Dragon (Kalapugama short story)

Makara: (‘මකරා’) is a short story written in Sinhala by Sri Lankan writer Anandasiri Kalapugama. In 1975, this short story won the first prize of island-wide Novice Short Story Writing Competition conducted by Sri Lanka Board of Cultural Affairs under the Department of Cultural Affairs in the Government of Sri Lanka.^[1] It was published in 1975 special edition of “Art News” (කලා පුවත්)^[2] issued in line with 1975 Annual Literature Ceremony held in Galle (ගාල්ල)^[3] and the winners were awarded by then President of Republic of Sri Lanka, Late Hon. William Gopallawa.^[4]

Background

The story has been written few years after Sri Lankan young revolutionaries’ 1971 Uprising, a failed attempt to topple then regime. Therefore socialism has been the theme of the story.

Plot

There are three characters – a farmer, his wife and son. The farmer depends on a wealthy land owner's paddy fields he cultivates. At the end of each season he gets a share of the harvest but not enough to continue living due to his dues to the land owner.

In common, it is believed that the dragon can swallow anyone or anything so the “Makara” symbolically portrays the rich in this story.

Reference List

1. "දහසින් බැදි පියලි දිනති". Silumina (Colombo 10). Lakehouse. 31 August 1975. p. 1.
2. Durand, Jayasooriya, ed. (September 1975). "කලා පුවත්" [Art News] (in Sinhala) (1975 Special Edition). Colombo 7: Department of Cultural Affairs: 49, 50.
3. "මෙම වසරේ සාහිත්‍ය උළෙලේදී උසස් සාහිත්‍ය කෘකි ගැන පුරා දවසක සාකච්ඡාවක්". Silumina (in Sinhala) (Colombo 10). Lakehouse. 31 August 1975. p. 1. zero width joiner character in |title= at position 16 (help)
4. Manawasinghe, Udaya (16 September 1975). "ඡනතා ප්‍රබෝධයට සාහිත්‍යය - සාහිත්‍ය මහ උළෙලේදී ඡනාධිපතිවරයා කියයි". Dinamina (in Sinhala) (Colombo 10). Lakehouse. p. 6. zero width joiner character in |title= at position 8 (help)