Rousing welcome for Media Minister at ANCL

by Jaliya Wijeyekoon

It was a treat for the employees of the Associated Newspapers of Ceylon Ltd (ANCL) to listen to Media, Information and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Gayantha Karunathilake who made his maiden official visit to the Lake House on Friday to address all staff members.

Media, Information and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Gayantha Karunathilake being welcomed by Lake House employees on arrival. Media Ministry Secretary Karunaratne Paranavithana is also in the picture. Pix by: Samantha Weerasiri

He was accorded a warm welcome by the ANCL staff on arrival and all religious rituals were observed.

Minister Karunathilake had been a veteran media personality right along his political career being the party spokesman and also as the shadow Cabinet Minister of Media for the past number of years, is a product of Royal College.

In his inspiring speech he paid tribute to the founder of Lake House the late D.R. Wijewardene who had rendered yeomen service to the nation establishing this unique institution he said.

D.R. Wijewardene was not only a farsighted media personality but also a successful entrepreneur who had helped almost four generations of people who worked for ANCL to brighten up their lives since its inception.

This unique institution had produced eminent personalges such as Martin Wickremesinghe, Meemana Premathilake, G.B. Senanayake in the distant past and people of the calibre of Dharmasiri Gamage in the recent past.

However, this premier institution have undergone ups and downs due to the change of governments in the country.

Minister Karunathilake said that he would take all possible measures to promote the standard of this unique institution further and called upon all media men to discharge their duties without fear or favour. He said that during the past number of years this institution was badly politicised and some of the media people had to undergo various hardships.

Some were unduly victimised and some even left the country for fear of their lives.

The minister assured that anybody can express his views in future and report matters without slandering the characters of political opponents.

He said that the government of Maithripala Sirisena ably guided by Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, is a strong believer of media freedom who had already formulated the framework for a new media culture.

The minister said that certain government cohorts who had resorted to numerous malpractices in the past decade in this hallowed institution would be probed soon and punitive action would be taken irrespective of the position they held.

He earnestly called upon everybody to discharge their duties honestly, happily and with dedication so that the lost glory of this prime institution could be restored within a short period of time under the dynamic stewardship of the new Chairman Kavan Ratnayake and the experienced new Director Board.

Secretary to the Media Ministry Karunaratne Paranavithana and General Manager of ANCL Abhaya Amaradasa also addressed the gathering.