It was early March, 1983, and Kathleen and I were in Rome. I was working for CIT Tours then, as Rail Coordinator for the Midwest office. CIT (Compagnia Italiana Turismo) was the official agent for the Italian State Railways, and I was on a familiarization trip. I had been allowed to bring Kathleen along, and to arrive a week ahead of time so we could do some exploring on our own.
We were in a little trattoria one night. The place was fairly busy, and a well-dressed man, who looked to be South Asian, asked if he could sit with us. We said yes, and we introduced ourselves. I don't remember his name, but he was an official at the Sri Lankan embassy. He was surprised that we, as Americans, even knew where Sri Lanka was, and that it was formerly known as Ceylon.
He was intensely proud of his country. Sri Lanka, he said, had the highest literacy rate in South Asia. Sri Lankans enjoyed a higher standard of living than Indians. It was literally the sacred island: "Sri" is a Sanskrit title meaning sacred, and "Lanka" is Sanskrit for island.
We may have talked only for half an hour or so, but all three of us enjoyed the conversation. It sounded like a wonderful country. And perhaps it was. But while Sri Lankans were more educated and prosperous than their other South Asian neighbors, they still harbored the ethnic prejudices that would tear that beautiful, sacred island apart.
Only a few months after our conversation with the Sri Lankan diplomat, the civil war began between the majority Sinhalese speakers and the Tamil speakers, who lived mainly in the north and east. After more than a quarter century the war is over, with the total defeat of the Tamil Tiger rebels. Hundreds of thousands of Tamil speakers remain in refugee camps. The nation is in desperate need of help in a time of worldwide recession.
We can only hope and pray that Sri Lanka will become what our friend in Rome proclaimed it to be.
8 comments:
Have you ever read Michael Ondaatje's book about his relatives and growing up in Ceylon? It's wonderful --
I first heard about Sri Lanka when, I believe, Arthur C. Clarke lived there. I thought then it would be a great place to live. That was just before the war.
Elizabeth--I've never read it, but obviously I ought to.
Charles--I checked Wikipedia and found the Clarke lived there until his death in 2008, and seems to have had dual British and Sri Lankan citizenship.
At the risk of sounding mean, I have to say that when people who are countrymen are as cruel to each other as the warring factions in Sri Lanka, I tend to turn to the sports pages.
Apparently some Sikhs in Austria of different "castes" felt strongly enough about something to engage in murder this past weekend, now there are riots in Punjab.
Now where's the sports page?
What a neat memory. Sounds like he could have been a public diplomat, but different countries organize their foreign services in different ways. And I'm definitely excited for an Obama administration. I love love love your daughter! She's a sweetheart and very talented!
Gerry--The problem seems not to be so much with Sri Lankans, or Sikhs, or any other ethnic group, but with the human species. But I've been turning to the sports pages more often than I used to. The South Bend Silver Hawks may be coming out of their slump!
Roysie--Welcome, and thanks for your clarification. And I'm in complete agreement with you on my daughter.
I wonder how your friend fared in the war. Do you still pray for him?
Tea--I ought to pray for him. Thank you for reminding me.
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