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by Ananda Kannangara

When the widely circulated US journal "The New York Times" once asked former American President Ronald Reagan what he mostly enjoyed in his political life, he replied that it was to see himself in cartoons.

This statement was similar to an expression made by former Sri Lankan President J.R. Jayewardene when he replied a local journalist when queried about being featured in political cartoons. President Jayewardene would have been the only politician whose political life was extensively displayed in political cartoons than any other politician in our country.

The local cartoonists started sketching Jayewardene from the time he was elected as the Premier following the historic victory in 1977. It was the turning point of the political life of J.R. Jayewardene and the cartoonists too extensively caricatured him.

But the former President neither took offence nor showed any anger over cartoonists for sketching him in whatever way. This encouraged some of them to frequently use their pens to attack JR through their daily columns.

It is not a hidden secret that JR used to begin his day's commitments after a glimpse of almost all newspapers published on that day.

Knowing about this when a reporter once jokingly questioned him at a dinner in Kandy whether he had time to read all the newspapers in the morning where even an ordinary person had no time to do so, he promptly replied that he thoroughly enjoyed political cartoons which sketched him rather than other news items.

"It takes only a few minutes for me to see these cartoons," he said.

The 207 pages of cartoons, anthologized in a rare collection titled "JR in cartoon" released last year is clear evidence of this. This could be another interesting book for the present day generation who have never witnessed the former President being displayed in cartoons. "From this book they also can see the summing up of the ups and downs the former President had to face in his long and challenging political career," one of his close associates and the Secretary to the late President Prematilaka Mapitigama told the Daily News recently.

Once JRJ invited three of the country's very popular political cartoonists - Wijesoma, Yoonoos and Gerryn - to his residence in Colombo for a chat. This meeting was a clear signal to the rapport JR had with those who caricatured him. At the meeting Jayewardene highly appreciated them for the efforts taken to highlight politicians in their cartoons and asked them to expose more and more shortcomings of them including himself.

In a certain occasion a politician who had different political ideas used harsh words on a popular political cartoonist for sketching him along with President Jayewardene. JRJ, was not only impressed with political cartoons. Very often he kept on reminding various other incidents that happened during his political career.

He was also very popular among his colleagues for his inborn talent of giving prompt replies for whatever question that came to him.

Once he was invited by an Indian University for a lecture on "The Great Men of the World". Soon after delivering the speech a female student asked why he did not mention a single word of "great women" during the speech. JR promptly said that women were the greatest of all as they produced these men. As such, there was nothing to talk about women.

Once a young schoolgirl at an audience asked President Jayewardene about the secret of the unique bond between he and his wife Elina. JRJ promptly replied that he would have answered the question if it was raised by a married woman.

At an annual Muslim Ladies League conference in Colombo, when a woman jokingly asked JRJ why he was being invited for more conferences, participated by women, he promptly replied that he was very close to females than men because he began his educational career in a ladies school in Colombo before being admitted to Royal College.

Mr. Mapitigama also said that the late President had a wish to have a collection of cartoons on him and "JR in cartoons" is a promise placed by him to this great leader.

He also said that the anthology "Cartoon Shilpeen Dutu JR" a 364 page book which is filled with cartoons by Yoonoos, Hettigoda, Amitha, Opatha, Wijesoma and Motagedara released today (September 17) at the Jayewardene Cultural Centre is fulfilling another dream of the late leader.

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