Dr. Ernest Abeyaratne: Pioneer agricultural scientist
by N. Asela Navaratne
On December 10th, 1995, a great agricultural scientist who was
Internationally recognised passed away at the age of 74. I refer to Dr.
Ernest Abeyaratne, one of Sri Lanka's finest intellectuals, who retired
as Director of Agriculture in 1977 after a long and distinguished career
in the public service.
Ernest spent the next few years conducting seminal research in a
lonely outpost of Palmebang (Sumatra) in the capacity of a senior FAO
consultant. Despite his great intellectual stature, he was one of the
most unassuming people I knew, who shunned fame, wealth and power and
lived a life of utmost honesty and simplicity.
A man blessed with deeply humanistic qualities, which are lacking in
most modern-day professionals, Ernest devoted his entire life to the
Department of Agriculture (DOA) and to the cause of agricultural
science. His contributions to the Maha-Illuppallama (MI) Research
Station and to the development of dry zone agriculture are too
well-known to be elaborated upon in this short appreciation.
However, one cannot fail to mention his dedication and devotion to
research, which he considered more than a duty.
For example, he was in the habit of walking barefoot and tending to
his experimental plots even at dead of night - a sort of barefoot
scientist who would promptly get on a tractor and plough the plots if
the driver was absent. He was a man ahead of his time, for he adopted a
"participatory approach" to agricultural research long before that term
came into vogue in international circles.
Ernest, a distinguished son of Trinity College, Kandy, joined the DOA
in the mid-1940s and obtained a PhD in Plant Physiology from Oxford
University in the late 1950s. He is best known for his pioneering work
at MI in such areas as plant breeding, soil and water management, and
farming systems research - so much so that his name is synonymous with
MI, an Institution which he built up from scratch during the first half
of his professional career.
At MI, Ernest was ably assisted by a first-rate team of officers,
including Dr. Walter Fernando (deceased), Mr. Selvaratnam (deceased),
Mr. Medagama (deceased), Dr. Chris Panabokke, Dr. E. S. Thevasagayam,
and Mr. S.I.I. Charles.
The second half of his professional career was spent mostly at the
DOA headquarters in Peradeniya - first as Deputy Director Extension and
second, as Director of Agriculture.
As Director, Ernest considerably improved the conditions and service
of officers through the establishment of the Agricultural Service, which
enabled technical officers to remain in their specialized posts but draw
higher salaries with mobility from grade to grade.
Earlier, large numbers of officers had to stagnate while awaiting a
post to fall vacant, which resulted in many having to retire in utter
frustration.
These revolutionary changes enabled the DOA to draw the best from its
specialized and technical cadres, for which Ernest would be long
remembered, together with his massive contribution to make Sri Lanka
self-sufficient in rice through a regionally specialized breeding
program linked to a dynamic and well-structured extension program, which
even prestigious international agencies drew inspiration from.
As a person who worked closely with Ernest in the Directorate, I have
discerned two facets that revolutionized his life and his thinking.
First, as a young undergraduate receptive to new ideas, Ernest would
have been greatly influenced by the prominent thinkers and activists of
the time - particularly the leading Marxists, who frequently addressed
the student unions and had the ability to move the audiences with their
superb oratorical skills and powerful ideas.
His socialist tendencies would have been enhanced by his close
association with the poor, dry zone farmer, whose lot he constantly
endeavoured to improve through almost 35 years of dedicated service to
the nation.
His privileged, upper-middle class background notwithstanding he put
into practice his socialist ideals by leading an utterly simple, honest
and sincere life and by pursuing the goal of transforming Sri Lanka's
non-plantation agricultural (NPA) sector with single-minded purpose and
vigour.
Ernest, who was extraordinarily sensitive to the plight of the poor
farmer, did much to improve the productivity of the NPA sector through
technical, institutional and policy change, thereby making a meaningful
and long-lasting contribution to Sri Lanka's economic development.
The next great personal change came during the autumn of his life,
largely as a consequence of the simple and rustic existence he led in
MI, during which time he paid close intellectual attention to the
ancient wonders of the dry zone, including the mighty reservoirs, the
towering dagobas, and the ruins of well-laid viharas and other great
Buddhist monuments.
Ernest, no doubt, would have been deeply impressed and influenced by
these lofty engineering and architectural achievements dating back more
than 2,000 years.
Not surprisingly, he became a serious practitioner of Buddhism in his
retirement, devoting his time to meditation and to pursuit of the Dhamma.
Ernest scientist, humanist and original thinker - spent the last year
of his life hammering out a thoughtful and erudite book on Buddhism on
his battered old Remington, which he entitled.
"Findings of Gautama Buddha on the Fundamental Realities of
Existence." The book was published posthumously by his loving and
devoted wife, Ranee, and proved to be so popular that a second edition
has just been released. In view of his lofty mental and spiritual
development, his end was peaceful and so be his sojourn in Samsara. May
he attain the bliss of Nibbana! |