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by William de Alwis

With an impish grin and not a moment's hesitation, Srimal Abeyewardene Editor/Publisher of the Canada based 'The Sri Lanka Reporter' says "I am next reaching out for markets in the EU, in London and Paris for a start."

As a man who climbed journalism's ladder from the bottom as a clerk in the circulation department of the now defunct 'Sun' in Colombo and ended his career in Sri Lanka as one of the best crime reporters on the 'Daily News' before he emigrated to Canada some thirteen years ago, his ambition is not surprising.

There are nearly 400,000 Sri Lankans in Canada alone, three fourths of them Tamils and worldwide the current diaspora is making the business of circulating news from home in reportage independent of ethnicity is urgent. Abeyewardene's monthly tabloid which ranks with the best in Europe and America and Europe in its graphics and presentation has over the last eight years been amply filling the void.

"It's good business - both for them and me," he grins. "They need an ethnic newspaper to advertise themselves. So many of them are beating the odds and not just surviving but doing extremely well."

He cites Nandakumaran Rajendram's 'World's first Business Directory for Tamils' as an example. "Its one thousand page regularly updated publications speak volumes for their industry."

Then, in a sudden change of mood verging on nostalgia he switches to what's foremost in the minds of most Sri Lankan expatriate victims of circumstance "I do wish peace will return to our land. You know, most of them, me included, yearn to come back."

Packing your bags and seeking greener pastures far abroad can have serious drawbacks, and Srimal Abeyewardene has had his own share of it like most others who have not specialised in the more marketable professions. "DIGs I know have had to shed their dignity and exchange 'Sam Brown' belts and medals for the simple constables baton as security guards for far less than a fistful of dollars per hour. The odds are very much against you, and I found it so in the beginning."

"The moment you feel satisfied you have a fairly steady job, just enough to make ends meet you can be laid off and looking for another. But I had this idea of starting the newspaper and believe it or not, my market survey indicated that the Tamil community was all for it and encouraged me on."

The first issue, a sixteen page tabloid came out in April 1994. "I had a computer whiz kid, Philip Ekanayaka, a lap top and printer and ad hoc financing for that first issue. We had Dollars 1,200 (Canadian) in advertising fees and a ninety eight dollar profit."

"Then Philip said he had enough, and left me taking the computer et cetera and there was no issue the next month. He's still a good friend." Bobby Siva Baskharan a Financial Consultant for Regal Capital Planners Ltd. and another Tamil friend who ran an electronics appliances store sold me a computer and printer at two hundred dollars which I paid off in four instalments and I was back in business."

"My friend Jacob Cherical worked for me on a no pay basis for two years and 'The Lanka Reporter' was on its way." Cherical, a well known reporter for the 'Island' died of a sudden heart attack and Dirk Tissera is now the tabloid's design and sports reporter with Srimal's 16-year old son Mahesh chipping in after school, setting up the advertisements and gradually earning himself a promising future as computer graphics man. Malkanthi Abeyewardene Srimals wife is the feature columnist.

Srimal is Vice President of the Ethnic Journalists Council of Canada and is a winner of awards for excellence in journalism and Human Rights at the Canadian National Exhibition.

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