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Goodbye Ajith - legend of a generation | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Senior journalist and campaigner for press freedom, Ajith Samaranayke passed away on Wednesday. Ajith was a journalist who had inspired a generation of journalists in Sri Lanka. He was a founder member of the Free Media Movement. In statement issued today, Free Media Movement said, "We celebrate Ajith’s life as one of Sri Lanka’s leading journalists committed to professional journalism and media reform. Throughout his career, he explored the challenges of peace- building, good governance and democracy in Sri Lanka in a manner inspired by principles of professional and ethical journalism." Ajith worked in private and state media organisations for many years. Wherever he was, He was known to write with integrity. His passion for journalism and dedication inspired a whole generation of journalists. In the statement, the FMM say, "His vision for media was one that would articulate the aspirations and concerns of all peoples in Sri Lanka. Conciliatory, deeply insightful, vigorous, passionate and committed, Ajith’s writings over the years show a journalist not averse to controversy and who welcomed public debate of his ideas and opinions." In his popular column in the government newspaper Sunday Observer, he recently wrote about the abduction and the killing of his friend and colleague D. Sivaram. "Last week I closed this column by saying that by certain deaths we stand condemned. I would want to add that by certain deaths we are also impoverished and debilitated as a society and a nation." Ajith's colleague and dear friend Laxman Gunasekera told Sandeshaya that Ajith was "frustrated" about the recent political developments in the country. He was very much concerned about moral and spiritual deterioration of the state, political establishment and community, Gunasekera said. There was'nt anybody else during his time who had written so cleaverly and deeply about the political life in Sri Lanka, Gunasekera told the BBC. Ajith, though wote in English contributed to Sinhala literature greatly but in a small way. He was a film critic and wrote about cinema, Gunasekera said. Ajith Samaranayake was a person who did not bow down to social and political injustice,Laxman Gunasekera added. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Tamil issue paramount in relations - India 