By

D.B.S. Jeyaraj

Jeyaraj’s Jottings.

My close friend and journalistic colleague Sinnathurai Thillainathan celebrates his 75th Birthday on 29 June 2025. Thillainathan known popularly as “Thillai” has devoted 57 years of his life to journalism as a career. Journalism to Thillai is not merely a profession but a dedicated vocation.

To many Tamil newspaper readers in the Vadamaratchy sector of the Jaffna peninsula, the term “Reporter” is synonymous with that of S.Thillainathan. He has received many awards and accolades over the years for his journalistic achievements.

Thillai born in Manthigai in Point Pedro completed his secondary education at the Puloly Methodist Mission Tamil Mixed School. After winning an essay prize in a competition held by the “Seithy” newspaper published in Kandy, Thillai became the Pt. Pedro correspondent of the same newspaper in 1968. He was 18 years old when he entered the field of journalism as a correspondent.

In 1969 ,Thillainathan was appointed as the Nelliaddy Correspondent of the Jaffna based newspaper “Eezha Naadu”. K.Sivapragasam the then editor of the Colombo based Tamil daily “Virakesari” recruited Thillai as the newspaper’s Puloly Correspobdent in 1972.

The Vadamaratchy area of Jaffna peninsula gained national and international importance after “Operation Liberation”was conducted by the armed forces in 1987. The “Virakesari” too acknowledged these changed circumstances by upgrading Thillainathan as the Vadamaratchy correspondent. After the Armed forces re-captured Jaffna through “Operation Riviresa” in 1996, Thillainathan was made Jaffna Correspondent in 1997 by the “Virakesari” .

The escalation of the ethnic crisis and the outbreak of war changed newspaper “ journalism in Sri Lanka. The armed conflict and its consequences became the staple of newspapers especially those published in Tamil. This was because the war was essentially fought in the Tamil speaking regions of the north and east.

This resulted in a great responsibility being thrust upon the Tamil journalists serving as area correspondents in the north and east. Their roles changed from provincial to national due to the importance of war -related happenings in the north and east. In addition to battlefront developments, these journalists also had to report on the impact of war on the population and the problems faced by ordinary people.

Many Tamil journalists in the north and east could not cope with this new scenario.Some dropped out while several others simply faded away. In a tragic twist, some members of the fourth estate were killed or made to disappear.

Thillai was among the fortunate journalists who survived the war and its consequences. To his credit, Thillainathan demonstrated grit and determination in discharging his journalistic duties during those troubled times. He was an ordinary man faced with an extra-ordinary situation. Thillai proved his mettle by working for decades as a successful journalist in a “trouble spot”for many decades.

Thillainathan along with a few others is the last of a dying breed in Sri Lanka. He is one of the handful of journalists in the field who are conduct themselves with commendable responsibility in their journalistic writings.They do not engage in sensationalism, fabrication, character assassination or unfair criticism. Above all they are committed to truth and hold facts as sacred. Thillai in his own way is a distinguished member of this honourable group of journalists.

Thillai is all-round journalist who excels in multiple types of news reporting. He is extremely hard-working and industrious. Among Thillai’s many scoops is the news of the arrest of Thangathurai,Kuttimaniani and Jegan by the navy in 1981. The “Virakesari”stopped press and re-cast the front page with Thillai’s story about the sensational arrests as the lead story.

Thillainathan also made his mark in covering important court cases . Among the many noteworthy cases he has covered are the Kamalam Ramachandran murder, the two multiple murder cases of Kambar malai and the Krishanthy Kumaraswamy disappearance and murder case Thillai also made a reputation for himself by assisting veteran Jaffna correspondent Sellathurai in covering the Sansoni Commission proceedings in Jaffna.

Let me conclude on a personal note. I have known Thillai for more than four decades. We are both natives of Vadamaratchy. In those days, he would visit me whenever I stayed in my mother’s ancestral village Kaddaively the postal address of which is Thunnalai South,Karaveddy. I have also been a regular visitor to his home and his makeshift office at a tailoring establishment in Puloly .

Those were indeed happy times and I am immensely grateful to him for the various kinds of help he has given me in the past. I am also thankful for the affection, regard and our abiding friendship. My heartiest congratulations to Thillai for a productive life ,well -lived. Happy Birthday Thillai ! Best wishes to you, your wife, your three daughters and their families on this happy and joyful occasion.

D.B.S.Jeyaraj can be reached at dbsjeyaraj@yahoo.com

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