Some one quite rightly pointed out that it was a crime against humanity.

No doubt, it is a crime
which struck at the very heart of Tamil culture and civilization- a crime which is tantamount to rape,
as described by the speaker – a rape not of the body but of the hearts and minds – for this repository
of knowledge, culture and history represented the pride and dignity of the Tamil people.

The ethnic conflict in Sri Lanka has had a direct impact on literary
production in Tamil, comparatively greater than in the case of Sinhala.
This is largely due to the fact that it has been the Tamil-speaking
communities who were most directly and severely affected by the ethnic
conflict throughout the postcolonial period.

The Tamil language is shared by three distinct ethnic communities in Sri

Lanka, namely the Sri Lankan Tamils, the Muslims and the Malayaha (=
hill country) Tamils, with their own dialect variations. This linguistic
pluralism and the associated ethnic distinctions reflect in literary
production too. Hence, when we speak of Tamil literature or Tamil poetry
in ethnically divided contemporary Sri Lanka, the term encompasses a
multi-ethnic socio-political context and reality

Last year, Nagercoil-based publisher Kalachuvadu brought out a

collection of Prof. Nuhman’s anti-war poems titled Tuppaakkikku muulai
illai (The gun has no brain). In a compelling preface to the anthology,
Prof. Nuhman tells critics, who tend to disregard simply written verse
with profound political messages, that poetry has always accorded an
important place for political views and resistance

“We do not have to take those who fall for cryptic or pretentious
language or mere wordplay seriously. These poems are against injustice
and oppression, they are against wars and guns. If they can invoke in
readers a feeling in favour of peace and social justice, that is good
enough,” he writes.

That has been his position all through. When everything is political, his
poetry too will be.

Religion, Ethnicity and the Politics of Reading

Buddhism is the official religion of the Sri Lankan state and the state has the constitutional obligation
to promote and safeguard Buddhism in the country. Buddhism is fundamentally a religion of non-
violence, preaching non-violence philosophically and practically. However, during the past three
decades, the Sri Lankan people have experienced violence or have had to counter violence by the
state and non-state actors. Ironically, no meaningful Buddhist voice has raised itself against this
violence. In fact Buddhism is used for political purposes, as Islam is used in Pakistanand West Asian
countries and Hinduism in India. Under a minority perception, Buddhism is seen as having being
betrayed or sacrificed in Sri Lanka. S. J. Thambiah’s book, Buddhism Betrayed? exemplifies this
perception, and it was banned in this country.

Nuhman was also resisting the Sinhala majoritarian state’s oppression of Tamils around the same
time. His poems took a progressive political line, in accessible language. His iconic poem ‘Buddharin
Padukolai’, or ‘Murder’ as its English translation was titled, written after Sinhalese mobs set fire to
the Jaffna Public Library in 1981, is a bold and moving response to one of the most malicious acts of
Sinhala chauvinism in the island nation. He was teaching at the University of Jaffna at the time. The
incident proved a major provocation to the then-nascent Tamil militancy to grow in strength and
resolve, to take on the state’s oppression.

1981 was one of the peaks of ethnic violence in Sri Lanka, set off during the campaign for the first
ever District Development Council election in Jaffna. The militant groups that were fighting for a
separate state were opposed to the election and sought to disrupt it. One candidate and two
policemen were shot dead and two others were injured in Jaffna. In retaliation, on the nights of 31
May, 1 June and 2June, the police went on the rampage, destroying and setting fire to buildings in
the city. The public market, the office and printing press of the local daily, Elanaadu, and the house of
the Member of Parliament for theJaffna electorate were burnt down, with some of the top ranking
cabinet ministers present in Jaffna. The major casualty was the Jaffna Public Library, one of the
biggest libraries in South Asia, with more than 90 thousand books and many rare documents,
including a number of Buddhist scriptures. It was completely burnt down.

I was a lecturer at the University of Jaffnaat that time and was one of the users of the library. The
very next day I went to the town to see the destruction. It was terrible. My immediate response to
the destruction was a poem Puththarin Padukolai (The Murder of Buddha). The image of Lord
Buddha shot dead at the library came to my mind spontaneously.

I never saw or thought of the burning down of the Jaffna Public Library as a crime affecting only a
particular ethnic community. It was a crime committed against human values and civilization by the
armed forces of a self-proclaimed Buddhist state. They committed the crime against the spirit of
Buddhism itself. That is what the poem is all about. For me it was a matter of concern for all human
beings irrespective of their racial or ethnic identity. But in an ethnically polarized society things are
seen differently.
The impact of the ethnic conflict on literary production has been more pronounced in Tamil than in
Sinhala, primarily because Tamil-speaking communities bore the brunt of the conflict throughout the
postcolonial era

Prof. Nuhman’s collection of anti-war poems titled “Tuppaakkikku muulai illai” (The gun has no brain)
echoes the sentiment that poetry can be a powerful medium for addressing political issues and
resistance. In this anthology, he confronts the irreparable damage caused by gun violence. His verses
stand against injustice, oppression, and the horrors of war, emphasizing the need for peace and
social justice.

Now, in relation to the poem “Murder”, we find a parallel theme. Both poems grapple with violence,
loss, and the impact on humanity. While “The gun has no brain” directly addresses the brutality of
armed conflict, “Murder” likely delves into similar themes, exploring the consequences of violence
and the urgent call for change. Prof. Nuhman’s unwavering stance remains: when everything is
political, so too must be his poetry.

Buddhism, as the official religion of Sri Lanka, carries a constitutional duty to promote and safeguard
its principles within the country. Philosophically and practically, Buddhism advocates non-violence.
However, over the past three decades, Sri Lankans have grappled with violence perpetrated by both
state and non-state actors. Surprisingly, no significant Buddhist voice has risen against this violence.
Instead, Buddhism has been co-opted for political purposes, akin to how Islam is used in Pakistan and
West Asian countries, and Hinduism in India. Some perceive that Buddhism has been betrayed or
sacrificed in Sri Lanka. S. J. Thambiah’s book, “Buddhism Betrayed?”, exemplifies this perspective,
although it was banned in the country
The short story "Letter Found in a Cement-Barrel" presents, in a very straightforward manner, the
tough labor conditions of the Japanese working class during that period. The first paragraph of the
story already denounces the intense work rhythm that the protagonist had to keep up with:

“Matsudo Yoshizō was emptying cement-barrels. He managed to keep the cement off most of his
body, but his hair and upper lip were covered by a thick gray coating. He desperately wanted to pick
his nose and remove the hardened cement which was making the hairs in his nostrils stand stiff like
reinforced concrete; but the cement mixer was spewing forth ten loads every minute and he could
not afford to fall behind in its feeding”.

The letter found by the protagonist in the cement-barrel also exposes these harsh labor conditions.
The letter narrates the tragic story of a young worker who has fallen into a rock crusher and had his
body broken into pieces. The letter was written by the girlfriend of the victim, who deeply laments
she could not even give him a proper burial, as the broken pieces of his body have been turned into
cement.

The letter greatly stresses the girl’s grief at the loss of her boyfriend and emphasizes his qualities
both as a human being and as a worker. She left the letter in a cement-barrel to be picked up and
read by anyone who may find it. However, if a fellow worker were the one to find it, she urges him
not to use the cement containing the remains of her deceased boyfriend in theaters or in large
mansions. This reveals that the girl held a grudge against the rich classes and seemed to blame them
for her misfortune:

“I couldn’t bear to see him become the corridor of a theater or the wall of some large mansion. But
what on earth can I do to stop it? If you are a workman, please don’t use the cement in such a
place…”

Nonetheless, just after making the request, she makes up her mind, saying that it makes no
difference where the cement was to be placed. She argues that her boyfriend was a very good
worker and, therefore, wherever that cement was placed, it would ensure that he had fulfilled his
purpose in life:

“On second thought, though, it doesn’t matter. Use it wherever you want. Wherever he’s buried, he’ll
make a good job of it. He’s a good solid fellow and he’ll do the right thing wherever he happens to
end up”.
These two excerpts from the story, as already mentioned, stress a feeling of resentment against the
rich and allude to a situation of class struggle, which is one of the main themes of proletarian
literature. Moreover, the second passage quoted above, alludes to a sense of powerlessness that
pervades the proletariat class, as they acknowledge their limited power to overcome the situation of
exploitation, and are forced to accept the status quo in order to survive. At the same time, it is clear
that the girl is proud of her deceased boyfriend’s job, in the sense that, as a blue-collar worker, he is
responsible for creating the means to promote a better life to society.

At the end of the story, the protagonist, after reading the letter, once again goes back to his real life.
His social reality, however, is by no means different from the one described in the letter. He is a blue-
collar worker with a large family of seven small children, living on a very low budget. The life of the
protagonist also illustrates the frailty of the working class, who often has no option but to accept
adverse working conditions and low wages in order to survive. He is aware of the hardships he has to
endure every day and gets very upset, only to be reminded that he cannot afford to get angry, as he
has a wife and children to support:

“I’m going to drink myself silly!” he shouted. “And I’m going to break every damned thing I can lay my
hands on.”

“I see,” said his wife. “So you can afford to get drunk, can you? And what about the children?”

He looked at his wife’s bloated stomach and remembered his seventh child.

The message conveyed by “Letter Found in a Cement-Barrel” is closely connected to Karl Marx’s
critique of the capitalist society. The deceased worker is turned into cement, which is a clear allegory
for the transformation of the working class into a mere commodity. Moreover, the protagonist of the
story earns such a low wage that he can barely provide for his family. Nonetheless, he has no option
but to keep on working and has not even the privilege of losing his temper or of drinking to forget his
problems. As Karl Marx points out:

“The separation of capital, rent, and labor is thus fatal for the worker. The lowest and the only
necessary wage rate is that providing for the subsistence of the worker for the duration of his work
and as much more as is necessary for him to support a family and for the race of laborers not to die
out. The ordinary wage, according to Smith, is the lowest compatible with common humanity, that is,
with cattle-like existence. The demand for men necessarily governs the production of men, as of
every other commodity. Should supply greatly exceed demand, a section of the workers sinks into
beggary or starvation. The worker’s existence is thus brought under the same condition as the
existence of every other commodity. The worker has become a commodity, and it is a bit of luck for
him if he can find a buyer”.
.

Hayama Yoshiki, a key figure in Japanese Proletarian Literature, experienced financial hardship
throughout his life and was deeply involved in labor movements Proletarian literature aimed to
expose poor working conditions, often employing realistic narratives. Yoshiki's story "Letter Found in
a Cement-Barrel" illustrates the harsh realities faced by workers, symbolizing the transformation of
labor into a mere commodity and reflects elements of both fictional storytelling and personal
experience. While the narrative is fictional, Yoshiki draws inspiration from his own encounters as a
blue-collar worker during Japan's industrialization, offering insights into the harsh working conditions
prevalent in the cement factory. The protagonist's struggle to provide for his family echoes Karl
Marx's critique of capitalism, where workers are reduced to subsistence wages and treated as
commodities.

The proletarian writers of Japan were active in labor movements, closely linked to labor activism
during the Meiji period due to worsening labor conditions amidst rapid industrialization. Despite
government suppression, labor disputes persisted, prompting the enactment of laws prohibiting
strike agitation and union meetings. This governmental intervention, alongside police measures,
curtailed the longevity of the proletarian literary movement, halting its political and cultural
activities. Proletarian literature aimed to highlight the harsh realities of labor, using realistic narrative
styles, though some works fell into melodramatic sentimentalism. Scholars like Morris and Karlsson
noted the writers' efforts to portray reality objectively, with Kurahara Korehito advocating for a
concrete awareness of reality through literature, emphasizing both agitation and epic storytelling.

"Letter Found in a Cement-Barrel" by Hayama Yoshiki is a poignant portrayal of the struggles faced by
the working class during Japan's industrialization. The story begins with Matsudo Yoshizō, a worker at
a cement factory, depicted in a grueling environment where he must maintain a relentless pace to
keep up with production. This setting immediately establishes the harsh conditions endured by
laborers.

The discovery of a letter within a cement-barrel serves as a narrative device to further illuminate the
hardships faced by workers. The letter, written by the girlfriend of a young worker who perished in a
tragic accident at the factory, serves as a lamentation for the loss and an indictment of the social and
economic inequalities of the time. It vividly describes the physical toll of labor and the dehumanizing
effects of industrial accidents, where the victim's body becomes commodified as cement.
The letter also reveals the girlfriend's resentment toward the wealthy elite, who she perceives as
complicit in her lover's fate. This theme of class struggle permeates the narrative, underscoring the
broader societal tensions of the era.

Moreover, the protagonist's reaction to the letter reflects the resigned acceptance prevalent among
the working class. Despite his initial anger and desire for escapism through alcohol, he is reminded of
his responsibilities to his family and the harsh reality of his circumstances. This portrayal highlights
the cyclical nature of poverty and the limited agency of the working class in effecting change.

Overall, "Letter Found in a Cement-Barrel" serves as a powerful critique of capitalist exploitation and
societal indifference toward the plight of the working class. Through its vivid imagery and compelling
narrative, it sheds light on the human cost of industrialization and the enduring struggle for social
justice.

Certainly! Beyond its immediate narrative, "Letter Found in a Cement-Barrel" embodies broader
themes central to proletarian literature and Marxist critique. The story serves as a microcosm of the
systemic issues inherent in capitalist societies, where workers are reduced to mere commodities and
their labor exploited for profit.

Yoshiki's portrayal of the protagonist's daily struggles underscores the dehumanizing effects of
industrial capitalism, where workers are trapped in a cycle of poverty and exploitation. Despite their
contributions to society, they are marginalized and denied the opportunity for meaningful change.

Moreover, the story exposes the illusion of upward mobility within capitalist systems. Despite the
protagonist's diligent labor, he remains trapped in a cycle of poverty, unable to improve his
circumstances or challenge the status quo. This critique of social mobility challenges prevailing
narratives of meritocracy and highlights the structural barriers faced by the working class.

Furthermore, "Letter Found in a Cement-Barrel" highlights the resilience and dignity of the working
class in the face of adversity. Despite their hardships, the characters display a sense of solidarity and
determination to persevere. This resilience serves as a testament to the human spirit and
underscores the potential for collective action to effect change.

In essence, "Letter Found in a Cement-Barrel" is not merely a story of individual struggle, but a
powerful indictment of the systemic injustices perpetuated by capitalist societies. Through its vivid
portrayal of the human cost of industrialization and exploitation, it serves as a rallying cry for social
and economic justice.
poem "How Did You Die?" by Edmund Vance Cooke:

Death comes with a crawl, or comes with a pounce,

And whether he's slow or spry,

It isn't the fact that you're dead that counts,

But only how did you die?

The short story "Letter Found in a Cement-Barrel" by Hayama Yoshiki provides a stark portrayal of the
harsh labor conditions faced by the Japanese working class during the early industrialization period.
Let's delve into the key themes and messages conveyed by this powerful narrative:

1. **Intense Work Rhythm**: The protagonist, Matsudo Yoshizō, empties cement barrels, enduring
grueling work. The relentless pace of the cement mixer forces him to keep up, even if it means
neglecting his own well-being.

2. **Tragic Letter**: The protagonist discovers a letter in a cement barrel. It recounts the tragic fate
of a young worker who fell into a rock crusher, his body shattered. The girlfriend of the victim
laments that she couldn't give him a proper burial, as his remains were turned into cement.
3. **Class Struggle**: The letter reveals resentment toward the rich classes. The girlfriend implores
fellow workers not to use the cement containing her boyfriend's remains in theaters or mansions.
She blames the wealthy for her misfortune.

4. **Powerlessness and Acceptance**: Despite her initial plea, the girlfriend resigns herself to the
situation. She acknowledges the futility of resisting and accepts that her boyfriend's purpose was
fulfilled, regardless of where the cement ends up.

5. **Frailty of the Working Class**: The protagonist's life mirrors the letter's theme. He struggles to
support his large family on a meager budget. His inability to express anger or escape his hardships
underscores the powerlessness of the working class.

6. **Marxist Critique**: The story aligns with Karl Marx's critique of capitalist society. The deceased
worker transformed into cement symbolizes the commodification of labor. The ordinary wage barely
sustains survival, leaving workers vulnerable.

In summary, "Letter Found in a Cement-Barrel" poignantly portrays the struggles, sacrifices, and
powerlessness of the working class, echoing broader themes of proletarian literature and social
critique¹². The worker, like a mere commodity, faces a system that prioritizes profit over humanity³.
The story serves as a powerful reminder of the human cost behind industrial progress and economic
inequality.
Tenzin Tsundue is a Tibetan refugee and activist who has gained recognition for his writings and
activism, serving as a voice for Tibet's exiled community.

Born to Tibetan refugee parents, Tsundue's family was forced to leave Tibet in 1959. He grew up in
India, receiving his education in Dharamshala and graduating from Loyola College before attending
Mumbai University.

Tsundue has been arrested and detained multiple times for his one-man protests and activism aimed
at drawing global attention to the occupied status of Tibet.

Tibet was occupied by China in 1950, leading to the exile of the spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, and
subsequent migration of Tibetan refugees to India, where they live in temporary camps in
Dharamshala.

Tsundue's writings are closely linked to his activism and reflect the crisis-ridden history of migrant
life, earning him recognition as a significant representative of the Tibetan exile community.

Some of Tsundue's major works include "Crossing the Border" (1999), "Kora" (2002), and "Shemsho"
(2007). His work "My Kind of Exile" won the Outlook-Picador Award for Non-fiction in 2005.

"Kora" is a collection of stories and poems where Tsundue portrays the harsh reality of displaced life
with political immediacy and spiritual depth. The title refers to a meditative practice in Tibetan
Buddhist traditions, reflecting the contemplative nature of the writings and their focus on the
dispossessed status of refugee life.

Introduction to the Poem

In "When it Rains in Dharamsala," the rain is a strong image suggestive of the heedless a
undiscerning approach of the world toward the small 'country in flood'. The tin-roofed "island
nation" that becomes the shelter to the refugee is only yet another dilapidated residue of the British
Raj. The poem's smothering closure where the poet cries out that he cannot cry anymo as his tears
may flood his already flooded room is a brilliant take on the hopeless dead-ends the political crisis
leads ordinary lives to.