Fame With ‘Serene Joy And Emotions Of The Pious’

By Gamini Weerakoon

(May 31, Colombo, Sri Lanka Guardian) The latest addition to the galaxy of ‘doctors’ will be film star Malini Fonseka and there should be no objections made at all. Dr. Malini Fonseka — is to be awarded an honorary degree in the performing arts for her contributions to Sri Lankan cinema for over half a century.Since her appearance as a lissom lamissi to the well kept sexagenarian she is today, she has charmed and kept the adrenaline flowing in young and old film fans — some now even in their late 60s. Dr. Malini Fonseka should be welcomed but care should be exercised with others joining the honoris causa band.

Ph D for Jayasuriya

The only flaw about the doctorate awarded to Malini Fonseka appears to be that it had come only after she decided to get on to the Rajapaksa stage during the last election campaign. Some of course would argue that this is also due to her recognition as an actress by internationally famed institutions. But the question could also be raised whether others equally famous who jumped the Rajapaksa bandwagon and recognised internationally too would be entitled to make claims for honorary doctorates?

There is the world famous ‘Sonna’ Jayasuriya who too joined the Rajapaksa bandwagon and was elected MP. Would we hear Sunil Gavaskar saying; ‘In comes the Hon. Dr. Sanath Jayasuriya, Member of Parliament to bat……..?’ Perhaps Jayasuriya would be the only doctor after the legendary Dr. W. G. Grace to do so. But Dr. W. G. Grace was no politician. Sanath Jayasuriya, has so far not been proposed to an honorary cricketing degree but nothing is impossible these days in this merry land if you are on the right side.

No degree for failures

There are others as well such as the aging Geetha Kumarasinghe who too got on to the Rajapaksa stage during the election campaign. Poor girl she was prevented from being elected MP by some cad robbing her of her manape votes, it is alleged. But doesn’t Geetha deserve recognition of her cinematic talents? What of Ravindra Randeniya — UNP’s masculine heart throb who jumped over to the Rajapaksa camp before the election? Randeniya does not seem to be entitled to post victory bonanzas and so is that slim wisp of girl who manifested herself in the Mangala Samaraweera camp and then moved over quickly across rough political terrain to become a Southern sensation but only a provincial councillor. No second graduate degree for Annarkali? Poor girl she had weathered first degree treatment during her climb but nothing after that?

Galaxy of stars

Whatever said and done President Mahinda Rajapaksa seems to be gathering quite a galaxy of political stars with letters behind their names. There is Dr. Mervyn Silva of doubtful fame and now Dr. Malini Fonseka of international fame. There is President Mahinda Rajapaksa himself who was made an honorary doctor of laws by the Colombo University and awarded another doctorate by the People’s Friendship University of Russia (former Patrice Lulumba University).
His brother Gotabaya was made a Doctor of Letters also by the Colombo University. Whoever who is behind the issue of honorary degrees is a great student of human nature of Sri Lankans for he or she has realised how much academic qualifications are valued by us. Last year there were reports of a crackdown on unauthorised organisations awarding honorary degrees but all that seems to be forgotten.

The forgotten professor

The only person who has been dropped from any kind of official honour had been Dr. Wiswa Warnapala, former Minister of Higher Education and a genuine professor of political science for long years at Peradeniya. His negative contribution as a teacher was to have taught some SLFP MPs whose punditry the people are made to suffer today. The Professor, author of many books on political science, some of which have been published by prestigious publishing houses such as the Oxford University Press, disappeared from the political radar screen in totality. We managed to trace his whereabouts on the internet where he as the vice-chancellor of the Open University had been present at the opening of a Kalutara branch of the university along with the President and other dignitaries.

Warnapala has authored many books including the history of the SLFP. But the learned professor of political science had not apparently mastered the art of writing history, the Sri Lankan way, as revealed in the Mahavamsa — the sacred text of the history of Lanka by the monk Mahanama, about 1500 years ago. The Mahavamsa, revered by present day ‘patriots’ (supporters of Rajapaksa according to Rajapaksa) and traitors (those who disagree with Rajapaksa, according to Rajapaksa). Mahanama who wrote about Lanka’s kings from 483 BC to 352 AD had ended each of his 37 chapters with the words: ‘Here ends the chapter compiled for ‘Serene joy and emotion of the pious’.

Did Dr. Warnapala slip by forgetting this essential principle of Sri Lankan history? History had been written for the ‘Serene joy and the emotions of the pious’ which obviously included those great kings of ours. We did not come across new works of Warnapala in recent times. His disappearance from the radar screen could possibly be his failure to generate serene joy and emotions of the pious, whoever it may be, as Mahanama did 1500 years or so ago.

So, our advice to ‘doctors’ genuine like Drs. G.L. Peiris, Sarath Amunugama, Tissa Vitarana, Rajiva Wijesinha and Rajitha Senaratne as well as the Honoris Causa types such as Drs. Malini Fonseka, Mervyn Silva and others not as well known is that they should keep in mind the principle of the ‘Serene joy of emotions of the pious’ and the powers that be if they want to remain on the political radar screen.