Obituary of Lasantha Wickrematunge

I am sorry I did not find this self-written obituary by Lasantha Wickrematunge. He was the editor of The Sunday Leader, and he was shot dead in Colombo on January 8 this year.

In this obituary, which every journalist and every person who reads a newspaper must take heed of, he writes,

"As for the readers of The Sunday Leader, what can I say but Thank You for supporting our mission. We have espoused unpopular causes, stood up for those too feeble to stand up for themselves, locked horns with the high and mighty so swollen with power that they have forgotten their roots, exposed corruption and the waste of your hard-earned tax rupees, and made sure that whatever the propaganda of the day, you were allowed to hear a contrary view. For this I - and my family - have now paid the price that I have long known I will one day have to pay. I am - and have always been - ready for that. I have done nothing to prevent this outcome: no security, no precautions. I want my murderer to know that I am not a coward like he is, hiding behind human shields while condemning thousands of innocents to death. What am I among so many? It has long been written that my life would be taken, and by whom. All that remains to be written is when."

And then at the end of this obituary, he writes,

"If you remember nothing else, remember this: The Leader is there for you, be you Sinhalese, Tamil, Muslim, low-caste, homosexual, dissident or disabled. Its staff will fight on, unbowed and unafraid, with the courage to which you have become accustomed. Do not take that commitment for granted. Let there be no doubt that whatever sacrifices we journalists make, they are not made for our own glory or enrichment: they are made for you. Whether you deserve their sacrifice is another matter. As for me, God knows I tried."

There is much to read in this obituary, and lot to learn,  his life is a life of rare courage, I feel.

May his Soul rest in peace: but, that of the living, with blood on their hands- they will find none, neither here nor in the hereafter.