Bring back the intellectuals
Chief Justice Asoka de
Silva has made a very pertinent point with regard to the public
estimation of intellectuals in present day society. Addressing a
Law College function recently he bemoaned the levels to which
intellectuals have been shorn off their prestige and regard
enjoyed in the days of yore. The CJ said intellectuals and men
of knowledge were given the highest honour in society.
"Unfortunately in our time we have downgraded intellectuals and
devalued the very word. Today an 'intellectual' means a man who
is intelligent enough to know which side of his bread is
buttered".
All right-thinking members of the public is bound to endorse
the view of the CJ. This is because people of knowledge and
intelligence are today no longer given ear to or their views
respected. This may well be blamed on the change in the value
system in our society during the past three decades or so. Leave
aside intellectuals even a school teacher or the iskolay
mahattaya who was regarded with awe and veneration is today
reduced to the status of a non entity. People whose counsel were
readily sought by the general public in the days gone by no
longer fit into the equation. Perhaps the rot set in along with
the policy of liberalization introduced in 1977 when the value
systems became subverted to the cacophony of the market place
where mammon ruled the roost.
In the melee all values and practices held sacred went
through the window along with all good sense and judgement. This
bred a culture of impunity to such an extent that there was no
room for saner counsel to prevail. In such a milieu the
intellectuals and people of learning became increasingly
marginalized and lost their clout and status. Like the CJ said,
intellectuals were considered only as those who knew which side
of their bread was buttered. In other words what the learned
judge was saying is the 'intellectual' today is a person who has
the capacity to inveigle himself into the graces of those
holding power. Or the other kind of intellectual would not
compromise himself for favours. Thus intellectuals render
themselves voiceless and their value in the eyes of the public
diminished.
It is this syndrome that the country is experiencing today.
More and more intellectuals fight shy of coming forward to
express their opinions for the benefit of society as was the
case in the past. In any event their's would be a cry in the
wilderness. A good example of this is seen in the political
field. The intelligentsia today are reluctant to take the plunge
into politics chiefly because they are well aware that they
would not stand a chance in the prevailing climate where
intellectuals and the learned no more strike a chord with the
voter.
There is therefore an urgent need to harken to the days when
intellectuals had a bigger say in matters affecting society.
This is particularly so given their importance and counsel in
the context of the new Sri Lanka that is to be rebuilt from the
ashes of war. More and more avenues should be provided by the
State for this breed to make their voice heard and what is more
to be counted.
For this there needs to be a whole attitudinal change in the
public psyche and the Government should take meaningful steps to
bring about such a change. A first step in this direction would
be to appoint men of learning and standing in society to man
important positions in the State apparatus. This would send a
clear message to the public that pride of place is being given
to professionals and persons with intellect. People should be
reverted to the old practice of venerating their elders and
teachers. This way the habit is bound to seep upwards and
encompass the intellectuals and the people of learning.
For, today money has blinded the large mass of our people to
the core values practised by our forefathers. Today it is money
that speaks the loudest not the voice of those with intellectual
capacity. This is amply demonstrated in the on-going election
campaign where those who draw the largest following are those
who command massive financial resources. What chance would the
people of standing and those of intellectual repute have in this
mad scramble for power?
Therefore it is time to bring back a degree of sanity to
alter the prevailing culture and create a climate for the voice
of our intellectuals to be heard loud and clear. |