On Sunday November 25, after an uneventful day, I casually joined with my family to watch TV on the Sirasa channel. It was a programme called "Asuru Sanin" and they were televising an old programme camcorded at Trinity College, Kandy. On the face of it the crowd seemed to comprise an appreciable, educated audience.

At about 8.30 p.m. Rajiv Sebastian, who often sings Clarence Wijewardene’s songs, offered to sing C.T’s "Bilinda Nelawe Ukule". I could not believe my eyes when I saw people, both men and women, clapping and singing the song themselves. Their eyes showed that they were sentimentally moved. However, all credit should go to the cameraman who twice focused his camera to a blue clad woman with a peacefully, sleeping child on her lap. The mother was keenly listening to the words with wet eyes having her precious possession securely ensconced in her bosom. He highlighted the appeal of this perennial song. Well done you discerning cameraman!

This incident brought back memories of a happening long ago when I was returning from Mannar. It was the day after the Madhu feast. When the train stopped at Madhu station there was a great commotion and a stampede to enter the train. The crowd was packed chock-a-block. We were sweltering and suffocating inside because the train was held there for long. Then an infant broke from his slumber and started to kick and scream. His piercing scream was like the screech of a circular saw on your ear-drum. The more the people tried to calm him the more he became restive. All of us were desperate before this erupted volcano. The mother was distraught and helpless.

Then a group of youngsters from Moratuwa started to sing "Bilinda Nelawe Ukule". They sang it so beautifully that people moved their attention from that whining blob of life to that lilting song of a lullaby. When they reached the last drag of the song, which summates the essence of it, the little dynamite was back in his slumber. What a relief it was!

I wrote about this to your paper under the caption "The Mystique of C.T." and it was published on 29-10-98. This song will be sung as long as we have infants among us. This gem of a song has a hypnotic effect on both young and old alike. How strange!
A. C. I. Fernando
Moratuwa