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by Dr. D. Chandraratna National Institute of Social Development, Colombo

It is not reasonable to expect poor economies such as Sri Lanka to be as robust as the developed economies in the West in this regard because the national pie is itself insufficient to deliver the basics to all groups of people at the required international standards. However we must be proud that up till recently we were classed as the country in the Asian region with the best report card on this subject for we did have good health, high quality education accessible to all, and the basic nutritional standards.

As a sequel to the article on the 22nd May, it is extremely important for us to work towards a realization of a social policy studies network in Sri Lanka. The importance of social policy to a country such as Sri Lanka cannot be over emphasized. I can only allude to a few key issues on this vast topic. The delicate balance between economic policies, international pressures on the economy of Sri Lanka, the pressure from the local constituencies and the lurking danger of insurrections must somehow be properly understood in this context.

What is social policy is difficult to answer but the crux of the essentials is to do with equitable social provisioning for people. It has a lot of affinity with what we used to call especially Britain as the prime example, the welfare state. This notion that social policies were on about were the key areas of health, education and welfare. These were the main areas of social policy that made any society equitable, just and fair. Social policy in the main is to remedy the ill effects of a growing economy because the so-called invisible hand of the market is not that just and considerate to those at the lower end of the social spectrum. Also from the point of view of a capitalist economy the society had to be kept peaceful though these provisions in order to keep the markets active the labour force happy.

Economies

It is not reasonable to expect poor economies such as Sri Lanka to be as robust as the developed economies in the West in this regard because the national pie is itself insufficient to deliver the basics to all groups of people at the required international standards. However we must be proud that up till recently we were classed as the country in the Asian region with the best report card on this subject for we did have good health, high quality education accessible to all, and the basic nutritional standards. In terms of the now accepted quality of life (HDI) index we were the top-performing nation in the Asian region.

The point to note is that all these were due to very visionary social policies of national leaders (national in the broader sense) who were in charge of the reins of running the state. Emeritus Prof. Jayasuriya, a well known social scientist to all of us, has, on numerous occasions pointed out the landmarks in the social provisioning of Sri Lanka by the Kannangara report (1943), the Jennings report (1943), and the Cumpston report (1950).

He says that "not only does Sri Lanka rank high in comparison with other developing countries, it also enjoys a relatively high standing for a country with a poor per capita Gross National Product (GNP)." He goes on to say, that relative to the countries in the region, with a 87 percent literacy rate, about 70 years plus life expectancy rate, and an infant mortality rate of less than 17 per 1000 live births, we have done extremely well for a poor country.

While these were good for a country coming out of a colonial yoke to a fully independent nation, when we as citizens take control of the affairs of the country, the progress of our social performance has been less than average. Since that time in the social policy advocacy and policy making and arena has been overshadowed by the importance of the political party at the expense of the intellectual community and other interest groups, with the result that the constituent elements of the totality of the social policy subject is not operative.

Spoils

We have always and, correctly I might add, taken seriously the importance of economic policy but the social subject has been relegated to the spoils of economic policies alone and is given only 'an afterthought' kind of attention by those who are instrumental in recommending economic provision to the nation as the panacea for all social problems of the society. This has had catastrophic results in some instances with insurrections, revolts, and conflicts from the South and the continuing battle in the North.

Even now we do write volumes about the resolution of the ethnic conflict but properly examined social policy documents with realistic alternatives and consequences scientifically examined in this regard are sadly missing. I do concede that ethnic clashes and social policies are not the key topics of even Western scholars and we have very little to go by.

Even to understand the difference in the two categories of social policy, those which are small in scope and those, which are vast and complex in scope is itself an enlightening thought. It is not fair to apportion blame to the economists for they are doing what they are good at and the weakness is on the side of the social scientists to work out ways and methods of highlighting the importance of the social element in economic policies as well as initiating on their own important social policies from the bottom-up and perhaps the costing by the economists as far the effects on the economy and so on.

This is such a useful applied science these days that we have no such systematic study in the University sector in Sri Lanka.

The problems that social scientists study in Sri Lanka are numerous and in this current phase of the country they are so important to guaranteeing social peace in the country. We have had land reform but the implementation and the consequences of the reforms so far of both the Paddy Lands phase and the subsequent Act are not available as a national study.

Public housing, official language, university reforms, import and export of consumer goods, micro credit programs, science education, technical colleges, university curricula and the impact on unemployment, the horrendous crime problem, the underworld, child servants, are social policy issues of huge proportions, so much so, that one wonders whether the country has the intellectual resources to examine the issue, recommend policies, weigh the alternatives for financial limitations and look at the weaknesses in the implementation of at least those policies which have come through various pieces of legislation.

Unlike economic policies which some times come as bolts from above the social aspects are so complex that you need real scientific minds to elucidate, analyze and probe before they are put into effect. Modelling them is an expert's job.

I am wondering that in the politicization of the civil service in the country, the place that every country in the world has given to the expert has been taken over by the people's representatives who are more interested in social expediency rather than the long-term effectiveness of these.

State

We are in a parlous state on this subject and I may be criticized for overstepping the mark but, well in the interest of beginning somewhere, it is blame worth suffering. As your article on the 22nd stated rather forcefully, those countries is East Asia have become tiger economies, thanks not only to their economic agenda, but also they were lucky to have so many social policies prior to becoming developed economies. Of course they are fortunate in being somewhat homogenous ethnically, religiously or being autocratic and less democratic in the time that they were reconstructing the nations. We may have enjoyed a bellyful of democracy but where we are must surely be an oft-quoted bad example in those countries.

The Senior Minister of Singapore has, on many occasions illustrated the poverty of democracy in Asia by reference to Sri Lanka as recently as in his autobiography. How can social policy help us now? It is the vehicle of attaining social peace in a country. Our problems are big, I concede, but the systematic study from a policy point of view is essential to the current policy makers.

Well, one might say that the political party is more important than the intellectual exercise, (which many of my colleagues keep harping as a waste of time). It is not necessarily true as many (not all) of the political decision makers through not in the category of intellectuals are very easily won over by carefully selected argument, though their priorities are somewhat different at times.

Stance

But the intellectual stance must be a patient stance. The failure is more to do with the civil servant who are in the right places but for the wrong reasons. I have been at times amazed by the timid apologetic nature of the public servant whom I see as waiting for the political master to suggest the policy proposals and for him or her to run with them. Very often this ends up in financial and social disaster for not all the options have been canvassed, nor the links with other elements of social policies seen, or the implementation difficulties examined well in advance or any public discussion worth its name, ever been engaged.

There is a lot that the BBC comedy Yes Minister can teach us.

There are times that the public servant must stand firm. The brain drain in the country may be catastrophic but still we are a nation of very good brains, unlike many other countries of comparable ilk. A proper study of social policy will bring out the culture for social policy. Just as much democracy is a matter of culture so is the study of social policy. We have democracy but the culture of democracy is on the decline and the same can be said of social policy.

It is time for the state to nominate one of the Universities to take up this applied subject in one of the arts faculties and fund it well so that graduates or preferably post graduate study becomes a reality. By doing so we will not only establish the science of social policy but also invigorate debates in a wide-ranging field in the social domain so that the policy makers at the political level will pay attention. Surely, they will listen to argument and specially well researched and presented argument. None would relish the thought of being labelled unintelligent to venture into consequences, which are brought just in front of their face.

The list of areas is endless and when one sees through letters to the editor the policy initiatives ordinary citizens propose on diverse subjects is fascinating to an outsider. From elephants to zoos, from highways to pradesheeya sabhas, from corruption to ethical behaviours is as vivid and educative as in any developed country.

The institutes, universities, minds are all there. Someone must take a lead at least from a purely selfish interest.

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