Sinhala Jathiya press and Piyadasa Sirisena

Piyadasa Sirisena, a well-known editor of the time established the "Sinhala Jathiya" press. He was its proprietor and editor, and the printing of the paper was transferred to this press in 1907.

I am writing this to place some facts of the article by W. A. Abeysinghe which appeared in the Sunday Observer of November 11, which I read with interest.

Mr. Abeysinghe has stated that the newspaper "Sinhala Jathiya", was edited by Anagarika Dharmapala and this information, I am afraid is not correct.

"Sinhala Jathiya" was edited by Piyadasa Sirisena. The publication began under Sirisena's editorship in 1903.

He was its proprietor and editor and the printing of the paper was done at this press. The newspaper, it is pertinent to mention, soon became a powerful organ in the Buddhist revival and resurgence of nationalism in the early decades of the 20th century.

The movement to revive Buddhism and raise awareness of people with respect to their illustrious past and age-old civilisation was to a considerable extent due to the support (in the midst of a powerful British Rule) of the print media as well. Sirisena was a leading proponent in this field at that time. As a consequence Sirisena incurred the wrath of the British who clapped him in jail on a few occasions.

On the other hand the Anagarika Dharmapala it is universally agreed was the foremost Buddhist revivalist of that era.

He had a dominating personality and intellect which he utilized with telling effect to conduct a sustained anti-imperialist campaign islandwide.

If one is keen to delve into that decisive period of our history, one could refer to historians like N. E. Weerasooriya Q.C., Dr. Michael Roberts and also Dr. Sarath Amunugama which will also help in gathering more information on Sirisena's role in propagating nationalism in those distant days.

Incidentally the Sinhala Jathiya press also published Piyadasa Sirisena's novels and short stories the contents of which to an extent had a specific design in weaning away readers from an alien culture and extolling the virtues of Buddhism.

They enjoyed unprecedented popularity at that time.

The Sinhala Jathiya press was family owned and during the early 1900s was one of the few in the print industry to combine two aspects of the industry - the publication of a newspaper and novels.

The Times of Ceylon Green Book, which was a directory of Ceylon very much on the lines of the Ferguson's Directory, published by Lake House provided, inter-alia, coverage on the mercantile sector of that period.

Among the proprietary concerns listed in the Green Book of 1921 was the Sinhala Jathiya Press (Est. 1907).

Jagath C. Savanadasa