Legacy of Social Justice Legend

Lasantha Wickrematunge

- By H. Wijesinghe

I was one of the lucky ones who met Lasantha Wickrematunge for a brief moment in 2007 at a lobby when I was attending a homecoming at the Cinnamon Grand Hotel. Amongst a group of eager fans, all clamouring to shake his hand, I just couldn't believe my luck when I found myself in his presence, the invincible energy that surrounded him and the aura of his charisma left me in awe.

His humility made the impossible feel tangible. I had crossed paths with my share of notable names, but this one topped them all. It was if I was shaking hands with a real life super hero who had transcended time. In his presence, I felt the weight of history and the touch of humanity, a paradox that only someone like Lasantha could embody. That was the day I shook hands with this folkfore like icon and like a giddy child meeting his or her favourite movie star I vowed never to wash my hand.

Sri Lanka is a different place today than it was 16 years ago. Lasantha was a game-changer with a diplomatic approach to the war. Some ponder if there could ever be another Lasantha again, but I believe he was of his time. What set him apart is his commitment to healing and solidarity. He was an inimitable sentinel of justice and a visionary thinker who represented progressive values far ahead of his time. One could argue that he personified being 'woke' back then. When I read up on his work I find it amazing how his views on social justice were remarkably forward-thinking. His life's calling was clear and it was to be the voice of the underdog, defender of the marginalised and shake the corrupt establishment to its core. That is what made him a national treasure especially to those who felt unseen. Lasantha was a formidable opponent of successive governments, and in his devotion to Sri Lanka he became one of the most powerful men in the country and was without a doubt the most powerful enemy of the Rajapaksa regime. Intense state surveillance