I am writing to provide a response to fellow Australian Dr. Jayaratne Pinikahana’s interesting article entitled Open invitation to SL academics who left country during war appearing in The Island on 16 February 2011. I am sure my beloved friend (and one time mentor), Professor Carlo Fonseka might have said, had he read the Dr Pinikahana’s patriotic article, "this is indeed a display of expatriate patriotism (from Australia!)" But As far as I know, Dr Pinikahana is not showing his patriotism from Down Under, but he has made a commitment to "return" to Sri Lanka to give his expertise back to his mother land. This is indeed a gracious act as he has lived and worked in Australia for the last 17 years holding a number of positions ranging from senior lecturer to Research fellow.
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I must state at the outset, that I don’t come under the category of former Sri Lankan academic who is living in Australia, but for sure, I was a Sri Lankan who received the benefits of free education entirely in SINHALA, now serving my domiciled country Australia working entirely in ENGLISH for want of Aussie dollars and desire for free speech and expression without fear of persecution, among other things.
Dr Pinikahana wrote: In addition to bond exemption, the government needs to solve their pay issue immediately once and for all. A decent salary which is similar to India in the region should be offered with some additional incentives to lure them back to the country. If the government is willing to increase the salaries of academics as proposed by the University Staff Association, a lot of things will change for better."
In my view, this is an idealistic vision of a sociologist! In my opinion, this will never happen for many more years to come in a country where the interest payments for debts are rising faster than the growth of GDP.
Sri Lanka has become a marvellous country since I have left in April 1986, and the present regime have eliminated one of the world’s worst terrorist organisations and territorially "unified" the country. Unfortunately, Western nations have not given Sri Lanka its due credit for this achievement. In my opinion, there is a long march to build a unified nation in Sri Lanka where all ethnic groups can have a fair go, to use an Australian phrase that both Dr Pinikahana and I enjoy in this country where we have excellent democratic tradition and freedom of expression, among other things!
Dr Pinikahana has made an assumption about the "true" mentality of expatriate academics who went abroad (to study) and stayed at the expense of the taxpayers’ money. He writes:"These academics who are in self-exile know that their service is essential at this crucial time and they know that they spent taxpayers’ money, and they want to come back and some of whom have already decided to come back. However, I know personally that some Sri Lankan academics who are living in Australia are very much willing to come back but they find it very hard to find any work in Sri Lanka."
I am not sure how Dr Pinikahana has made this particular assumption that at least "some Sri Lankan academics who are living in Australia are very much willing to come back but they find it very hard to find any work in Sri Lanka."
I think those academics who have defaulted their ethical and other obligations for not "returning" to serve the mother country after the end of their study programmes should pay back their dues without delay. If not, the Govt. of SL should set up a website with names, position details of those academics who are defaulters (traitors?).
If this simple project could be implemented, those who are holding top positions around the globe who came on study programmes at the expense of poor Sri Lankan tax payers’ money may pay back their dues in Australian or American dollars which is a lot of SL Rupees these days in conversion!
Sunil Govinnage
Western Australia
Courtesy - The Islanda
