It is around 4.30 pm on a Thursday afternoon. The place is "Sinhapura",
a shanty town in Kolonnawa. Nimal Dayaratne and I are there because Chootikka Aiya is
going to be there. We are there because Chootikka Aiya, a disabled soldier, has over a
period of two years taken over a hundred children from off the street in that area
infested with drugs, drug trafficking, murderers and who knows what other kinds of
violence.
We find a bunch of kids ages ranging from around 5 to 18 gathered outside
Chootikka Aiya’s humble home. Some were putting up a banner, "Ranminimuthu
Singithi Havula saha Yovun Havula". A few hovered around a "biththi
puvath patha" (a wall newspaper) which carried contributions by children as
well as paper cuttings of informative and educational articles. It was called the "Pragna
Pradeepa Biththi Puwathpatha". Some were setting up benches while a couple of
others were sweeping the premises. This "school" was in fact a thin strip of
land in front of Chootikka Aiya’s humble house.
Suranjith Sampath, who has just got through his O/Ls and hopes to become a
software engineer someday, is in charge of discipline and is the President of the
Subcommittee on Religion. "Before, we used to spend out time playing on the streets.
We didn’t care about school or our studies. Now we meet here everyday, learn
something and engage in activities that help us become better, more disciplined
individuals." That was how he described the transformation that has taken place.
Sankha Rukmal, the Vice President of the Yovun Havula added that most children don’t
go to after school classes and that in fact in this "school" they often learn
things which ought to have been taught in school.
"Is it just the children around here that come to Chootikka
Aiya’s place?" I wanted to know. Suranjith Sampath said that while most of the
students were from Puwakwatte, there were children from adjoining "villages" as
well.
"Puwakwatte? Is that what this place is called? I thought this was
Sinhapura." I was confused. The young boy smiled. "Sinhapura has got a very bad
name. We don’t want to use that name. We want to erase ‘Sinhapura’ from
this village." For a lad of fifteen years, he sounded very wise and his logic was
irrefutable.
So what do these children do here? Rasika Priyadarshini, the Secretary,
chose to answer. "We meet here everyday of the week for 2-3 hours. Each day there are
specific subjects that we focus on. On Monday we borrow and return books from the library.
It is a day devoted to reading. Tuesdays are for Sinhala. Wednesday is for special
programmes. The children get the opportunity to develop their creative talents. Thursday
is set aside for Mathematics. Friday for Art. On Saturdays we have the "Maha
Samithiya", our general meeting, where various issues including matters of
discipline are discussed. Sunday is for religious activities."
We are there to talk with Chootikka Aiya, but he hasn’t returned from
work yet. "There are days when he is unable to come. On such days the loku aya
take charge." They were in charge, in fact. As is the daily practice, a lamp had been
lit and flowers offered to the Buddha. Religious observances followed. "We have
Buddhists, Christians, Muslims and Hindus among us," remarked Rasika Priyadarshini.
While some of the older students were making sure that the younger ones were seated
according to their grade, others did their best to explain to me why they were there, what
they did and how it all came about.
"Every month we have a special programme. It could be a shramadana,
or some festival or a concert. In addition we always have a bana pinkama
on Poya days. We are also members of the gihi pirith sanvidanaya (an organisation of lay pirith
chanters) Actually the Ranminimuthu Sanvidanaya was born out of this gihi
pirith sanvidanaya. At least once a week a few of us are invited to chant gihi
pirith." This was Tharindu Sampath, a Grade 9 student and Treasurer of the
Yovun Havula speaking.
"So, do you know the thun sutraya by heart?" I
asked. "We have the pirivana poth vahanse with us and we chant from
it," Sankha Rukmal said.
"We also have a kreeda kamituwa (Sports Committee). We
organised a bak maha ulela this year," a little boy chipped in. There
was pride in their voices, pride shining in their eyes as well. Two trophies were brought
out. "This was won by our junior cricket team, and this by our senior volleyball
team".
It was also with pride that they told me that not only were they a
registered organisation but they had a constitution, a logo and even a theme song.
How did it all began? The best person to answer this question was
Chootikka Aiya. He arrived a little while after we did. After making sure that things were
alright, he sat down with us. Chootikka Aiya’s real name was Mathara Arachchige
Udayakumara. He was the 6th in a family of 7. His father owned a boutique. From his early
days he had been referred to as Chootikka. "Now even those who are older than I call
me Chootikka Aiya," he said with a smile.
He had attended Vidyawardhana Vidyalaya like most of the children in the
area. Later he had transferred to Rajasinghe Vidyalaya, Kotikawatte to do his A/Ls in the
commerce stream. "Even as a child I had close associations with the temple. I used to
chant gihi pirith myself. In fact, I helped form the Parama Dharma Gaveshi
Gihi Pirith Deshaka Samithiya before I joined the army. I would have been around 18 at the
time. I joined the army in 1991. I was a casualty on three separate occasions. I am an abaditha
soldaduwa. I was hit by a baba mortar in Ileykadu. My hearing is
impaired. My eyesight is impaired and I have a piece of plastic in my left elbow."
What had persuaded this man to do something for his community? "It is
impossible to reform the adults. I found that the kids around here are easily attracted to
babul, parampara puvak and mal (cannabis). We have a culture of alcoholism. You are
journalists. You know about this place. We have all the vices here. My child is a little
over a year old. I know that he too will be drawn to these things."
"I thought that we have
to begin with the children. You know, I have been in the army for 13 years. I know that I
serve my country. I wanted to serve my children, the children of this community. That is
the story of this place. Now, when they see me coming home, the children come running to
my place. Parents no longer punish their children, they just come to us and we take care
of the problem. These children don’t use foul language any more. When someone gets
out of line, he or she is advised. Today they are all doing much better in school."
Chootikka Aiya’s commitment to uplift this community by showing the
right path to the children is perhaps illustrated by the fact that he has decided to
follow a course in Child Psychology at the BMICH. He is operating with meagre resources,
but he is not complaining. "We don’t charge a membership fee. We never ask
students for money. Whenever we organise a big event, we collect money through tickets and
souvenirs. I also contribute, but for the most part the children somehow find the
funds."
The children, especially the older ones, are acutely aware of the
transforming potentials of the exercise. One boy, Nilanka Sampath, who had dropped out of
school at the tenth grade says that had the Ranminimuthu Sanvidanaya been in existence
when he was younger he would have never left school. He has no regrets though. He sells
vegetables with his father and spends much of his free time with the younger children.
The results are transparent, at least to these children and especially to
Chootikka Aiya. "Those days the children of the area used to play with toy guns.
Today no one does that. This place always showed the wrong path to children. Drugs,
alcohol, thuggery`85these were what they saw. But things are changing. We believed that if
we found our work in religious and spiritual soil, we cannot go wrong. We have not asked
anyone for huge sums of money. If someone donates books to our library it would be an
extremely meritorious act. The mayor has promised that the name of the village will be
changed to Ranminimuthugama. This is also important. Little things go a long way, I
think."
Chootikka Aiya has realised that children are orphaned not only on account
of terrorism. He has understood that terrorism has many faces and that the
"frontline" is often right outside your door or even within the household. He
has not waited for the politician, the social worker, the NGO or the evangelist to enter
or indeed invade his community. He has shown that people are not helpless, not weak. He
has shown that a 5 year old child too can be a soldier, a social worker and can contribute
much to the community. He has shown that leaders and leadership is not something that is
always found in glittering places escorted by security men and praised in the media.
As we were about to leave, he suddenly bellowed: "Amma, poddak
mehata enna" (Mother, come here for a moment). An old lady came out rather
hesitantly. He introduced us: "amma, meyala me lamai gena liyanna avith"
(Mother, they have come to write about these children). Her face broke into a smile that
melted our hearts. "Aney, me lamayinta pin siddha venna one". That
was how she blessed us. It was not difficult to understand from where Chootikka Aiya got
his soft ways. He is not a miracle worker. He is simply a man doing time-proven things;
recognising the worth of tradition, valuing the community and working with those who are
the least corrupt, the children. Perhaps our country is not as damned as some people
believe it is.
When Sinhapura disappears into history, I am convinced that the lion that is the heart of the community will be reborn in Ranminimuthugama. Brave children and strong children there will be. But most important, there will be tenderness in their hearts. And tenderness is the lamp with the strongest flame. It is this flame that Chootikka Aiya and his children are keeping alive. And not just in that violent but gentle place in Kolonnawa.
*This article was published in the Sunday Island on April 27, 2003. It is time to re-visit Chootikka Aiya and find out the nature of the yield of his little project.
Malinda Seneviratne is a freelance writer. Email: malindasenevi@gmail.com. Twitter: malindasene
0 comments:
Post a Comment