‘Places Once Denied’ illustrates the message of hope and revival
Saturday, 17 August 2013 00:00
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Features stunningly beautiful images with informative anecdotes on each area, capturing moments of six excursions which spanned over 7,000km of travel
‘Places Once Denied’ invites the reader to travel with Stefan and Ali across Sri Lanka to regions that were once affected by decades of conflict, to witness for themselves a time of revival, a time of development, a time of healing. It is a photo journal that showcases the courage of a people who are ready to move forward and build a new future, a better world.
Stefan D’Silva and Ali Moheed, both representing minorities in Sri Lanka, travelled across the Jaffna peninsula, the North East, the North West and the North Central Province of Sri Lanka, and also covered the Wilpattu National Park, which had been closed to the public for over 15 years.
Joined by their friend Ananda Welikala on all excursions, and an eloquent and passionate introduction to the book by yet another dear friend, Dr. Peter Vanniasingham, both Sinhalese and Tamil respectively, the duo encapsulates the sense of national pride, unity and belonging they wish to bring about through this book.
The book captures moments of six excursions which spanned over 7,000km of travel; the emotions of the people, the splendour of the landscape, the richness of the culture and the significance of these people and places in history.
‘Places Once Denied’ illustrates the message of hope and revival through a series of stunningly beautiful images with very informative anecdotes on each area.
Stefan D’Silva
‘Places Once Denied’ reflects a strong passion within Stefan to illustrate the progress and development of an emerging region in Sri Lanka; 249 pages of stunning imagery reveal a healing land and hope for the future for an amazing people. Regions steeped in ancient history and yet; a stage set for rapid transition into the current century and electronic age. The images within beckon the reader to travel to these regions and observe for themselves the resurgence of places once denied to generations of 5ri Lankans.
Stefan and Ali have collated/captured a series of images that point to the emergence of areas affected by a senseless conflict in this magical, exotic, complex land. The book travels to locales once deemed ‘no go’ areas in Sri Lanka and gives the reader glimpses of daily life and ancient historic places, untouched by the recent conflict. It is a book of hope and promise, and alludes to what “will be” for Sri Lanka.
With development comes change and many of the images in this wonderful production will surely be cast into history as Sri Lanka moves into the future. One can glimpse looming generational change on the horizon in the images produced, and the unwritten word is powerful in the images within this unique production.
As Stefan states: “Ultimately, to enjoy the land of your birth or explore this exotic, complex land is to travel to places that were once denied and experience for yourself what the images within this book allude to. Whilst you are likely to take a camera, what is most essential is a curious mind. A curious mind is the gateway to the interpretation of what you observe. It is the gateway to present day facts, and stimulates interests in the social and ancient history of all those places that were once denied to generation of Sri Lankans.”
Ali Moheed
Having attended S. Thomas’ College Mt. Lavinia along with his close friends Stefan and Ananda, Ali Moheed looks back on a 50-year-old friendship that has taken him across Sri Lanka for the most part of his life. These journeys form the foundation for ‘Places Once Denied’ and it is Ali’s first venture in to publishing a photo journal together with Stefan.
Ali’s life is entwined with the lives of his close friends in Sri Lanka and it is inevitable that he should ultimately step forward to showcase the hope and progress of a nation once affected by a senseless conflict.
Although he dabbled in photography since his early teens, Ali was most captivated by Sri Lanka’s abundant wildlife at a very early age, in particular the vibrant variety of birdlife in Sri Lanka. Bird photography and observing the wonder of birds became Ali’s passion and his primary area of focus. He also has a keen interest in Sri Lanka’s endemic snakes and never misses an opportunity to investigate, research and observe any matters related to this subject.
With his trusty Canon, a brand he has used since he started photography as a serious hobby, Ali has joined forces with Stefan on this occasion, to bring to the attention of the wider local community, as well as global community of Sri Lankans living abroad, the revival, progress and development of the once war-torn regions of the island. His passion for all things Sri Lankan has always remained deep within Ali throughout his life.
Aside from capturing moments that illustrate the true Sri Lankan spirit, Ali has showcased that same spirit himself; he represented Sri Lanka in rowing in an era just prior to the sporting discipline becoming an international event. His interests are varied and he maintains an impressive collection of old books on Sri Lanka.
As Stefan points out, a most revealing moment on Ali’s passion for Sri Lanka was exposed by a comment Ali made many years ago in a ‘typical’ discussion amongst Sri Lankan expatriates; the comment by Ali was “I am just a simple Sri Lankan boy” – a comment that encapsulates the true sense of identity Ali possesses; a comment devoid of ethnic minority, categorisation and religious separation. The comment, in Stefan’s opinion, highlights what Sri Lanka is and what Sri Lanka will be irrespective of radical agendas. This is the Sri Lanka that was denied to a generation of Sri Lankans.
Pix by Upul Abayasekara
