Veteran writer Gunasena Withana’s autobiography in Sinhala titled Dasaka Ataka Mataka (Memories of Eight Decades), published by Sarasavi Publishers, was launched recently. Dasaka Ataka Mataka is his second autobiographical book while the first, Galin Malin Bandi Piyaman, published by Fast Publishing in 2007, was written to mark his 75th birth anniversary. The Sunday Observer discussed his book and shared his views on Sinhala literature.
Excerpts
Q: How do you introduce the book, Dasaka Ataka Mataka?
 Gunasena Withana |
A. This is my second autobiographical book. It consists of some of the details not included in the first book, Galin Malin Bandi Piyaman. In the new memoir, I describe my life in my hometown, Wanduramba, Galle, my education, political affiliations, literary activities with world literary organisations and my life with writers. I finished the book six or seven months ago, but it was published in parallel to the BMICH book fair.
Q: Your previous book was Garu Maanchu, a collection of short stories, published in 2017?
A. Yes, it was my last fiction. I am 89-years-old. Now, I have no idea to write fictions. My focus is on literary criticism. There are reasons for it. One is that we have no accepted literary criticism for all. We see many reviews on newspapers, but we cannot expect justice for a book by them. Critics don’t have the requisite knowledge and the vision. Readers and writers get lost in such criticism. We should develop a progressive readership. That’s why I focus on criticism now.
Q: You always say Sinhala literature has deteriorated?
A. Yes. Writers tend to write quickly, like a novel per year. Some write more per year. Though they are prolific writers, their novels will not remain among the readers for at least ten years. Readers are fed up with them and not enlightened by those books.
Q: Why did you go against the Peradeniya school of literature?
A. I was not against the whole University. I opposed just three writers: Sarachchandra, Siri Gunasinghe and Gunadasa Amarasekara.
They created defeated characters through their literature, which budding writers imitated. As a result, many deteriorated novels came about such as Hevaneli Ada Minissu by Sunanda Mahendra, Adhishtana by K. Jayathilake.
Many youth who didn’t have any literary taste or awareness about the society, rallied around them and look down upon traditional values. I don’t mean to avoid the theme of sex from literature, but it should have discipline in portrayal.
Peradeniya writers tried to implant inappropriate, exotic literary theories in Sinhala literary criticism. They eventually helped create a nasty society in Sri Lanka. This is why we went against the Peradeniya school of literature.
Q: You were sided with Martin Wickramasinghe though the Peradeniya school promoted Wickramasighe’s fiction?
A. The Peradeniya school started to decline mainly because of Martin Wickramasinghe’s critical works, such as Japan Kama Katha Sevanella (Shadow of the Japan obscene novel). The book was a bold step taken by Wickramasinghe. He attacked Sarachchandra through newspapers. The argument between them went on. Finally, I went to meet Wickramasinghe and said that’s enough and stop writing against Sarachchandra because he had rendered a great service in terms of theatre in Sri Lanka. Wickramasinghe stopped the argument and exchanged handshakes with Sarachchandra amid applause by the crowd at the Kularatne hall, Ananda College at a literary conference.
Q: According to Gunadasa Amarasekara, it was not the obscene novels of Japan that influenced the Peradeniya school, but those by D.H. Lawrence, Andre Jide and other European writers?
A. No, not at all. Lady Chatterley’s Lover by Lawrence is not an obscene novel. There is great discipline in portraying sexual relationship in the novel.
The Peradeniya school was mainly influenced by the obscene novels of Japan. Many Japanese committed suicide after reading those books. Even the main protagonist of Sarachchandra’s two novels, Malagiya Attho and Malawunge Awurudu daa committed suicide in the end.
Q:You founded a literary association called the Janatha Lekaka Peramuna (People’s Writers Front) in ‘70s?
A. The Janatha Lekaka Peramuna was founded in 1968. Its main objective was to face the challenge of the Peradeniya school and to develop progressive literature in Sri Lanka. I was the Secretary of the Association and the President was Prof. P.E.E. Fernando, a lecturer in the University of Peradeniya.
It was partly because of our effort that Gunadasa Amarasekara defected from the Peradeniya school. He confessed that it was a great mistake by him to write novels, such as Karumakkarayo and Yali Upannemi which were highly praised by Dr. Sarachchandra.
Q: But there is no literary value in the progressive literature that the Janatha Lekaka Peramuna tried to establish?
A.No, not at all. The foundation of progressive literature is humanism. That’s why people embraced Soviet literature. It was because of the humanistic value in the Russian literature that the people of Russia accepted socialism.
Q: Critics rejected socialistic realism in literature?
A. The term socialist realism was promoted by Prof. Sucharitha Gamlath. I advocated socialism. After setting up a socialist society, we can create realistic fiction.
There is a socialistic realism in literature.Without acquiring socialism, we cannot talk about socialist realism. The main value of the socialist society is humanism and equality. We cannot say socialist realism in literature is bad or low quality. There was great progress in society due to socialism and still is. Socialist qualities in literature never deteriorated.
Q: There is a notion that no service was rendered to Sinhala literature by the Janatha Lekaka Paramuna?
A. I was one of the Secretaries in the Asia Pacific Writers’ Association during the ‘70s. We were offered foreign tours to participate in writers’ conferences.
I have facilitated 32 students in Sri Lanka to join Soviet universities. Most of them were my friends’ children, even my daughter and son joined Soviet universities, but they were qualified students.
Q: You have written many novels on reconciliation?
A. I wrote seven books on ethnic reconciliation. Yaapanayata Paalamak (Bridge to Jaffna) was one such book, published in 1986. It won the State Literary Award. It was published in India too.
Q: Who is your favourite writer?
A. In Sinhala, it is Martin Wickramasinghe. He had a great vision and skills in literature. In foreign literature, I admire Leo Tolstoy most. I value Tolstoy not only in terms of his literary works, but in terms of his personal life.
Though he is from a rich, high class family, he worked with farmers and died at a railway station. In Wickramasinghe’s fictions, I like Gamperaliya very much. I also like his books on anthropology.
Especially, I admire his book, Satwa Santatiya. He discussed the evolution of man kind with other animals in the book. Ninety nine percent of his books advocate a progressive society.
Q: You have other writer friends too?
A. I associated three writers closely: A.V. Suraweera, Cyril C. Perera and K. Jayathilake. Some people called us as Hatara denage kalliya (group of four). After Gamperaliya, the novel I like most is Charitha thunak by K. Jayathilake.
Q: How about Gunadasa Amarasekara’s fiction?
A. I don’t like his fiction. I reject his early fiction that was part of the Peradeniya school.