The funeral of veteran journalist Sabarathnam Anandakumar (71), Associate Editor of our sister publication Sunday Observer, will be held tomorrow in Mulleriyawa.
Born in the year that Sri Lanka achieved Independence, Anandakumar was the son of Rasavasekaran Sabarathnam and Anapoornam Sabarathnam of Jaffna. Anandakumar, affectionately known called “Ana” studied at Hartley College, Jaffna and St.Sylvester’s College, Kandy, before leaving for India for higher studies.
Upon his return, the trilingual Anandakumar joined the Sri Lanka Transport Board (SLTB). However, many co-workers noted his command of the English language and a friend who had joined Lake House urged Anandakumar to join the Sunday Observer where a vacancy for a sub-editor had become available.
Anandakumar joined the Lake House in 1983 and had completed 36 years of service at the Sunday Observer at the time of his demise after a brief illness. He worked under many editors, all of whom came to depend on his punctuality, methodical approach, organizational capacity and journalistic acumen.
Ana was the live wire of the Sunday Observer, who made sure that the journalists completed their copies on time and the layout personnel completed the pages on time. Nothing irked Ana more than a delay at any section of the newspaper and he insisted on sending the pages to the press on time. He would always say that the reader should get the newspaper on time. Ana was a tireless worker who put the newspaper first, even before his health. Young journalists learnt a lot from him and his approach to journalism.
Ana is survived by his wife Chulani Wickramasinghe and children Lucian, Yashan and Narmada, who has followed in her father’s footsteps to become a journalist at the Daily News.
His remains are at his residence No. 235, Sri Sumana Mawatha, Kelanimulla, Mulleriyawa and the cremation will take place at the Kotikawatte cemetery at 6 p.m. on Thursday (23).
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