Handagama’s cinematic creation ‘Rani’ and SL’s lost generation

Award winning film director Asoka Handagama’s latest movie ‘Rani’ that divulges into the life of Dr. Manorani Saravanamuttu, the mother of murdered journalist Richard de Zoysa will no doubt touch a few nerves given the political connections to the tragic incident. The film starring veteran actress Swarna Mallawaarachchi as the late Dr. Saravanamuttu which is screening at cinemas now tells the story of a mother, who, after the tragic loss of her son, becomes the voice for many other mothers whose sons were either killed or disappeared during the ‘88-’90 period.

It’ll be 35 years since the murder of De Zoysa this year. He was abducted from his home in Rajagiriya in the presence of his mother one February night. His body was found washed ashore the following morning at Moratuwa. It was a time when bodies were turning up all across the country, some burnt on tyres, some floating down rivers, same tied to lamp posts but, unlike many, De Zoysa’s killing shook Colombo society, which had managed to remain largely unaffected by the gory happenings across the country.

Sri Lanka is a very different place today than the time De Zoysa’s murder took place. The JVP led by its leader Rohana Wijeweera spearheaded a second attempt to seize power by violence which in turn led to the brutal crackdown by the Government of then president Ranasinghe Premadasa. De Zoysa was one of the many young men who had their promising lives cut short in an era when it was not clear as to who was killing whom with JVP cadres, Government forces, paramilitary groups and vigilantes all at work.

The JVP, in power now, has come a long way from its bloodied history and has demonstrated that it has left the days of violence of its founder behind and is committed to the democratic process. Fears that a JVP-led Government would mean violence against its opponents have been proven wrong with its supporters showing more restraint at a time of a landslide electoral victory than the other so called ‘democratic’ parties in the country.

But can we expect justice for the families of the thousands who lost their lives in the JVP fuelled bloody insurrection? In the case of De Zoysa’s murder, all the main accomplices are now dead. But in the case of others, the perpetrators of these heinous crimes are alive and part of the society we live in. They carry the dark secrets of one of the most infamous eras of the country and it’s unlikely any of them will ever be punished.

On 30 August each year, the world celebrates the United Nations designed International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearances. It’s a day that is commemorated in the north and south of the country to remember thousands who have disappeared during years of civil unrest. In the north, mothers continue to look for answers to the whereabouts of their missing children while in the south, the memories may be getting fainter, but the pain continues for many thousands.

Handagama’s least cinematic creation will resonate with audiences, both in the south and north given that the untimely and brutal death of a loved one in the prime of their lives, is one that leaves those they leave behind permanently scarred. The film will bring back memories for those in the older generation but also awaken the youth of today to the lived experiences of those who came before them.

Human rights activist and one time MP, the late Prins Gunasekara titled his book on the tragedy of the ‘88-’90 era as the story of a ‘lost generation.’ While the memories may be fading now, it is important to tell the stories of those who perished in the hate and vengeance of those years so that it’s the last time the country would have to go through such dark times.