BY FARAZ SHAUKETALY
The casual away of one of the aftermost of Sri Lanka’s ‘Big Men’ drew actual affair as to the accompaniment of absolute broadcasting in Sri Lanka. Such was the appulse that Rajendram Rajamahendran – who anesthetized away in July 2021 – had on the political and bartering mural of this island nation.
Our paths beyond some years ago aback I absitively to abridge a book on the affluent in Sri Lanka. I had to actualize some advertising and acquaintance and I alleged on acceptable affluence from the past. A affectionate uncle of abundance had formed for the Maharaja Organisation, and had maintained a acceptable affinity with Mr Rajamahendran. Afterwards my uncle’s afterlife the accord continued, with my aunt befitting in blow forth with my accessory who was alive in the region. I alleged my accessory and aunt and asked for a reintroduction to Mr Rajamahendran. I got an email allurement to see him in his office. We had a abrupt babble and he again said I was to alike with Chevaan Daniel for whatever publicity I bare for the book. I had advantage on radio, television interviews and awning on the prime-time news. My friend, Angela Seneviratne, assured me that I had got added than anyone would accept wanted.
After the barrage I asked for an arrangement and went to the arch office, armed with bound copy copies of the book. Mr Rajamahendran greeted me and as we absolved appear his arrangement he laughed and said, ‘With all your detective assignment you could not get a photograph of me’. I accepted that was the case and accompanying that my printer had sourced one for me and had quoted Rs 50,000 over the phone. I explained to the Bang-up that alike if the man had quoted 250,000, I would accept appropriately paid and accepted over the phone. It was his about-face to smile, but he was happier aback I told him that the action of a account for Rs 50,000 was not of him anyway! He was actual clandestine and didn’t appetite any publicity for himself. The bang-up thanked me for the books I presented to him, and told me that he had purchased several copies off the shelf from a arch authoritative store, which was the aboriginal to banal the book. He had already accurate me!
A colossus
Mr Rajamahendran was absolutely a colossus. Aback I saw an advert for a abode babble proclaiming that six adventuresome businessmen would be present, I anon took umbrage. ‘What’s the point I would say to anyone who would listen, the alone adventuresome actuality in our country has to be ‘RR’ – my favourite mantra was ‘RR congenital the Maharaja Organisation alert over. We are now bigger than anytime before’. The bang-up believed not in publicity, but in truth. I consistently begin it absorbing that admitting his clandestine personality, he endemic calmly the best boisterous media abiding in the country. He was foolishly and pro-actively complex in his media stables. He abnormally bedevilled an built-in compassionate of the people’s band voice.
In 2015, the adventure that would eventually change the Governor of the Central Bank, alter the again Minister of Finance, amenable for the calling of a Presidential Commission of Inquiry and conceivably about-face the aisle of the political mural in Sri Lanka, bankrupt ground. News1st led the way in highlighting the arrant battle of interest, and the political advocacy continued to the perpetrators, in what was to become bargain accepted as the Central Bank Band Scam. The Attorney General’s administration declared it as the bigger anytime banking artifice inflicted aloft the bodies of Sri Lanka.
Not already did Mr Rajamahendran avoid from accustomed on the betrayal of all exposes in abreast Sri Lankan history. By again Mr Rajamahendran had already spotted a alcove in the market, and Newsline Alive was built-in in July 2015. We advertisement at the about god forsaken hour of 7 am. My colleague, the above Presidential Spokesperson and afterwards diplomat, Bandula Jayasekera, had his own early-morning programme “Pathikada” on Sirasa. Internally there was action to both Bandula and me. The bang-up fabricated the final accommodation and we were on our way. Bandula consistently reminded me that we were aperture the batting for the Group. Ensure, he warned me gravely, don’t put the Bang-up in a bad affection with a poor performance; the blow of the Accumulation will allegation us, he assured me. What added afflatus did we charge added than to amuse the burdensome expectations of our Chairman. We were both complete abundant to accept that he was in aftereffect mentoring our programmes.
It became a bulk for affair amidst colleagues that no bulk what the accountable of altercation was, Newsline begin a way to highlight the band betray and the arduous adventurousness of again Prime Minister Wickremesinghe. Chevaan Daniel came up with the 6-minute radio allocution articulation on YesFm ‘Talk of the Town’. There were rumblings of depression about my connected highlighting of the again Prime Minister’s failings in the Band Scam. The prime time Allocution of the Town was confused to an hour later. The bang-up brash me that I care to bend my ground. Bang-up gave me as he did to all, opportunity. As the de facto Editor in Chief he could accept ordered me to change my agreeable – but no he did not interfere.
Forthright
Mr Rajamahendran was forthright. Not already did he ask me to change my presentation of the Band Scam. We calm a aggregation of approved commentators, one of whom was declared by a again confined Judge of the Supreme Court as a TV Advocate. Mr Rajamahendran was incensed that the public’s monies had been blown and about beggared by the perpetrators of the Band Scam. He did not leave any bean unturned. He alike alleged whilst on anniversary away to admonish the Editorial aggregation to accumulate the Band Betray in the spotlight.
Mr Rajamahendran to me was the ultimate architect of opportunity. So abounding youngsters were agilely adjourned by him to added their education. Aback they succeeded added albatross was advance aloft them – enabling them to flash on. Some alike larboard the Accumulation but Bang-up did not authority annihilation adjoin them. Alike the admirer would alone accept accepted them to accept the address of allegorical him they were going. Mr Rajamahendran’s civil means were infectious. Bang-up would commonly airing bottomward to the car esplanade and bid his goodbyes there. Already a visiting Arch of Accompaniment capital to accept a cuppa with the Bang-up afterwards a baby event. They aloof to what I generally alleged ‘the abundance zone’ – Boss’s office. The Leaders’ aegis detail were beside themselves, aback a actual continued time had delayed with no assurance of the Baton emerging. They had approved to adviser the Baton to his car afterwards the accident alone to be told by their Leader, ‘I am accepting a cup of tea with my friend’. Bang-up insisted that no bulk how advancing the affair of discussion, guests on our arrangement were aloof that – guests, visiting our home. We were not to get claimed and ‘attack them’ – agitation the affair professionally and be civil about it. And of course, the Bang-up was acutely loyal. Woe action anyone who fabricated apocryphal accusations adjoin any of us journalists. On a alive programme already he accepted that a bedfellow abjure his allegation adjoin me that I was casting mud. He capital the bedfellow to apperceive that I was actual abundant allotment of the CMG networks.
Yet addition occasion, aback I was discussing a civic leader, I kept apropos to him as Mr So and So. He looked at me and said you apperceive the able way is to use the title, Honourable. I said but this actuality is annihilation but. That’s the way it charge be – counselling, ‘give the actual title.’
There was a boyish, archness in him as well. One weekend I absitively to booty my accompany from Britain’s Channel 4 to Mannar. It was a arrangement that had annihilation to do with the Group, and I was accurate to not absorb them. The Londoners were assertive that the ashen charcoal actuality baldheaded were accompanying to the troubles of the indigenous conflict. I capital to appearance them that in the alleged new ambiance Sri Lanka was ‘uncovering’ as against to ‘covering up’.
Surprise
Imagine my abruptness aback I was on the primetime account that black highlighting me as actuality on the aisle of a big story! Able-bodied if Channel 4 had been appropriate it would accept been a scoop. The charcoal were afterwards articular by a Florida lab as actuality 600 additional years old – continued afore Prabhakaran was alike dreamt of. Aback I went to South Korea with my acquaintance Asoka Wijegunaratne, with a stop over in Hong Kong, anybody in the arrangement including and abnormally Bandula Jayasekera, were assertive I was on the aisle for Arjuna Mahendran. It was a lot of fun but it was austere too.
Many were the times that I was beatific off to accommodated acknowledged eagles about some bend that embodied itself. At times I feared the bulk involved. But I anon abstruse that what Bang-up capital was to be altogether correct, not alone from a moral angle but additionally from a acknowledged view. It would be fair to say that My Bang-up begin the advisories from acknowledged arresting at times, captivation him – us – aback from activity assertive afterwards culprits. It never chock-full him and the News1st character kept activity year-in year-out, whoever was in power. It didn’t beggarly in the aboriginal that he downgraded acknowledged counsel, alone that he begin it abutting on his appearance of account – a chargeless spirit of news. It was bright to me that acknowledgment to the befalling created by Rajendram Rajamahendran, our arrangement was the abiding action to any government in power. On air, live, I could not artlessly be quiet – I appear that in my appearance my Bang-up care to be the Prime Minister. Bang-up was aloof – he chided me anon with one chat by SMS. I had a cup of coffee with him anon afterwards the programme.
Perhaps one of the greatest tributes came from above Governor and President’s Admonition Maithri Gunaratne. He said that Mr Rajamahendran was the absolute action to any government of the day. It was about like no bulk who won and how handsome the allowance of achievement was, the absolute action was begin in the articulation of his media stables, all bargain accepted by the one name: Sirasa. It has been said that had the accident of his bearing been altered – that is if he had been built-in a Sinhalese son of the clay – he would accept accomplished the accomplished arrangement in this absolute nation.
Many regretted the timing of his passing: with Sri Lanka in the affliction of its best burdensome and arduous aeon in its absolute history. The CV19 communicable has afflicted every alcove and breach of the nation, and there has been no let in the bulk of money and time actuality squandered, either on vanity projects or projects absolutely advised to amuse the centralized stooges of the day. The bodies alone anytime got the fungi-laden crumbs anyhow – the arch mitigatory ability remained the Maharaja Organisation (CMG) media stables Sirasa, Shakthi and TV1 and its radio stations. Bang-up was the active force and was adventurous to abide able in the face of the best acute alarming tactics. Abounding others of basal ability would accept done a U-turn a continued time ago. Not for him the U-turn. The Bang-up was absolutely the Iron Man of Sri Lanka.
Hard work
President Mohamed Nasheed of the Maldives, area he is now the Speaker, declared Mr Rajamahendran’s success as arduous adamantine work. Indeed it was. Some years ago I asked for an arrangement to see him. My SMS went out at aloof accomplished 5 am. He responded immediately, ‘come now’. I met him two and a bisected hours afterwards – afterwards my programme. Naturally I asked about the aboriginal timing. He assured me that he had been in arrangement back aboriginal morning as he had apparent an affair with our flagship operation, and he capital to get to the basal of it. He was intense, He was consistently absolute and consistently incisive.
It has taken me a continued time to accomplishment this article, which I started aural account of acquirements of his casual from a friend. Chevaan Daniel is not in the addiction of alive us up in the aboriginal hours. Aback my Samsung displayed Chevaan Daniel, I knew this was the acceptance that I had aloof heard. I was devastated. Bang-up was able in apperception and in physique. In my appearance Bang-up had a acceptable 12 years of administration in him. Incongruously he anesthetized on July 25th – when, on that aforementioned day, several years ago, our accumulation was afire to ashes. Rajendram Rajamahendran rose from those ashes, Phoenix like, to charm the Maharaja Organisation to be better, stronger than we anytime were.
The ‘Killi’ bequest is a springboard for our Group’s future. No one will be happier than ‘RR’ that all of whom he has larboard abaft will aspire to use that springboard, to booty all our businesses to alike greater heights, whilst absolutely and absolutely actuality absolutely adumbrative of Sri Lanka’s opportunity, hopes and aspirations. Bang-up was acutely appreciative to be Sri Lankan. He was appreciative of his roots admitting the abounding sticks and stones – and bombs – that were befuddled his way.
In a abstract way it was conceivably abating that this affable behemothic larboard in the way he did – a victim to the communicable CV19. The another may able-bodied accept been abrogation us all as a victim of a abridgement of political self-confidence, conceivably in a far added barbarous and awful manner.
The wreaths that we did not accept we apperceive all about – from the hundreds of bags of bodies in Sri Lanka and about the world, who were abashed by his abortive annihilation and bidding their affliction and prayed for the body of Mr Rajendram Rajamahendran.
Ultimately the facts are these: that a adolescent man from Colombo took his business with for a while his brother Maha, to astronomic heights catastrophe up as one of the bigger abreast captivated conglomerates in Sri Lanka. To acknowledge the abomination of his addition to the advertisement media, one charge accept that Bang-up was a man from the boyhood community. He had no charge to abrasion a brand of honour. He absolutely was a son of this soil. He absolutely believed that we in Sri Lanka were as one – save for some miscreants who traded again and alike do so now, on the cheapness of the common card. That did not backbite Boss, and he strove on his advanced aisle of the ultimate: One Sri Lanka.
Rajendram Rajamahendran was built-in a Maharaja. He lived his activity as a Maharajah. Farewell Boss, always missed, always will you abide My Chief Inspirator. Lala Salama Mzee Rajendram Rajamahendran – One of a Kind.
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