Sri Lanka bows its head in solemn grief at the passing of Dr. Harischandra Wijayathunga (1931–2025), a scholar, patriot, and steadfast guardian of the Sinhala identity. His departure is not merely the loss of a man, but the silencing of a voice that carried the dignity of a nation.
Dr. Wijayathunga’s life was a reflection of the power of knowledge. Through his monumental works, including the Practical Sinhala Dictionary and the Gunasena Maha Sinhala Shabdakoshaya, he gave Sinhala speakers a foundation of pride and precision. His dictionaries were not just books; they were shields protecting the language from erosion and neglect.
As founder of the Sinhala Maha Samanta Bhumiputra Party, he stepped into politics with courage. Twice he contested the presidency, not for personal gain, but to remind the nation that sovereignty and cultural identity must never be compromised. His vision was clear: a Sri Lanka where Sinhala heritage stood tall, respected, and unshaken.
Dr. Sudath Gunasekara, reflecting on his passing, captured the essence of his greatness by saying that one and only one true Sinhala intellectual had departed. He noted that if the Sinhala Maha Samanta Bhumiputra Party had made him President, no Sinhala would have had any problem at all, for he carried the spirit of the nation in his heart and the dignity of the language in his hands. This reflection echoes the belief that his leadership could have brought greater success and unity to the country.
At the moment of his passing, Dr. Sudath Gunasekara suddenly remembered an old ”kawiyak” that seemed written for this very sorrow. It captured the grief of the Sinhala nation in timeless words:
“වන්නම් කියන්නට තිබුනේ එකම කටයි.
දැන් ඒ කටත් මරුවගේ යටි පතුල යටයි.
තුන් සිංහලේ සිංහලයා කඳුළු සලයි.
මින් පසු අපේ සාහිතයට කපුටෝ කොටයි”.
We extend heartfelt sympathy to his family, students, and admirers. Sri Lanka has lost a son of the soil, but his spirit remains in every word of Sinhala he refined, every page he wrote, and every idea he defended. Dr. Harischandra Wijayathunga’s journey was one of discipline, patriotism, and scholarship. As the nation bids farewell, it must honor him not with silence but with renewed commitment to the ideals he cherished. May he achieve Nirvana soon, and may his vision guide Sri Lanka toward a future of dignity, unity, and cultural strength.
By Palitha Ariyarathna