‘Piyavi Asa ’
Author: Edmond Jayasinghe
Published by: Sarasvi Publications
Reviewed by: Nandi Jasentuliyana, Deputy Director-General, United Nations.
In ‘Piyavi Asa,’ Edmond Jayasinghe has brought forth a brilliant biographical novel interweaving the rich and varied experiences of his life and times. The encyclopaedic novel portraying the transformation of Sri Lankan society during the last half a century will rank among the best of literary works in recent decades.
Fictional biography tests how sharply and accurately the author renders the development of a life and its intersection with culture. ‘Piyavi Asa’ is the culmination of Jayasinghe’s efforts to incorporate a narrative tracing the childhood, youth, and adulthood of the protagonist in a variety of settings spanning from remote villages to busy cities and even foreign lands.
The author weaves the socio-political environment featuring the decadent political system he has experienced in Sri Lanka and his experience and observations abroad as a member of the Foreign Service of Sri Lanka into the narrative in a very creative style. It is done in such an expertly manner reaching the innermost corners of the reader’s heart to successfully convey the essence of the critical message he wants to leave with the reader.
The title, ‘Piyavi Asa,’ meaning attentive eyes, aptly reflects the underlying themes of this meaningful novel as it traces the protagonist Hewawitharana’s (Hewa’s) transformation from childhood through youth to the person he finally becomes; an educated, matured adult. The author propels the story forward in a compelling manner through the relationships Hewa builds with his parents, children, siblings, the villagers he knew, his teachers, and girlfriends, providing many a valuable lesson to the reader in the process.
Reality
Through Hewa, the author paints a vivid picture of the contemporary political and socio-economic scene of Sri Lanka. Regretfully, the picture painted is that of a deteriorating society governed by a power-hungry elite who are ever inclined to amass power and wealth at the expense of the country’s populace. They have only contempt for democratic principles and human rights, which they will disregard with disdain if in the way of their avarice for power and wealth.
Descriptive analysis
Through descriptive analysis of the political and economic conditions of Sri Lanka, the author makes repeated efforts to convey to the reader how a democratic regime should function in society, as reflected in the following excerpt.
“Society should be built with love, compassion, justice, and nonviolence. It should be free of political parties. Regardless of their political leanings, everyone can become a member of this effort. Everyone can enjoy the benefits of this effort. Everyone works in this society. Everyone earns an income. The amount of money earned by a person depends on the contribution made by this person to the production process. To achieve this goal, a firm set of rules need to be imposed.” (p.174).
In contrast, the author’s laudable effort in Pivisi Esa is to relate a variety of experiences to make the reader realise how the injustices in society and the economic and social pressures control one’s life, leaving the reader to make his own conclusions and wonder what sort of political order is suitable to today’s Sri Lankan society. In the process, the author has introduced the reader to precious ideas that are relevant to modern society through this beautiful novel.
Having done so, the writer searches for answers to establish a just society. One where everyone can play their part in building a political, economic, and social system that works for everyone and not just for the few.
During a visit to Scandinavia with his girlfriend, Hewa finds the answer in the Nordic Model that operates in the Scandinavian countries. The Nordic model is a mixed-market economic system that combines elements of both capitalism and socialism. The Nordic Model includes social benefits such as free education, free healthcare, guaranteed pension payments, and income distribution. It requires the government and citizenry to work together to reach compromises and address societal challenges through democratic processes to reduce the gap between the rich and the poor through redistributive taxation and a robust public sector while preserving the benefits of capitalism.
The main intention of the novel is to introduce the reader to a system of governance suitable for Sri Lanka that will result in clean, transparent political activities - a rare commodity in Sri Lanka.
The vehicle for this effort is the ‘Piyavi Asa’ movement of Hewa and his girlfriend, Nimali, who were aiming to reach its goal by creating an intellectual revolution through the ‘Piyavi Asa’ movement founded in the university campus as a rival movement to the group supporting the revolutionary movement that eventually materialized as the violent insurrection led by the JVP leader Wijeweera in 1971.
Contemplative vision
If indeed the author’s contemplative vision of introducing the Nordic Model, presented as the endgame of Hewa’s Piyavi Esa movement, is to succeed, it seems that a new generation of leaders with greater wisdom committed to selfless service as represented by Hewa in the novel will have to take the reins and usher in a new era of commonality.
The author, blending his experiences, from his student days in that era of agitations in Peradeniya Campus and experiences and observations he later gathered while moving among the highest ranks of political leaders, Diplomats, and administrators, has thoughtfully weaved the essence of Sri Lankan society and its psyche into a consequential novel.
A thoughtfully written novel with a captivating story that touches your heart, an engaging plot with many twists and endearing characters is in many ways unique but yet, highly readable, and it is both enjoyable and educational.
Edmond Jayasinghe’s ‘Piyavi Esa’ while delighting the reader, affirms the urgency of the cause of good governance.