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| Sunday, 15 February 2004 |
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Professionals should determine national plan - ANCL Chairman by Elmo Leonard A think-tank of intellectuals of diverse fields, devoid of politics, should determine a national plan for the nation, rather than politicians, engaged in such work, and with it, the country would progress at a much faster pace, chairman, ANCL, Kesarralal Gunasekara said last week. Such academics and professionals should be divided into disciplines as, trade, health, law, fisheries and the like. However, politicians do not wish to give up the role of planners, Gunasekara said at St Thomas' College, Mount Lavinia, at the launch of an `on line credit card and payment systems' for Old Thomians. The role of today's local politician is wasteful, rather than productive, Gunasekara, a past student of the school, observed. As a member of Parliament from 1994 to 2000 and the leader of opposition for the Dehiwala Mount Lavinia Municipal Council, he observed that politicians spend long hours in Parliament, do not even speak of national issues and later in the day, spend time wastefully talking to people on problems they face. Such problems, are really created by these politicians. Politicians should not indulge in such petty acts as admissions to schools, promotions and the like. Politicians of today, lack quality and calibre and schoolgoers who visit Parliament are often shocked at the poor language used by them. Following the dissolution of Parliament, a friend had told Gunasekara that "the country should be saved from 225 people." Gunasekara agreed, and observed that since independence in 1948, the country had gone backwards, rather than forward. He stressed that intellectuals and academics not cabinet ministers, should determine the destiny of the nation. The late, Lalith Athulathmudali's unfinished book, had spoken of similar sentiments. But, Athulathmudali, had no place for limitation of imports. Rather, the former minister of trade believed that development and export promotion would stem the flow of imports. Today's trend was contrary to Athulathmudali's thinking; in reciprocal trade with Thailand and India, for instance, the balance of trade was highly tipped in favour of those two nations. In public life, Gunasekara said, he had always conducted himself in a way that would not bring discredit to his alma mater and promised never to break that trend. Former Parliamentary secretary general, Sam Wijesingha cautioned users of the card in question, that they could spend more than they realise. |
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