Colombo Medgrads 1962

 We are always pleased to post news of family members of batch mates who have achieved something worthy of praise. This is about our Suriyakanthi Amarasekera's grand nephew Kamil de Chickera.

A very special poem by a Sri Lankan kid living in the UK

“Specific irrelevant details”

By Kamil de Chickera

The poem is about discrimination and how it should be stopped, It’s about how people really shouldn’t discriminate about these things, because they are just irrelevant.

Kamil is Amal de Chickera’s son. Amal’s father is Suriyakanthi’s BIL Duleep de Chickera. Duleep was one of the famous de Chickera brothers who played Rugby for Royal. Kamil was 8 yrs when he wrote it (9 now). 

Kamil de Chickera’s class at Norbury School in Harrow was sober and serious - for once. The third graders were discussing ‘discrimination’, with the Black Lives Matter Movement in full cry outside in Britain. Kamil, especially, was ‘upset’ when he heard about George Floyd getting killed ‘for the colour of his skin’. 

Thus when the home assignment was given to pen a poem on discrimination, Kamil just had to sit down by his father, Amal de Chickera, and write till his fingers hurt. There, on paper, materialised a poem Kamil christened ‘Specific Irrelevant Details’. 

In just about a year, the poem has metamorphosed into a short film that pulled together so many storytellers and gives the message that we should stop discriminating based on that gamut of ‘specific irrelevant details’ from skin colour to sexuality. The link to the film is:- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AwXf3JfCdZo&t=195s

Specific irrelevant details

Specific irrelevant details,

What’s your race?

Where are you from?

Which god do you believe in?

Your sex, your age, who do you love?

Are you blind? Can you walk?

Are you a refugee, which language do you talk?

Do you have a country? What is your name?

Specific irrelevant details,

To pick and to blame.

 

Specific irrelevant details,

If this is all you see,

Then you are prejudiced

You don’t see the whole of me!

 Ageism, ableism, racism, sexism

Xenophobia, homophobia, big words for me

They mean you discriminate, you treat people badly

They mean you don’t see all that you should see.

 How do we help people, break down the lies?

How do we fight prejudice? How do we open eyes?

Specific irrelevant details – what lies beyond?

A world of equality? Where we all share a bond?

 

This is why we must say Black Lives Matter.

This is why we must believe, love has no gender.

This is why everyone should be a feminist.

This is why we must welcome refugees.

This is why we should be known for our abilities.

 

Specific relevant details,

Are you kind? Would you be my friend?

Are you brave? Will you stick with me to the end?

Are you resilient? What makes you laugh?

Would you mind, if I wore an orange scarf?

What sports do you like? How do you spend your time?

Are you creative or dull? Can you make words rhyme?

What’s the most exciting thing you’ve done?

Will you play with me under the sun?

 

Specific relevant details,

If you see the whole me,

Shall we fight prejudice together,

To help people see?

Kamil de Chickera