This play is a reflection of a time when the Sri Lankan Tamil community had endured years of suffering from the political oppression of the Sinhala majority. They had suffered from planned, systematic genocide, military intimidation, massacres, and aerial bombardment by helicopters and bomber planes. Their homes, schools, and public markets were burned down.
From their razed villages and towns, they were chased away and displaced from their own lands. They were forced to seek refuge and protect themselves and their families within temples and religious institutions. This play, “Divine Vision,” is a portrayal of that specific period.
The work was written, directed, and staged by the writer Pankayamanalan. It is a stage production that points to the degradation caused by the caste and religious conflicts that had divided the Sri Lankan Tamil people and underscores the importance for the Tamil community to free itself from such divisions.
It is particularly notable that after the venue and date for the play were set, a festival day, the event was transformed into a tribute ceremony for ThiyagaDeepam Thileepan upon the news of his death.