Sri Lanka: Protect people from trade union bosses

The civic consciousness of the established political system, as well as, that of many professionals and trade unions is not at a socially just and healthy level in Sri Lanka.

by Fr. Augustine Fernando-Aug 7, 2018

( August 7, 2018, Colombo, Sri Lanka Guardian) The sick people, who due to various ailments become the most physically weak and helpless citizens, have been once again used by the leadership of the Government Medical Officers Association (GMOA) as a tool for them to gain their demands, which are indeed privileges not given to other citizens. Going beyond their sphere of selfish interests, to make their demands look legitimate, they have also added demands concerning trade agreements hooking themselves to political alliances.

A civic consciousness makes all citizens, rich and poor pay indirect taxes. The poor curtail their taxed purchases to the minimum, often omitting even the most essential for the livelihood of their families. Because the worth of their eight hours of work is financially not sufficiently appreciated and assessed, they are not paid enough to meet even their basic requirements. Those who earn far more than an average well-to-do are required to also pay direct taxes according to their incomes. Some of those who gain big incomes put in a few extra hours during weekdays and earn handsomely. Some also gain it very leisurely; making use of the huge volume of finances, they have somehow got hold of. They have had the privilege and opportunity to gain large incomes from the socio-economic political environment, populated by a millions of poor, helpless and voiceless citizens whose many, varied and complex deprivations paradoxically enrich the privileged. The same socio-economic political environment also unfairly deprives the fruits of their life-savings to the now weak and aged citizens, who have worked hard and retired.

The civic consciousness of the established political system, as well as, that of many professionals and trade unions is not at a socially just and healthy level in Sri Lanka. Among the active participants in the political establishment who are in the National Legislature are many uneducated, ignorant, uncouth, and as regards civic consciousness and social responsibility, the most abominably rotten among the people who hardly qualify to be called responsible citizens. They are carrying on the corrupt political legacy bequeathed to them by the previous self-absorbed regime now exhibiting self-righteous postures.

Added to them come the several trade unions of government servants and the GMOA, whose members are by-products of an education system that has supplied this country a skewed proportion of citizens lacking a wholesome civic sense. These senseless people are completely undisturbed by the mayhem they have caused to thousands of poor people, whose taxes have educated and maintained them, and have also contributed to sustain the primary, secondary and tertiary education of the medical doctors. Of course, even though their medical education and training may not have trained them to do harm to poor innocent people, their trade union activities make them purveyors of a social evil on an island-wide scale. They seem to have lacked in their professional medical education an important input, namely, ethico-moral standards and attitudes, civic consciousness, social values and professional responsibility.

When I was Chaplain at the Peradeniya campus, I have been asked to speak to the students at the Medical Faculty and to a general meeting of students in the Arts Theatre in the 1970s. Some kind of introduction to ethico-moral and social themes, as well as other intellectual, literary, aesthetic and social activities may have been given to not only medical students, but also to students of other faculties. In any case Catholic students of various faculties got together to conduct free classes for G.C.E. Ordinary level students living in Hindagala and the adjoining village, to help them especially in Maths.

Unfortunately, political issues and inhuman ragging take the centre stage in today’s university life, to make the beginning of a university education in Sri Lankan a frighteningly tortuous affair. It augurs neither a wholesome adventure in education, nor an experience of concentrated study and search for truth, humane, cultured and fraternal living bourgeoning forth in the groves of academe. Sri Lanka’s university system should not be satisfied in producing a handful of eminent persons skilled in various professions, but aim at creating out of every generation of students a good multitude of highly qualified, well-motivated and responsible citizens who get to be known for their breadth of learning, depth of humanity and the scope of service to their motherland. It is most unfortunate that more than 500 university graduates, instead of returning to serve their universities have deserted the institutions that nurtured them, for the attractions they have found in the countries where they were sent for post-graduate studies. The situation in the universities seem to be so incongruous that it needs the permission of some student leaders to keep the universities open!

Ignorant of what they ought to be, the GMOA have turned out to become an ‘Oppressors’ Association’ along with other trade unions of various government services that go on strikes and oppress the people they are supposed to serve. To the medical service and other public services, louts without a minimum sense of civic sense have been recruited. All those who resort to strikes and threaten to strike over various issues, are not only unprofessionally contesting their manner of service and oppressing the people, but in a most degrading manner despising and demeaning the human dignity of the unprivileged citizens of this Country, the poor women, children and the aged, and violating their human rights.

While the GMOA leadership is gloating over the strike by some 20,000 doctors, I have had the blessing of encountering a very outgoing kind and compassionate team of doctors, nurses and other assisting personnel at the Apeksha Hospital, Maharagama. Dr. Dehan Gunasekera and Dr. Panduka in treating me directed me to some younger doctors under them who very caringly helped me through a very discomforting intervention, prior to my seeing them again to get further treatment. I also observed how the doctors, nurses and numerous other hospital workers gave every patient attention and care. My two-day stay at Apeksha Hospital was as pleasant as a stay in a hospital could be. I pray that the doctors, nurses, all those hospital workers, and their entire households be blessed by God, for the healing and the ray of hope they bring to the lives of the patients they caringly serve.

If the GMOA leadership is not hard-hearted but sensitive enough, they might become what doctors ought to be by taking on the example and attitudes of the doctors and health care staff that are evident and experienced by the patients and the people who come to Apeksha Hospital.