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If you can walk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with kings and not lose the common touch,
If neither fee nor loving friend can hurt you,
If all men count with you, but none too much,
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds worth of distance run,
Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it,
And what is more, you'll be a man, my son.

- Rudyard Kipling

by Lloyd Fernando

During a long period of over two score years in public service, the one redeeming factor is that you could be left with a whole gamut of anecdotes to dwell upon for the rest of your life.

These maturing years with the government were spent during those early, if not unsophisticated times of the electronic media, torturing the airwaves at Torrington Square.

Weather Forecast

An incident that comes uppermost to my mind at this moment of time in my chequered career concerns a weather forecast that came over then Radio Ceylon, one gloomy morning in June at the turn of the sixties.

The morning news reader of the first bulletin for the day, was Ranjit Heendeniya - and Ranjith in the sound-proof cubicle, completely detached from the outside world and quite oblivious to the sounds and happenings of the environment that was by now encompassed in a torrential downpour, continued to read the day's weather forecast as usual: "Fair weather will prevail over the island, a few thunder showers may develop inland during the afternoon or evening and spread to the western coast later".

With an air of profound satisfaction of a job well done Ranjith was walking out of the studio in blissful ignorance of an apparently new world of heavy tropical monsoonal lashing outside.

He was beginning to look like the proverbial ostrich trying in vain to hide his face; and it took us quite some time to make him realise that he was surely not to be blamed

. "Yes, I know" said Ranjith "but the listeners don't think so; to them, the radio station is conjured up in toto with the announcer; and so how can I face the public under such circumstances?" he yelled out in muffled tones, still hiding his face as much as his bare hands could help him.

"Temple trees or coconut trees"

There was this quasi-political type of officer at former Radio Ceylon, who was seemingly riding high in that capacity, when Nissanaka Wijeratne, a time-honoured civil servant was the big boss.

It was the time of general elections, and the station was fully geared to meet the challenging situation. For hish security reasons, anyone entering the institution was bound to be in possession of a valid identity card. Once, during this period, the quasi-political type was attempting to force an entry through the security sans the valid permit basking in the glory he was refiring from "Temple Trees".

When the news of the incident reached the Chief, he came charging out in stentorian yet microphonic tones: "To hell with it. You can come from temple trees or coconut trees but yet, you got to abide by the security pattern of this place today!" Never ever did that politically mixed up officer throw his weight around. 'One for the road'

The next decade or so saw the Department of Broadcasting achieving corporation status, and yet another distinguished civil servant Neville Jayaweera became its first Chairman.

Much importance is invariably attached to the daily news broadcasts; and so here was this officer down to read the evening news broadcast and he was in more than a cheerful mood to do so, having had a few 'elbow-liftings' of the cup that cheers. So, was it any wonder then that the introductory lines of the bulletin scheduled for 9.15 p.m., got inexplicably mixed up thus. "The 9 now is time 15. "The Chairman at the monitoring end did not waste any time in making a bee-line to the station. Having extracted the station identity card from the officer, he told him very cooly he need not bother to report for work any further.

Mr. Jayaweera was very much averse to tale-carriers, the little qualified and frustrated officers who try to get closer to the powers that are by spreading malicious stories about colleagues among the hierarchy.

A subordinate officer was desperately trying to do this at the expense of a senior officer by carrying a tale to the big boss the senior officer is rarely in his seat and as a result, work is held up. Beckoning the minor officer to stay on, the Chairman rang the senior officer on the intercom and summoned him to his office. He confronted him with his subordinate officer and laid bare the allegations. The junior tried hopelessly to twist the story - and then lapsed into silence when he was severely reprimanded.

Humane touch

A politician with a humane touch was this minister from down South, who often held out for the poor and the needy, and for public officials. He once took to task an up-country politician for slating a senior public servant who was unable to defend himself due to protocol.

In the mid-sixties, when he was in charge of the largest portfolio in the Cabinet, his magnanimity was also the largest. I had the good fortune of working for him and with him at that time, while accompanying him on his official circuits. All expenses of the journey were invariably borne by him; and at the rest-houses where we stopped for our meals, he stretched out his wallet to me to settle all bills along with onerous 'tips' to the waiters.

He never did claim his legitimate allowances from the government.

This minister always made it a point to ask his outstation officers to look after the officers from Colombo and vice versa. As my official circuits when accompanying the minister were 'all-expenses' paid, I had no reason to make any travelling claim for myself from the state. Instead of being lauded for this honest exercise, when the next government came into power, I was penalised for this, being accused of being too close to the powers that were. I was sent on compulsory leave!

I remember a former minister of Justice whom I had the pleasure of accompanying on a judicial circuit down South, when at Maggona, he stopped at a popular bakery and not only did he treat me a high tea but also bought me package of the traditional biscuits of this bakery.

They are indeed, golden moments of selfless deeds!

The late Mr. George Rajapakse, a former minister used to arrive at the ministry as early as 7.30 in the morning and many were the long discourses we used to have while at the same time building up a very close and unforgettable rapport with each other.

"My right hand"

A truly grateful minister was the late Mr. Michael Siriwardena, a former Minister of Labour, for whom I had the explicit pleasure of working in the early seventies.

He was so considerate, understanding, and above all so unassuming. I always did a thorough job for him to his profound satisfaction that he used to shower his plaudits on me publicly. He treated me so closely and with all the hospitality at his disposal. During the weekends he used to asked me if I was free to join him on a Sunday outing.

Once, I was officially out in Geneva, on an ILO fellowship; and after a time I was joined by the former Labour Chief, Lakshman de Mel who told me on his arrival that the minister had paid me the biggest compliment a public servant could ever receive from a member of the Cabinet: "I feel Lloyd's absence as if my right hand is cut off" had been the Minister's remark conveyed to me.

When my mother passed away while I was in service at this point of time at the Labour Ministry, Mr. Siriwardena, the whole Ministry and the Department, were a rare source of strength to me.

The Minister's presence was virtually felt like that of a close member of the family.

The only thing I regret about the past is the length of it. If I had to live my life again, I would make all the same mistakes only sooner.

If a man does not make new acquaintances as he passes through life, he will soon find himself left alone. A man should keep himself in constant repair.

(The writer is former Secretary to Governor, N.W.P.)

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