Violence and the Burden of Memory: Remembrance and Erasure in Sinhala Consciousness

614 Pages·2015·5.491 MB·English

by  Sasanka Perera

VIOLENCE AND
THE BURDEN OF MEMORY
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VIOLENCE AND
THE BURDEN OF MEMORY
Remembrance and Erasure
in Sinhala Consciousness
Sasanka Perera
Orient BlackSwan Private Limited
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eISBN 978-93-86296-79-5
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To
e memory of people who have lost their lives in the
multiple crises in Sri Lanka and to their survivors, who
have shared the memories of their loved ones with me,
and to
Anoli Perera, for her constant encouragement and
company spanning 25 years
CONTENTS
List of Figures
Preface and Acknowledgements
    I      The Burden of Memory
    II     Celebrating Heroism and Glorifying Death
    III    Remembering Death and Mourning the Loss of Innocence
    IV     Domains of Private Memory
     V     Visual Artists Remember; Visual Artists Narrate
    VI     Towards a Conclusion: Erasure, Lingering
             Memory and Moving Beyond Memory?
Bibliography
Notes
L F
IST OF IGURES
2.1 World War One Memorial, Kandy
2.2 World War One Memorial, Nuwara Eliya
2.3 World War One Monument, Kurunegala
2.4 Bandaranaike Samadhi, Horagolla
2.5 Rev. Dambarawe Ratanasara Monument, Kollupitiya
2.6 Gajaba Regiment Monument, Saliyapura
2.7 Sri Lanka Military Academy Officers Monument,
Diyathalawa
2.8 Monument at the All Religious Centre at the
Army Cantonment, Panagoda
2.9 Monument of Sri Lanka Army Engineers, Panagoda
2.10 Sri Lanka Army General Services Corps
Monument, Panagoda
2.11 Sri Lanka Army Gemunu Regiment
Monument,Kuruwita
2.12 Sri Lanka Army Special Forces Monument, Matale
2.13 Sri Lanka Air Force Monument, Ratmalana
2.14 Sri Lanka Police Monuments at Field Force
Headquarters, Colombo
2.15 Sri Lanka Police Special Task Force Monument,
Kaluthara
2.16 Sri Lanka Army Public Monument in Getambe
2.17 Main Monument, National Remembrance Park,
Mailapitiya
2.18, 2.19 National War Heroes Memorial, Sri
Jayawardenenapura
2.20 Statues, War Heroes’ Memorial Center,
Nittambuwa
2.21 Main Monument, War Heroes’ Memorial Center,
Nittambuwa
2.22 Monument at Ananda College, Colombo
2.23 Monument at Nalanda College, Colombo
2.24 Monument at St. Thomas’ College, Mt. Lavinia
3.1 Shrine of the Innocents, Sri Jayawardenenapura
(exterior)
3.2 Shrine of the Innocents (interior)
3.3, 3.4 Parents of the Emblipitiya Students’ Massacre
Taking Part in the Initiation of the Shrine of the
Innocents, Sri Jayawardenapura
3.5, 3.6 Commemorations at the Monument for the
Disappeared, Seeduwa
4.1 Memorial Bell Tower Established by Rathnawathi
in Memory of Her Son at a Local Buddhist Temple,
Maradankadawala
4.2 Bus Stand Monument from the Saliyapura–
Medawatchchiya Road, Anuradhapura District
4.3 Gamini Kularatne Monument, Hasalaka
4.4 Gamini Kularatne Monument, Elephant Pass
4.5 Billboard at Gamini Kularatne Monument,
Elephant Pass
4.6 Garrison Cemetery, Kandy
4.7 Military Tombstone in Village Cemetery in
Ambanpola
4.8 Tomb of Military Personnel in Public
Cemetery,Eppawela
4.9 LTTE Cemetery, Koppay, Jaffna, 2004
5.1, 5.2 Interpretation of ‘barrelism’ (between Chapters 5
and 6)
by Chandragupta Thenuwara
5.3 Camouflaged Landscape by Chamika Jayawardena
5.4 Burnt Wreaths by Anura Krishantha
5.5 The Soldier Series by Pala Pothupitiya
5.6 An Ominous Figure by Jagath Weerasinghe
5.7 Man with a Knife by Jagath Weerasinghe
5.8 Yantra Gala by Jagath Weerasinghe
5.9 Don’t Measure Me by T. P. G. Amarajeewa
5.10 The Day After the Siege by T. Shanaathanan
5.11 Paradise Bed by T. Shanaathanan
5.12 Broken Hands in the Burnt House by Pradeep
Chandrasiri
5.13 Interpretation of the Bandaged Man by
Bandu Manamperi
5.14 The Year Planner by Kingsley Gunatilake
5.15 Interpretation of Guernica by G. R. Constantine
5.16 Broken Dialogue by Anoli Perera
5.17 Artists Against War Project: Flag by Arjune
Gunaratne
5.18 Artists Against War Project: Flag by Bandu
Manamperi
5.19 Peace Train Project