Jiffry Yoonoos

The recent death of Jiffry Yoonoos removes from our midst a cartoonist, par excellence, who bestrode the field of journalism like a colossus, regaling the numerous readers with his outstanding contributions.

A contemporary of Collette of the Daily News, Jiffry Yoonoos was attached to the Tamil daily Thinakaran as a staff cartoonist. Indeed the two were complementary, drawing their sketches to regale and rejoice their readers and to embarrass and annoy the leading political figures.

Leaving the salubrious climes of Lake House, the respected and venerable institution where many a journalist cut his tooth, Jiffry Yoonoos embarked on a perilous career path to join the Aththa, the communist party daily, in the mid 1960s when the new daily was swimming in the choppy waters of journalism.

Despite heavy odds, he proved his class in unmistakable terms. He blossomed and bloomed to keep pace with the fascinating and forthright editorials of the then editor of ‘Aththa’, B. A. Siriwardena. The duo were a tower of strength and fountain of inspiration to the management of this fearless daily which spoke the truth and nothing but the truth.

His pen and ink caricatures did the talking and lambasted the powers that for which he paid a heavy price when the ruffians entered his residence to take sweet revenge. He suffered minor injuries and pain of mind. This was the penalty he had to pay while doing his duty in a five star democracy.

He had a fine flair for depicting political heavy weights in his cartoons which caught the attention of wide readership. His political caricature "Appuhamy" which had a good sense of humour was very popular during his heyday.

With the demise of ‘Aththa’, he turned to ‘Ravaya’ until illness took its toll. In old age he was desolate, desperate and destitute. His poor health assailed him and was in dire financial straits. Once upon a time he was covered in glory and now basking in misery. That’s we call trials and tribulations of life.

This year, I had the opportunity of meeting him one Saturday evening on March 15 at his home in Maththegoda Housing Scheme, Polgasowita. He was bare bodied and was wearing a pair of shorts. At the time, his wife and daughter had gone out.

He invited me in and discussed about his predicament. He related his tale of woe and told me he didn’t have a single cent to buy medicine for his ailment. To a heart patient drugs should be given regularly. I volunteered and he thanked me profusely.

He showed me a framed photo of his son who was a captain in the Army. He sacrificed his precious son to preserve the territorial integrity of Sri Lanka. He offered me a cup of tea (prepared by a boy), thanked me for the visit and invited me to come again.

But alas! genial gentleman Jiffry Yoonoos has crossed the great divide. Inna-Lillahi-wa-Inna-Ilaihi-Raji-un. Not only his wife and three children but also journalism is poorer by his loss. May his soul rest in peace. Aameen.

M. Azhar Dawood
Dehiwala.