Only a few people have influenced the course of Sri Lanka's history in the manner that D.R. Wijewardene, founder of the Associated Newspapers of Ceylon Limited (ANCL), has done. As we commemorate the 132nd birth anniversary of this noble son of Lanka, it is time to re-appraise his yeoman service to the nation.
Don Richard Wijewardene was born on February 23, 1886 as the third child of Muhandiram Tudugala Don Philip Wijewardene of Sedawatte, Wellampitiya in the suburbs of Colombo and Helena Wijewardene of Waragoda, Kelaniya. Helena Wijewardene known as “Lamatheni” (Lady) was the greatest philanthropist at that time also got the Kelaniya temple restored to its present grandeour and glory at her own expense.
D. R. Wijewardene received his primary education at Sedawatte School and his secondary education at S. Thomas’ College, Mount Lavinia. At that College he got through his Junior Cambridge and Senior Cambridge creditably well and proceeded to England to join the Cambridge University. He obtained B A and LLB Law and returned to the Motherland in 1912, having also qualified as a Barrister-at-Law of the Inner Temple.
It was during his studies in England that the seeds of his future endeavours were sown. He closely associated with a number of Indians and Sri Lankans who were involved in the independence campaigns in the two countries. He too wanted to raise the voice of the common man for independence. The medium he selected for this noble task was the newspaper.
Wijewardene, hailing from an affluent family, could have looked the other way and pursued his legal career in the UK or Sri Lanka and business interests while the people suffered under the yoke of colonialism. But he did not. He was in the vanguard of the freedom movement and in newspapers, found the perfect medium to carry forward the freedom struggle.
He once said: “I did not start a newspaper enterprise to bring home great argosies. There are many other fields in which fortunes can be made faster than in the newspaper industry.” This speaks volumes about his vision and mission.
It is perhaps ironic that the very idea of starting a newspaper company was proposed to Wijewardene by an Englishman - F. A. M. Cobert, a respected lawyer. That did not prevent Wijewardene from campaigning for the ouster of the colonial Government from our shores via his newspapers.
Wijewardene took the epoch-making step towards building his newspaper group, still the country's largest, by acquiring the 'Dinamina' pioneered by H. S. Perera, in 1914. His next major step was the acquisition of ‘The Ceylonese' in 1918, which he renamed ‘Ceylon Daily News'. In fact, the Ceylon Daily News became such an ingrained part of people's lives that many old timers still call it the CDN, long after the newspaper shed the 'Ceylon' tag.
Daily News 100 years
It is indeed fitting that the Daily News, the flagship of ANCL nurtured by Wijewardene, celebrated its 100th anniversary just last month. The Daily News was – and is – a microcosm of Wijewardene’s vision for a newspaper. Wijewardene would have been among the happiest of individuals if he were alive today to see the progress made by the Daily News and other publications of ANCL.
It became one of the most influential voices in the local political scene, shaping opinions and creating debate and it remains so, 100 years on.
The Daily News is still recognized as the leading English daily in Sri Lanka with a global print and online readership. Today’s all-colour high-tech Daily News is a far cry from the very first Daily News of January 3, 2018, but the values that the newspaper was founded on, such as its commitment to the highest standards of journalism, still remain the same.
Another milestone in his odyssey was the outright purchase of the then 90-year-old Observer in 1923. He eventually owned seven newspapers - Dinamina, Silumina, Ceylon Daily News, Observer, Sunday Observer, Thinakaran and Sunday Thinakaran. In fact, the ANCL was the only publishing house that printed newspapers and periodicals in all three languages until a few years ago.
Having a fine grasp of the intricacies of journalism, he sought the best journalists and editors for his newspapers and indeed, they are still household names. These individuals shared Wijewardene's passion for journalism and high editorial standards. He also ensured that his newspapers reflected the views and concerns of all communities and religious groups.
A patriot to the core, he wanted the nation to triumph over adversity and forge unity in diversity. Through the Daily News and Dinamina, he saw an opportunity to fight for values that we hold dear - freedom, democracy and sovereignty. There was another driving force that helped him in this effort – Buddhism.
His Buddhist background and faith in the Buddhist doctrine helped him to get through all the storms and emerge stronger. It is no coincidence that until recently, Lake House was the only publishing house to offer a weekly Buddhist periodical (Budusarana).
As one of his biographers, a former chief editor of the Daily News H.A.J. Hulugalle wrote, "before he was fifty, D. R. Wijewardene had established several flourishing newspapers, built up a great business and influenced the course of the Island's history. Perseverance, courage and a high sense of public duty were the main elements of his success."
An iconic building
He was a perfectionist and a trailblazer. The Lake House (so named because of its proximity to the Beira Lake) edifice, instantly recognized by people across the island, is a proud monument to his lasting legacy.
This iconic building itself will turn 100 a decade from now. He had the foresight to see that technology will improve and hence commissioned a building that is fairly flexible to accommodate larger printing presses. He installed the latest printing technology available at that time and assured a good working environment for his employees. Lake House employees enjoy some of the welfare measures he initiated to this day.
Indeed, men of his calibre are few and far between. While the newspaper industry has changed drastically since 1920s, the ideals he cherished in the field of journalism still hold true. However, not all journalists and media outlets play by these rules.
Today, print media outlets are facing stiff competition from electronic media – there was no television here during Wijewardene's time. Newspapers have also embraced the Internet even as they compete with dedicated news websites and so-called citizen journalism websites. People are bombarded with news 24/7, on their mobiles, on television, radio and on the Net. Truth and accuracy often become casualties of this 'race to be first' and even national interests are sometimes disregarded.
Despite these developments, reports of the death of the newspaper are greatly exaggerated. Newspapers still have a story to tell – one that is more analytical, more in-depth and more trustworthy than the sound bites and video clips of the Internet age. That tallies with what D.R. Wijewardene wanted to do with his newspaper – telling stories with depth, perception and purpose.
All journalists still have to be guided by the principles that D.R. Wijewardene believed in – being bold, truthful and objective - in this noble mission.
There are only a very few left alive who have worked with him and who can recall his zest for life itself, but long after they are gone, a grateful nation will remember his steadfast commitment to journalism, truth and above all, courage.
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