Tributes to Ajith Samaranayaka

Anura Priyadarshana Yapa, Minister of Media and Information

COLOMBO: Ajith Samaranayake can be described as a veteran journalist who rendered a distinguished service to the media sector in Sri Lanka, said Media and Information Minister Anura Priyadarshana Yapa in a condolence message issued yesterday.

The message said: Samaranayaka who joined the Lake House Group as a Parliamentary reporter in the 1970 decade was a distinguished old boy of Trinity College, Kandy.

Thereafter he served as Editor of the Sunday Observer and Evening Observer. Later he joined the Upali Newspaper Group and held the post of Editor of the Island.

He rejoined Lake House in 1994 and functioned as Managing Editor English Newspapers. At the time of his death he was Editor of the Friday newspaper.

Samaranayake who was a beacon to journalism was a true and sincere journalist who raised a voice for stabilisation of media freedom and protection of human rights and democracy.

His untimely death at a time when people need the service of the media most to know the truth was a great loss to the nation.

Samaranayake was a political analyst, intellectual, critic and a gifted speaker who represented Sri Lanka as many international seminars.

The death of Ajith Samaranayake who rendered a colossal service to the media will be an irreparable loss to the media sector in Sri Lanka, said Minister Yapa's message in conclusion.

Tikiri Kobbekaduwa, Governor - Central Province

KANDY: I had the privilege of knowing Ajith Samaranayake from his school days at Trinity College, Kandy. He was a strict disciplinarian and as a School Prefect I recollect how he instilled discipline in us the younger boys.

I remember very well once when a group of us 'scooted' out of school and was caught by Ajith, he requested us to stay in after school and write a thousand lines "I will not cut school in future".

At the Trinity College Literary Association meetings we would listen enthralled at his orations. He was a clever orator who was able to keep the audience spell bound with his interesting orations.

Later in life, I met Ajith at the Lake House and became good friends. He was very fluent both in English and Sinhala and I admired his intellectual capacity.

He was a well known figure both locally and internationally and was admired by many journalists for his unbiased and direct views expressed without fear.

His demise is indeed a great loss to our country and specially the Central Province which produced an uncomparable journalist in the high calibre of Ajith and all of us who knew him will miss him.

I convey my sympathy to his wife and family members in their time of sorrow.

May Ajith attain the supreme bliss of Nirvana.

State media officers' Association

COLOMBO: State Media Officers' Association in a Message of Condolence on the demise of veteran journalist Ajith Samaranayake emphasised that the void created in the Prestigious Print Media Art by the passing away of Ajith Samaranayake is difficult to be filled and that his sudden demise is an unbearable loss to the entire nation as a whole.

Ajith Samaranayake's dedication to promote the progress of journalism sprang spontaneously from his conscience. The mass of knowledge he possessed made him renowned as a distinctive media character of international standard.

Ajith Samaranayake who received his education at Trinity College, Kandy, joined the Lake House and Upali News Papers to pursuit his career as a journalist.He functioned as the Editor of the Sunday Observer, Editor of the Evening Observer and the Editor of The Island newspapers and wielded his pen to serve the society in the vanguard of social protection.

He was one time the Secretary of the Working Journalists Association. He was a popular figure among his colleagues as a pioneer of the professional journalism and as a humanist. He was closely associating himself with the members of the State Media Officers' Association and maintained cordial relationship with them.

We are deeply sorrowed by the untimely demise of a realistic journalist like Ajith Samaranayake who was a great man, the message said.

Imitiaz Bakeer Markar

COLOMBO: The death of Ajith Samaranayake who was a jewel of the media sector will be an irreparable loss to the entire local and foreign media sector, said former Information and Media Minister Imitiaz Bakeer Markar in a condolence message issued yesterday.

The message said Samaranayake who wielded his pen both in English and Sinhala with equal aplomb always did so with accuracy.

He was an unbiased journalist who expressed his ideas with a socialist inclination propounding communal amity and harmony and his untimely death has been a grave shocked to everyone. He expressed his independence through the columns he contributed.

"I sincerely hope that your colleagues inthe media sector would be able to trod your path to build national unity and peace in this country", Markar's message said.

Dr. N.M. Perera Memorial Trust Fund

COLOMBO: The Dr. N.M. Perera Centre is shocked and saddened on the death of Ajith Samaranayake, the versatile journalist who strode the journalistic scene like a colossus.

His pen was powerful and prolific in espousing the cause of the common man, the marginalised in society and colleagues in the fraternity who were wronged by the powerful in the country.

Ajith as he was popularly known was an unassuming personality and loved by all who came in contact with him and appreciated his writings.

Dr. N.M. Perera Centre is particularly saddened by his loss as he was an enthusiastic supporter of our activities.

When the Centre brought out a publication to mark the Birth Centenary of the late Dr. N.M. Perera early this year he did not fail to contribute an article on his assessment of N.M. and the times he lived.

The last occasion he participated in our activities was when a public lecture was organised on "The ethnic problem and Karalasingham." A few days before his untimely death on November 14 when Ajith led a lively discussion following the main lecture delivered by Prof. Bertram Bastiampillai.

Ajith was forthright in his views and faulted the Left on the occasion for trailing behind other forces forgetting its principled position of the past on the ethnic issue. His words still reverberate in our ears.

Ajith was a man of his convictions. Such men are rare. We dip our banner in his memory!