This article commemorates the illustrious career of veteran newspaper editor, Edmund Ranasinghe, felicitated today by President Ranil Wickremesinghe, in recognition of his remarkable contributions to the nation’s journalism over a span of seven decades.
The year is 1952, and January has just ushered in a new beginning. A 21-year-old young man ascends the steps of the Lake House, a place he has never set foot in before. His purpose was to participate in the interview for recruiting novice journalists for Daily News.
Having presented his letter at the reception counter, he was promptly directed to the office of the Lake House Managing Director. Fair and amiable personality in both appearance and demeanour, he was known as Esmond Wickremesinghe. Interestingly, he is also the father of the incumbent President, Ranil Wickremesinghe.
He gestured for the young man to take a seat as he appeared before him.
“What’s your name?”
“I am Edmond Wickramaratne Ranasinghe.”
“Where are you from?”
“Puwakpitiya, close to Avissawella.”
“Are you already employed?”
“Yes, I am the English Teacher at Iridapola Junior College.”
“Why do you wish to pursue a career in journalism?”
Following the preliminary inquiries, the conversation turned to Wickremesinghe’s chosen topic.
“I am an avid reader, and I believe that my reading habit has equipped me with the skills to write.”
Journey to employment
The articulate response from the young man seated before him left Esmond Wickremesinghe impressed. It was clear to him that this candidate possessed the qualities he was seeking. After a lengthy conversation, he bid farewell to the young man, assuring him that he would be contacted for a second interview.
Exactly one week later, a letter arrived for young Edmond Ranasinghe. It was an invitation from Lake House for the second interview.
On the appointed day, Edmond Ranasinghe once again ascended the steps of the Lake House. This time, he met with Esmond Wickremesinghe for their second encounter. Joining them for the second interview was another individual, a consultant at Lake House named MA de Silva. De Silva had been a university colleague of Wickremesinghe.
The second interview proceeded in a warm and congenial manner. As the conversation flowed, Ranasinghe couldn’t help but harbour a sense of certainty, resonating not only in his thoughts but also deep within his core, that he was on the path to securing the position at Lake House.
Accordingly, on March 21, 1952, he assumed the role of a sub-editor at the Daily News. From that day forward, Esmond Wickremesinghe kept a watchful eye on this budding journalist. Wickremesinghe could possibly have sensed early on that this young man had the potential to become an asset to Lake House.
Starting as a sub-editor, he quickly transitioned into the role of a parliamentary reporter. He exhibited versatility by being proficient in both Sinhala and English and actively sought experience in all facets of journalism.
During the early seventies, he held the positions of deputy editor and news editor at Dinamina.
The year 1973 marked a pivotal moment in the history of Lake House. The Samagi Peramuna Government decided to take over Lake House. In response to this move, Edmond Ranasinghe made a bold and principled stand. He chose to resign and return home as a protest against the government’s decision. It was during this challenging period that the true strength of his character and resolve began to shine through.
Editorial renaissance
Following the Government change in 1977, Edmond Ranasinghe received an invitation to return to Lake House. He accepted the offer and was appointed as the editor of Dinamina. Although he had no initial intention of coming back, he couldn’t resist the strong appeal of his colleagues, including Prabath Manawasinghe. Under his editorial guidance, Dinamina underwent a transformation, reaching its readers freshly and engagingly, leading to a gradual increase in sales.
Simultaneously, Edmond Ranasinghe was transferred to Silumina. The esteemed position of Silumina Chief Editor bore his name.
Edmond Ranasinghe, along with his colleagues, breathed new life into Silumina. During his tenure, he made a noteworthy decision to serialise a novel by TB Ilangaratne, a renowned novelist who had previously served as the Trade Minister in the Samagi Peramuna Government. The decision was not without its share of challenges from the management. However, the sales of Silumina soared, surpassing an impressive milestone of three lakhs. The record he set during that time remains unbroken to this day.
While all these developments were unfolding, in early 1981, Nandasena Suriyaarachchi, a colleague at Lake House, brought forth a significant piece of news. It was reported that Upali Wijewardena, a rising business magnate in the country, had expressed his interest in meeting with the Ranasinghe intending to launch a new newspaper. Upali Wijewardena was the Greater Colombo Economic Commission Chairperson at the time.
Edmond Ranasinghe made his way to Wijewardena’s office. Ranasinghe expressed his readiness to accept the invitation, provided that his editorial independence remained intact. Wijewardena concurred, agreeing to the condition.
Achieving the goal of that meeting, Ranasinghe led a team of colleagues from Lake House to the office situated on Bloemendhal Road, near the Sugathadasa Stadium, to launch the ‘Divaina’ newspaper.
This dynamic team comprised individuals such as Nandasena Suriyaarachchi, Dayaratne Ranasinghe, Upali Tennakone, Gamini Sumanasekara, Sunil Madhava Prematilake, Dharmaratne Wijesundara, and Wimal Weerasekera. Meryl Perera from the Davasa group also joined their ranks.
Unbiased journalism
Divaina Irida Sangrahaya was inaugurated on October 4, 1981, under Edmond Ranasinghe’s editorship. The Divaina management granted him the editorial independence he had requested. Ranasinghe’s primary goal was to deliver precise and impartial reporting on the events unfolding in the country. He remained unconcerned about whether the news and features were seen as pro-government or anti-government. His sole dedication was to ensure that accurate information was placed in the hands of the public.
In this manner, ‘Divaina’ gradually evolved into the voice of the ordinary citizens of the country. The July strikers who lost 30,000 jobs were also among them.
As terrorism led by Prabhakaran in the North began to escalate in 1983, Ranasinghe strongly advocated that the response should be conveyed in a language that the terrorists could comprehend and deter.
Edmond Ranasinghe was the pioneer in introducing a revolutionary humanitarian approach that played a crucial role in eradicating terrorism from the country in 2009. He wielded his pen to champion this cause at every available opportunity.
During that period, the Tamil United Liberation Front (TULF) emerged as a significant opposition force in Sri Lanka. They secured 18 seats in the 1977 General Election, positioning themselves as the primary opposition party. This electoral success also resulted in a reduced presence of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP), which had been a cornerstone of the Samagi Peramuna Government, to only eight seats in the parliament.
During this period, Divaina played a pivotal role in bringing to light the diverse ideologies and contradictions within the majority Sinhalese population in the country. It served as a platform to communicate these sentiments to the public. Since this open discourse wasn’t particularly favourable for the stability of the Government at the time, the administration appointed a competent authority to the ‘Divaina’ editorial. Dr. Sarath Amunugama assumed this role.
Ranasinghe bore the weight of these diverse pressures and ensured that the ‘Divaina’ editorial team continued their work with freedom and autonomy.
Steadfast resilience
In the mid-1980s, as a result of the activities of youth representing the banned JVP ideology, the country faced increasingly uneasy conditions. During this time, Divaina under Ranasinghe’s guidance took measures to provide accurate reporting of the events occurring in the country without taking an advocacy stance. The government’s actions were also transparently communicated to the public.
Throughout this period, ‘Divaina’ also had to contend with the presence of various undisclosed pressures and influences. Dayasena Gunasinghe, who was ‘Divaina’ Irida Sangrahaya Deputy Editor, was placed on compulsory leave. Dharman Wickramaratne, the present editor of Silumina, also had to step down due to an article he had written with the title Ginigath Dakunata Giyemi (Into the Scorching South).
Edmond Ranasinghe miraculously survived a bomb attack that occurred on November 30, 1988, at his residence. Despite enduring relentless pressures, he remained steadfast. It’s worth contemplating the potential consequences if the bomb had detonated just ten seconds earlier.
He exhibited remarkable resilience in the face of adversity. The very next morning, he returned to the ‘Divaina’ office to find that everything was as it should be, undeterred by the previous night’s bomb incident. He emphasised that he was a person who couldn’t be easily intimidated by threats. The Police took statements from him regarding the bomb attack on his home at the ‘Divaina’ office. He had a profound understanding of the weight of his national responsibilities and valued them above any threats to his own life.
Reprimands and unwavering resolve
After President Premadasa assumed power following the era of JR Jayewardene, he perceived certain reports in the country, including those by Ranasinghe, as unfavourable to his administration. Despite their past friendship, President Premadasa did not tolerate Ranasinghe’s behaviour. In 1991, this friction came to a head when President Premadasa publicly 
reprimanded journalists at a land distribution ceremony held in Korathota, Kaduwela. At one point, he even approached Edmond Ranasinghe in vernacular dialect: “Edmond umba denaganin”. The tone in which President Premadasa uttered these words carried a sharp and reproachful edge. On that very stage, President Premadasa directed verbal criticism at Wijeya Newspapers Chairman Ranjith Wijewardene.
Despite all these challenges, Edmond Ranasinghe remained resolute and refused to back down. When all previous efforts had yielded no results, Minister Sirisena Cooray, a significant figure within the Government at that time, personally reached out to Lakmini R. Wijewardene, the Chairperson of Upali Newspapers, conveying a special message on behalf of President Premadasa.
The message conveyed was, “If Edmond is dismissed, one bank is prepared to default on the substantial debt owed to them…”
“I hold Edmond in high regard, so I am committed to finding a way to settle those debts.”
Disheartened by the response from the Chairman of Upali Newspaper Company, Minister Cooray turned and left.
School of leadership
Back then, ‘Divaina’ stood as a significant hub of learning, with Edmond Ranasinghe as its guiding beacon. Over a dozen individuals who collaborated within the same editorial board under his mentorship eventually ascended to become top executives within the country’s print and electronic media establishments. This group includes Ministry Secretaries, Presidents, and even an acting vice chancellor.
Following Edmond Ranasinghe, Upali Tennakone assumed the editorship at ‘Divaina’. Subsequently, he also became the founding editor of ‘Rivira’. In the years that followed, ‘Divaina’ saw editors such as Meryl Perera, Gamini Sumanasekara, Jayantha Chandrasiri, Narada Nissanka, and Anura Solomons taking the helm. Gayirika Perusinghe and Anura Siriwardena later assumed the role of ITN Chairman.
Following his chairmanship at ITN, Anura Siriwardena served as the Secretary of the Ministry of Industries, while Gayirika Perusinghe became the Chief Executive Officer of Rivera Media Corporation. Sundara Nihathamani de Mel assumed the position of Irida ‘Lakbima’ editor, while Kitsiri Nimal Shanta and later Jatila Wellabada took on the role of daily ‘Lakbima’ editor. Mahinda Abeysundara served as Dinamina Editor while Karunadasa Suriyaarachchi held the position of editor at Silumina. Sunil Madhava served as the editor of Lakmina and Lakdiva. Shan Wijetunga transitioned to become the first Director of the Communications Department of the Parliament of Sri Lanka, following his role as the Political Affairs Section Head of the Swarnavahini channel.
Presently, Dharman Wickramaratne serves as the editor of Silumina, and the editorship of Dinamina is held by Manoj Abayadeera. The editorship of Silumina was previously held by Lakshman Piyasena and Charminda Wariyagoda before Dharman Wickramaratne took over the role. Charminda now serves as the editor of Sunday and ‘Daily Mawbima’. In the television industry, Asoka Dias serves as the director for Sirasa TV and MTV, while Harith Gunawardena, who was formerly a Director at a newspaper company, is currently the Salacine Chairman. Deepti Adhikari is presently the Deputy Director of the Presidential Media Division. Tissa Weerasekera, an assistant editor of Irida ‘Divaina’ Sangrayaha, took a unique career path to serve as the acting Vice-Chancellor of Rajarata University.
These individuals who have assumed leadership roles in the national media of the country have honed their skills in the field of journalism under the mentorship of Edmond Ranasinghe. Without a doubt, he could be aptly referred to as the doyen or pillar of our nation’s journalism.
Let this article stand as a sincere tribute to Edmond Ranasinghe as he celebrates his 93rd year.
Sisira Paranathanthri