Public Administration in Northern Sri Lanka

by Gaja Lakshmi Paramasivam

Mrs. Imelda Sugumar
Government Agent – Jaffna
District Secretariat
Kachcheri-Nallur Road
Jaffna


(February 07, Melbourne, Sri Lanka Guardian) I refer to my telephone call to you regarding an appointment to discuss some issues that have been of concern to me regarding my Home Area in Northern Sri Lanka.. I appreciate that despite your busy schedule, you did allocate time for me on Poya Day, last month, even though some other urgent call prevented you from making it. This shortage of Time, to me means, a need for Restructure of the Administrative system towards implementation of ‘User Pays’ system. Then our Management Unit becomes a Facility from which the Public draw as per their established entitlements. I seek to discuss the issue through my experience in Thunaivi-Sangarathai-Vattukottai.

The attached newsletter regarding the opening of the Development Secretariat would, I trust, help you appreciate the work and values we bring into the area towards an integrated approach to development.

Money &  People

As many in our local area of Thunaivi-Sangarathai-Vattukkottai know, we have been actively helping the People, in many ways, to recover from the ill effects of war and restructure themselves. One of our early confirmations in this regard was the donation of part of our ancestral land to the People through NECORD, for the specific purpose of War Rehabilitation. Then followed the establishment of the School of Human Values through the Government’s system. This school is resourced by us privately, in terms of Management on the basis of Democratic Principles as well as funding – largely from our extended family, here in Australia, Canada and Singapore. To me, it is a small but significant model of how global funding needs to be managed through Public Conscious Private Agencies and the Government that protects the rights of the Private owner. In this instance, our agency is the parallel of the Government of Sri Lanka through which funds are channeled by global bodies, including the World Bank and AusAid. We have been working to lift the consciousness of the People of the area – (most of whom believe in the system of Karma) to practice global standards in the utilization of these funds. It is our belief that that way – they would invest in Global society through Due Processes common to all. As you would appreciate – money-rich countries such as the USA, use Objective Outcomes, including Cash Funding, to confirm to themselves and to others that they are global participants. People- rich countries such as Sri Lanka need to use Common Processes towards connecting to the minds of distant participants which could include national and local governments that do not have ‘time’ for them.

Had the receivers of Global Funds been required and/or facilitated to follow Global Standards and Common Practices, Sri Lankans would today, be Equal Partners to the USA and not recipients of handouts.

Development Secretariat

We are rather disturbed that there has been very little progress in this regard at the level of our village also and that the Development Secretariat built on this land for this specific purpose is largely idling. We ourselves have been actively resourcing educational activities, including through training in Resource Management. In addition to all this, we are now building a cottage in the area of Thunaivi where majority residents and/or their parents were/are toddy tappers. This confirms to us and to all those who accept our leadership, that we have crossed the bridge of Caste Reconciliation to feel part of the community – largely of toddy-tappers who even now, are demonstrating consciousness of caste discrimination, including amongst themselves. In many instances, this was largely due to each side keeping the distance from the other rather than due to any real current act of discrimination.

The fact that not a single officer of your own central administration is working in the Development Secretariat for administrative purposes is confirmation that the promises made to us about the ‘needs’ for such a building, were ill-founded. This confirms a common problem that the need is expressed as per the ‘funding’ seen and/or imagined. This to me is like finding a disease to suit the medical facilities available in our environment. This is not uncommon in our community here in Australia. Global Agencies that provide funds without feeling the needs of locals especially in remote areas, are guilty of promoting this culture of structuring a need as per the answer that seems available.
 

Business Unit Approach

Commercial experts have forecast development in Northern Sri Lanka through a ‘Stock Market’ approach. In other words, rapid development of Objectively measurable – especially cash related – outcomes without the underlying systems and processes to support, sustain and own the development. That is the parallel of studying for marks/grades rather than for culture and wisdom through practice of knowledge. Faith based systems promote common culture and hence when there is weakening in Common Faith, there is a need for merit system – best seen in Businesses. At the moment, it is not uncommon for our villagers to claim that they are doing ‘service’ when in fact they refuse work if there is no cash reward. That is like saying that they married for Love, when in fact they would not have married without dowry.

Elimination of Unjust Discrimination

As per our assessment, cash reward through Business approach is an excellent medium towards confirming this Bridge that we have built. We have in mind, educational tours for seekers from all over the world, who are looking to be part of this Experience of Eliminating all forms of Unjust Discrimination. The name given to this form of discrimination in our area is Caste. For our National Disease, the International Community calls it Racial Discrimination.

We believe that if Caste based discrimination had been eliminated in Northern Sri Lanka, armed groups would not have had the fuel to sustain the war. By the same token, we believe that Tamils who have worked successfully to eliminate Caste based discrimination are the better leaders towards Democratic Governance than those who are fighting to show ‘wins’ at the armed and political levels. As per our assessment, the LTTE did achieve this to a degree and to the extent those of higher castes accepted the leadership of lower caste leaders in LTTE, they had also ‘lost’ the height through caste hierarchy. Similarly National level participants on both sides.

As you would appreciate, many of the older generation – on both sides of the caste divide - are finding it difficult to change. To us this has been due to lack of development of a stronger system through which grades and positions are allocated, to link us to the Global Community. The younger generation, especially those who seek to invest more in wider education than their parents did and those who seek to live outside the villages they were born in and seek to live in multicultural environments, need immediate support to feel that they have enough confidence to access common facilities. To us, this is very much a part of the war issue – even though many educated Tamils do not consciously acknowledge it.

As demonstrated through Lord Murga’s Sooran Pohr (the war against the demon Sooran), unjust Discrimination also changes forms with Time and Space distances. Hence it is my belief that until we eliminate all forms of unjust discrimination from within ourselves, we would be ill equipped to fight against unjust discrimination by others – within and/or outside Sri Lanka.

Government’s waste and Global Agencies’ haste

The slow pace at which the Government is moving towards establishing an appropriate system coupled with the haste with which Global Agencies send funds to those whom they ‘see’ as the needy, is promoting unrest and imbalances in the social structures of these communities. A good parallel that comes to mind is the collection of funds from Tamil Diaspora for building a tower to a temple in our local area when some locals across the road on our side are continuing to use vacant lands as public toilets. Our temple around which the School of Human Values has been developed does not even have statues but just two Soolams (Tridents) – one representing Consciousness (Vairavar) and the other representing Energy (Kali). The sacred ceremonies are performed by a non-Brahmin who is committed to his job through faith and is humble enough to appreciate the simple values of our temple. We are working to develop a ‘user-takes’ facility even in the distribution of Holy Ash (Vibhuthi). Reports from our villagers say that elders of higher caste are unhappy with this change. It is to be expected from them in a community which not so long ago, banned lower castes from entering that temple.

The Government and its agencies have been virtually absent from the area during ‘normal’ times, despite my request for a meeting with the local government officer. It is our submission that the Government and its agencies are being ‘reactive’ instead of being preventive.

Breach of Doctrine of Separation of Powers

This has been further confirmed by the fact that political party supporters and representatives are using the Development Secretariat to meet with the locals in regards to ‘funds’. It is reported that one such discussion centered around the funding of the above School of Human Values but without consultation with the lawful authorities of the School. We conclude that this has happened due to ignorance of the importance of Separation of Powers between Administrators and Politicians.

As per one report, villagers who did not get what they ordered, are accusing Australian Tamil Management Service of using locals to get funding. A simple check would have confirmed that we are a private business organization and as I insist on saying, despite our donation of land and cash – we operate on a commercial basis. I have however, used this ‘Business Opportunity’ to assess the level of natural faith-connection that the locals feel towards us – those seen as ‘outsiders’. To me, the point at which those who reject discipline through Due Process and insist on ‘showing’ the outcomes of their work at their level – is the cut off point between faith and business – hierarchical system and democracy. Hence the need for separation of powers towards preventing divided villages – as they stand now. To me, the government and its agencies are to be blamed for failing to practice the Doctrine of Separation of powers – by consciously and expressly separating Politics from Public Administration. Hence the indiscriminate mix of the two – most apparent in less educated village communities that have comfortable access to cash from outsiders to whom they are not connected through common faith. As per my understanding, this need for separation was the core purpose for which the Tamil Tigers claimed to have fought for separation. Each seeker was entitled to and did interpret this as per their own belief – due to lack of common administrative systems with the LTTE.

Where there is real equality between two cultures of faith – there needs to be separation of powers if the nation is to remain as One. Hence the Equal Political status when a child turns 18. Likewise, when minority communities come of age. This to me, was the essence of the Declaration of Independence made by Tamil political leaders through the Vattukottai Resolution.

Sovereignty of the Individual

As you would appreciate, voting is an expression of our equality with the government and the sovereignty of the individual. It is the parallel of the ‘love’ component in marriage and needs to happen without any direct and immediate influence by those seeking to be elected. The success of elections depends on this nuclear power. Administration for which you are responsible in this instance, on the other hand, is the parallel of arranged marriages and they come with their own structures, positions and Due Processes. The area covered by one should not be covered by the other. I have since then spoken to the CEO of our school, Mr. Jeevarasa, son of Village Elder Pushparasa and have advised that when they need funds, they needed to follow Due Process and submit proposals to the Government Agencies responsible for funding. I have also instructed that the Managing Committee discipline those who spoke out of turn and made this request inappropriately through a political meeting.

I find myself blaming the Government for this because the Government failed to recognize that these folks do not have prior wisdom or knowledge in Administering Budgets nor the infrastructure to manage resources and merge the School of Human Values or the Development Secretariat with the village and the village with wider community. Had your Administration allocated due credit to the real developers – Truth would have helped them along this path. Otherwise they start practicing reverse discrimination.

It would have been quite acceptable for politicians and their supporters to make promises on the basis of their assessments of the needs of the village. The above bottom-up request in breach of the Doctrine of Separation of Powers is confirmation that they have not been assessing through regular life ‘outside’ the area covered by Public Administration. The fact that your Administration failed to discipline the locals is confirmation that they have failed in their responsibility to us – the donors who made the strongest contribution to this progressive change.

Our donation came with our wisdom in Public Administration and Management. We actively involved ourselves to implement Due Processes for those who could not ‘see’ beyond their own knowledge and desires. We submit that without such Due Processes, hasty injection of cash leads to abuse. Last month, when handing over Rs.50,000 towards loans for self-employment especially to those from Sangarathai, across the road, I insisted that it is not to be used for any other purpose. As per an unconfirmed report, it is intended that this money is to be used to build a dividing wall in front of the Development Secretariat. (Discussed below). To us it is a wall of division and not protection from outsiders. One village leader said that that was the way they – the village functioned – even though I could not understand it. In other words, from that point onwards I am an outcast for that leader. But I keep including myself on the basis of my Truth which continues to be upheld by all those who value their trades and professions and by those who have no desire for official positions in the current structure.

All this was confirmed also during my stay in that area – in August / September last year, when a group that claimed to help the villagers highlighted this caste issue, claiming to bring relief through their political influence.

User Pays Facilities

Taking into consideration the high risk of divisions due to unjust discrimination of any form, I urge you to take all measures to actively facilitate for the local folks to be trained in the use of Common Facilities on ‘User Pays’ / Business basis. This would include, finding some returns of responsibility for ‘donations’ and ‘grants’ – including from global agencies such as ours. Such returns need to be calculated through common principles.

Dividing Walls

Often the local folks seem to be going round and round in circles. Take for example, the Development Secretariat mentioned above. During my last month’s stay, I learnt that they have made application for a boundary wall around the Development Secretariat!! When I asked them why? - they said that they needed to protect the building from vandals – who are part of their own community!

There are so many other basic needs – including toilets for those who do not have toilets – and it was rather disheartening to hear that our donation was going towards further division. During the time NECORD was actively working in that area, I witnessed strong opposition – including the call for knife/sword to attack the local NGO chief. The application for funds for the Dividing wall, has confirmed that the village no longer has immediate cash needs but is in urgent need of opportunities for structured work practices.

Abuse of Women as highlighted by you

All the issues that you have highlighted in your recent comments regarding abuse of women, are applicable to the women of our village too. When we, the independent women of these areas include ourselves with these women who are yet to practice a strongly structured system of marriage and who were kept outside the circles of those parts of our community that did benefit from the practice of structured and regulated marriage, in totality, we do not have a problem and it would be time for us to work internally through Due Processes to develop common faith. We owe that to our ancestors who laid the foundation to our system of marriage which is one of the strongest in the world. Even sexual pleasures need to be regulated when they are taken as per position and merit rather than shared through Love. Hence legalization of prostitution outside marriage. Likewise, cash and status need to be regulated on the basis of structured positions and merit basis rather than claims of ownership which led to claims of ‘Sole Representation by the LTTE’.

Mission

The Village needs to manage itself through systems that facilitate Equal Access to Common Resources. As you may appreciate, there is still lack of clear demarcation between private and public property. As I said during the time of our land donation - to the local leaders after there were attempts by a local family, to put up a shed in the land we had allocated for the donation – ‘it is as sinful to take private property without the approval of the owner as it is to take / use public property for private purposes.’ The legal system may fail to capture these but the system of Natural Justice would punish all those who ‘take’ unjustly the earnings of a genuine worker / contributor to Social Justice. Those of us who seek and find our own solutions within would naturally cure those who are ignorant that they are ignorant. (Dr. David Garlick – University of New South Wales)

Your mission statement says that your goal is to “Ensure efficient and effective public service and sound administrative system in the district, divisional and village levels responsive to the aspirations for the people and national priorities.’

Taking in good faith, the above declaration to be genuine, I urge you to be actively involved in the use of our donations to ensure that they are utilized with Due Respect and are managed through systems that would take the value of our local work and sacrifices to the national and international levels. Our elders have said that the confirmation that we have led a good family life happens when our families integrate with wider society. Likewise, villages with the Nation and the Nation with the World.