Rathnapala Vithana and the cover of his memoir
By Somasiri Munasinghe
Rathnapala Vithana, a veteran journalist of six decades, passed away at the age of 94 in Ajax, Ontario, last week.
In Canada, he functioned as the Consultant Editor for Yathra monthly for over 15 years. The paper is managed by last year’s Swarnapushtaka Award winner for ‘Premanishansha’, Chandrarathne Bandara.
Vithana began his career working for Sinhala Jathiya newspaper, founded by Anagarika Dharmapala. He later joined Lankadeepa and worked in many capacities as a reporter, writer, columnist, editorial writer, and local news editor.
After his retirement in 1984, former minister Gamini Dissanayake offered him the post of press secretary at the Ministry of Mahaveli. Former Prime Minister R. Premadasa too wanted him in his ministry, but Vithana accepted the offer made by Dissanayake because he was the first to seek his help.
Apart from being a prolific journalist, he authored several books such as ‘Issara Paththara Visthara’ (a personal memoir about his career, interesting people he met and his association with influential politicians), ‘Vesamuni Bisawa’, ‘Midulak Nathi Gedara’, ‘Lassana Sri Lanka’ and children’s books ‘Sindu Kiyana Ganga’, ‘Handa Mamage Hawa’ and ‘Siyadoris Seeya’.
‘Vesamuni Bisawa’ was based on new archeological findings by his close friend Dr. Senarath Paranavithana, relating to Sigiriya and his new interpretations of the world-famous frescoes. Writing a review of this book in ‘Ceylon Daily News’, late Edwin Ariyadasa, said, it is “a piece of historical fiction of high achievement in a genre that is generally known to be difficult.”
Vithana is the last link of a generation of illustrious journalists responsible for shaping a fiercely independent free press, which unfortunately fizzled out after the advent of parochial politics in the 70s.
His contemporaries include trail-blazing luminaries such as Sri Chandrarathne Manawasinghe, D.B. Dhanapala, Peramune Thilaka, Deegoda Piyadasa, Wimaladasa Perera, Walter Jayawardena, Eva Ranaweera, Sriya Ratnakara, Karunasena Jayalath, Gunadasa Liyanage and Srilal Kodikara, to name a few.
Vithana was a committed leftist with close allegiance to the Communist Party. His daughter Janaki, who was my contemporary at Lake House, said that she was never confirmed in her post in Dinamina in the 80s because of her father’s active involvement in leftist politics. Her husband, Upali Ranasinghe, Toronto media personality, was my university batchmate. Janaki’s elder brother, Jayantha, who also lives in Canada, worked at Lankadeepa.
Vithana was the first to start a marriage proposal page in a Sinhala newspaper. It became a very popular feature in Lankadeepa, boosting circulation. For her help in arranging the letters and editing as a girl of eight, her father paid five rupees for Janaki’s labour.
Vithana launched another popular feature in Vanitha Viththi magazine called Gehunu Getalu under the pen name Deepa Duwa (Island Daughter), discussing women’s problems and providing answers to the readers’ questions with the help of experts in many fields.
Another weekly feature was Sesatha, written under the pen name Ravi, containing some of the best-written columns of the day. His witty, searing humour took a satirical look at unsavoury things happening in society.
At a budget speech, Vithana was ejected from the parliament press gallery over the headline of a news item he wrote on the then finance minister, Dr. N.M. Perera. The headline in question mentioned, “N.M. to turn his book today.”
Potha Peralanawa in Sinhala was misinterpreted as tongue-in-cheek humour. Janaki believes her father was not responsible for the questionable header, as it was usually the duty of the copy editor to give headlines.
When Dr. Perera criticized the headline waving the Lankadeepa paper in the House, the MPs rose to their feet, shouting unanimously, “Eject that journalist from the press gallery.” Two police constables had accompanied Vithana and his colleague from the parliament melee to safety.
Vithana’s sensational stories were very often front-page news. Some of the best were the stories based on Dr. Paranavitana’s new archeological findings, like the discovery of King Dutugemunu’s ashes from an old storehouse, interpretations of Brahmi characters, Sigiriya poems and many revelations about the frescoes.
He produced another sensational scoop covering the death of former prime minister S.W.R.D. Bandaranaike in September 1959. Immediately after the news of the shooting broke out, Vithana rushed to the hospital lab and got the chest X-ray of the premier from a friend with the promise to return it at an agreed time. The next day, the story was front-page news along with the picture of the X-ray.
The journalists of Vithana’s generation were fearless fighters to uphold press freedom with an unbowed and unsurrendered attitude to political pressures.
On his last day at Lankadeepa, as he packed his bags to leave on retirement, the killing of former Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi was breaking news. On the editor’s request, he wrote a story delaying his departure by a few hours, missing the farewell party his friends organized at a nearby Fort restaurant which functioned as an unofficial press club.
He often accompanied political bigwigs like Dudley Senanayake, Philip Gunawardane and I.M.R.A. Iriyagolla, covering their political events.
Vithana documented some of his experiences dealing with influential politicians in his memoir. Some adventures and failures of many lawmakers which were not suitable for print were shared by him at private get-togethers at his Toronto home over drinks, drawing rounds of chuckles!
Chandrarathna Bandara says Vithana lent his expertise and talent to the success of his Toronto-based monthly Sinhala newspaper, Yathra.
“As a senior Lankadeepa journalist, he had close interactions with the politicians and people that mattered in politics and concerning the ethnic war, which he condemned with a passion,” he adds. “He represented the voice of the suppressed, borrowing from his involvement with the left and fought to promote peace among different communities in his capacity as an experienced journalist and writer.”
Vithana was born in Kandy in 1928 when his father served as a jailor in Bogambara Prison and moved to Colombo. His father was an eyewitness when Henry Pediris was executed for treason by a firing squad in 1915. The ebony batton, used by senior Vithana in prison, is a valuable family heirloom.
Vithana grew up in Homagama after his father got a transfer to Welikada Prison. He married Sunitha (née Hanwella) who passed away a few years ago. Vithana’s funeral was held on December 31, attended by close family members according to his last wishes. ©newstrails.com
