EDITORIAL: Hate cancer rapidly spreading in the Sri Lanka media circle.

by Nilantha Ilangamuwa

Editor, Sri Lanka Guardian

(March 18, New Delhi, Sri Lanka Guardian) The 13th March 2011 edition of the ‘Nation’ published in Sri Lanka was invective when it attempted to scorn at Sri Lanka Guardian and its editor for undertaking the task of revealing news from and about Sri Lanka under difficult circumstances.

The ‘Nation’ has joined the team and has come to the rescue of Lakbimanews which successively published write-ups anti-Sri Lanka Guardian, under the pseudonym name of Underpala. Sri Lanka Guardian responded to one of the writing in kind (Link ) by deviating from the media ethics without naming the culprit, by implication revealing the identity of the said reptile Underpala who is counting his steps in his residual age.

The Sri Lanka Guardian is in the process of collecting further information about the said Underpala and will reveal his full name and details at an opportune moment for our readers to know the hostile and callous mindset of this person.

The ‘Nation’ has come to the rescue to bolster the campaign of Underpala of the Lakbimanews. The writing in the ‘Nation’ reflects the traits of the said bad-mannered Underpala who had written for few decades on the same hostile tenor on several issues.

Sri Lanka Guardian is not against our military men or a just war executed by our forces. What we are against is unfair conduct by the regular forces to indiscriminately target the civilian population. We are against our forces being reduced to terrorist standard and this is what irked the blindfolded journalists who are gloating in the unprecedented brutality of the victory. It is no point blocking the passage after the emission of the pong gas from the system. It will only stink.

The government is trying hard to close all the avenues to prevent the truth of the war being revealed and for this most of the Sri Lanka media too is extraordinarily suppressed to exercise self censorship in fear. But the truth is progressively leaking and barricades are slowly but sufficiently getting shattered one by one. For this Sri Lanka Guardian too is being targeted to tight its lip. Media is being used to slaughter the media. Even Goebells will be stunned if he wakes up from his grave to see what is happening in Sri Lanka.

The Island newspaper was praised recently as the best newspaper for upholding the values of the government. In this, even the government’s Daily News is put to the back burner. This is indicative of what one could expect from ‘The Island’ for Sri Lanka Guardian being outspoken on issues that is hurting the very family power that is embarked on a crusade to run a democratic dictatorship thriving on the dishonest war that was carried out against its own people.

The Sri Lanka Guardian is fully aware of the person under the pseudonym name of Underpala and his modes operandi. It is sad that the ‘Nation’ is giving value to the journalistic aberration of this opportunist scoundrel who is sniping from hiding behind the cloak of the down-under Underpala.

My response to the ‘Nation’ is appended below:

Dear Sir

In your column, Firing Line, datelined 13th March, 2011 there is reference to maliciously tarnish my image.

I kindly request you to publish this clarification.

I graduated from Kelaniya University in 2005. Subjects covered were Mass Communication, Sociology and Political Science. Even before and after passing out from the University, I worked for Camillus Publications (for two years), Upali News Papers (for about two years) and then Stranded Newspapers until the time it was closed down due to media repression.

I started the Sri Lanka Guardian in 2007 and am publishing it continuously, despite encountering disproportionate level of intimidations, threats and blackmail for being outspoken and representative in the coverage of wider issues.

The Sri Lanka Guardian has established itself as a leading and outspoken media and will continue to speak against malevolence of the state.

The slanderous attack in your newspaper is an extension of the campaign carried out in the LakbimaNews to catapult at the Sri Lanka Guardian from the bunkers. It is obviously by someone who wished to remain anonymous in his ongoing campaign against our media to satisfy his master’s mission. I regret, your respectable newspaper have paved the way for the mischievous and unscrupulous writer to fiddle his way through.

The anonymous writer is none other than someone who gloats in the repression of the media and glorify in the sufferings of our people.

Yours faithfully,

Nilantha Ilangamuwa

Editor , Sri Lanka Guardian

www.srilankaguardian.org

I started journalism when I was 19 years old and worked for a monthly Sinhala medium magazine based in Colombo. Whilst I was doing my degree at the University of Kalaniya I joined the Divaina. Then later, I joined the Mawmiba and left after some government pandangkarayas at the Divaina made false allegations against me accusing of links to the foreign intelligence agencies and helping separatism.

I never worked as a freelance journalist, but was a permanent staff editing the foreign news page of a weekly Sinhala newspaper and moved to the English medium. The management fully supported me to develop my English knowledge knowing very well I was brought up in a village school in the outskirts of Colombo. My ability to progress received all the support from the management where firing was the norm for non performance. I used the pen with high esteem to uphold truth and justice. What I write and promote may hurt someone, but it is not done for my own personal benefits.

I did my duty to the utmost. I used to travel to war torn areas frequently without taking a cent payment from the company. Money was not my motto! Greed, dishonesty, hero worshiping etc., has corrupted many of our so-called English medium journalists. When I publish stories, I will defend them when being caricatured by the conditioned mindsets. I will not hesitate to say sorry if I did something wrong. I will always respect the decent journalists who had guided me during my employ to uphold high values when I was working for the Upali Newspapers.

The gloating comments of the self promoting Shakespearian Underpala & Co only becomes sensational when it is discharged after consuming sewage scotch cocktail. Sri Lanka Guardian has revealed that the said Underpala hopped from Colombo to London and to Bangkok and then back to Sri Lanka from there like a rollercoaster with the begging bowl to collect some pittance to prop up his downright arrogance.

Proof is in the eating of the pudding. Any amount of campaign against me and the Sri Lanka Guardian by the government backed Helsinki bandit or the frog jumping subservient Underpala with the help of the Sri Lanka Intelligence Service will not hinder our resolve to stand for truth, justice and freedom for our people.