Rajanayagam Bharathi, a veteran Tamil journalist with a career spanning four decades, has passed away at the age of 63. He died on February 9 after being hospitalized for several months and returning home shortly before his passing.
At the time of his death, Bharathi was serving as the head of the Jaffna-based Tamil newspaper Veerakesari. Born on September 6, 1962, in Tirunelveli, Jaffna, he was the son of Rajanayagam and Sivayogam, a mathematics teacher. He had two brothers, Bhadeeran and Surabi.
Bharathi began his journalism career in 1984 with the Eelamurusu newspaper before joining Murasoli the following year. In 1987, he relocated from Jaffna to Colombo, where he worked with Thinakkural, eventually serving as the editor of both its print and online editions.
Throughout his career, Bharathi was a strong advocate for press freedom and human rights. He actively opposed media suppression and highlighted the enforced disappearances and killings of journalists and civilians, particularly during Sri Lanka’s civil war.
In recognition of his commitment to journalism, he was appointed President of the Sri Lanka Tamil Journalists Association in 2005 during the tenure of former President Mahinda Rajapaksa. He held the position until 2008 and later served as the association’s secretary before being re-elected as president in 2015. The association has long collaborated with other Colombo-based media organizations and progressive groups advocating for press freedom and human rights.
Following the election of Gotabaya Rajapaksa as Sri Lanka’s president, Bharathi relocated to his hometown of Tirunelveli with his wife, Devaki, and son, Pradeepan. He took on the role of editor-in-chief at the Eelanadu newspaper before eventually joining Veerakesari.
Bharathi’s funeral will be held on Thursday, February 13, at the Kokuvil Hindu Cemetery in Jaffna. His body is currently kept at his residence at 105/1 Palaly Road, Tirunelveli, for public viewing.
