Anniversary of Sunday Observer :
Sentinel of letters that reflects the heartbeat of the nation
By Indeewara Thilakarathne and Ranga Chandrarathne
As the Sunday Observer celebrates its 83rd anniversary, it is a
seminal juncture to look back on the years it served the nation under
diverse regimes. It has chartered a course through turbulent times
always keeping the national interest at the heart of its editorial
policy.
In its contemporary history, the Sunday Observer had to pass through
dark passages in which some of its cherished goals were nearly
sacrificed over parochial gains by parties with vested interests.
However, it emerged through darkness into the sun-lit land conforming
itself to the high standard it maintained in the English medium
journalism in Sri Lanka.
Anniversaries are there not only to celebrate but also to reflect on
the past. One of the journalist giants of our time, the late Ajith
Samaranayake always reflected on friends and the past whenever he wrote
his famous 'Sunday Essays' which was a very popular feature of the
Sunday Observer.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
E.J Darley
(in charge at the start) |
Goerge Winter |
Dr.Christopher
Elliott |
A.M. Ferguson |
John FAERGUSON 1865
|
R.H. Ferguson |
Charles Tower |
C. Drieberg
(1923-1924) |
P.B Marshall |
J.D Quirk |
In one of his Sunday Essays Ajith wrote on June 23, 2002:
"There were old friends and new. If a nostalgic note is permitted a
steadily ageing scribe it warmed my heart to meet old Lake House
colleagues such as Neville de Silva come from London to cover himself
with glory as well as give away the prize award of the evening named
after his brother Mervyn, surely the doyen of us all whose third death
anniversary we commemorate this month. There was also old 'Observer'
staff T. M. K. Samat … who has taken sports writing to the heights of
poetry."
We thought this was a good lead to reflect on this brief essay
celebrating the 83rd anniversary of the Sunday Observer, the great
chronicle which has produced a group of popular and giants of
journalists. Before probing into the past, it is noteworthy to reflect
on Ajith and his time and particularly his writings for Observer.
Dr. Sarath Amunugama delivering the inaugural Ajith Samaranayake
memorial lecture reflected on his career from a cub reporter to
parliamentary correspondent, columnist, Editor of a Daily, Editor of a
Sunday newspaper, and finally the editorial Consultant to Lake House
recalled: "He was an English writer who made an indelible impression on
the Sinhala art and culture of his time as a critic of literature,
theatre, cinema and of contemporary society."
Of the Observer journalist I have heard and known that Ajith was
unique.
|
Page on of The Observer |
He was bi-lingual and popular among the elite Colombo and proletariat
left wing Sinhala unionist or Tamil journalists alike. Ajith never put a
tag to a person's ethnicity or class.
He was capable of analysing a portrait of an anti-hero in Gunadasa
Amarasekara's 'Premaye Sathya Kathava' or share his emotions about the
abduction and killing of the journalist and political columnist D.
Sivaram in his essay. He wrote without fear or favour.
Those who write without fear in the Sunday Observer tradition were
great Tarzie Vittachie, the famous Editor-in-Chief of Sunday Observer, a
distinguished Anandian who walked to the high ground of journalism and
later served as the Deputy Executive Director, UNICEF in charge of Media
and Information after his stint at Fleet Street and elsewhere.
Although we were not old enough to read his high profile column 'Fly
by night' we found that it was as popular and controversial as his book
Emergency '58 - The story of the Ceylon Race Riots which contributed
largely to him receiving the prestigious 1959 Ramon Magsaysay Award for
Journalism, Literature and Creative Communication Arts.
Kalakeerthi Edwin Ariyadasa is another Journalist giant who is still
active at the ripe age of 88 which he celebrated on 3 December 2010. His
regular column Sunday Monologue is a much loved piece of writing by
readers.
Sunday Observer has produced illustrious journalists. Though the list
would be a long one to spell out, among the distinguish journalists the
Sunday Observer produced include the Sri Lankan Editors from H. A. J.
Hulugalle to Ajith Samaranayake [H. A. J. Hulugalle (1930-1931), H. D.
Jansz (1931-1952), Tarzi Vittachchi (1953-1961), Denzil Peiris
(1961-1970), Ernest Corea (1970-1973), Lionel Fernando (1973-1977),
Harold Peiris (1977-1988), Leslie Dahanayake (1988-1990), H. L. D.
Mahindapala (1990-1994).
In addition those who were directly associated with the Sunday
Observer include Ajith Samaranayake, Lakshman Gunasekara, Rajpal
Abeynayake, Dinesh Weerawansa and Pramod de Silva who adhered to the
highest standards of journalism and editorial integrity.
Present Editor-in-Chief Dinesh Weerawansa is a career journalist. At
the time Dinesh Weerawansa assumed editorship of Sunday Observer, the
newspaper had lost its spirit and focus.
Montage, the cultural paradigm of Sunday Observer in 2006 was
commenced under the stewardship of present Editor -in-Chief and with the
patronage of Associate Editor R.S Karunaratne, a pioneer in cultural
journalism in Sri Lanka. Indeewara Thilakarathne and Ranga Chandrarathne
are the co-editors of Montage, the only literary supplement in Sri Lanka
dedicated to high culture. Montage was conceptualised by Indeewara
Thilakarathne and Ranga Chandrarathne at a time when cultural journalism
suffered a lot against the wave of unbridled consumerism. Montage
commenced with four pages which later increased up to eight pages.
The finer and technically perfect output of diverse contents of
Sunday Observer is the result of the collective effort by diverse
departments specialised in diverse segments of the newspaper.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
H. A. J. Hulugalle
1930-1931 |
H. D. Jansz
1931-1952 |
Tarzi Vittachchi
1953-1961 |
Denzil Peiris
1961-1970 |
Ernest Corea 1970-1973 |
Philip Cooray |
Lionel Fernando
1973-1977 |
Harold Peiris
1977-1988 |
Leslie Dahanayake
1988-1990 |
H. L. D. Mahindapala
1990-1994 |
The News Desk headed by Ananth Palakidnar functions with the
cooperation of a group of sub-editors and a regiment of reporters with
Senior Associate Editor Pramod de Silva, Deputy Editor S. Anandakumar
and Chief Sub-editor Indunil Thenuwara. Dudley Jansz, Senior Chief
Sub-Editor, who had the privilege of English education from his infancy,
is an asset to Sunday Observer. He is a conduit between the past and the
present of the high standard of journalism fostered by Sunday Observer.
The Sunday Observer editorial takes this opportunity to appreciate
the life-long service rendered by senior journalist Buddy Gunaratne who
retired recently as a senior Sub-editor of Sunday Observer, to the
English journalism in general and maintaining the high standards of
journalistic tradition fostered by Sunday Observer in particular. Buddy
belonged to a generation of journalists who stuck to the highest
standard of professional journalism in Sri Lanka.
The business and financial news is gathered by the newspaper's
Business Desk headed by maverick Surekha Galagoda, Deputy Editor
-Business and a team of business writers.
Sports Desk which covers the field of Sports functions under the
guidance of AC de Silva, Associate Editor (Sports) and a team of sporty
journalists.
The features' Section of Sunday Observer functions under the
stewardship of R.S Karunaratne, Associate Editor (Features), Ruwan
Godage (Features Editor) and feature writers Indeewara Thilakarathne and
Ranga Chandrarathne , Co-Editors of Montage, cultural Paradigm of the
Sunday Observer. Maryanne Perera handles the Junior Observer and the
Observer Magazine covers the 'popular culture'.
Journalist and broadcaster Mahes Perera's contribution is invaluable
given the fact that newspaper is immensely profited from her experience
both in the field of journalism and mass media such as SLBC in general
and in the field of music in particular. Puncihewa, the cartoonist cum
artist is a veteran in the field of applied arts in Sri Lanka. His true
to life caricatures and sharp-wit cartoons adds values to articles and
features making a lasting visual impact in the minds of readers. His
service is indispensable and over the years Punchihewa earned a name for
himself and marked his imprint on Sri Lankan journalism as a
caricaturist and cartoonist.
The VDT (Typsetting) department is handled by Supervisors Udaya
Kumara and Sandra Thalgahagoda.
|
|
|
|
|
Ajith Samaranayake
1994 |
Lakshman
Gunasekara |
Jayatilleke de Silva
1999 |
Rajpal Abeynayake
2006 |
Dinesh Weerawansa
since 2006 |
The layout department's contribution is an essential ingredient of
the overall production process which adds as excellent appearance and
texture to the paper. It functions smoothly thanks to the able
stewardship of the Department's head Rajitha Udawatte (Design Editor)
with its talented team of graphic artists including Mahil Wijesinghe,
Chinthaka Balasuriya, Naveendra Merinnage, Dhammika Mendis, Roshinie
Ranaweera and Asitha Bamunuarachchi.
The smooth functioning of the editorial office is also due to much
support from Editor’s Secretary Sujani Perera and P.A. Sharon
Palihawadana, Clerk Ravindra Jayaweera and Office Assistants Sampath
Manamperi, Stanley Jayaweera, Chandima Munasinghe and Amila Chandrasiri.
Despite the current tradition of high quality editorial and features
now appearing in the Sunday Observer, the paper started as Sunday
Observer and Commercial Advertiser on February 4 , 1834.
Prior to the Sri Lankan Editors-in-Chief, the British served as
Editors of the Observer. Among them were E. J. Darley who was in charge
when the paper was launched, George Winter, Dr. Christopher Elliott, A.
M. Ferguson (1859), John Ferguson (1867), R. H. Ferguson, Charles Tower,
C. Drieberg (1923-1924), P. B. Marshall and J. D. Quirk.
When it was taken over by a generation of homespun editors who were
on par with their English predecessors, they carried on the legacy,
inspiring generations of readers and people of all from all walks of
life. We remember as students of Richmond and Ananda Colleges, waking up
on Sunday morning to read our favourite columns and features of the
newspaper in the 80s and 90s. We used to read thought provoking feature
articles and reviews by Ajith Samaranayake, Reggie Siriwardena, Karel
Roberts Ratnaweera and R.S Karunaratne.
One of the significant aspects of the English press in Sri Lanka was
that it was read by the academia, artists, political elite, the members
of the judiciary, business tycoons and the English educated civil
servants and teachers. Sunday Observer is the centre of attraction. The
other important specialised areas that attracted readers across the
social strata are areas such as Sports and Finance and Political
commentaries. Although a host of rival publications emerged into the
newspaper arena over the years, Sunday Observer retains it undisputed
position as the most widely read English weekly in Sri Lanka.
The readership would be more than the circulation of printed papers
given the large number of visits to the Sunday Observer web edition
which has become an essential read among expatriate Sri Lankan
community.
|