By Ashanthi Ekanayake

Chandrarathna Bandara’s most recent novel Piyasara Samaya, of which the title might be loosely translated as A Time for Flying(or even a Time to Flee), is a thought -provoking novel which offers the reader a space to connect their lived experience with the narrative. It deals with the socio-political realities which were our lived experience as Sri Lankans in the recent past. The novelist’s previous work Premanishansa received the Swarnapusthaka award and the Vidyodaya award for best novel in 2022. Piyasara Samaya which came out this September has themes which are in common with Premanishansa and the novel is set in such a way that the narrative deals with recent happenings in Sri Lanka. However, what is most noteworthy is its contribution to the literary genre of diasporic writing or novels of expatriation.

The novelist introduces two protagonists and through their characters offers many insights to certain aspects of life.

Chamath is a young graduate who is forced to flee to Canada as a fugitive because of his involvement in the aragalaya. The narrative reveals that he is forced to leave the country due to the imminent threat of being arrested. He scrapes money together by mortgaging land. Milanka is a university academic who has political affiliations due to marriage as well as the fact that her mother is an influential person in Sri Lankan politics. Milanka also leaves Sri Lanka due to political upheaval and the fact that her husband Pushpe is a corrupt politician. The novel explores themes of expatriation and how one becomes part of the diaspora through the experiences of these characters. The novel explores certain themes which are common to expatriate literature such as assimilation by examining how the characters become comfortable in their new lives.

Milanka and Chamath are from two different social milieus and through them the novelist explores certain aspects of the sociopolitical landscape of Sri Lanka. The narrative is thoughtful and the characters develop with depth and the writer brings them to life through minute details which renders them realistic.

Chamath has been influenced at an early age by his father who was an active trade unionist. As such he has been involved in student movements and plays a key role in the aragalaya movement. The narrative explains the experiences of activists like Chamath who are arrested and harassed. The novel gives a back story to this period of Sri Lankan history and attempts to reveal certain elements which were not easily observed.

Milanka is an illegitimate child and knows only her mother Letitia Wijewickrama and has lived a somewhat sheltered and privileged life. At the start she is a university academic who is well known and loved by all. Milanka’s character is developed carefully and Bandara recreates the feminine ideal who is a combination of beauty, brains and strength that the reader encountered in his earlier novel. Milanka is a strong contrast to Pushpe due to her individuality and her ability to protest things which don’t sit right with her. In fact, her illegitimacy itself becomes a metaphor which influences the reader’s understanding of the novel. However she is principled in the utmost.

Mrs. Wijewickrama is an enigma. She is developed along the lines of a hetaera. The hetaera were upper class courtesans in ancient Greece who entertained and provided relief to statesman of Pericles ilk. Aspasia was said to be his favored companion and she held sway during the Golden Age of ancient Athens. Mrs. Wijewickrama is described as a confidante and a mover and shaker who is very powerful in the political arena. Thus, she too plays an important part in the progress of democracy as did the ancient hetaera.

Pushpe is the epitome of the current politician. Developed as an unpolished individual with humble beginnings and promise he soon assumes the shape of the uncouth, corrupt and unscrupulous common politician as we know them. He has humble beginning and is groomed by Wijewickrama who is a doyen in the political arena.

Other than the characters who are introduced purposefully and with care the striking thing about Bandara’s writing as always is how he incorporates real events and real people into the narrative. Bracegirdle, Barbara Sansoni and many individuals who are mainly forgotten by the current generation are mentioned and even much-loved individuals like Harold Peiris, who is well known among artists as someone who encourages and helps them, find their way into the narrative and make the novel a real and lived experience. In addition, the novelist introduces themes of religion, literature, history, culture and the arts, making readers engage in these aspects effortlessly.

In the events leading up to the visit to Cuba and during the visit the reader is made to engage with the narrative because of the aspects of art and literature which come to be mentioned. Jose Marti and the monument dedicated to his memory and the story behind the structure and how it came to be where it is all have significance in the story structure as a whole. Frieda Kahlo and Trotsky are mentioned as well as Diego Rivera. The reader cannot escape the parallels between Cuba and our own homeland as both suffer when the powerful countries sneeze.

As a whole, the novel fulfils the artistic requirements of such a work and provides a satisfying read but in addition it lays bare certain aspects of Sri Lankan society and politics. One can only congratulate the novelist for his timely work which does its duty regarding opening the eyes of the reader.