Sri Lanka, Feb. 18 -- Only a few people have influenced the course of Sri Lanka's pre and post-Independence history in the manner that D.R. Wijewardene, founder of the Associated Newspapers of Ceylon Limited (ANCL), has done. As we commemorate the 138th Birth Anniversary of this noble son of Sri Lanka, it is time to re-appraise his yeoman service to the nation.

Wijewardene, founder of the ANCL, will always be known as the doyen of the newspaper industry in Sri Lanka. Born on February 23, 1886, Don Richard Wijewardene was the third son of a family of nine. He received his early education at S. Thomas' College, Mount Lavinia and later entered the Cambridge University in England.

D. R. at the prime of his youth enjoyed the privilege of acq...