Sivaram uplifted standard of journalists in North-East: SLM Hanifa

[TamilNet, Monday, 04 May 2015, 21:25 GMT]
Sivaram, through his contributions to the field of journalism, raised the standards of Tamil-speaking reporters in the North-East. The work of the reporters in the North-East was taken seriously by Colombo-based editors only after the arrival of Sivaram to the field of journalism, the veteran Muslim writer said while delivering a memorial address, held in Batticaloa last Wednesday, marking the 10th anniversary of the assassination of Sivaram.



Remembering his two-decades long friendship and the interactions they shared together with other veteran Tamil and Muslim writers of their contemporary times, Mr Hanifa also talked about the trust Sivaram had with his Muslim friends from Batticaloa.

Even though a change has taken place with Maithiripala Sirisena as the new Sri Lankan president, Mr Hanifa had little hope that the politicians would be prepared to come up with a political solution to the Tamil conflict.

The forces operating the politics do want to resolve the conflict in order to do their politics. “I am afraid that the Tamil conflict would be kept unresolved like the wounds in the legs of a beggar remain uncured,” he said. Therefore, the role of the journalists remains crucial to make a real change, Hanifa said, urging the Tamil-speaking journalists to overcome the challenges through learning objective journalism from the life of Sivaram.

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