Vannathikulam is an enthralling romance between a Tamil vet, posted in the vicinity of Padaviya and a Sinhala girl.The narrative style though simple, is lucid and detailed. Set in the 1980's the novella portrays vividly the evolutionary growth of hatred and enmity that led to the infamous internecine conflict and depicts the peaceful coexistence and the interracial amity which prevailed before. The involvement of the Southern political movements like the JVP in those troublous times and the role played by such political trends to alienate the communities are also related. The title Vannathikulam (Butterfly Lake) is the ancient Tamil name for the Sinhala village Padaviya.
