Lasantha Wickrematunge, a name synonymous with fearless journalism, resonates in the corridors of time, not merely as a memory but as a clarion call for truth. His assassination on 8 January 2009 marked a chilling moment in Sri Lanka’s history, not just for the act itself but for the ideals that died with him. 

In the silent but emotionally-charged air of the Borella Cemetery, where a handful of devoted souls gathered to commemorate Lasantha, lies a testament to the undying legacy of a journalist who dared to speak truth to power. Fifteen years after his demise, the enthusiasm with which people remember him is not just heartening; it’s a hope in a world often clouded by fear and silence.

Dilrukshi Handunnetti, Lasantha’s protégé, now a vanguard in investigative journalism, embodies his spirit. Her address to the gathering wasn’t just a speech; it was a narrative of resilience, a homage to a mentor who shaped her path and, by extension, the way of truth-seeking in journalism. 

What is the truth?

What is the truth? The truth can be subjective depending on the lens you wear. The truth can be sought only through an open dialogue based on data, facts, and evidence. Human decisions are based on pertinent experience as taught in psychology. Our DNA, experiences, and circumstances often cloud our choices. 

Lasantha’s assassination was probably due to circumstances. People go to extremes to protect themselves from danger, and, as Handunnetti said in her speech, Lasantha’s cause was others’ nightmare. 

My journey with Lasantha’s work began with the inception of The Sunday Leader. Suranimala, his pseudonymous column, was more than just a weekend read; it was an addiction, a ritual that provided insight into the corridors of power and the schemes of those who walked them. When the news of his murder reached me, I was overseas. His assassination was as if the pen that wrote Suranimala had been forcibly stilled, leaving a void in the fabric of Sri Lankan investigative journalism. 

There is no doubt that Lasantha was political. He picked and chose who he wanted to expose and attack. He took sides. It is no secret in the inner political circles that Lasantha harboured dreams of political office, and many were worried about his rise and controlling power in politics. On a Sunday morning, Suranimala’s column created political storms. It was precision political engineering using a pen, not a gun. 

Since Lasantha’s death, I stopped reading The Sunday Leader. I ended years of association with the paper as a reader. Deep down, I was reading Suranimala, not the newspaper. I liked Lasantha the writer, more than the TV talk show host. On the screen, he was not as powerful as he was with the pen. That’s only my humble opinion and you may have an alternative view. 

Can life be destroyed for words?

Lasantha’s journalism, while contentious to some due to its political nature and unapologetic truth-telling, raises a fundamental question: can life be destroyed for mere words? This notion shakes the very foundation of free speech and press freedom. Lasantha’s untimely death is a stark reminder of the power of the pen and the lengths to which some will go to silence it. 

A few of my friends in journalism in Sri Lanka were harassed and intimidated. Some self-exile and some continue to write. Some are ghostwriters. Lasantha was not the only journalist killed in Sri Lanka. There were many over the years – no one talks of them. Perhaps Lasantha was the most popular and influential of them all.

Though I like Lasantha, his life should not have been more critical than those of any other journalists who were killed over the years. However, I understand famous incidents always garner importance. But if you want an equitable country, rewards and penalties should be the same for everyone. Is it practical in a country like Sri Lanka? Absolutely not.  

Suranimala was not just a column; it was a narrative woven with evidence, insights, and the courage to delve into uncomfortable truths. Lasantha’s network of informants was not merely sources of information; they were the underpinning of a journalistic endeavour that sought to bring hidden truths to light. This fearless pursuit of truth set him apart in a field where many tread cautiously. 

Many great journalists are treading cautiously; simply, it’s foolish to lay down your life for the sake of your passion. I have been blessed to associate with fearless journalists and columnists. Sri Lanka’s situation is much better now compared to the previous three decades. 

Bangladesh becoming another Sri Lanka?

In Bangladesh, Prime Minister Hasina just won a fifth term and many fear a dictatorship while silencing all opposing views, including journalists and civil society. Last May I was in Bangladesh, and the story of economic prosperity was overshadowing the anti-democratic practices. Yesterday, I had a conversation with a political thinker deeply rooted in Bay of Bengal politics, and it was alarming to hear what is taking place in Bangladesh now. Some of my regular readers are corporate magnates who do business in Bangladesh and it’s worthwhile calibrating political and economic risk that undoubtedly impacts the business.

It’s a popular belief that Bangladesh is prospering but the reality is they are heading to be another Sri Lanka. The irony is you read what is available and when you silence journalists you will never hear the other perspective. The world needs more Suranimalas. People need to know the truth as it affects their way of life, economies, and the social fabric.

A voice for the voiceless

Reading Raine Wickrematunge’s biography of Lasantha reveals a man who was not just a journalist and a crusader but a voice for the voiceless from his earliest days. The affection and reverence he commands from those he mentored and worked with speaks volumes of the man beyond the journalist – a man who was, as described by a family member close to me, “larger than life – when he walked into a room, everyone stood up unconsciously”.

Raine, ex-wife of Lasantha, and mother of his three children, is probably one of the most underrated journalists in the country; she narrates Lasantha the real man. It’s worth reading ‘Unbowed and Unafraid – The Lasantha Wickrematunge Biography’. Lasantha the husband, Lasantha the father, and Lasantha the journalist were three personalities interwoven in free spirit and free thinking. 

I quote Raine, in the most interesting paragraph: “The man then told Samarasinha that he had been one of the gang that assaulted ‘Lasantha and Raine’ in 1995. He was suffering from immense guilt because, as he put it, he had later learnt that these were decent people and he was deeply ashamed at being part of the assault. He had asked Samarasinha whether he could ask for my forgiveness. ‘She was a brave woman. She jumped on her husband’s back and protected him even while we beat her,’ he had said with great shame. ‘Please arrange for me to ask her for her forgiveness.’”

This is an amazing story of Raine and Lasantha, who were a couple for over three decades. And another side of the story is how people who kill, assault, and intimidate others go through life-prolonged mental pressures and health issues. Karma is accurate and no one can escape. Lasantha was killed by people who never knew him. If they had known Lasantha, they would not have.

Today, 15 years after his voice was silenced, Suranimala’s silence resonates with a melody of resilience and undying courage. While opinions on his brand of journalism may vary, the fact of his unjust murder stands as an undeniable truth. I’m afraid I have to disagree with anything that ends with a murder. No one should have the right to kill another. In Sri Lanka, we have seen enough killings, especially since 1983, and we must put a stop to the culture of impunity. 

Whither justice for Lasantha?

Many of my colleagues were hopeful that there would be justice for Lasantha in 2015. Lasantha was a vital symbol of the 2015 Presidential Election. There were many symbols and Lasantha was one of them. 

Today, Lasantha is a forgotten man, not because of anything, but because he is irrelevant. Power and politics are different from what people think they are. Managing a family, village, city, or country requires additional manoeuvring, and, sometimes, you have to betray your convictions for the sake of securing power, and, most importantly, retaining it.

In a broader context, Lasantha’s story is not an isolated incident. It is part of continuous violence against journalists, especially since 1983. For some, Lasantha is a hero; for others, a controversial figure. But what is undeniable is the impact of his work and the void left by his absence.

Suranimala in a digital age

In an era where digital journalism is reshaping narratives, one can only speculate on how Lasantha would have navigated this new terrain. With YouTubers and digital platforms exposing realities with a boldness reminiscent of Lasantha’s, one can’t help but wonder how Suranimala would have adapted to and thrived in this new age of information dissemination.

Suranimala today would have used Twitter (X) effectively to engage the top end of society; a Facebook page, Facebook Messenger, and WhatsApp to employ the close circle; a YouTube channel disseminating graphical images and videos to reach millions of viewers in hours. Hold on, he would have used TikTok to narrate a story in under 10 minutes to a younger audience. 

Overall, Lasantha – Suranimala – would have been more assertive in 2024 than in 2009. He could have been the Napoleon of journalism in the digital age. For his enemies, it’s good that he is no more!

Presidential Election 2024

Sri Lanka is heading for a Presidential Election in 2024. I believed it could be held in the third week of August, but some in my inner political circle suggest it could be in the first week of October. 

I had written before that President Wickremesinghe would run for the presidency when many dismissed the idea of him running. He has confirmed to many that he will be running. However, Wickremesinghe must publicly state his candidacy for the sake of global and domestic political actors to eliminate further ambiguity. The alliances, both domestic and international, will move in different directions afterwards. 

He will inevitably start his campaign by providing relief to the masses and you will perhaps see the presidential campaigning kick off in April. Don’t be surprised that Sinhala and Tamil New Year celebrations will be full of presidential aspirants becoming too Sinhala. Sarongs, oil lamps, milk rice, and photo ops with first ladies will be a worthy drama to watch. I will not be surprised if, during the campaign period, President Wickremesinghe does a house warming ceremony at the 5th Lane house which was burnt down by a section of the Aragalaya protesters.  

Fake news and credible journalism

During this Presidential Election we will see a tsunami of fake news created. The presidential candidate who can weather the storm of fake news and character assassination in the digital space is likely to emerge the winner. I have written before that fake news is an opportunity to expose the truth to the public. Any candidate needs to have a rapid-fire damage control team to handle any crisis. Political communications is mostly about damage control and less about proactive communications.  

The press and television are critical even in this new age of media. The above mediums still command respect and it’s essential to build credibility. However, newspaper circulation figures cut a sorry figure and television is full of dramas and entertainment talk shows. Radio is dying; who wants to listen to a radio station when you have a free Spotify playlist?

The quality of journalism is probably at the lowest in the country and I hardly see the younger generation wanting to be journalists. Journalism is a passion project but in a world led by consumerism, journalism does not pay to live a decent life for many. The media owners are struggling to survive in the new age of media where corporate advertising has a reconfiguration. Therefore, whether you like it or not, media owners too have to toe the line to protect the funding line.

The best example was The Sunday Leader, under Lasantha. He defined the rules and the newspaper became commercially unviable. I was one of the corporate executives who had to ignore advertising spent on The Sunday Leader, purely because it was a risk to the brand to  associate with Lasantha, who was attacking the sitting president and the power centres. 

Next time, before you criticise a journalist or a media house, be aware that the dynamics are not as easy as you think from the outside. In a country like Sri Lanka, everyone knows how to do others’ jobs, but miserably fails at doing their own job.

A shoddy YouTuber, without any training, skill, experience, and knowledge can pocket easily half a million rupees a month. One of the leading YouTube show hosts charges Rs. 400,000 for a 30-minute interview. Some of my senior colleagues in journalism do not earn more than Rs. 150,000 ($ 500) for the whole month. Who is at fault for this? Don’t blame YouTube; don’t blame the system.

My partner Prof. Alex Lin and I have been studying the reconfiguration of media in the last 12 months. Alex, a silent champion of the global digital economy, has a different perspective of the new-age media than what’s discussed in public. It’s inevitable that media houses will be small in size and that AI will not only disrupt the news content and news cycles but it will change the way we consume news, thus creating new opportunities for those who dare. The commercial models require soul searching.  

The need for more investigative journalists in Sri Lanka is more pressing than ever. Journalists not only document history; they shape the consciousness of a nation, challenging norms and bringing to light the truths that often lie buried in the shadows of power and politics. 

In remembering Lasantha Wickrematunge, we do more than honour a journalist; we reignite a commitment to the truth, a dedication to fearless journalism, and a resolve to ensure that the voices of the silenced are heard, now and always. 

Suranimala is silent. The sound of his silence is worth listening to.