A Buddhist newspaper

'Sinhala Bauddhaya' then and now

May has always been a significant month for the Buddhists in this country. Being the month of Vesak, May has seen the inauguration of many Buddhist activities. May 1906 saw the birth of 'Sinhala Bauddhaya' – the news journal which Anagarika Dharmapala started as the voice of the Buddhist revivalist movement.

The newspaper was started on May 7, 1906 with three main objectives in mind. One was to whip up the enthusiasm of the Buddhists to win back Buddhagaya, the birthplace of Prince Siddhartha who later became Gautama Buddha, for the Buddhists and establish it as a sacred place of worship. Another objective was to protect Buddhism, the Buddhist way of life and Buddhist education from the grips of the missionaries who were active in spreading their own religion. The third was to protect and strengthen the local economy.

Stamp to commemorate the Centenary of 'Sinhala Bauddhaya'

What started as an eight-page issue was soon expanded into a 16-page weekly newspaper due to its popularity and the positive response from its readers. It continues to be published to this day – 101 years after the first issue appeared.

The prominent journalists of the day supported the 'Sinhala Bauddhaya' and after Anagarika Dharmapala, it was edited by well-known Sinhala writers among whom were Piyadasa Sirisena, I. M. R. A. Iriyagolle, Hemapala Munidasa, David Karunaratne and Raja T. Ekanayake.

The centenary of the newspaper was marked by the release of a stamp on May 7, 2006. It featured the founder Anagarika Dharmapala and the first issue of the newspaper.

The first Vice Chancellor

Sir Ivor Jennings – oil painting by David Paynter

Sir Ivor Jennings is a name synonymous with University education in Sri Lanka. Born on May 16, 1903, he is remembered as the Englishman who made a notable contribution as a scholar, an academician and educationist during his 14-year stay in the country from 1941 to 1955.

A Professor of Law at the London School of Economics, he was appointed as Principal of the Ceylon University College which was affiliated to the University of London. After arriving here in March 1941, he soon started working on establishing the first university in the country. Barely 15 months after his arrival, the University of Ceylon was opened in Colombo on July 1, 1942.

He then started working on establishing the residential university at Peradeniya which became a reality in 1952.

Throughout his period of stay in Sri Lanka, he also functioned as Professor of Constitutional law in the University's Law Faculty.

Due to his close relationship with the first Prime Minister, Rt. Hon. D. S. Senanayake, he contributed towards the drafting of the constitution of Independent Ceylon. His solution to the problems of representation was acceptable both to the Cabinet of Ministers and the minority groups.

Amidst his busy schedule he found time to write at least six major books mainly on subjects related to this country including the constitutional history and the economy.

He left the country in January 1955, in the middle of his third term as Vice Chancellor after he was elected Master of Trinity Hall, Cambridge.

He died ten years later in 1965. His services were recognized with the issue of a stamp on October 16, 1989.