The debt penalty imposed on the public servants
The fable of the elephant and the six blind men serves as an apt metaphor. Each man feels a different part of the animal’s body to get a sense of what it looks like and each consequently calls the elephant by a different name - a rope, a snake, a wall, and so on. Incidentally, a similar attitude has been shown by most of our countrymen when expressing their individual views over the urgent need to reimpose the Death Penalty. Everyone seems to understand the nature of the problem to some extent, but a few can observe fully the complexity of the problem. The pros and cons have taken different shapes with no ultimate consensus been reached despite the escalating rate of crime. The debate will go on for years and so would be the rate of crime. That is the Sri Lankan style.
The Death Penalty bears similarity to the Debt Penalty imposed on the public servants. The above fable appears equally appropriate in the latter case as well. Some say the public employees are absolute bluffers and deserve no sympathy, while another may justify the argument attributing the plight to their own making. There are many others, disillusioned and dissatisfied with the kind of reception they receive from the government offices, showing resentment. Whatever the criticism levelled at these employees, in the case of the middle and lower grade employees in particular, the bitter truth is that they are indebted up to their noses. They live in abject poverty. They do not possess the required mental capacity to concentrate seriously on any work. This is the very reason that they keep away from their work places more often than not. The liberalized economy has caused them untold misery and frustration to such an extent that they have completely lost faith in the entire administrative machinery. There is enough criticism against these employees but there seems to be no genuine attempt to ascertain the root cause for their predicament. The market economy has virtually made them destitutes and more or less dependent on the affluent class. Rejected by the society, abandoned by the rulers, and caught up in this vicious circle, the lower grade Government employees may have to live in despair and hopelessness and barely with any promise for the future. They would remain to be so for ever, if no effort is made to pay them a realistic wage commensurate with the prevailing cost of living.
It was only the other day, surprisingly, though, a public notice appeared in one of the daily newspapers entitled " An Apology and Explanation to the General Public" jointly published by the commercial banks based in Sri Lanka giving information about the salaries paid to their clarical and minor staff. According to this notice, a member of the clerical staff with GCE O/L & A/L qualifications receives a monthly remuneration of Rs. 14,613/- (Rs. 17,671/- recommended from March 1998 by the Hon Minister) as against Rs.13,915,- (Rs.16,798,- recommended from March 1998 by the Hon Minister) as against Rs. 13,915/- (Rs. 16,798/- recommended from March 1998 by the Hon. Minister. While the duties assigned to a clerical officer restrict to clerical and cashier functions, a minor employee has only to prepare tea and deliver letters etc. On the contrary, the duties, obligations and responsibilities attached to the two identical posts in the Government Service are much more serious and cumbersome in every respect. Why not the banks publish a similar public notice in the newspapers giving the details of the salaries paid and the fringe benefits extended to their senior staff?
No Government employee will envy these categories of bank employees being made the highest paid when compared to their counterparts outside the banking sector. They would always agree that the above salaries are not high in relation to the prevailing cost of living in the country. However the salaries paid to them may not be realistic in relation to those paid to the Junior and Senior Managers, AGMs and D/GMs,/GMs, nevertheless, they should be a contended workforce compared to their counterparts in the Government Service.
Just for the comparison, a clerical officer in the Government Service is paid only. a measly salary of Rs. 3,700/- per month, while a minor employee receives about Rs. Rs. 3,200., and a graduate teacher with ten years of service is paid a monthly salary of Rs. 6,200/- only. There is a compulsory deduction of 7% of their Consolidated salaries as abatements against the Widows & Orphan’s Pension Scheme, and their take home pay reduces not only by that amount, but also by the instalments payable by them against the series of loans obtained by them. The only benefit they would derive after 35 years of continued service is the pension computed on the basis of the salary drawn at the time of retirement. They have not left any loan un-tapped.
It was only the other day that a businessman was able to raise Rs. 20 million within a few minutes just for the asking. While no one will condone the horrendous crime committed which compelled the person to make that ad hoc arrangement to face the situation he was in, the matter for conjecture is the proof of the enormous wealth the super affluent have acquired within this short period, since the time the market economy was introduced at the cost of the poor people of this country. The irony is that the poor workers too have to co-exist with these super affluent, perhaps, eating bread, dhall, ambul plantain, and drinking kolakenda and polpala, purchased at no subsidised price. There is a vast disparity building up between the rich and the poor, and unless this difference is totally or if not in some moderate form, is not eliminated, the latter would definitely be a huge catch for the power hungry politician.
The indebtedness in the public service has taken a cancerous effect in that it has not only affected the morale of the workers, but also, on the wholesale, has strained the employer- employee relationship. Whatever the government in power, the employees will remain to be anti government and will not give their hundred percent support to the government in the discharge of their duties. They consider themselves a neglected lot. There must be a sincere and a genuine attempt by the authorities to eradicate totally the heavy indebtedness among the middle and lower grade government employees. Surely there is a case in favour for the equalisation of their income levels to those of their counterparts in the banking and the private sector.
It should be the responsibility of the Government to build up a contented workforce for the benefit of the country at large. This would never happen if the workers are not correctly motivated.
Colvin Karunaratne
Give and Take
The National Water Supply & Drainage Board has announced through the media that they will cut off water supply to those consumers who have not settled their bills for two months. They promised to give effect to this arrangement expeditiously
The Board feels that this is a necessary step to build up its financial resources.
The Board’s expressed efficiency in cutting off water supply of those consumers who have been impudent enough to enjoy free supplies for two months will, as expected ,thrive the Board’s offers.
We all know that there are two sides of a coin. It is a bi-partisan agreement where the Board supplies water to the consumers who pay for that service, in spite of the fact that the Board does not produce water by itself without nature’s bounty. However water is now Board’s own monopoly. Both parties have rights and duties. The Board is duty bound to provide water to the consumers, at all times in quantities that the latter desires.
The newspapers are full of complaints against the Water Board for not complying with this duty of providing water to the consumers. Some consumers level charges of cruelty against the Board and some of them say that the Board is having a cat and mouse play with the consumers, cutting off water supply at explained or unexplained situations.
These clearly show that the Water Board is not doing its part of the agreement effectively and in certain cases fails to do completely.
The Water Board inflicts punishment at will, and so efficiently, on those consumers who fail to fulfil their obligations even for two months, which in many instances will amount to a few hundred rupees. The effective action of the Board will immediately shut off a bounty of nature on which the human beings depend to live. Thus the punishment is drawing a few rupees through one of the unkindness of all punishments . Is this reasonable? Should we, the people, allow such thuggery to continue?
I note with some kind of satisfaction the recent decision of the Telecommunication Commission to levy a charge on delays of repairing of telephones from Telecom, on the basis of the number of days of delay. This is a salutary measure to compel the suppliers of utility services, such as water, electricity, telecommunication, road-ways. I suggest that the following steps be implemented against those institutions like the National Water Supply & Drainage Board who fail miserably in their obligations towards the members of the public.
I. A time limit of a maximum number of 6 hours should be given to the Water Board to effect repairs to their supply system.
II. The Board should give prior notice to the public by the printed and electronic media of such impending repairs at least 12 hours before discontinuance of supply.
III. The Board should pay a prescribed amount calculated per hour of discontinuance back to the consumer. In prescribing this rate, the government should consider that discontinuance creates heavy hardships to the consumers, although a prolonged period of discontinuance removes tension from the Board as it gives them more time to do their duty. This means that this rate should be very much higher than water charges that are levied on the consumers.
IV. The bills are based on the readings of the meters which have been installed by the Board at the cost of the consumers. Many letters to the editor published in newspapers deal with cases of over billing due to erroneous meter readings. It should be the duty of the Board to dismantle the old defective meters and to install effective meters, not at the cost of consumers but at the expense of the Board, because it is their duty to keep the meters in good order and because the faulty meters should be replaced by them.
V. The newspapers publish reports of the concern of the Water Board to give heed to the complaints of the consumers. This is only a mere front for inactivity, because complaints made to them are ignored. Therefore, the government must take disciplinary action against all employees of the Board who are responsible for this neglect.
I hope that the Minister in charge of Water Supply & Drainage as well as the government would kindly consider the above suggestions and take immediate steps to grant relief to the suffering public, as otherwise they will know how to reply at the next general and presidential elections.
Sujeeva Dilangana
Nugegoda
The ‘Aiya’, ‘Maama’ culture in cricket
I have just returned to Colombo after a week of peace and quiet in Tanamalvila. Scanning through the papers my attention was drawn to an article headlined "The Cricketing Bombshell" on Page 15 in your "Sunday Island" of 25/4/99.
Please permit me space in your columns to put the record straight, regarding my brief spell as Manager of the Sri Lanka cricket team to New Zealand.
Merle E. Dalpathado — the author of "The Cricketing Bombshell" — is, obviously, unaware of the fact that it was an All-Ceylon cricketer, who held the reins as Manager before I took over. He fell foul of some cricketers by disapproving of their addressing him as "Aiya". I wisely pre-empted such an eventuality at a farewell party held at the Cricket Board headquarters on the morning of departure. Addressing the team I emphasised on the importance of punctuality and discipline and impressed on them that I be addressed as "Manager". Thereby the current culture of being "Aiya", "Maama" and, as in my case "Seeya" was circumvented!
Arjuna Ranatunga was suspended from the England tour that took place shortly afterwards. But that was not my recommendation, in the Tour Manager’s Report. If my memory serves me right my suggestion was that he be groomed under a more mature and level-headed captain. Arjuna’s tantrums and threats arose after I refused to permit his brother Dhammika, who had fractured his thumb in the first match, to remain with the team and flow him back to Sri Lanka. It occurs to me that when Arjuna was dropped from the team to England I criticised the selectors for that act of folly and even appealed to Arjuna to be man enough to take it in his stride! The rest is history!
Stanley Jayasinghe
Battaramulla.
TV coverage of World Cup Cricket matches
It was first a relief to hear that this time it would be Swarnavahini who would cover the matches, and not another station who ruined our pleasure of viewing by interrupting telecasts to accommodate NEWS etc. They most often did it at vital moments of the game. Only cricket enthusiasts would understand the frustration — the feeling of being let down. So we thought that at last we are going to enjoy a super coverage by Swarnavahini.
Alas! The happiness was short-lived (we sincerely hope this is untrue). It was heard that Swarnavahini intends to have 160 (One hundred and sixty!) advertisements per match, in order to cover their costs. (I repeat — we sincerely hope this is untrue). How could it be possible to have so many ads without ruining the coverage? Let’s do a simple calculation.
Assuming both teams bat out the entire 100 overs, there would be 98 gaps between overs. Assuming that all twenty wickets fall (with the last wicket falling in the last over of the game) there would be 18 gaps (OK — 2 ads in between wickets would allow 36). Six water breaks would allow 12 more, leaving yet another 14 to be shown during the break, (which the advertisers do not want). This would undoubtedly mean intrusion into playing time, with 4 or 5 ball overs, unseen scoring shots, unseen wicket-falls, unseen thrilling near-misses etc.
To cricket enthusiasts (plus those keenly learning the game), a cricket match is not merely a case of a ball being sent down by one player, hit by another player, to be chased or caught by yet another player etc., The tactics adopted, changes in strategy, traps, changes in field placing, detailed study of mistakes etc. are the ingredients that go to make a complete game to cricket to us. The expert comments in between overs, the periodic analyses etc., play a very very vital part in watching and "experiencing" a game of cricket at this level. What is left when all these are replaced by advertisements?
Please Swarnavahini, check with someone who knows cricket if you need to, and don’t ruin our viewing pleasure. In case you are not aware, when the other channels did this, the advertisers were cursed, and the TV station was cursed, for grabbing the rights to the "World Cup" cricket and forcing advertisements down our throats. That’s not CRICKET!!
We are looking forward to a World Cup CRICKET competition NOT a World CUP ADVERTISING competition.
Come on Swarnavahini!
Colvin Karunaratne,
Nugegoda.
An Appreciation
Noel C. B. Lekamage (Trinity Staff)‘’Boys may come and boys may go, But we go on for-ever.’’
I do not know who said those words, but it is meant to be depictive of the memory of School Masters, who ‘live forever’ in the School; long after the boys ‘’come and go’’. Nay, these Masters ‘live’ long after they have even ‘crossed the border’ (of death). This may be depictive of Mr. Noel C. B. Lekamge, of the staff of Trinity College, who passed - away a couple of months ago.
I had the privilege of first getting to know him in 1953, when I entered Trinity College. Mr. Lekamge was the epitome of example in all his undertakings. He was a simple, ‘down-to-earth’ Master, who enjoyed life as it was meant to be enjoyed. He was a gentleman to his finger-tips and had a pleasing personality that endeared him to all who came in contact with him. He had a kind, gentle and soft-spoken nature; yet he commanded ‘authority’ that made students respect him, rather than be ‘fearful’ of him. By his speech and mannerisms he was a naturally gifted teacher and he conveyed his knowledge (and message) to the students, with ease.
A few months before his death I had the privilege of spending some time leisurely, with him and Mrs. Lekamage, at their home in Pallekelle. It was not surprising to see this elderly, retired master of TCK; within minutes (mentally), re-live his youthfulness. The smile on his face and the sparkle in his eyes, made him (almost literally) go back several decades, into his ‘School Master-days’. His exuberance, enthusiasm and mental alertness in conversation made decades pass-by in just a few minutes!
I would like to relate a particular incident, involving the accidental injury of another boy, in which Lekamge took a ‘personal interest’ and thus restored the future of a very bright student. The student was Linden Wijeratne who was amongst the ‘best in his class’. He came ‘first’ in class at every test/examination.
However, due to an ‘unfortunate accident’ on the playing field (Asgiriya), Linden fractured his right fore-arm, with only five weeks more for the GCE (O/L) Examinations!! It was a fairly ‘bad’ (compound/multiple) fracture which caused a bone to rip-out of the flesh necessitating nine(9) stitches on his right fore-arm (full length). The respective fore-arm had to be placed in plaster-cast which curtailed the movement of the fingers of his right hand. This meant that Linden would not be able to use his right hand to write, for atleast six weeks! This was indeed a "severe blow" to this bright student.
Linden became very depressed and ‘lost hope’ of sitting for this crucial Examination. His world seemed bleak, and this student planned and even attempted to bring an ‘end’ to his life, in various forms. However, he disclosed his intentions to two of his close friends in the hostel, Reggie Joseph and myself. Although we were sympathetic towards Linden’s predicament; we too were students and we did not know what to do in the circumstances. We brought the matter to the notice of Mr. Lekamge, who had his home in the school premises.
Mr. Lekamge spoke to Linden and taught and encouraged him personally to learn to write with the left hand. Well that seemed a herculean task! (To be able to write two Languages (English and Sinhala), within five weeks! (and at ‘speed’ too!). Mr. Lekamge spoke to the Principal and the other relevant Master’s in-Charge and had obtained "Special Permission’ to attend to Linden (‘free-of-charge’), and spent several hours each day for almost the full five weeks; to teach him to write with his Left-hand. (Almost all of us learn to write, when we are Toddlers. The writing fist we choose, at that stage, generally stays ‘for life’. Very few, if any at all, could ever change (the writing fist) in later years. Even so, it may be impossible to do ‘speed-writing’ with the other fist, in later life. But here was Mr. Lekamge virtually trying to teach Linden to ‘do the impossible’, in barely five weeks!
However, Mr. Lekamge was unyielding and relentless in his ‘mission’ and this gave Linden ‘’hope’’. Believe-it-or-not Linden sat for the GCE (O/L) exams. with his right-hand in plaster-cast. He answered all eight subjects with his left-hand and passed every subject. However, the results were not sufficient to make the mark and go for ‘higher studies’ and alas Linden was depressed all over again! Again Mr. Lekamge was notified and he gave Linden paternal advise and encouraged him to take-up the exams again. By then Linden’s right arm had completely healed and Linden came out with First Division results, with almost all distinctions and credits! (Now Linden is able to write fluently, two languages, with both hands!).
Mr. Lekamge was not a spectacularly qualified teacher, (with ‘initials’ behind his name); yet he was a well-trained teacher, who did his job with integrity and dedication. Yes even at that time, in Trinity, there were University-qualified teachers, on the staff, some of whom did not have the ‘gift’ of conveying their knowledge, with ease, in a manner that the student could assimilate it. Here I learned the difference between (a) an academically qualified teacher and (b) a trained teacher. Teaching and learning are not necessarily confined to a class-room. Now Linden is an accomplished doctor in the medical profession, dedicated to keeping a healthy out-look amongst his patients.
A big "thank You" to Mr. Lekamge, indeed a superlative teacher of the highest order. I am quite sure, in my mind Sir, that you will most certainly be privileged to hear those coveted words of the Lord and Master, "enter into my presence, thou good and faithful servant.’’
Sammy S. Vasagam
A political code for politicians
1. No place of worship should be used, in whatever form, for promotion of political objectives desecrating peace and sanctity of the place.
2. No specific promises of reward in return for cash or any other donation to the party or to an individual, should ever be made.
3. Not the glitter of the party, but the integrity, honesty and morality of the individual candidate, should be recognised above loyalty to the party.
4. Supporters and voters should not be encouraged or induced to commit or defend and act of violence, corruption or fraud through offers of office, position, liquor and protection from the law, etc. merely to win an election.
5. All appointments to high offices in public service must be made on merit, honesty, seniority and loyalty.
6. No criminal whosoever should be shielded, and the course of justice should be allowed a free speedy flow without an interruption, political or otherwise.
7. Once elected to office, the politicians should consider themselves servants, of all the people for all the people, in the maintenance of law and order.
8. The public servants, the police and the armed forces should be made operationally independent.
9. A simple life should be the norm for all politicians and they, including their families, should not be materially richer than what they were at the time of entry to politics.
10. One’s political party should be the third priority after the country and the people.
E. M. G. Edirisinghe,
Dehiwala.
Why, oh why? Gold FM on 89.8?
After too long a patient wait and at long last, we have been offered a bonanza in the form of a golden oldies programme, to satisfy the whims of the senior citizens. Gold is truly illustrative of the golden years and may be Gold FM is intended primarily, for the listening solace of that genus of listeners who are most often in the category of the retired.
It is universally accepted that Gold FM is something special, distinctive and significant to look forward to in radio transmissions. But, why, oh why is it so tiresome to fine tune, to contact this highly popular broadcast which is in great demand ?
Those of us who are fortunate enough to own a digital radio like I have in my vehicle, can without any hassle and annoyance, tune in to 89.8 on the dot. But out of the two radios at home, one is in my lounge and the transistor is in my toilet. (Yes, believe it or not, in my toilet, because I like to work even big jobs, to music !) These two are not digital but band spread and the definition on the band is so precise that the mere vibration of the radio set is sufficient to throw the tuning out of line and to end up in the very near neighbour - another FM. Can Gold FM please be given a different wavelength other than 89.8 ? A little more elbow room in the band spread ?
The fact that Gold FM is on the air "Twenty four hours a day, every day, non stop," makes it all the more attractive. I wondered, at the start, how the Programme Director could manage to fill the twenty four hours a day, every day, non stop, with authentic, genuine "Oldies." It did not surprise me to hear, after a few days, some monodies, lamentably, even bordering on the disco style numbers, being smuggled in to the programme. At first, it was achieved rather innocuously, between every four or five oldies but progressively more often, to reach a rather disconcerting periodicity of every other number. It more than diluted the merit and virtue of the original intention perhaps, to be a one hundred percent "Oldie," even if not quite "Golden Oldie."
Gold FM was to listeners of radio music, the equivalent of "Discovery Channel" to viewers of television - both very exceptional and unique and a veritable blessing to those like me who have the time, to sit watching TV, despite the numerous other demands which jostle each other to get a place in my daily agenda which has no unfilled slots.
Will it be possible to arrange as suggested ? Over to you, Programme Director. I earnestly trust this essay will catch your eye.
Sepala Ilangakoon
Colombo