Using the pen for bullying, slandering and saying nothing

A reader’s comment

(March 16, Colombo, Sri Lanka Guardian) In a recently published an article by Dayan Jayatilleka makes a wonderful observation of some kind of journalism that prevails in in Sri Lanka, comparing it to history writing published in Sri Lankan newspapers. In both people without qualifications do the writing, he says. How true! Just take the rubbish published under “Underpala” column in LakbimaNews, by someone known also as “Pundaya”. In Sri Lanka “Underya” and “ Pundaya” tradition of journalism prevails and Dayan is quite write about that tradition of journalism. Essentially both Underya and Pundaya wrote politically convenient rubbish. Writing for the powers that be and get somewhere or something, that’s the philosophy, if you may call it that.

Sri Lanka of course is not like Middle East or any other place for that matter. It neither explodes nor implodes. In this wonderful land anyone who thinks get into trouble and those who are willing to be stooges are rewarded. Every top post is filled by those who have are willing to sing for their patron.

There is total national security, as even the army commander can be put in prison without causing any rebellion. How can you compare this place with any other place!

What a wonderful mind this Dayan has to see the uniqueness of Sri Lanka so clearly. Unlike Underya and Pundaya, he is really brilliant.

This Underya and Pundaya tradition is quite wide speared. See the article by Malinda Seneviratne ‘the politics of Patricia Butenis’ civil society angst’ and the Nation’s Firing line column. Using the pen for bullying, slandering and saying nothing is the common feature of such writings.

When it comes to Web publications Underyas and Pundas are motivated by jealousy and envy. Perhaps, tired by pen pushing for patrons, and seeing the loss of their readers make them jealous about the Web newspapers that are popular. Reading of Sunday papers of this wonderful island adds only to boredom, thanks to the lasting Underya and Pundaya tradition.