the discussant for each session will be indicated in a list which will be circulated later.
** The two papers marked with an asterisk may not be available for discussion.
A symbolic natural phenomenon from the Peradeniya University campus …. anticipaing potential prospects from the intellectual flowerings generated within its portals
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Michael Roberts …. repeating an old TPS item [with highlighting added] because of the implications of the recent TPS item by Bedgar Perera re Prof Rex Clements.
The years 1966 to 1975 were heady days in Ceylon. Especially so for some of us in Peradeniya Univeristy where the CEYLON STUDIES SEMINAR was launched in November 1968 by a few members of the Arts Faculty assisted by the facilities provided by Professor Gananath Obeyesekera at the Sociology Department – located then on Lower Hantane Road away from the centre of teaching. Not least among these facilities was the service provided by the Sociology Department peon Sathiah[1] who cyclostyled the written seminar papers beforehand for circulation so that those who were keen could read any presentation beforehand if they so wished – a procedure that also maximized discussion time. This background service was seconded by the typing services of Mrs Hettiarachchi in the History Department and Mr Kumaraswamy in the Sociology Department.
Sathiah — an essential servicing hand …
& Bishop Lakshman Wickremasinghe, who perceived the depth of the festering ethnic split early on
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Michael Roberts
In re-establishing communication with two old Mertonians of the early 1960s generation at my College in Oxford, viz, Tony Roberton and Keith Shuttleworth, I have been induced to reflect upon my unusual circumstances as a postgraduate at Merton and Oxford. Apart from being one of the few Sri Lankans in that University,[i] I happened to be (A) engaged in postgraduate work which demanded research at the Public Record Office in Chancery Lane in London, and (B) a colonial visitor with the asset of two sisters domiciled in London.[ii]
Tony is kneeling on the left upfront; while Keith is on my rght– Merton rugger team c. 1964/65
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An Appreciation within Richmond Viththi in Facebook, 11 July 2024
Professor Jayasekara joined Richmond College in 1944. He was a Prefect of the school and won the most prestigeous award at Richmond, the Darrell Medal in 1954. He obtained an Honours Degree in Arts from the University of Peradeniya in 1959. He was awarded a Commonwealth Scholarship to Canada where he obtained his Masters degree in History from the University of Manitoba. In 1970, he was awarded the PhD by the SOAS, University of London.Filed under accountability, British colonialism, Buddhism, communal relations, cultural transmission, economic processes, education, ethnicity, governance, heritage, historical interpretation, land policies, landscape wondrous, language policies, life stories, patriotism, politIcal discourse, power politics, religiosity, religious nationalism, Sinhala-Tamil Relations, social justice, sri lankan society, teaching profession, welfare & philanthophy, working class conditions, world events & processes
Michael Roberts
The library at Adelaide Univeristy is known as the BARR-SMITH LIBRARY. The staff in the “Special Collections” within the library over the years have been especially helpful over a long period and were hands-on central in organising the Roberts Oral History Project from the 1980s and subsequently (see https://www.adelaide.edu.au/library/special/mss/roberts/).
But it is by pure chance that I came across a document penned in my hand detailing the stock of manuscripts and photocopied material that I had placed within the Special Collections –maybe because our home is adjacent to a National Park and within a high fire-risk arena.
Let me assure all ye readers that I have been stunned by some of the items that I have collected –some of them original Mss items; with the others being copies. but the main point is that some of these copies reproduce very rare items. Moreover, I find that the range and type of items placed within the realm of the Barr-Smith are quite astonishing. It remains to be seen whether readers and investigators of the past accept that evaluation. I should add that I will be among the personnel delving into some of the data within this stock; but I do not have long to live…..and this stock is there for posterity.
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Go to …. https://itihas.lk/contact/ … Note that the presentation here is a re-cast selection by The Editor of Thuppahi who has also imposed his colourings on the text
Itihas aims to equip Sri Lankan youth with the ability to think critically about their past, present, and future. It specifically aims to debunk mythological understandings of history that afford to particular ethno-religious groups a sense of superiority or authenticity over others. Rather than acting as a gatekeeper of knowledge, Itihas seeks to empower future generations of students, scholars, practitioners, and policymakers to learn about, research, and make informed decisions on divisive issues such as conflict, discrimination and violence in a manner that advances a more inclusive Sri Lanka.
Photo by Tashiya De Mel
Itihas – Advancing history education reform in Sri Lanka
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A Thuppahi Item composed on 25th May 2024 ….. …… One inspired by visits to the TPS Web Presentations in Memory of These Contributors to Our Heritage
https://thuppahis.com/2019/11/23/edmund-leach-biographical-studies-from-tambiah-and-others/ Continue reading
Michael Roberts
The academic world and its scholarship is marked by cooperative work as well as animosities and rivalry – whether personal or based on political affiliations. The Sri Lankan scenario was/is no different. As I participated in this environment as a lecturer in History at Peradeniya University,[1] I was extremely fortunate in: (A) benefitting from a salubrious physical setting and a favourable arrangement of buildings and a super library; and (B) a bunch of dons who were as inspiring as amiable –so that the “Senior Common Room’ in the Faculty of Arts was not only a spot for invigorating tea, but also a site for the exchange of ideas.
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thuppahi
