Whither personnel administration!!

By Afreeha Jawad

Now just see how things work in our beautiful paradise isle. When someone was having what is called a parking problem another suggested: 'I say why don't you bring a shirt and give the security guy? That's how we operate'. If at micro level such star class opportunism is prevalent you could just imagine what high degree mutual back-scratching is elsewhere. I mean in upper echelons.

Sri Lankans are now progressively in the habit of exchanging all kinds of things to get their work done. Very rarely one comes across those not into this sort of crude existence - no more a jaw dropping one. Subject to much scorn and contempt by some Sri Lankans it was even dubbed 'Jaraava' or 'something'. However these references now seemingly socially licensed are fast becoming the done thing.

That 'something' which came by way of something very small today has outdone its existence and adopted in a big way - outstanding among such are sexual favours. One thing is certain - be it man or woman, if a nincompute has been recipient to some high brow designation, assuredly, what preceded the appointment is best left to be imagined. When the tentacles of politicization keep spreading far and wide not surprising then the taken for granted attitude by society of such disorientation.

Thus norms are increasingly becoming wrongs and vice-versa. Under these circumstances people simply look the other way and such people could be finger counted for as I told you the guilt is fairly widespread. Luncheon trips both here and abroad, expensive tours which lodging may range from a three to five star roost always has with it what is called a manifest function - only what the naked eye could see-all of which study is a sociologist's interests. All this is part of corporate existence unfailingly activated by those in other spheres of activity as well.

Anyway, this operational tactic is nothing new to Sri Lankans. There's nothing wrong in calling it the patron/client relationship which history dates back to feudal times under a caste driven economy. The fisherman gave fish to the potter and took his share of pots. The cinnamon peeler gave cinnamon to the blacksmith and got his tools mended.

This patron/client relationship of modern times is not so transparent as in feudal times.

Being of a discreet nature it has transformed into something highly secretive as the beneficiary suffers a sense of shame in disclosing to the world how he got his act together. Oft' have I heard people on assuming some high profile designation tell others, "Well I didn't want to accept this but I was forced into it as a helping out measure.

And so, glamourized incompetence is the end result with all kinds of buffoons in many hot seats not knowing the difference between a ball and a bean. One look at their countenance shows what shallow personalities they make though they fight hard to portray what is not.

I sometimes wonder, in fact I have even told relevant authorities that the name board in administrative units in politicized institutional environs should read not General Administration but personal administration.

The name board that once upon a time read personnel administration later became General Administration. I strongly suggest the replacement of personnel with personal as everything in such a unit is tainted with politics.

I remember long years back every ministry had a minister's staff. This staff sat in a different enclosure cut off from the rest. The minister's secretive manouverings were faithfully carried out by those in that enclosure. It is for this reason that they remained a separate and distinct entity. Even the relationship between them and the staff seated out was not very cordial. Not only did the ministerial staff find their way in there out of mutual back-scratching, they even upheld such endeavour of their boss and some other. The minister summoning any regular staffer was non-existent, if not, very rare.

As time passed on there was no need for the two to remain distinct. The rate of politicization became so very intense and as a result whether one was in that "privileged" enclosure or not did not make any difference. Politicization merged the two 'territorial enclaves.'

Professionalism and politicization make two strange bed fellows. To expect professionalism in a place that stinks with politicization is like asking feathers from a tortoise. Much of the failed state we've arrived at is because of a shortfall in professionalism due to the intensity of politicization.

Boasting to the skies about democracy freedom, liberty and what not wouldn't do.

Such cherished ideals fly out of the window when politicization enters through the door for politicization brings with it the evil of discrimination and the marginalization of the really deserving - the academically qualified. With many bogus certificates floating around even these certificate warrant very close and rigid scrutiny.

Talking of certificates and abilities, many would even lose the seats they so vehemently cling on to should qualification be criteria to designations.

Secondly not many employees would be around going on the basis of academic criteria. As politicization of a society increases, efficiency and effectiveness so necessary for national development recedes. Why worry then the thundering revelation of over 50 per cent O' Level failures?