She urged Maitland to use his humanity and his power as the ruler in that area to end these oppressions.
#Maitland core tunnel windows#
She pointed out that things like not being able to cover themselves or not being able to have windows and doors in their homes were deep injustices and absolutely no way to treat human beings. She asked that Maitland oversee several changes to the social conditions her people were living in. While she had to be with Maitland, young Lovina made very specific asks. However, core to this story, are Lovina’s demands. Sarawanan visited the tunnel, Namathu Malayagam Lovina was taught special calls and sounds to make sure that it was only them using the tunnel, and no one else. Within six months, the tunnel was completed and Lovina and Maitland began meeting through this secret passageway. In the meantime, Maitland began the construction of an underground tunnel that went straight from the bungalow to a well, situated right inside of Lovina’s home in the ghetto. Maitland told Lovina not to come to visit him until he would say it was ok to do so. The result was that King George sent him a very stern message that threatened consequences should their relationship continue. News of this Governor’s love with an untouchable girl quickly spread among the British colonial elite and the message reached as far as King George’s ears. Quickly, he changed Lovina’s name to Lavinia, because he “preferred” that version. He proposed a relationship to her and Lovina “accepted”. It’s said that this 47-year-old English colonial felt immediately and deeply “in love” with 16-year-old Lovina. Lovina and many other Rodiyas in that area were of mixed heritage often part Portuguese, the previous colonisers of that region. Among them was 16-year-old Lovina Alphonso.
To make him feel “welcome”, occasionally, mestizo dancers come to the mansion. When he was posted to Sri Lanka in 1806, he was put up in a typical colonial bungalow. Lovina’s story is known to us because it’s told through the narrative of one Sir Thomas Maitland, a 47-year-old English Governor. This was Lovina’s community, and this was her background. They were not allowed to travel into the main villages or freely interact with people who were not Rodiya. According to Doyle, they had to live in makeshift shacks and were not allowed to have windows or doors to their homes. In the book “The Taprobanian” (1886) by Hugh Nevill, the author calls the area where Rodipeople lived as “the Sandalas ghetto” John Doyle, another colonizer, in the19th century, describes Rodi people as living in a Rodi ghetto where they didn’t have a right to own or build independent homes. In Sinhala, Dalit people are called “ Sandalas” in various texts.
You can find many texts that use derogatory language to describe Rodiyas. Even if they felt ill or cold and clothed themselves to feel warm, and an “upper” caste person caught them in the act, they would have to say, “Please forgive me, Lord, I was feeling too cold!” It was up to the “upper” caste person, then, to decide whether to allow the act of covering or not. In one era, both men and women were only allowed to cover their genital area and nothing else. It was also forbidden for them to cover themselves below the knee. Rodiya men and women were denied permission to wear any upper-body covering. Rodis were treated as untouchables and violently discriminated. Historically, this community was involved in folk religion, magic, mantras, and ritualised caste begging. The “ Rodi” caste people are the most oppressed in the Sinhala community. Today in Dalit History, we look at how a Dalit woman, Lovina, negotiated with colonialisms in Sri Lanka and ultimately instituted benefits to her community. This piece was edited by Maari Z.Maitreyi. Translation from Tamil for this piece was done by Saivi, a Tamil Dalit writer, economist and mother. This contribution to Dalit History Month would not be possible without his work and his generosity. You can read his original piece here in Namathu Malayagam. This account is translated from the research and writings of N.Sarawanan, A Sri Lankan Tamil Dalit activist and author of the piece. Representative Image - 19th century British Colonial Photography - Rodiya Girl
0 kommentar(er)
