Of oxygen, oxymoron and downright Morons: a tribute to Devani

The conversation that took place between the Gampaha District Assistant Conservator of Forests Devani Jayatillake and State Minister of Fisheries and Inland Fishery’s Industry Sanath Nishantha received much publicity on print, electronic as well as social media. Since social media was a forum where the ordinary citizen could instantaneously respond to a news item, the social websites were replete with the comments of users who unanimously decried the moronic ideas of the Deputy Minister who did not give a tuppence worth for the preservation of the mangroves which would have been destroyed in case the proposed playground were to be built.   

In addition to showcasing the idiotic and callous attitudes of some of the representatives of the people in relation to the conservation of natural resources such as forests, marshes, mangroves, flora and fauna, it shows that political initiatives that take pace in developing the country are not based on scientific or researched criteria but either on the whims and fancies of rulers or on political expediency of populist demands. Officials who are duty- bound to give their recommendations are either made passive onlookers or their objections or observations become mere paperweight that does not have any bearing on the final outcome of the suitability of such development work. Despite many promises by consecutive governments to allow public servants to do their duty independently and without undue pressure , incidents of this nature still take place with only few getting large scale publicity of this nature. 

Bent Backs   

It was not long ago that the former Secretary to the President Lalith Weeratunga was found guilty of channelling public funds to a sil redi distribution programme during the campaign by the then President Mahinda Rajapksa, at the latter’s behest. Very few doubt the integrity of Mr. Weeratunga but the fact that he had to obey an order by his boss, who was undoubtedly the most powerful President ever to sit on that powerful seat, did not save him from being convicted of misappropriation of public money. Undoubtedly he must have known that the transfer was not right if not downright illegal, yet lacked the courage to let the strongman know his mind. We know of many honest public officers who had to face the ignominy of being prosecuted against due to the obeying of illegal or unethical orders of the political bosses they were under. They did not have the courage Devani had shown to Deputy Minister 

Public servants do need to stand their ground in doing what is right, as they are servants of the state, not of politicians

Sanath Nishantha.   

The Rajapaksa Regimes are notorious for intimidation of and interference with the work of public servants. There was one Provincial Councilor who went to a school and made a female teacher kneel down before him. One cannot forget the theatrics of Mervyn Silva, former Minister of the Mahinda Rajapaksa regime who went to the Rupavahini Corporation to boss his way around only to be manhandled by the angry employees of the Corporation. Although there is strength for the public servants as a collective, it is very rarely that one comes across the type of individual bravery by civil servants vis a vis politicians who are immediately above them. Civil servants from GS to Presidential Secretaries are subjected to pressure exerted on them from political authority and many do not object or resist. 

Integrity   

Yet they are not as rare as one would think. It was one such public servant who secured the Integrity Idol Award awarded by Transparency International last year. P. A. C. Priyadharshani, the Principal of St. Mary’s College, Kegalle won that award based on vote by the public for the independent and unwavering manner she performed her duties as Principal of that school. It was her steadfast stance to abide by the rules without compromise and resisting pressure as well as offers of bribery which came her way when it came to school admissions that secured the award. She and some others have shown that it could be done. It has to be done.   

In a rare case of solidarity shown by a politician towards a state official, the Minister of Forestry and Wildlife,  S. M. Chandrasena  said that he fully agreed with the stance taken by Devani, the Gampaha District Forest Officer. Many are of the view that he had little choice but to do so after the video went viral on social media and it was as clear as daylight the mangroves could not be touched according to the law of the land. Although his excuse that the State Minister of Fisheries might not have been aware that the law was laughable, his stance needs to be commended, although he himself does not cut a perfect picture in the eyes of the public as a clean character with integrity. 

Ravaging the Mangroves  

This was not the first time that attempts have been made to touch the mangroves in the Negombo lagoon. It was during the second term of Mahinda Rajapaksa that there was a move to appropriate acres of land belonging to the lagoon by a top member of the ruling family with the aid of a local politician, both of whom are notorious for their ill gotten money. It was the direct intervention by the fishing community in what might be called a show of force as a collective,converging on the spot in hundreds of boats and erecting a cross in the mangrove area that thwarted the attempt and ensured the natural equilibrium of the area was not ravaged by greedy individuals.   

In this particular case when Devani, the Forest Department Officer informed the State Minister that the preservation of mangroves and other forests were necessary for maintaining oxygen, the response was that there was no need for oxygen. It was not only oxymoronic that a politician who claimed to be on the side of the people to improve their lifestyle , to claim the very breath of fresh air they breath was disposable, but indicative of the values and priorities that majority of politicians have when it comes to public good.  

It was barely a few weeks ago that the newly-elected President Gotabaya Rajapaksa stated that he expected an efficient and clean public service and that he would ensure that they could perform their duties without undue pressure. Yet, incidents of this nature spell a cloud of doubt over the political will of the government to implement that promise at the ground level. The Yahapalana government too failed miserably in creating an environment for the public administration to operate independently.  

We salute Devani Jayatilake for the integrity and the uncompromising stand she took under pressure from a politician and his goons. It shows that you could do it alone in the face of challenges if you were on the side of what was right. Public servants do need to stand their ground in doing what is right as they are servants of the state, not of politicians.   

We need oxygen. We do not need morons. But morons are aplenty and morons do make it to the top.   

That is why we need brave people like Devani Jayatilake.