The Graduate
Haniah Sultanbawa
Mrs. Haniah Sultanbawa did not “just carry on” and “get married to somebody” like other young Muslim girls of her time even though she was brought up to do so. In 1960, she became the first Muslim woman from the Southern Province to graduate from a university.
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It was shocking for a Muslim girl to enter the university. But I did it.
Now we didn’t have minds of our own like the girls these days. We didn’t say… My daughter will say, “I want to be this”. It was not so.
Now I would say that I was lucky that my father was adamant and he gave me the opportunity to carry on with my education. Otherwise I would have been at home and I would have got married to somebody (Laughter). So I would have just taken it. Because you know I didn’t know… At that time… Now, comparatively, I can speak about it. But at that time, that was the way of doing things. So I wouldn’t have complained, I would have just carried on.
Because we were brought up like that. We didn’t have such critical open mind. There was no influence of the TV or radio like that. So we were docile. We just carried on. But circumstances helped me to come up. So that’s something that I am thankful, and the other person is Miss Ridge. Actually she’s a missionary… she was a missionary. My third sister was kept out of school for some time, but she saw to it that she was also brought back to school and now she’s also a teacher. She was a teacher. And so many other Muslim girls she has helped. So she thought I was a… I was good, so she helped me through. So when they closed down the A level class at Southlands, she made arrangements to take us into Methodist College and boarding and all. I was the only Muslim girl.
For me, it was a real struggle. Because I was a poor girl. I was not equipped in dress or anything like that. And my English was also not so good. I could answer ‘yes’ or ‘no’. I couldn’t carry on a conversation. And I couldn’t eat with the fork and spoon. So I actually became a target of… for jokes for them. They used to come behind me and talk about me. Actually, they were taunting me. But I was strong. Any other child I suppose… I tell my children also, even if… these children… if they had faced that situation, they would have cried and gone back home, back to Galle. But later on, by the third year, they made me a hostel prefect and all that. That came through. Then it… At that time, I was stronger.
After I left Methodist College, awaiting results, I was teaching. So I was better equipped economically also to go to the university. Somehow or other, there was some kind of blessing to go through.
For three years, we had a lovely life. Freedom. Not that we did anything wrong, but there was freedom to go out anytime. Go for lectures or stay back, nobody cared.
I wouldn’t say I had a big intelligence or something like that, but I have a good memory. People thought it was a wonderful thing. Because it was the first time a Muslim girl getting out and going to Peradeniya. Because university life was almost taboo those days. It was shocking for a Muslim girl to enter the university. But I did it. So, maybe they were proud, but I thought it was just another step forward.
I made the opening so after that there was such an earnest decision to study. Now it’s just commonplace. Not a wonder like those days.
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