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Lankan play adds flavour to Assam forest-clearing theatre festival
Under the Sal Tree, an initiative to preserve the Rabha tribal drama form, has been organised since 2008
A play from Sri Lanka, reflecting the crisis the country is undergoing, added flavour to a tribal theatre form being celebrated annually since 2008 in a spherical sal forest clearing, in western Assam’s Goalpara district, said a report published by The Hindu yesterday.
The Hindu report filed from Guwahati said that the three-day Under the Sal Tree festival is organised mid-December in the district’s Rampur village by Badungduppa, a theatre group of the Rabha ethnic community. It primarily showcases the traditional tribal open-air theatre that relies more on music and expressions, than lengthy dialogues.Theatre groups from Bangladesh, Brazil, Poland and South Korea have performed in previous editions of the festival.
Anasuya Subhasinghe’s Salt Theatre Company (STC) is the first from an island-nation to participate in the open-air festival. The company based in Sri Lanka’s Angoda performed ‘My Sweet Rotten Heritance’ on Friday, the second day of the 13th edition of the community-driven festival.She said the festival had given her group a break from the crisis Sri Lanka had been facing since the COVID-19 pandemic. “I was drawn to this festival after getting photos of the open-air ambience online,” she said.
‘My Sweet Rotten Heritance’, the debut theatrical endeavour of STC, is based on the “extraordinary world” of Kolam, a dance-drama of rural Sri Lanka where the actors wear masks and costumes and perform with mime, dance and some dialogue.
“In the play, the past meets the present where strangely- familiar narratives unfold with bittersweet encounters. The play emerges as an attempt to explore the pertinence of Kolam beyond its moribund, fixed repertoire in an effort to reimagine the form as a living, evolving performance practice,” Subhasinghe, the scriptwriter and director of the play, said.
The festival, inaugurated by renowned writer and theatre personality R. Kaaleeswaran, began on Thursday with ‘Rishi Jolongka’, a play in the Rabha language performed by the members of Badungduppa Kalakendra. Madan Rabha, the managing director of the Badungduppa group, scripted the play, based on a folk hero of the tribe.
What sets Under the Sal Tree apart is its natural setting without the use of artificial lighting or audio system.The festival was started by Sukracharya Rabha, the founder of Badungduppa, in 2008. He sought to underline the importance of theatre in the midst of nature.
The other plays staged at Rampur were ‘Alor Gaan’ (Song of Light) by the Maharashtra-based Tiny Tales Theatre Company in Bengali and Marathi, ‘Atho Hidimba Katha’ by the West Bengal-based Birati Samuho Performers’ Collective in Bengali, and Erendira’s `Metamorphosis’ by the Assam-based AANKA Creative Line in Assamese.
The U.S. Embassy in Colombo welcomed the U.S. Sports Envoys to Sri Lanka, former National Basketball Association (NBA) and Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) players Stephen Howard and Astou Ndiaye, from June 8 through 14.
The Public Diplomacy section of the U.S. Embassy said that it would launch a weeklong basketball program intended to harness the unifying power of sports, made possible through collaboration with Foundation of Goodness and IImpact Hoop Lab.
While in Sri Lanka, Howard and Ndiaye, both retired professional basketball players, will conduct a weeklong program, Hoops for Hope: Bridging Borders through Basketball. The Sports Envoys will lead basketball clinics and exhibition matches and engage in leadership sessions in Colombo and Southern Province for youth aged 14-18 from Northern, Uva, Eastern and Western Provinces, offering skills and leadership training both on and off the court. The U.S. Envoys will also share their expertise with the Sri Lanka Basketball Federation, national coaches, and players, furthering the development of basketball in the country. Beyond the clinics, they will collaborate with Sri Lankan schoolchildren to take part in a community service project in the Colombo area.
“We are so proud to welcome Stephen and Astou as our Sports Envoys to Sri Lanka, to build on the strong people-to-people connections between the United States and Sri Lanka,” said U.S. Ambassador Julie Chung. “The lessons that will be shared by our Sports Envoys – communication, teamwork, resilience, inclusion, and conflict resolution – are essential for leadership development, community building, equality, and peace. The U.S. Sports Envoy program is a testament to our belief that sports can be a powerful tool in promoting peace and unity.”
SJB Colombo District MP Mujibur Rahuman in parliament demanded to know from the government the reasons for CEB suspending the leave of all its employees until further notice from Thursday.
MP Rahuman said that the CEB has got an acting General Manager anew and the latter yesterday morning issued a circular suspending leave of all CEB employees with immediate effect until further notice.
“We demand that Minister Kanchana Wijesekera should explain this to the House. This circular was issued while this debate on the new Electricity Amendment Bill was pending. There are many who oppose this Bill. The Minister must tell parliament the reason for the urge to cancel the leave of CEB employees,” the MP said.However, Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena prevented Minister Wijesekera responding to the query and said that the matter raised by MP Rahuman was not relevant.
The Chartered Institute of Personnel Management (CIPM) successfully concluded the 8th Annual CIPM Symposium, which took place on 31st May 2024. Themed “Nurturing the Human Element—Redefining HRM in a Rapidly Changing World,” the symposium underscored the pivotal role of human resource management (HRM) in today’s dynamic global landscape. Since its inception in 1959, CIPM has been dedicated to advancing the HR profession through education, professional development, and advocacy, solidifying its position as Sri Lanka’s leading professional body for HRM.
Ken Vijayakumar, the President of the CIPM, graced the occasion as the chief guest. The symposium commenced with the welcome address by the Chairperson, Prof. Arosha Adikaram, followed by the Web Launch of the Symposium Proceedings and Abstract Book by the CIPM President. The event featured distinguished addresses, including a speech by Chief Guest Ken Vijayakumar, President of CIPM, and an address by Guest of Honor Shakthi Ranatunga, Chief Operating Officer of MAS Holdings Pvt. Ltd., Sri Lanka.
The symposium also featured an inspiring keynote address by Prof. Mario Fernando, Professor of Management and Director of the Centre for Cross Cultural Management (CCCM) at the University of Wollongong, Australia.
Vote of Thanks of the inauguration session was delivered by Dr. Dillanjani Weeratunga, Symposium Co-chair.
The symposium served as a comprehensive platform for researchers to present their findings across a wide range of critical topics in HRM. These included Cultural Diversity and Inclusion, Talent Development and Retention, Ethical Leadership and Corporate Social Responsibility, Adapting to Technological Advancements, Mental Health and Well-being at Work, Global Workforce Challenges, Employee Empowerment, and Reskilling and Upskilling.
The plenary session was led by Prof. Wasantha Rajapakse. Certificates were awarded to the best paper presenters during the valedictory session, followed by a vote of thanks delivered by Kamani Perera, Manager of Research and Development.
The annual symposium of CIPM was a truly inclusive event, attracting a diverse audience that spanned undergraduates, graduates, working professionals, research scholars and lecturers. This widespread interest highlights the symposium’s significance in the field of HRM, offering a unique opportunity for everyone to network and learn from scholarly brains.The CIPM International Research Symposium was sponsored by Hambantota International Port, Sri Lanka Institute of Information Technology (SLIIT), E B Creasy & Co. PLC, and Print Xcel Company.
US sports envoys to Lanka to champion youth development
Rahuman questions sudden cancellation of leave of CEB employees
