Some faces and lives from the mid 20th century

I have lived in exile in the United Kingdom for more years than I care to remember. Now, in retirement, my thoughts often drift back to my youth recalling the faces and names that once filled the media and shaped our lives, in our island paradise.

- BY DR NIHAL D AMERASEKERA

The mid-twentieth century was a time of great upheaval, shaping not only the course of nations but also the lives of ordinary people like us. In Ceylon, the Second World War and the struggle for independence from British rule cast long shadows over our families and communities. These were the years in which we grew—from infants in our mothers' arms to adults carrying the weight of responsibility in a changing world. It was a period of transition and enormous transformation.

As a newly independent nation, unity among all its people was crucial for progress and prosperity, although at times this wisdom was overshadowed by the chaos of politics.

It has long been my wish to paint portraits of some of the people who stood at the forefront of those turbulent times. They were the faces we saw in the news, the names that stirred hope, fear, pride, or defiance. In painting them, I hope to preserve not only their images but also the memory of an era that shaped who we became.

The biggest upheaval in the Indian subcontinent in the last century was the partition of India. By this division in 1947, two independent dominion states were born. It was done on religious lines into India and Pakistan. East Pakistan later became Bangladesh. It lead to one of the largest mass migrations in history. It displaced 15 million people and caused about a million deaths. Lord Mountbatten, Jawaharlal Nehru, Mahatma Gandhi and Mohammed Ali Jinnah were the personalities involved in the process who worked tirelessly for a peaceful transition. The partition remains a raw and painful memory for many.

Since politics is naturally divisive, I have chosen not to share my personal views or pass judgment on their actions. Instead, I'm reminded of Mark Antony's words in Shakespeare's Julius Caesar: "The evil that men do lives after them; the good is oft interred with their bones."