Sunday, April 17, 2011

“MOWNATHTHIN PUNNAHAI” (A SILENT SMILE) - DESPERATE, HELPLESS VOICES OF WOMEN, FROM THE EASTERN PROVINCE


The Sri Lanka Development Journalist Forum (SDJF) has concluded its most exclusive radio initiative titled “Mownaththin Punnahai” (A silent smile). The theme is based on gender, which is designed into an innovative concept broadcast over the “Pirai FM” radio channel, located in Akkaraipattru. The programme had gained immense listeners appreciation according to feedbacks.

“Pirai FM”, Controller Mr. Basheerabdul Gaiyoom, in his comment mentioned that Mownaththin Punnahai (A silent smile) is a great breakthrough within the five years of broadcasting history achieved through this unique Channel, “Pirai FM”. He quoted the programme reflects the genuine commitment by the broadcasters to prove that radio is a powerful medium for social development. He mentioned that Mownathin Punnahai (a silent simile) has achieved the talent of attracting the attention of the society in the Eastern Province within a short span of 10 days, comparing to other programmes which were over the “Pirai FM” channel for more than two years. The specialty of this programme is the young energetic flexible team which is directed by a personality, who has the competent to understand the bona fide reverberation and the pulse of women’s issues.

This programme comprises 20 episodes, and each episode consists of one hour duration. Each of the programme contain three compulsory segments, consisting a radio drama, interviews with Islamic Intellectuals and very worthy discussions with victims affected by domestic violence.

Mr. M.C.Rasmin, CEO/Director of Sri Lanka Development Journalist, while commenting on Mownaththin Punnahai (A silent smile) stated, that this is an initiative entirely dedicated on gender based violence giving prominence to sufferings faced by the Muslim community located in the Eastern Province. The programme contents reflects an aspiration to the Eastern people both the Tamil and Muslim community, particularly the Muslims. The programmes are solely produced by a team with the minimum resources available and partly contributions are from veteran broadcasters, artistes and the writers.
The feedback is immense according to the SMS received daily counts to more than thousand two hundred. Apparently, the statistics shows the large amount of listening audience had turned their attention to this exclusive programme which contains sanative information’s about domestic violence. CEO made a comment that according to the feedbacks, it is much evident that the segment which comprises voices of the victims and radio dramas had to a greater extent had inspired the Eastern Province people in several ways.

LIVELINESS OF THE RADIO DRAMA HAD TRANSFORMED THE HUMAN BEHAVIOUR
Predominantly the radio dramas are produced to target patriarchal attitudes and the mentalities that break the gender impartiality within the family bond. The characters and the story lines are established based on key gender based issues such as isolation, beating, creating disappointments, usages of indecent language, restrictions made for women to refrain from education, creating frustrations , assigning works beyond their capacities, impairment to their dignity, hindrance from employment and enjoyments with their families, demanding dowries , forcible divorce and many more issues.
Out of the 20 radio dramas, 13 dramas were written by female writers – Silmiya Hadi, Shamila sheriff, Asmiya Begum and Naseela Adham.
The dramas consisting in the Mownaththin Punnahai (A silent smile) programme comprised some unconventional strategies in terms of production, writing and even in story lining. Taking into attention about the story lining, a group work is involved in this task. According to the working schedule, the Sri Lanka Development Forum (SDJF) assigned two different groups to attend to the story lining. One group was directed by a male and the other group was given in charge by a female. This kind of work distribution turned out easily to assess the gender-sensitivity of the story linings. This strategy enabled SDJF to terminate 20 radio dramas, each 30 minutes duration, within 10 days with three round of group engaged in editing and reviewing.
Decisions were taken to make some changes in the writing and editing of radio dramas. Apparently, the Sri Lanka Development journalist Forum (SDJF) closely scrutinized the scripts and came to a conclusion that the script writers and the editors should follow new principles in their creations. SDJF felt that radio drama is not something to narrate stories but the characters in the stories should have life to give some valuable information to the society and make the society to come out of their dreadful traumas. The drama characters should have the potentiality to act, and their dialogues should establish emotional feelings and totally the productions should establish more reality. Radio drama is building and establishing strong characters and reflecting their emotional journey. Ultimately, showing the change within the characters.

The SDJF expected the dramas to be basically produced to create awareness among the listeners and the change of within the characters should heal and ease the listeners’ mental stress. The SDJF came to a conclusion that the characters in the drama should have the ability to perform the critical story lines written about various issues, and the audience should get engrossed to the characters and could overcome their social problems. The Journalist Forum expected the writers to briefly use the language and the dialogues should have meaningful lines without exaggerating. This instructions and advices were adopted by the Radio Drama Department of SDJF and accordingly the procedure was implemented and the dramas were redesigned and totally the scripts were written to cater the disheartened audience to have some remedy to their social problems

Out of the 20 drama scripts, 17 were reorganized according to the modern radio drama principles of the SDJF, and the drama production proved high quality, which enhanced and attracted the listening audience from the Eastern Province. Surprisingly almost all the writers accepted the changes suggested by the SDJF team.

STORY LINES
Relatively, five characters were established in all the dramas, and the main characters portray the key gender-based issues existing in the Eastern Province. Accordingly the “Manamatram” drama (changing mind), Parakkum Sirakukal (Flying feathers) were written respectively by S. Janoos and Silmiya Hadi. These dramas establish, the grievances faced by the people located in the Eastern Province especially the male gender, forcibly sending away their daughters and spouses abroad for earning, and leading a fantasy life in their homeland.
Pointing out the drama “Flying Feathers” reflects a character of a mother who had spent more of her marriage life as a domestic servant working in abroad and had only met her 15 years old son, twice during her prime life. The feedback towards this drama was enormous, as most of the listeners had sobbed after listening to this drama.
Few more dramas which had earned the appreciation of the audience are namely, “Dr.Mappillai” (Dr.Bridegroom) which is written by Mr.A L Jafeel, “Thandanai” (punishment) written by Asmiya Begum, “Vehumathy “ (Gift) written by Asmiya Begum, “Subeetcham” (prosperity ) which was written by S. Janoos and some more which had unfathomable thoughts highlighting the negative impact of the dowry system which is the mainstreamed in occurrence in the Eastern Province.
Dramas written by Silmiya, “Sayam Pona sarihaihal” (dry leaves which had faded), “Sanththathi –illa- sangathihal” (episodes without generations), Phoenix Thaai (Phoenix Mother ), Mahalai Piranthu (Born as a daughter), “Chinnachchinnak Keeralhal “ ( Minor setbacks) have reflected issues that suppress the dignity of the women and inequality in the family bond.
APPRECIATIONS
Most of the feedbacks from the male society had established their views to the SDJF monitoring and Focus-group teams, have mentioned that the radio drama and interviews with victims from the programme as a wide stimulation. According to some viewers, they feel ashamed about the way; their community treating their spouses. Some of the comments were that Mownaththin Punnahai (A silent smile) drama had educated them, and had paved way to understand the women folks suffering due to the careless actions of men.
•Mr. Gaiyoom, the Controller of “Pirai FM” stated, that the drama and the voices of the desperate victims made him to cry. He said “when I was listening to “flying feathers” drama one day, while I was driving, I lost my concentration in my driving and I have to rush home for some relaxation”
•Mr. Husain, a shopkeeper from Ninthaoor commented that his imagination was that he was one of the characters in the Mownaththin Punnahai (A smile in silence) drama.
•Mr. Mohammed Ameer, a Principal from Poththuvil, said that “I feel like someone questioning me, when I am listening to the radio drama. Most of the time the dramas made me to think what I can do as a Principle and motivate my students to respect the gender diversity and practice the equality in lifelong”.
•Mr. Salam, a farmer from Kalmunai made a comment that he tunes the “Pirai FM” frequency to listen to the dramas, in the midst of his spouse getting amused about his action.

These are randomly selected opinions among some of the keen listeners, out of hundreds and hundreds of male listeners. The SDJF also has same amount of feedbacks from the women listeners.

PARALYZED QAZI SYSTEM
It is so remarkable that the SDJF received over hundreds of telephone calls, voices crying with several pleas. This has made the SDJF to learn that domestic violence is something that needs to be wiped-out from the society. The interviews with victims were so pathetic and out of this, over 20 interviews were so emotional. Most of the women folk have become desperate and frustrated due to the mistreatment and wrong judgments of the Quiz’s.

Mownaththin Punnahai (A silent smile) drama concludes with a strong finding that the credibility and the reputation about the Quazi system in Sri Lanka, is becoming vague in the society, especially amongst the women society. The participated victims voiced in the programme fearlessly stated that most of the quazi’s are highly incapable of hearing to their sufferings and are favorable to the men, which the biggest shortcomings is prevailing in the society. It was so unbearable to listen, to some victims that the most honoured “Quazi” had forwarded divorce notice to the respective parties, without informing the reasons for divorce. It is so rare in some instances that the Quazi has given the verdicts without inquiries. Mownaththin Punnahai (A silent smile) ultimately concluded its last episodes by creating awareness for discussions over the paralyzed Qazi system.