A white-vanned journalist's story behind the headlines
that national security became a mere scapegoat and an easy excuse.
"Although I'm openly against the war, it is true that there are instances where you cannot reveal military information. But, the boundaries that we as journalists have to steer clear of have to be clearly defined," Jayantha says adding that the need of the hour is to define these boundaries. "I am happy that the Right to Information Bill is in discussion, but the draft in my opinion is vague when it comes to questions that can be asked from the armed forces."
Back on that ill-fated day in 2009, Jayantha's journalistic career plunged into a nadir that he never really came out of. "These experiences completely change people," he tells us. Fleeing to the United States, his life there too was not as easy as many claimed it to be. "I had to work long hours doing odd jobs even with my disability, but one thing I'm happy of is that nobody discriminated against me. It's disappointing when the systems of your own country that you fought to protect let you down."
Today, he lives with his daughter and returning to the motherland for good will have to wait until she finishes her higher education and until the culprits of his abduction are convicted; he only hopes that the latter becomes as definite as the first.
In his views, the country today is at the threshold of positive change, but there are many forces that try to disrupt the intricate binding of society by igniting racism. "This is where journalists should play a key role in not just being reporters, but being responsible stakeholders of national peace."
Jayantha recalls of an incident where an altar of a church in Homagama was set on fire on a Sunday morning. "Imagine the horror of the people who would come to church early on a Sunday morning and seeing their holy place of worship on fire. I got the news and could have easily passed it on to the media, where it would have made an uproar. Instead, I phoned prominent monks in the vicinity and asked them to tell the Christian devotees that these acts of cowardice do not reflect the opinion of an entire nation." Fearless but responsible journalism is what is needed to hold together the fabric of a multi-cultural nation, he says.
He believes that the August 17 general election is a good opportunity for people to elect a clean Parliament and he urges people to vote wisely. "There used to be a time where people voted for an actress out of pity for the hardship her character had to face in a teledrama. The power to think and vote had been completely stripped from the public by the previous regime," he says.
For many, Jayantha may still be seen a traitor, while others may hold different opinions. But what he feels is important is that there is now freedom to express anybody's views at will. "I'm not saying that the springtime of democracy has come to Sri Lanka, but I can certainly see little blossoms of hope rising from beneath the mud."