Veteran broadcaster Sumana Jayathilaka fulfilled a national mission – Minister Dr. Bandula Gunawardhana

Transport, Highways and Mass Media Minister Dr. Bandula Gunawardhana stated yesterday that the senior radio journalist Sumana Jayathilaka, who has added a new chapter to the Sri Lankan radio broadcasting, was a courageous woman who has fulfilled a national mission by working with foresight to prepare the Sri Lankan future generation with great potentials to transform society for the better.

Pointing out that late Sumana Jayathilaka has made an immeasurable contribution in creating a good generation of children, has also contributed greatly in creating the future Sri Lankan generation who do not owe the country and most important resources to the nation.

He said this when he came to the Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation yesterday afternoon to pay his last respects to the late senior radio journalist Sumana Jayathilaka.

She was known as ‘Handa Nanda’ who embraced the listeners in the radio programme ‘Handa Mama’, which was started to broadcast by the Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation on December 14, 1963, which was loved by both young and old, and retired from the Corporation after promoted to Additional Director of the children and women’s division in 1997. She also acted as the Programme Manager of regional radio services such as Ruhunu Sevaya, Mahanuwara Sevaya and made great service as an outstanding figure who fulfilled her active media mission.

She was the wife of veteran author late K.Jayathilaka. According to the family members, Sumana Jayathilaka, the great voice personality who did a great job in radio for more than six decades, became silent forever due to a sudden illness.

“When the entire generation of children of the country and the people of Sri Lanka knew about the message of passing away of Sumana Jayathilaka alias Handa Nenda” I came here to express my condolences representing the government including President of the country to all the relatives of that family. As we know, She was known as ‘Handa Nanda’ in the Hadamama programme. She and Lambert, called Handa Mama, joined together to mold the children’s small thoughts and wishes to the needs of the virtuous society.We have identified Sumana Jayathilaka as a courageous woman who accomplished an epoch-making mission.

“When I was the Education Minister, she gave us a lot of strength as a consultant on children’s programmes and children’s affairs. After the death of his husband K. Jayathilaka, her biggest hope and wish was to develop a library with books written by her husband K.Jayathilaka and provide his books to be used by future generations.

I saw that she has maintained the huge library in her house for that. A few weeks ago she called me and requested over the phone to arrange an SLTB bus to provide a bus service and renovate the road for the children coming to this library. I told her that I would come to see her.

Ven. Elle Gunawansa Thera said that she has done a service to this country that no one else has done. There is a saying that children are the best.and late Sumana Jayathilaka worked to give the best to the children through Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation.

Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation Chairman Hudson Samarasinghe said that he and late Sumana Jayathileke joined the SLBC together.”

We were like brothers and sisters. I have never had tears fall from my eyes in the SLBC. I am a man who did not cry even when my mother died. But tears fell from my eyes for Sumana Jayathilaka. Unknowingly, the tears that fall are the tears of great friendship. Senior Journalist Thilakaratne Kuruvita Bandara said that she addressed the children in a very correct, very close and simple language.

The children felt that they were addressed by her by touching their heads in front of them. With such a loving voice, she started the ‘Handa Mama’ programme by saying “Adaraniye Podiththani”.

For more than 60 years, the Handa Mama programme has produced a generation of virtuous, wise and tasteful children for the country.

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