‘Serve your motherland first’
 

When I received the invitation to deliver this address, a few lines from a stage play of Henry Jayasena, in which, a few years ago, I was privileged to act as ‘Baladari’ came to my mind, in a summary it says. “This student belongs to us, and everyone says it.” Yes indeed you are, our students of the University of Sri Jayewardenapura.

If you look back at your life, you will see yourself as a person who has come a long journey. If you look at the beginning of this journey, you will see a group of people who were keenly watching you. They are the people who set you off on this journey. They are your parents and family whose blessings you always had.

Then, throughout your journey in search for knowledge and wisdom, there was another group of people watching you. They were your teachers and members of the academic staff, who taught you and guided you throughout this journey. Of course there were some others who appeared as student leaders pulling you back by the leg.

There were also those who tried to delay your journey by their various activities. This happens everywhere just forget them and think of the words of Lloyd Douglas in the book ‘Disputed Passage’ “Do you learn lessons from only those who praise you? Haven’t you learnt greater lessons from those who obstructed the passage for you?” And, today, at the end of your journey, there is yet another group of people watching you and waiting for you. They are the people of this country. The people who shouldered the cost of your education.

expectations

All of them, your parents, your teachers and the people of the country have their expectations from you, and all of them are watching you today as you stand between two worlds. The world that was (as an undergraduate) and the world that’s going to be (as a fully qualified graduate).

It is important to remember, that you are stepping out into this new world as learned people. People who have acquired knowledge and wisdom. People who have had the privilege to be with peers and learned people. People who have had access to good books and libraries. In that sense, you are a different person to the undergraduate you were.

Therefore, as you take your first steps into this new world, you must have a clear understanding of yourselves, and have a vision for yourselves and the country. In doing so, you have a great social responsibility.

Some of you may have been very bright students, while some of you, may not have been so good. But, remember, that together, you will contribute to society. Remember the words of John Bunyan in the Pilgrims Progress. “Dark clouds bring waters, when the bright bring none. Yes, dark or bright, if they, their silver drops cause to descend, the earth by yielding crops, gives praise to both.”

Very soon you will be employed and earn an income. In the words of Elenor Rooseveit, “You have to accept whatever comes. The only important thing is that you meet it with the best you have to give.” Employment has two components. The employer and the employee. Both have a responsibility to each other, and both have a social responsibility.

Social responsibility is an ethical or an ideological theory that an entity, whether it is a government, corporation, organisation or an individual has a responsibility to society. Everyone is talking about “corporate social responsibility”. It is the latest “buzz word”. In any employment, it is not correct to think only of what the employer can give. It is equally important to think of what you can give the employment. In other words, we all have an important “Individual Social Responsibility.”

noble professions

To understand this let us consider the two professions that are termed ‘noble professions’ - medical and teaching professions. They are not professions meant for the purpose of amassing money and wealth. They are professions that give unto others healing and knowledge, and give unto those who practice them an enormous sense of self satisfaction. Medical graduates please remember it is a divine calling to be a doctor.

Remember that from the time you decided to be a doctor you have entered into a contract with the patients. It is also a divine calling to be a teacher.

In the days of our forefathers, these professions had no employers, but today both professions have employers. They are the two Ministries of Health and Education. That’s how the system has necessarily changed, leading unto, as we see today never ending conflict.

In the eyes of the people, doctors and teachers are learned people. Everyone looks up to them with respect. As such their demands should be well considered and reasonable. Resolution of issues and problems should necessarily be on discussion and negotiation, and not on trade union action for the most trivial reasons. Inability to “give and take”, in fairness to all concerned, is lacking on both sides. We often see a “Robin Hood and Friar” situation. Both will not ‘give in’. They forget that there are very important stake holders caught in the cross fire. These are the helpless patients and the innocent schoolchildren. How can learned people be blind to this?

If they know this, how can the health workers abandon helpless patients in the wards and walk out on trade union action? Or refuse to see hundreds of patients at the out patient departments who have reached out to them for relief of their illnesses.

Of course, they say that emergencies are treated, but how would you define an emergency? What is an emergency? Recently it was shocking to hear about trade union action at the Vavuniya Hospital which caters to the needs of our valiant soldiers. Any ailment is an emergency to a soldier on the battle front. Who are these soldiers? These are young men like you, who have sacrificed everything you enjoy as young men to defend the country. In the same way any chest pain however trivial is a serious illness in the minds of ordinary people. Who decides this? Is it the trade unions or one’s own conscience.

Are these wise decisions? Who suffers as a result of these decisions? The helpless patients.

dishonesty

The same applies to the teaching profession. How can a teacher tell his students “I will not teach you today”, or “I am going to report sick tomorrow” on the instructions of the trade unions. Are they not teaching dishonesty in doing this? How can they say “I will not mark answer scripts” and purposely delay results of important examinations. GCE A/L results are still not released. You were students a few years ago and you know how these decisions would have affected your future.

What have these innocent children done to be treated like this? We are aware of instances where innocent students were dragged into activities in support of trade union action by teachers and even members of academic staff. Is this correct? What are we instilling into these young minds? During my service of forty years as a doctor in the State sector, I have not stopped work on a single day on trade union action.

I was a trade union leader as President of FMTA Colombo. During this time there was trade union action by the university staff, but I refused to let our union participate because of the student’s responsibility. We must have the courage to say ‘No’ to these actions which affect innocent people. Learned people in noble professions should think differently and act differently.

Consider another aspect look at private practice and private tuition. Both have left much to be desired. Ever so often, we hear the voice of the helpless stakeholders expressing their displeasure and disgust at the shameless levels to which, some members of these professions stoop with the sole objective of amassing wealth. Where is their “Individual Social Responsibility”? I wish to make a special request to the medical graduates. Resolve today to work like a true professional and not a “businessman in the garb of a professional.”

Your responsibility is not confined to employment alone. You have an “Individual Social Responsibility” to everyone who encouraged you and supported you throughout your journey to become graduates. Remember your parents and family at the beginning of your journey.

They have their expectations and you have your obligations. Remember your teachers who helped you to acquire knowledge and wisdom. Live up to their expectations and fulfil your obligations. Always honour your teachers and be ever grateful to them. “Guru Bhakthiya” is an inherent quality in the people of this country. And remember, the people of this country, who are waiting for you.

It is their money that supported you throughout your journey both as a student in school and university. They have great expectations from you and you have your obligations. They all expect one thing from you, that is to serve this country, and that the people of this country will benefit from your learning. It is Sri Lanka that you must serve and no other country.

This is your motherland. Money and wealth should not blind you. By all means go abroad and learn as much as you can and come back with all the expertise to serve your motherland. Your careers were moulded here in this country. The late Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar had this to say at a felicitation ceremony for him at Oxford. “Yes Oxford was icing on the cake, but the cake was baked at home.” Mr. Kadirgamar came back to Sri Lanka and fulfilled his ‘Individual Social Responsibility’ to this country till his last breath.

Finally, what matters at the end of the day is the sense of fulfilment in yourself and not the amount of money you amass. You must be able to say that I did my best with what I had, and I am happy and content. I can honestly say that I have this sense of fulfilment, and I wish, that you too, in the years to come would say the same.

benefiting

It is sad to see other countries benefiting from those who were educated in this country. Those who seek greener pastures must remember that although they build mansions and go about in limousines are still second class citizens in those countries.

It is interesting to note that some of these birds who fly away to greener pastures, on their retirement, often comes home to roost. One cannot say I paid my bond and my obligations are over. What is this bond? There is more to it. Your obligations go beyond that to everyone who contributed to bring you to this level in life, starting from the doctor who delivered you to the midwife who assisted him, your family, baby sitters the cook woman, people who washed your clothes, transportation that took you to school and university - the list is endless. So, this is not an issue of rupees and cents.

It is an issue of being aware of your ‘Individual Social Responsibility.’ Your debt is to all of them who belong to this country who are today waiting for you to step out of this hall with your degrees to begin your new life.

In the words of William Thomas, “the greatest and perhaps the most perfect gift we can give to our country is the gift of ourselves at our best and that means not just stills of our hands and cunning of our brains but our dreams, our finest resolutions and the most solemn promises to ourselves.”