An Absolutely Useless Politician – Tissa Attanayake

By Chinthaka De Silva -December 9, 2014

Chinthaka De Silva

 I was small my father Mr Richard de Silva, a veteran English journalist, had many close friendships with the political advocates of Sri Lanka at that time. He used to take me to the parliament gallery as I was keen to hear good speeches and political debates in the parliament and he used to mingle with the all politician’s in JRJ era. That is the time I remember.

Then media minister, late Mr Ananda Tissa De Alwis was a very close friend of my father. My father had very big regard to Mr Ananda Tissa De Alwis, as he was considered an excellent media minister, who always respected media freedom and the freedom of speech.

During the era of JRJ, my father was covering the political page of Times of Ceylon. He then later joined the editorial department of the English Island Newspaper, where he was a founding member of Upali Newspaper Group along with Mr Vijitha Yapa and Mr Gamini Weerakoon. After joining Upali Group, my farther had many hopes to support when late Mr Upali Wijewardena was to enter politics. According to my father JRJ was to bring him as the finance minister and to groom him to take over the party leadership later. However there were two big opponents who stood against this move it was Mr Ronnie De Mel and late Mr Ranasinghe Premadasa, then prime minister.Read More