Any community that is wedded to its traditions has many tales to tell, more so when it traverses through generations. If it experiences a prolonged civil war, it will have many experiences to share. Veteran Sri Lankan Tamil writer Ayathurai Santhan has captured in his latest novel, “Cittan Caritam” (Story of Cittan), glimpses of such a range of experiences.
The work not only throws light on the lives of six generations of the Jaffna-based community but also on the inter-connections between the Tamil community and those who are on the other side of the Palk Strait– people of Tamil Nadu– especially those in “ Chola mandalam,” (pertaining to central parts of Tamil Nadu). “The ties between the two have been there for ages. Saivism, Kannagi cult, emphasis on Vedic traditions of worship, Tamil periodicals and Tamil cinema are among the instruments of relationship between the two,” says Mr. Santhan.
Many Tamil magazines, being published from Tamil Nadu, continue to have a strong readership among the Tamils in Jaffna and elsewhere in the Northern Province. There is a greater need for reinforcing the ties now than ever, as the community is still struggling to cope with the post-war reality, he added. His work, published by Kalachuvadu Publications, is an effort towards this direction.
Technology and education have caused changes in the way the Tamil community in Sri Lanka treats life. Even though the popular political narrative of victimhood among the majority Sinhalese community after Sri Lanka’s independence in 1948 had disturbed the Tamils, the political events since the 1980s, including the armed conflict, have created a deeper impact on the community than others, points out the writer, who has won several awards, including the prestigious Premchand Fellowship of Sahitya Akademi. of India.
Mr. Santhan, with three novels and as many collections of English short stories too to his credit, has all along been a resident of Jaffna, including the war period. This is why his work is likely to carry more credibility than that of any non-resident writer who hails from Tamil-speaking areas of Sri Lanka. But, as far as Mr. Santhan is concerned, every experience of a creative writer has its message to any perceptive reader. He has sought to provide it through the work in question, he adds.
