The National Trust – Sri Lanka, Presient’s report for 2022-23

by N G Wickremeratne

It would be a hard task to claim some success in heritage preservation which is the purpose of the Trust. Yet it is good to say why we try. People struggle with the inherent contradiction between development and heritage. In their daily pursuits it is often difficult to reconcile the one which has to do with improvement and progress, with the other which helps people to be grounded in familiar settings and moorings to make sense of life. This is not easy as a feature of development is the creation of new ideas, images, forms and structures which must inevitably lead to things of heritage being subsumed, buried and erased in an avalanche of progress.

The past is all people have to deal with the present. So the stories, learnings and experiences, may well be what is hard-wired in their minds to make the uncertain choices and steps in to an unknowable future. Much of this comes from the heritage left by our predecessors and its lessons. These heritage markers maybe of the cosmos, environment or history; of customs, spiritual and cultural experiences and other things. This is not to assume all of what heritage has to say is just fine and is the end of story.

The handmaiden of progress or development is often advancement-by-subjugation of the less prepared of us by arms and gunpowder earlier and other more lethal means now. The Incas and Aztecs half a millennium ago would never have guessed what lurked around the corner. Events in Ukraine, some places in Africa and even in our recent past, are instances where violence has been the result of a lack of understanding, consideration and accommodation of the vulnerable other. The earth’s diverse species is another casualty of toxic substances unleashed by one species -us. Yet and paradoxically in places where there is no development often violence and destruction is all pervasive; the loss of heritage may be both a causal factor and the result in a viciously spiraling cycle.

Development and heritage preservation may then need to go in-step to sustain society in harmony with itself and the environment. The question is what heritage lessons people must follow. We should learn we have to share space whether it be the village, country or earth. Learning to value band developing values may help people safeguard the future of their children and generations yet to enjoy their day in the sun.

I have no idea whether these musings were the strands of thought that motivated the founding Trustees of The National Trust – Sri Lanka. I sense there may be some resonance from the efforts and projects over nearly two decades and the endeavour to safeguard our heritage to understand who we all are that inhabit and share this island home. To see beauty in the diversity around us.

The eminent founding Trustees who gave leadership to this venture Prof Senake Bandaranayke, Dr Roland Silva and Mr Udaya Kadurugamuwa are no longer with us. Their work has devolved on the Trustees who have followed and seen the value of the original project to carry the mission into the future.

The National Trust Sri Lanka is an institution with limited capacities. Unlike its counterparts in other countries, and especially in the UK the founding home of National Trusts, which are larger bodies with endowments of wealthy manors and institutions they manage, the Trust in Sri Lanka depends on the resources of the active trustees and volunteers who contribute their time and energy to further the activities of the Trust. It manages this with the support of a small office organization overlooked by a Management Committee. The intellectual wellsprings are the Scientific Committees.

Trust activities are carried out in English. It allows all to participate especially in the stories that emanate from all communities in a common language of expression. It is also because the array of knowledge and thought relating to heritage, from the fundamental sciences to arts and humanities, is mostly expressed in English. Yet we are mindful that this shuts out many from sharing in what the Trust is doing and the Trust from some of what many are doing. This is a blind side we have not overcome but needs to be urgently addressed through the adoption of multi-language presentations in Sinhala and Tamil.

The main focus of the Trust has been to create a community of persons who share the vision. It does this by engaging in a discourse on heritage issues designed to create awareness and thence to protect. The primary method adopted has been through the conduct of public Monthly Lectures on matters of heritage relevance. The Lectures delivered by eminent academics and those reputed on the subjects of choice are designed for interested audiences including young adults.

The Lectures conducted during the year reviewed were

·July 2022 – Lost Animals of Sri Lanka: The Pleistocene Period by Mr Kelum Manamendra Arachchy
· August 2022- A Shared Heritage: Ibn Battuta in Sri Lanka by Ms. Ameena Hussein

· September 2022 –The Discovery of Early Human Habitation (4000 BP) : Southern coast of Sri Lanka by Dr Samanti Kulatileke

· October 2022 Sinharaja World Heritage Site: The Lesser Known Facts by Prof. Sarath Kotagama

· November 2022 -Kotte: An Ancient Capital Under Destruction by Mr Prasad Fonseka

· January 2023- Dr ROLAND SILVA MEMORIAL LECTURE-Serendipity: ThemDiscovery of Sri Lanka’s Biodiversity Heritage By Mr Rohan Pethiyagoda

· February 2023- Heritage Management and Preservation of Anuradhapura by Geographical Information System (GIS) by Prof. Nuwan Abeywardane

· March 2023- History and Future of Sri Lanka’s Elephants by Dr. Prithiviraj Fernando

The Website of the Trust is emerging as an important instrument in its repertoire. Recently the Trust conducted its 150th Lecture. Delivered nearly without interruption since 2008 they have been painstakingly captured where possible in text documents and visual images, voice and video recordings and these are being collated and uploaded to the Trust website. They bring to life what eminent people have had to say on a fascinating range of subjects, now arranged by the categories below for easy access by generations to come.

Monuments and Sites– World Heritage Sites of Sigiriya, Anuradhapura, Polonnaruwa, Kandy and other sites

Archaeology– Archaeology and Photography, Anuradhapura material resources and sites, coins and currency, Maritime archaeology

Pre-history and History-Pre-historic man, extinct animals, early habitation, burial sites, Nagas and the recent historical period

Religious monuments and Heritage-Viharas, Temples and Kovils; murals and decorative art; Churches and Islamic traditions

Crafts and Skills-Early technological capacities including irrigation, boats and water crafts, traditional jewellery, masks making and design.

Paintings and Art– frescoes and murals religious monuments, influences on sculptures in ancient capitals to recent Art of the 19th/20th century.

Music and Drama– History of Sinhala music, music in theatre; Sunil Santha, Drums, folk dances and costumes, Portuguese music

Architecture-Traditional architecture; Heritage Buildings; management of historical built heritage; Grid city of Jaffna; Urban heritage

Landscape and Water-Coral reefs, waterfalls, water in culture, wetlands and landscape

Forests and Wildlife– Forests and Sinharaja, Butterflies, Birds, Elephants and Leopards

Social Heritage– Ancient travellers; Museums and Libraries; Flags tradition and origins of National flag, Sinhala Language and knowledge; Sarachchandra, Ludowyk; Street names and Trade routes

Customs and Practices-Facets of the legal heritage; parliament in the past; ancient armaments; traditional and recent medical practices

The Publications of the Trust have been its most ambitious and influential undertaking. These publications have dealt with subjects deemed important to be dealt with greater breadth and depth. The Trust has chosen in most instances themes that are of less obvious appeal but bresponded to the importance of the subject matter. The most recent publication ‘Traditional Jewellery of Sri Lanka’ by Dr Hiranthi Pathirana was launched early this year. Publications now number 24 of which 19 have been in the popular Prestigious Volume series which have attracted an interested following requiring some nine of these with titles such as Birds of Sri Lanka to Painters of the 20th Century and Mannar, to be reprinted and some going into second reprints. Altogether perhaps 20,000 books have been printed and are in distribution. Notwithstanding, several are presently out of stock whilst a dozen potential publications are winding their way up an admittedly slow process in the path to fruition in print.

An important aspect has been the engagement of leading corporates of Sri Lanka in sponsoring the production of these publications and thereby sensitizing these institutions to heritage issues of national and universal interest. Trust finances are largely dependent on this support. Tours are another activity of the Trust which were popular amongst members and the public. They have not been conducted in recent years due to the pandemic and other disruptions and also organizational limitations. This is unfortunate in that they drew younger people to engage in Trust activities as they stimulated energy and fellowship in the community.

The Trust sponsored the ICOMOS National Conference over three days in November 2022 on the theme of Conflict Archaeology with several Technical Presentations on webinar and physical sessions at the PGIAR which were well subscribed.

A very well attended Exhibition titled ‘A Scottish Artist in Ceylon’ featuring the photographic collection of E A Hornel in collaboration with the National Trust for Scotland and INTO (International National Trusts Organization) was held at the Lionel Wendt Gallery from January 13-16 2023. This was indeed a very successful event which brought attention to the work of the Trust. The participation of young people with enthusiasm in this event has led to the British Council to sponsor the exhibition in the cities of Jaffna, Kandy, Galle and Matara in 2023-24. This would address aspects which the Trust has been found wanting including the participation of young persons and reaching out to the regions beyond Colombo.

This will always be a work in progress. In the last three years we have witnessed the carnage of the Easter bombings, a comedy of errors in economic management which reduced millions into penury, followed by mayhem on the streets and the famous green. In all of this the social fabric held. This is what heritage is about; to provide the tenuous threads that bind and this alone should gird our conviction that we need to carry everyone with us. To recognize and appreciate the stories of all people and not be shut out by the dominant and impressive narrative of the larger segment.

Whether the purpose and objective of these activities have been achieved cannot be accurately assessed. It is the interest shown by the community who listen to lectures, purchase and read the publications, and their participation in Tours and Exhibitions that provide some insight.

In essence we are communicating a universal value to a silent public – to preserve our natural and cultural heritage. To be one with nature and one with each other.I thank you all for the support and encouragement that the Trust has received from you and look forward to your continued interest and engagement.

N G Wickremeratne
President
June 30, 2023