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Drawing from her superpower - Sharmila Seyyid

18 Nov 2018

I believe that beauty of the heart outshines every star in the galaxy, but not often do we see such beautiful hearts in the era we live today; the era tainted with discrimination, hate and corruption. To my blessing, I had the privilege of meeting a present day power-woman who has surpassed many trials in life, and still forges ahead to help those in need in our society. She is a journalist, human rights activist, social worker, counsellor and confidant, friend, and most importantly, a loving mother. She is none other than Sharmila Seyyid. The internationally published author shares with The Sunday Morning Brunch about her inspiring novel, Mantra Life and the power of womanhood. Voice for the voiceless “I began writing by writing about myself. My writings are a testimony of my inner-self and real life. The inception was virtually a journal of my everyday life.” Taking her back in time – the time when she began her journey as a writer – a question imposed on every writer was asked: “What is your purpose?” Just as any, Sharmila too had a far-reaching purpose to her writing. “Being a woman of Islamic faith, the influence of religion and culture posed a lot of questions before me. During my childhood, I used to wonder why a little girl at a very tender age should cover her hair and head, and why being attired in a short skirt or frock is prohibited. When explanations for such issues are not plausible, a base for inner revolution is laid,” she said, explaining how sensitive themes such as society, religion, culture, etiquette, and politics could originate writers. But, for Sharmila, things took place as she was growing up and learning about the world and society. And for her, literature was not claimed a source of liberty from traditions and restrictions, where she took pleasure of “riding a flying horse”, but rather drew her to state her life as it is. The difference that she felt within was what moved her to write more and eventually grow fond of literature. This led her to write more, including her two poetry collections: “Siragu Mulaitha Pen” and “Ovva”, and win three awards for contribution to literature. Her recent novel, internationally published by Harper Collins, Ummath: A Novel of Community and Conflict;won Best Novel of the Year 2014 in India, awarded by Tamil Nadu Progressive Writers and Artists Association – exposes the direction life took during and after the civil war, which prolonged for three decades. Sharmila daringly and unfailingly brings out the raw reality and injustice sustained by the heavy lives of three women, representing the entire community. Her achievement had been unexpected, but she humbly credited her hard work and immense moral support received from her parents and friends. And reminiscing the exact moment that urged her to produce Ummath, it had initially been a record of her inner thoughts and emotions; a means of relieving herself from a heavy heart of many hardships – a gentle and slow-paced healing process for her and many. “Post war, I travelled to the North and East to research the socio economic conditions of women in war affected areas. I met more than 200 women who were affected by war – many who were members or supporters of LTTE. I felt immense strain and sadness when I listened to their suffering, and I knew they were also in great sorrow. Then I asked these women to write about how they were affected by war. But, at that moment, I never imagined that I would write about this and publish the experiences on a book,” she explained. A life fresh as a daisy One of the most admired qualities of Sharmila is her effortless capability to bring a smile to those around her. Despite her share of trials and tears in life, she still manages to bring joy and positivity to the community. “But what could her secret be?” some may wonder. “You can get through anything one day at a time. Focus on what you want to have happen. Of course, you’re going to hit some resistance along the way. But be persistent. Confucius once said: It does not matter how slowly you go, as long as you do not stop.” While striving ahead, she found a new mission; a new purpose in life. After becoming a single parent at the age of 26, there was an entirely new look to that responsibility she had to bear. Preparing herself for this and shifting her attention towards social entrepreneurship in 2014 resulted in achieving her mission “to empower single mothers, war affected women and their children by providing hope, support and resources so that families can become self-sustaining and thrive” as she puts it, and what we now know as Mantra Life. “Fear is playing a major role in keeping people distant. Fear of not being liked. Fear of making the wrong choice. Fear of drawing negative attention. Fear of overreaching. Fear of being judged. Fear of failure, and fear of being a bad mother, wife, or daughter. Mantra Life focuses on the empowerment of women. Through this journey of empowerment, women can greatly improve the quality of life – women have to believe in their values.” Mantra Life is not confined to a single topic or area in life or set of individuals. It’s about ensuring both physical and mental health, and sustainable development. And in its journey of attaining its vision and mission, Mantra Life receives tremendous support from the society; people who come with similar notions to serve for the good of the community. “We conducted ‘plastic free nation campaign’ in 2016 where people come forward to accept the challenge of ‘7 days plastic-free life’. At the beginning it was problematic. But later they realised how plastics affects our environment, and so they found ways to manage without straws, for instance. There are more than 5,000 people following the principals of Mantra Life, and they are stepping out of their comfort zone.” Might of a woman We, women, are made to believe that being a woman is a superpower. Sharmila expressed that giving birth is the ultimate superpower of a woman. And apart from that women can better distinguish different shades of colour, have a stronger immune system, are more empathic and intuitive than men, and as we may have heard from our parents, are better at multitasking. In spite of this superpower, the bitter and disappointing truth about under-representation of women in Sri Lankan society yet continues to be true, where they are expected to live under the protection of a man, which at times may play as the main disadvantage that stands against exploring one’s true purpose in life. “Sri Lanka has ratified the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), declaring the intention to eliminate discrimination and violation of women’s rights. But the notion of individual’s rights often conflicts with local practices, and women’s choices are affected by patriarchal power relations and hierarchical kin structures,” she said, indicating the role of religion and culture in such under-representation. The good news is realising that it’s never too late to make a change in this world, especially when it comes to true freedom, happiness, and justice. “For me, success in life has nothing to do with where we start, and I never feel fear of failure. No matter how difficult your situation is, you can get through it if you don’t look too far into the future, and focus on the present moment.” Quotes: Quote 1: I used to wonder why a little girl at a very tender age should cover her hair and head, and why being attired in a short skirt or frock is prohibited Quote 2: The notion of individual’s rights often conflicts with local practices and women’s choices are affected by patriarchal power relations and hierarchical kin structures Quote 3: Mantra Life focuses on the empowerment of women. Through this journey of empowerment, women can greatly improve the quality of life – women have to believe in their values Quote 4: No matter how difficult your situation is, you can get through it if you don’t look too far into the future, and focus on the present moment Favourite quote? “Take up one idea. Make that one idea your life – think of it, dream of it, and live on that idea. Let the brain, muscles, nerves, every part of your body, be full of that idea, and just leave every other idea alone. This is the way to success.” - Swami Vivekananda Best/worst habits? Best: Sensible consumer for environmental sustainability Worst: Hard to leave the Ice cream shop All-time favourite author? Orhan Pamuk All-time favourite movie? Antonia’s Line Best advice ever received? First do it, then do it right, and then do it better!   By Judy Fernando

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Discover Kapruka, the leading online shopping platform in Sri Lanka, where you can conveniently send Gifts and Flowers to your loved ones for any event. Explore a wide range of popular Shopping Categories on Kapruka, including Toys, Groceries, Electronics, Birthday Cakes, Fruits, Chocolates, Automobile, Mother and Baby Products, Clothing, and Fashion. Additionally, Kapruka offers unique online services like Money Remittance, Astrology, Medicine Delivery, and access to over 700 Top Brands. Also If you’re interested in selling with Kapruka, Partner Central by Kapruka is the best solution to start with. Moreover, through Kapruka Global Shop, you can also enjoy the convenience of purchasing products from renowned platforms like Amazon and eBay and have them delivered to Sri Lanka.Send love straight to their heart this Valentine's with our thoughtful gifts!


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