The puritanical culture and customs of our days in the Faculty of Medicine, Colombo

By Dr Nihal D Amerasekera

Even now, a song that often strikes a chord is that one with the poignant lyrics and haunting melody composed by Pete Seeger “Where have all the flowers gone?”. It took the whole world by storm. In 1962 the version by the Kingston Trio engulfed our little island like no other. Although attributed to the Vietnam War it reminds me of medical school and our time together. We had a large contingent of girls in our batch and I’ve often wondered where have all those flowers gone?

My mother schooled in the 1920’s and 30’s. Then education in Ceylon was costly. Parents had to be selective and reserved higher education for the boys in the family. With the introduction of free education in 1945, doors opened for the girls to further their studies in the University. When I entered the faculty of medicine in 1962 approximately 35-40% were girls. But the contentious conflicts, excessive formality and the old conventions still prevailed. Bridging these deep divides took a lot longer.

With my Evangelical Christian upbringing, I spent my teenage years in an all-boys school. Not having any sisters, I never learnt how to socialise and be friends with girls. As I entered the portals of that temple of wisdom in Kynsey Road, there were many girls in the faculty. They sat next to me at lectures. I was rather self-conscious in their presence and had to learn rather quickly how to be social. It certainly didn’t come easy to be gallant and courteous!!

Although 1960’s was the era of Sex, Drugs and Rock’n Roll such pleasures hadn’t arrived in our little island, yet. We then lived in a rigidly puritanical and austere society. Social distancing was built in, separating the boys from the girls. On arrival at the faculty, some of the lads were self-assured. They had easier rapport with the girls. They were not radical extremists but just lived lives expected of university students. I simply had to adjust. I stopped blushing at their unbridled erotic humour. They poked fun at girls. It was a good couple of years until I learnt these new social skills and not be distressed of what the world thought of me.

The girls too were from all-girl institutions and were overwhelmed by parental pressures and the existing norms fed by our own Sri Lankan culture. Many of the girls were reserved not wanting to be seen as ‘easy game’ in the patriarchal society of 60 years ago. They conformed to the social rules on what was appropriate and preferred to play hard to get. Some of the girls from the Colombo schools were more posh and rather pushy. They showed off the flesh below the neck and flashed a bit above the knee, for good measure. They even thrust their chests forward, moving the centre of gravity, dangerously!! The majority, however, preferred to retain their modesty covering their wares with glamourous sarees of vibrant colours.

It was not until I entered the Faculty of Medicine that I appreciated the freedom that dancing brought to this world. Like many in my batch I found it hard to get a female partner from the faculty to join me at the dances. Many girls felt restricted by social norms and cultural constraints. Some were just unwilling to be out all night with a boy. The boys were too shy to ask the girls. The men fell for the idiom “there are plenty more fish in the sea”. They took the path of least resistance and found partners from further afield. The excitement and the pleasure of dancing has no equal. The pounding rhythms drove us all into a frenzy. It was at University I learnt to combine the rhythmic music and the twirls, swirls and the gyrations of contemporary dancing. The University calendar had many dances held at King George’s Hall in Reid Avenue. Those were wonderfully exciting times that also brought the sexes together.

The old caste and dowry system still prevailed in the mid 20th Century. Arranged marriages were still in vogue. But Cupid had his way in the faculty and shot his golden arrows to change the status quo. The wisdom of the phrase, “Omnia Vincit Amor” (love conquers all) from Virgil’s poem has survived from Ancient Roman times to modern day. Despite the prevailing ethos, love did blossom in the faculty. Many of the blossoms survived a lifetime. Sadly, a few faded to litter our golden years before we left the hallowed precincts in 1967. The faculty was a hotbed of gossip. News swirled around its lecture rooms and corridors about couples, affairs and the breakdown of relationships. This idle speculation broke the monotony of the never-ending examinations. Perhaps, a welcome distraction from the daily toil we all endured.

With our inability to have a good rapport with the girls there was a certain gratuitous tendency to be unkind to them. In the first few years, girls were seen in small groups chatting and giggling in their own world. Three pretty girls who were always together were unkindly labelled – anorexia, nausea and vomiting. These are the side effects common to most medicines. Even now when I see them it is as if those names are tattooed on their foreheads. I do respect their wish to maintain their modesty and cultural values all those years ago.

Five years in medical school seemed a long time. Towards the end of our course the social climate had improved immeasurably. The icy chill gave way to a thaw. There was better understanding and friendships all round between the sexes. Personally, I was very fortunate to have girls in my group who mixed freely. They endorsed our crass humour and tolerated the questionable behaviour. The girls also learnt to stand their ground and give as much as they got!! There were a few girls in our batch who were sassy trailblazers keeping up with the boys with their racy jokes and mischievous fun. I do respect their boldness in not conforming to the futile cultural constraints in our adult seat of learning.

On looking back what amazes me was my inability to connect with many of the girls during the entire years in medical school. My only contact, perhaps, was to raise a cursory smile when passing them on the endless corridors of our domain. The powers that be in the Faculty of Medicine, in their wisdom, kept us apart giving us a Mens’ Common Room where girls never dared to visit. The few who ventured in were greeted with catcalls and wolf whistles. Much has changed since and we are in a different age.

Now when I meet the girls from our batch at gatherings and reunions it generates such a sense of warmth and accelerated intimacy. They are such lovely and friendly people. I do regret not being friends with them at the faculty. Now we can talk and laugh openly about our younger-selves and how we behaved conforming to the austere world we knew. Friendship is a two-way street and I do acknowledge that for some there were social and cultural barriers that were far too difficult to transgress. Being shy is not a crime but it feels like that now.

I cannot think of many things that humanity has benefited in this time of Covid-19. One that comes to mind easily is reuniting people via Zoom. It has been a great pleasure to see several from our batch both male and female and to speak with them. Amazingly they don’t look any older than when I saw them last in 1967. They all seem to have retained their wicked sense of humour. The girls have not lost their sense of style and good looks. The boys have lost much of their hair but perhaps not their heads!!

Now in this age of easy communication, digital phones and social media this unwanted segregation has ended. Social media platforms have brought the sexes ever closer together, at times too close. There may even be a feeling that all this is far too intrusive. As the years have passed the women can nip and tuck, facelift or use Botox to look young and pretty. Men have the pleasure of Sildenafil to raise the fallen. We all benefit from the 120-year evolution of women’s suffrage and the enormous strides in gender equality. Women can mix freely, speak without fear and even lead a country. Just like the men, the ladies from our batch went on to enjoy prestigious careers in the profession and hold celebrated positions in society.

This is a reminiscent glimpse into an era now long gone when intellectual liberalism was not at all fashionable. As I wander into those happy days as a medical student I still lament the separation of the sexes as an unwanted remnant of a prudish past. As it is often said “even God can’t change the past”.