Scientific revolution in Pakistan and  Sri Lankan reality

February 13, 2013, 9:34 pm 

by Ariyawansa Ranaweera

I am not sure whether your readers have read Prof. Atta Ur Rahman’s address to a representative gathering at Vidya Mandira. Prof. Rahman was one time Minister for Higher Education in Pakistan. The account appeared in the Sunday Island of Oct. 14, as an article by Susil Siriwardana under the title ‘Hard Talk’.

I have no intention of repeating all what Susil said so eloquently and lucidly in his article. All what I have to emphasize is that it is a ‘must read’ for anyone who has the slightest interest in the future advancement of our country, especially in the scientific field. That is the reason I am raising this issue, albeit rather belatedly.

It is interesting to draw parallels between the Sri Lankan reality and that of Pakistan in this regard. When one mentions Pakistan what comes to mind is a country plagued by constant religious rivalry, bomb blasts almost daily, internecine warfare and also a pawn in the hands of foreign meddlers. But Susil’s account proves that there is a substratum of intellectual vigour and commitment keeping the country going. That the inner core of that country is sound and strong enough to withstand all the vicissitudes she has to face. A well planned and durable scientific structure has been put in place.

Anyone who grasps the spirit of Susil’s account cannot but conclude that this is a fitting model for us to emulate. Sri Lanka, a country ravaged by two devastating rebellions in the South and a 30-year civil war which engulfed the entire country, is struggling to bounce back. We tend to forget sometimes that more than two-thirds of the time after winning Independence had to be spent to battle these woes. That this retarded the progress of the country in the economic, social and cultural spheres is common knowledge.

Now is the time for us to regain lost ground and rebuild the country. Sectors, such as, higher education, science and technology have a pivotal role to play in this regard.

The whole success story of Pakistan was triggered by one dedicated scientist, who had the foresight, the intense commitment and who was prepared to sacrifice his personal glories for the sake of his country. He was none other than the speaker himself, Professor Atta – ur - Rahman.

He came to Pakistan after giving up a brilliant career, as a scientist at Cambridge University. When he arrived in Pakistan and started his laboratory at the University of Karachi in 1989, he had to build everything from scratch. In no time he developed it into a centre of excellence.

This success story made him famous not only in his own country, but practically all over the scientific world. The policy makers of the country soon recognized him as a catalyst to uplift the country’s science and technology sector and appointed him Federal Minister of Science and adviser on science and technology to the President. He was also the chairman of the Higher Education Commission, reporting directly to the President.

It is worthwhile quoting from Susil’s article to find out what happened thereafter. ‘This enabled him to meet President Musharaff and convince him that Pakistan could emerge as a world class science and technology player in the foreseeable future, provided the political will was there. And he was very clear that it was he who took upon himself the task of convincing the President."

The lessons we have to learn here are threefold. Spotting and recognizing merit, bestowing responsibility and unwavering political will.

Of the political will I shall dwell later. The bane of our system here is the non – recognition of merit. The able man who can turn around the status quo is ignored. Political allegiance, seniority and nepotism are the three evils that plague the entire public sphere in the country.

Consider what has happened so far in the Higher Education sector, and in the Science and Technology Ministry. The test of the success of this sector is the number of new researches undertaken, new discoveries, inventions introduced, and the benefits that have been passed down to the industries and agriculture. Although I am in no position to come out with detailed statistics regarding this matter, the general understanding is that these institutions have miserably failed to contribute in any substantial manner towards these ends.

What is the underlying reason for this sorry state of affairs? There is no visionary with practical skills to provide leadership to this yeoman task. It should naturally come from the minister in charge needs no emphasis. What have all our Ministers of Higher Education, and Science and Technology done? Professor Attar could lay the edifice and cut through all bureaucratic red-tape because he was given the entire responsibility, with the portfolio of Minister for Higher Education. In layman’s language, the proper person, with the proper foresight, acumen, knowledge and drive was given this task to perform and he performed it to perfection. The university community should be the mainstay of the envisaged development in the scientific field. Universities should be the cradles of new ideas. For this to happen a satisfactory environment has to be created, winning the good will of the staff. But how they were treated by the present incumbent recently, is ample testimony how short-sighted he is when coming to deal with matters which have long term consequences.

The political will

The wholehearted backing by the highest authority of the political hierarchy was the main fulcrum behind Pakistan’s success. Professor Atta, both as Minister for Higher Education and later as the consultant on Higher Education, had direct access to President Musharraf. This enabled him to convince the President of the utmost significance of bringing in a new culture of science and technology. The President had the sagacity to comprehend the value of such an effort and gave his utmost support to this effort unflinchingly. The President of Sri Lanka has declared that his ambition is to turn Sri Lanka into the knowledge hub of South Asia. A very laudable ambition indeed. But sadly it appears, there is no conscious, determined effort to turn this wish into reality. Neither a well thought out programme embracing all relevant sectors is put in place, nor a capable person given the responsibility to drive it. There is an ever- increasing number of consultants, warming the seats of the Presidential Secretariat, but to no avail.

Lets us see what is actually taking place. The scientists, engineers, planners, economists we have produced through our educational system should be recognized as national assets and they should be adequately rewarded and every endeavor made to facilitate and encourage their research capacities. But it is sad to observe the sheer indifference shown to them.

In Pakistan the efforts of the scientists were encouraged and they were given monetary incentives, they were given the latest scientific equipment and laboratories, and above all, they were recognized as an important segment of society.

Moreover, new talent was spotted and their skills honed by sending them to prestigious universities abroad. I was amazed that within a period of seven years, Pakistan had trained 11,000 new scientists and took effective measures to persuade them to come back and serve the country.

One bug-bear that bedevils our effort to advance in this field is the brain drain that is eroding almost all the talents that are required to take the country forward. The best brains are lured by advanced countries.

My guess is, if one inquires from urban middle class families, seven out of ten will boast that their sons and daughters are serving as scientists, doctors, planners, economists in prestigious universities and multinational companies in foreign countries. Moreover, of those who go for post- graduate training abroad, only a handful take the magnanimous decision to come back and serve the country.

What scientific revolution without plugging this gaping hole? Although this sad state of affairs continues to plague the country, no tangible measures have been taken to arrest it by the authorities.

Pakistan provides us an effective way of meeting this situation. I quote from Susil’s article; " in order to incentivize them to come back after training, each of them was offered a $100000 grant for them to set their research projects after coming back, to bridge the time gap till their university placements were in place.

"An important policy innovation was the ‘tenure-track’ concept. That meant that they had to submit themselves to an international review panel for them to get permanent tenure. Once they passed the tenure-truck review they graduated to earn $5000 per month, which was around five times the salary of a federal minister. Think of how our dons were agitating for enhanced salaries to attract the brightest to the university system and to prevent them from leaving our shores.

"Each of these institutions was managed on the basis of critical masses of outstanding scientists. Rigorous standard setting was the norm. A new culture of excellence was being created. Although this was led by the seniors, the sheet anchor were the brilliant young men and women of Pakistan drown from all over Pakistan."

Instead of mouthing platitudes, futile pleas to their consciences, we also have to adopt such effective practical measures to keep the brilliant sons and daughters who come through our educational system within the country, and lure back those who are allowing their foreign masters to exploit their brains.

Furthermore, Prof Atta, when asked how did the money come to launch all these revolutionary changes, the answer he gave was very illuminating. He had pointed out that, contrary to the popular notion that these were funded by the private sector, even in the industrialized countries, 92% of the cases were state funded. So the argument for private funding was a myth. For laying foundational structures it is only the state that can provide the resources.

To be continued tomorrow

Scientific revolution in Pakistan and  Sri Lankan reality

February 13, 2013, 9:34 pm 

by Ariyawansa Ranaweera

I am not sure whether your readers have read Prof. Atta Ur Rahman’s address to a representative gathering at Vidya Mandira. Prof. Rahman was one time Minister for Higher Education in Pakistan. The account appeared in the Sunday Island of Oct. 14, as an article by Susil Siriwardana under the title ‘Hard Talk’.

I have no intention of repeating all what Susil said so eloquently and lucidly in his article. All what I have to emphasize is that it is a ‘must read’ for anyone who has the slightest interest in the future advancement of our country, especially in the scientific field. That is the reason I am raising this issue, albeit rather belatedly.

It is interesting to draw parallels between the Sri Lankan reality and that of Pakistan in this regard. When one mentions Pakistan what comes to mind is a country plagued by constant religious rivalry, bomb blasts almost daily, internecine warfare and also a pawn in the hands of foreign meddlers. But Susil’s account proves that there is a substratum of intellectual vigour and commitment keeping the country going. That the inner core of that country is sound and strong enough to withstand all the vicissitudes she has to face. A well planned and durable scientific structure has been put in place.

Anyone who grasps the spirit of Susil’s account cannot but conclude that this is a fitting model for us to emulate. Sri Lanka, a country ravaged by two devastating rebellions in the South and a 30-year civil war which engulfed the entire country, is struggling to bounce back. We tend to forget sometimes that more than two-thirds of the time after winning Independence had to be spent to battle these woes. That this retarded the progress of the country in the economic, social and cultural spheres is common knowledge.

Now is the time for us to regain lost ground and rebuild the country. Sectors, such as, higher education, science and technology have a pivotal role to play in this regard.

The whole success story of Pakistan was triggered by one dedicated scientist, who had the foresight, the intense commitment and who was prepared to sacrifice his personal glories for the sake of his country. He was none other than the speaker himself, Professor Atta – ur - Rahman.

He came to Pakistan after giving up a brilliant career, as a scientist at Cambridge University. When he arrived in Pakistan and started his laboratory at the University of Karachi in 1989, he had to build everything from scratch. In no time he developed it into a centre of excellence.

This success story made him famous not only in his own country, but practically all over the scientific world. The policy makers of the country soon recognized him as a catalyst to uplift the country’s science and technology sector and appointed him Federal Minister of Science and adviser on science and technology to the President. He was also the chairman of the Higher Education Commission, reporting directly to the President.

It is worthwhile quoting from Susil’s article to find out what happened thereafter. ‘This enabled him to meet President Musharaff and convince him that Pakistan could emerge as a world class science and technology player in the foreseeable future, provided the political will was there. And he was very clear that it was he who took upon himself the task of convincing the President."

The lessons we have to learn here are threefold. Spotting and recognizing merit, bestowing responsibility and unwavering political will.

Of the political will I shall dwell later. The bane of our system here is the non – recognition of merit. The able man who can turn around the status quo is ignored. Political allegiance, seniority and nepotism are the three evils that plague the entire public sphere in the country.

Consider what has happened so far in the Higher Education sector, and in the Science and Technology Ministry. The test of the success of this sector is the number of new researches undertaken, new discoveries, inventions introduced, and the benefits that have been passed down to the industries and agriculture. Although I am in no position to come out with detailed statistics regarding this matter, the general understanding is that these institutions have miserably failed to contribute in any substantial manner towards these ends.

What is the underlying reason for this sorry state of affairs? There is no visionary with practical skills to provide leadership to this yeoman task. It should naturally come from the minister in charge needs no emphasis. What have all our Ministers of Higher Education, and Science and Technology done? Professor Attar could lay the edifice and cut through all bureaucratic red-tape because he was given the entire responsibility, with the portfolio of Minister for Higher Education. In layman’s language, the proper person, with the proper foresight, acumen, knowledge and drive was given this task to perform and he performed it to perfection. The university community should be the mainstay of the envisaged development in the scientific field. Universities should be the cradles of new ideas. For this to happen a satisfactory environment has to be created, winning the good will of the staff. But how they were treated by the present incumbent recently, is ample testimony how short-sighted he is when coming to deal with matters which have long term consequences.

The political will

The wholehearted backing by the highest authority of the political hierarchy was the main fulcrum behind Pakistan’s success. Professor Atta, both as Minister for Higher Education and later as the consultant on Higher Education, had direct access to President Musharraf. This enabled him to convince the President of the utmost significance of bringing in a new culture of science and technology. The President had the sagacity to comprehend the value of such an effort and gave his utmost support to this effort unflinchingly. The President of Sri Lanka has declared that his ambition is to turn Sri Lanka into the knowledge hub of South Asia. A very laudable ambition indeed. But sadly it appears, there is no conscious, determined effort to turn this wish into reality. Neither a well thought out programme embracing all relevant sectors is put in place, nor a capable person given the responsibility to drive it. There is an ever- increasing number of consultants, warming the seats of the Presidential Secretariat, but to no avail.

Lets us see what is actually taking place. The scientists, engineers, planners, economists we have produced through our educational system should be recognized as national assets and they should be adequately rewarded and every endeavor made to facilitate and encourage their research capacities. But it is sad to observe the sheer indifference shown to them.

In Pakistan the efforts of the scientists were encouraged and they were given monetary incentives, they were given the latest scientific equipment and laboratories, and above all, they were recognized as an important segment of society.

Moreover, new talent was spotted and their skills honed by sending them to prestigious universities abroad. I was amazed that within a period of seven years, Pakistan had trained 11,000 new scientists and took effective measures to persuade them to come back and serve the country.

One bug-bear that bedevils our effort to advance in this field is the brain drain that is eroding almost all the talents that are required to take the country forward. The best brains are lured by advanced countries.

My guess is, if one inquires from urban middle class families, seven out of ten will boast that their sons and daughters are serving as scientists, doctors, planners, economists in prestigious universities and multinational companies in foreign countries. Moreover, of those who go for post- graduate training abroad, only a handful take the magnanimous decision to come back and serve the country.

What scientific revolution without plugging this gaping hole? Although this sad state of affairs continues to plague the country, no tangible measures have been taken to arrest it by the authorities.

Pakistan provides us an effective way of meeting this situation. I quote from Susil’s article; " in order to incentivize them to come back after training, each of them was offered a $100000 grant for them to set their research projects after coming back, to bridge the time gap till their university placements were in place.

"An important policy innovation was the ‘tenure-track’ concept. That meant that they had to submit themselves to an international review panel for them to get permanent tenure. Once they passed the tenure-truck review they graduated to earn $5000 per month, which was around five times the salary of a federal minister. Think of how our dons were agitating for enhanced salaries to attract the brightest to the university system and to prevent them from leaving our shores.

"Each of these institutions was managed on the basis of critical masses of outstanding scientists. Rigorous standard setting was the norm. A new culture of excellence was being created. Although this was led by the seniors, the sheet anchor were the brilliant young men and women of Pakistan drown from all over Pakistan."

Instead of mouthing platitudes, futile pleas to their consciences, we also have to adopt such effective practical measures to keep the brilliant sons and daughters who come through our educational system within the country, and lure back those who are allowing their foreign masters to exploit their brains.

Furthermore, Prof Atta, when asked how did the money come to launch all these revolutionary changes, the answer he gave was very illuminating. He had pointed out that, contrary to the popular notion that these were funded by the private sector, even in the industrialized countries, 92% of the cases were state funded. So the argument for private funding was a myth. For laying foundational structures it is only the state that can provide the resources.

To be continued tomorrow

Environmentalists readying for legal battle to stop construction

Road through national park

February 13, 2013, 12:00 pm 

by Ifham Nizam

Leading environmental organizations are now in the process of filing a writ application seeking an order to prevent the Wildlife Department, Road Development Authority and others from continuing with the construction of a road through the Maduru Oya National Park.    

The Environment Foundation Limited, Wildlife Nature Protection Society, Environment Conservation Trust (ECT) and other environmental groups have already asked the relevant authorities to stop the ongoing construction in the Park, which is home to large number of endemic species.

The Island learns that despite the opposition from the Wildlife Department, construction work is in progress in an area where hundreds of elephants roam.  

Environmentalists allege that the construction of a road through the National Park has violated the Fauna and Flora Protection Ordinance (FFPOA) Amendment Act No: 22 of 2009. The main objective of constructing the road was to benefit politicians who were putting up tourist hotels in the Eastern Province, as it would provide a short cut from Polonnaruwa, environmentalists said.

ECT Director Sajeewa Chamikara told The Island yesterday that they were waiting for the response of the relevant authorities responsible for the construction of the road.

He said that despite claims that the road had to be constructed for the benefit of the people in the East to travel to Polonnaruwa easily, the aim of the project was to provide easy access for tourists to go to the East coast from Polonnaruwa as hotel projects were now coming up in the East.

He said the environmentalists would do everything possible to prevent the Maduru Oya National Park from being divided into two by the Maha Oya-Aralaganwila road.

He asked how the Department of Wildlife Conservation was going to take action against those who enter the park illegally in the future with a road running through the reserve.

"Under the FFPO, only a person who has obtained written approval from the Park Warden can enter the park. If the government is openly quashing the DWC directives and since they are now helpless to take any action against the relevant authorities who ignored the objections how can the DWC then take action against those who carry out illegal activities within the park? Under the FFPO it is also prohibited to destroy wildlife areas and to construct roads within the park. Howeverm the RDA had not only violated the FFPO but had also shown disregard for the laws of the country," he alleged.

Joint Mechanism for the Conservation and Sustainable Management of Fisheries and other Marine Resources in the Palk Bay

* Resetting India-Sri Lanka Relations: Report of the Indo-Lanka Joint Study Group

Annexure 1 –

January 24, 2013, 9:01 pm 

The Palk Bay

The Palk Bay, which connects northeastern Sri Lanka and the central part of the Tamil Nadu coastline, constitutes a unique ecosystem. It is a shallow bay circumscribed by sea known for its biodiversity (Venkataraman 2004) and rich fishing grounds, and bordered on both sides by a long string of fishing settlements. This fishing population shares a language (Tamil) and a long history of interaction (Suryanarayan 2009). Several circumstances have, however, contributed to an intensification of conflict between fishers of both shores, which focuses on the use of sea territory and on fishing rights. First of all, the range and catching capacity of fishing vessels from India has increased dramatically since the 1970s. Based in new harbour sites such as Rameswaram and Mandapam, the trawling fleets of Tamil Nadu have a harvesting capacity far in excess of the ecological carrying capacity of the Indian section of the Palk Bay.

The armed conflict in Sri Lanka had provided them with new opportunities to transgress the international boundary line and harvest the stocks in Sri Lankan waters, which due to the decline of local fishing effort, were in far better condition. Transgressions took place from the time of the boundary demarcation in 1974.The imposition of the Prohibited Zone during the conflict, which prevented Sri Lankan fishermen from fishing in this area, resulted in increased transgressions by the Indian fishermen. These activities have, however, brought Indian trawler fishers into regular conflict with the Sri Lankan and Indian navies, thereby generating political dust on both sides. The return of Sri Lankan fishers to the shores of the Palk Bay has added a new dimension.

A variety of parties at different levels have become involved in the resolution of conflicts, which- also because of national security dimensions- have proven to be quite intransigent. Fisher NGOs/movements in Tamil Nadu and Sri Lanka jointly initiated one of the most promising of these efforts in 20042 (Vivekanandan 2004). Taking representatives of the Indian trawler fishers to Sri Lanka for a series of meetings with Sri Lankan fishers, it strove to increase mutual understanding and willingness to arrive at a negotiated, fair and sustainable arrangement.

Establishment of a ‘Joint Mechanism’

It is proposed that a two-tier Joint Mechanism be set up by Sri Lanka and India for the conservation and sustainable management of fisheries and other marine resources in the Palk Bay area.

The need for establishing a durable mechanism for resolving problems arising in the Palk Bay has been felt for years. The main problem relates to issues such as poaching in violation of the maritime boundary, and the use of illegal fishing equipment and practices, which result in degradation of the marine environment. There have been other challenges such as security concerns posed by the involvement of some South Indian fishing vessels in LTTE activity during the armed conflict, including smuggling of petroleum products and other prohibited items, providing of cover to Sea Tiger craft to mount surprise attacks on Sri Lankan naval craft. The end of the armed conflict in Sri Lanka provides both Sri Lanka and India with an opportunity to re-visit this question, with a view to putting in place a consultative mechanism that would resolve problems expeditiously. It should be so designed as to provide on a continuous basis oversight, guidance, monitoring and review of problems arising in the Palk Bay through constant interaction between counterparts from the two countries to resolve all outstanding problems amicably. It would help both countries to move away from an approach based on episodically ad hoc solutions to a structured but flexible approach seeking durable, practical and expeditious solutions, implementable within a definite timeframe and subject to monitoring and review by the Joint Mechanism.

Structure of the ‘Joint Mechanism’

The proposed Joint Mechanism will have a two-tier system. At the first tier, a committee comprising representatives of the two Governments, headed by the respective Ministries of External Affairs, will be set up. Considerable flexibility and adaptability would be in-built into the composition and working methods of the two tiers in order to minimise delays and expedite decision-making. While some Ministries and Departments, including those from the state governments and provincial authorities, will be permanent members of the committee, others will be co-opted or invited to participate as and when necessary, depending on the issues to be considered. It would be empowered to constitute subsidiary mechanisms comprising only those directly concerned for short durations to deal with specific questions as and when required.

At the second tier, a group will be set up, which would consist of representatives of fishermen’s associations, fishermen’s co-operatives, academic community, experts in international law, scientific and research establishments, universities, institutions dealing with marine biology, bio-diversity, oceanography and other related disciplines, and other stakeholders from each country. While some would be permanent invitees, others would be co-opted or invited depending on the topics to be considered, and for specific durations or tasks.

While the bilateral inter-governmental committee would hold regular formal sessions annually, the non-governmental committee would meet as necessary and at least twice a year. The Joint Mechanism would communicate among members through the Internet in order to minimise delays and to deal with problems without having to wait for formal sessions of the mechanism. The two sides would be encouraged to be in regular contact with their respective counterparts so as to work out expeditious solutions to problems that may arise.

The Joint Mechanism will endeavour to build on the existing mechanisms and research projects focussing on the Palk Bay, drawing upon their strengths and avoiding their shortcomings. It should reiterate decisions and conclusions, which have retained their validity and continue to be implementable, and suggest modifications and improvements as required in order to enhance their effectiveness.

The proposed Joint Mechanism could draw upon the work being done by ‘REINCORPFISH’ research project with the objective of providing space for small-scale activities, in the sustainable development of fisheries of South Asia and South Africa.3

Issues Relating to Fisheries

The main recurring problem has been fisheries. Poachers get arrested and are detained prior to legal action leading to suffering for fishermen and their families. It may be recalled that the International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL) demarcating the maritime boundary between Sri Lanka and India in the Palk Bay was concluded in 1974, eight years prior to the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). This Agreement recognized Sri Lanka’s sovereignty over Kachchativu Island, while permitting Indian fishermen the right to dry nets on the island during the fishing season and for pilgrimage to the St. Anthony’s Church, under the ecclesiastical jurisdiction of the Bishop of Jaffna. The 1976 agreement established maritime borders in the Bay of Bengal and the Gulf of Mannar. The fishermen, who had been traditionally using these waters, did not find the establishment of the IMBL a deterrent in accessing the fishery resources in these waters.

Three decades of armed conflict in Sri Lanka necessitated imposition of several prohibitions and restrictions on fishing; one of the consequences was poaching by fishermen from the Indian side. Indian fishermen crossing the IMBL were arrested during these years, mainly on account of security reasons by the Sri Lankan Navy, and some were detained. With the termination of the armed conflict Sri Lankan fishermen have resumed fishing, but find the circumstances adverse, as they have to compete with Indian ‘trespassers’, especially trawler fishermen, who are crossing the IMBL in large numbers, depleting resources, and giving rise to rivalries and hostilities. Finding a lasting solution by the two friendly neighbours acceptable to all parties concerned is imperative.

The advent of trawler fishing introduced new tensions to the Palk Bay. Operation of mechanised crafts resulted in unsustainable fishing practices such as ‘bottom trawling’, thereby adversely impacting on the livelihoods of hundreds of fishermen. There have been allegations that fishermen from coastal districts of Tamil Nadu such as Nagapattinam, Thanjavur, Pudukkottai and Ramanathapuram shifted their trawling operations into Sri Lankan waters after degrading the fishery resources on the Indian side. Thus, ‘bottom trawling’ by Indian fishermen on the Sri Lankan side of the IMBL, a practice prohibited on a wide scale, including by Sri Lanka’,has continued over the years, significantly depleting fisheries resources and destroying marine organisms. When Sri Lankan fishermen poach on the Indian side of the maritime boundary, they get arrested by the Indian authorities, mostly under the Maritime Zones of India Act (1981), the Passport Act (1967) and the Foreigners’ Act(1946). With a view to addressing this issue, both countries reached an understanding some time ago, that those merely transgressing the IMBL as a result of ‘innocent straying’, would be leniently dealt with, whereas those deliberately engaging in prohibited activity would be charged under the applicable laws, including the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA).

The Joint Working Group (JWG) set up in 2004-2005 had its first meeting in New Delhi on 21 April 2005. India handed over a draft Memorandum of Understanding to the Sri Lankan side. It referred to ‘poaching and arrests’ and provided for co-operation for enhanced surveillance, institutionalisation of assistance for salvage operations of released vessels, procedures to deal with arrested fishermen and their boats, modalities for prevention of use of force against fishermen, easy and simple procedures to facilitate early release of boats and so on. However, implementation of this MoU has been far from satisfactory.

The Joint Declaration during the state visit to India by His Excellency Mahinda Rajapaksa, President of Sri Lanka, from 08 to 11 June 2010 emphasised the need to revive the meetings of the JWG on fishing and to enhance and promote contacts between the fishermen’s associations on both sides. Dialogue between the fishermen from both sides took place in May 2004 in Colombo and August 2010 in Chennai. As no mechanism was set up for follow-up and effective monitoring of their conclusions and decisions, there has been no way of verifying the efficacy of these meetings. The Chennai meeting proposed the establishment of a Joint Working Committee to monitor the problem of poaching and arrests. It also proposed that the joint monitoring group should be composed of representatives from the fisheries officials, fishermen and the Navy/Coast Guard from both countries.

Three broad conclusions have emerged from the fishermen’s dialogues. (i) Both sides agree that trawling is harmful to marine resources and that it should be stopped. (ii) Indian fishermen accept that they should stop poaching in Sri Lankan waters. (iii) Fishing activities in Palk Bay should be monitored by the two governments by a forming a Joint Monitoring Committee.

Issues Relating to Detentions/Arrests

Arrests of Sri Lankan fishermen by the Indian authorities are made for violations of relevant Indian Acts. The lengthy process involving preliminary enquiries by the state government of Tamil Nadu, sending of the report to the authorities in New Delhi and decision by the latter often takes about a year. The owners of the fishing boats do not bear any responsibility, as they are not bound by any laws giving effect to ILO conventions on ‘work in the fishing sector’. Similarly, Indian fishermen crossing the IMBL in the Palk Bay are arrested under applicable laws in Sri Lanka, including security legislation. After preliminary enquiries, they are produced before the Anuradhapura Courts. They are also moved to various detention centres before their cases are heard and penalties imposed. The process takes anywhere from three to six months.

One of the major reasons for the long periods of detention is the time taken to establish the identity of the arrested fishermen, in order to establish they are bona fide fishermen. In this respect, both Governments are encouraged to consider issuing a ‘document of identity’, such as photo ID, to fishermen operating in the Indian Ocean. Both sides should adopt strategies to minimise delays.

There have been allegations of harassment of fishermen while in detention. Their families suffer in the absence of their breadwinners. Humane treatment of those arrested and providing assistance to their families until their release would serve to mitigate the sufferings of fishermen as well as their families.

The capabilities of the authorities of the two countries are asymmetrical. The Indian Coast Guard has strong monitoring, control and surveillance capacities, whereas the Sri Lankan Navy had to engage in surveillance activities and monitor illegal boundary crossing by the fishermen, whilst conducting security operations against the LTTE. The nascent Sri Lankan Coast Guard does not yet have the capacity to police the Palk Bay. In a few cases, there have been allegations that Indian fishermen have been killed by the Sri Lankan Navy after being apprehended. There is also well-documented information that ‘Sea Tigers’ of the LTTE resorted to murdering Indian fishermen with the intention of using the captured fishing vessels for smuggling of military hardware and other illegal activities.

Policy failure has been costly on both sides: Indian fishermen are unable to earn a living without trawling the ocean bottom of the Palk Bay. This has deprived predominantly Tamil fishermen in the Northern Province of Sri Lanka of considerable revenue, resulting also in degrading the marine eco-system and the Sri Lankan fishermen being unable to exploit their side of Palk Bay resources to which they have traditional and legal rights.

Authorities in both countries, including the political leaders in the State of Tamil Nadu and provincial authorities in the Northern Province of Sri Lanka should accept that the issue has ecological, humanitarian, economic and political dimensions. Similarly, it should be recognized that political leaders in the State of Tamil Nadu would find it difficult to take practical action that would harm the interests of the fishermen in the State due to political considerations. Against this backdrop, it is noteworthy that during a previous dialogue, fishermen of the two countries had agreed that: trawling was harmful to marine resources and that it should be stopped; they should stop poaching in Sri Lankan waters and fishing activities in Palk Bay area should be monitored by a joint monitoring committee.

The proposed Joint Mechanism should address the welfare goals of the fishermen on both sides taking on board proposals that fishermen and their associations on both sides may have in dealing with the problem.

Other Recommendations

1. The Government of India should:

i. Take up with the state government of Tamil Nadu the issue of illegal crossing of IMBL by Indian fishermen for fishing in Sri Lankan waters, by highlighting that such practices adversely affect particularly the Tamil fishermen, from the Mannar, Kilinochchi and Jaffna Districts, who had been traumatised and economically disadvantaged due to the long drawn armed conflict in Sri Lanka;

ii. Undertake a survey of the current fleet of Indian mechanized boats/trawlers operating in the Palk Bay and specify the maximum number of boats/trawlers that can be operated sustainably. Action should also be taken to downsize the number of boats/trawlers that could be operated on the Indian side of the IMBL through a ‘buy back’ scheme, within a specified time;

iii. Recognize the impact of such a limitation on the livelihood of fishermen depending on the Palk Bay and develop in consultation with the Tamil Nadu State government a strategy with adequate funding, to compensate the affected Indian fishermen and assist them to engage in alternative livelihood practices, including deep sea fishing.

iv. Authorize Indian Coast Guard to take action and prevent illegal crossing of the IMBL by Indian fishermen with a view to engage in fishing in Sri Lankan waters. The Sri Lankan authorities should take similar action. It should be noted that Sri Lankan Coast Guard does not possess capabilities similar to those of their Indian counterparts for surveillance.

2. Both Governments should:

i. Take legal action against fishermen, who illegally cross the IMBL and engage in fisheries, including by imposing fines, so as to make such illegal activities financially unattractive to boat owners as well as fishermen.

ii. Persuade State and provincial authorities to accept that fishing in the Palk Bay has ecological, humanitarian, economic and political implications and therefore should work jointly to solve the problems without attempting to politicize the issue.

iii. Provide the fishermen of each country a ‘document of identity’, such as photo IDs, issued and registered by the authorities of each country;

iv. Ensure that the legal authorities in each country are empowered to complete the legal proceedings within a specified time frame, wherever possible.

v. Institute arrangements for financial assistance to families of fishers in detention by their respective governments.

vi. Recommend measures to be put in place for re-generating fish stocks in the Palk Bay.

vii. Put in place measures to preserve and protect coral reefs to facilitate regeneration.

viii. Authorise studies and make recommendations to preserve protect and enhance the marine eco-system and marine bio-diversity of the Palk Bay.

(-Sathyapalan et al. 2008; Vijayan 1999; http://www.marecentre.nl/reincorpfish/project_south_asia.html

2Vivekanandan 2004

Sathyapalan et al. 2008; http://www.marecentre.nl/reincorpfish/index.html )

Sustainable development and population management

December 2, 2012, 7:56 pm 

Welcome

Welcome to the one hundred and nineteenth (119th) edition of this regular column. Here, we discuss a wide range of topics around Information and Communications Technology (ICT), Business Process Outsourcing (BPO), many aspects of Business, SME Development, Agriculture, Education, Entrepreneurship, Creativity, Innovation and the Society at large.

Population

The world population reached the 7 billion mark a few months back. The world population hit 6.5 billion in 2006. This came about 12 years after the world population reached the 5 billion point in 1987.

The growth is extremely rapid.

This was not the case many thousands of years ago. Humans just like any other animal species were subject to the laws of nature. This meant that the survival of the species depended on the abundance of food and evasion of predators. It’s a cycle which regulated the population of every species. However, during the course of the history humans realised that their food can be produced; vegetables and fruits can be grown and animals can be farmed. From this point onwards the journey of the human kind took a different path from that of the other species. Abundance of food meant fewer restrictions on population growth.

Population growth increased significantly as the Industrial Revolution gathered pace from 1700 onwards. The drastic advances in medical technologies meant a significant drop in mortality and infant mortality rates. The advancement in industrial machinery resulted in substantial increases in agricultural productivity.

India

Take India for example. While India does lot of things right, population is one thing that doesn’t help them. The numbers are enormous and the systems and processes actually can’t handle it. While certain parts of the economy are thriving, the results donflow to everyone equally. While some are extremely rich, some die on the roads with no food. If you go down a street, little kids will be begging in their hundreds. Most of it is unheard of in Sri Lanka.

Whenever I am in India, I am amazed by the number of people around. It’s just full of people! I feel either there should be ways to control population, or systems and processes re-thought to tackle the numbers involved.

Author of "The Population Bomb", Paul Ehrlich of Stanford University recently gave an interview where he emphasized that global population has more than doubled since he wrote the book in 1968. He notes that although there has been a reduction in birth rates, it is not nearly enough.

It is projected that the Earth will have to support 2 billion additional people by 2050. He says:

"To support 2 billion more, it will be necessary to farm ever poorer lands, use more dangerous and expensive agricultural inputs, win metals from ever-poorer ores, drill wells deeper or tap increasingly remote or more contaminated sources to obtain water, and then spend more energy to transport that water ever greater distances. All this will require vastly more energy than is now used. As a result, the next 2 billion people probably will do disproportionately much more damage to our life-support systems than did the last 2 billion. Of course, if humanity got serious about protecting the environment, and now especially the atmosphere, the next 2 billion could do less damage."

In a nutshell, the increasing population need more land area for living to build houses and flats. On the other hand more land area is needed for agriculture to nurture the increasing population. And not forgetting the need to produce ever more increasing amounts of furniture and consumables among other things. All this is while sharing the limited amount of water, oil and other natural resources.

So, it’s crystal clear that we need to manage the population for our future generations to survive on mother earth. There are a few areas to that can help.

Empowering women to make their own decisions about child birth and bearing is one area. More than two in five pregnancies worldwide are unintended by the women who experience them. Women must be able to make their own decisions about childbearing free from fear of pressure from partners, family, and society.

The other main area is around consuming fewer resources and minimising waste. Humans use the finite resources of the world to unbelievable levels and they also waste large quantities of food every year. According to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization, industrialized countries waste 222 million tons of food annually. If fewer resources and less food were wasted, the world would be able to feed more people and use fewer resources in producing them.

Not to forget, we are already talking of a potential famine where food could be in short supply. I am sure all of us have heard about the issues with drinking water.

Sustainable development and due attention to this is a need of the hour.

World Economic Forum on India

The World Economic Forum on India was held in Gurgaon, the National Capital Region from November 6 to 8. The meeting convened under the theme "From Deliberation to Transformation" created an ideal platform to dialogue and debate on core areas that are crucial for India to restore growth such as means of redressing the risks India faces, recognizing and developing its human capital and fulfilling India’s future promise. Deliberations which lasted for two days involved about 600 participants from 40 countries around the world.

Mr. Asanga Abeyagoonasekera, the Executive Director of Lakshman Kadirgamar Institute participated as a panelist in some sessions. Among the participants there were several imminent personalities such as Stephen Harper, the Canadian Prime Minister, Gordon Brown, the former British Prime Minister, Imran Khan, the former Pakistani Cricket captain and Montek Singh Ahluwalia, Deputy Chairman of the Indian Planning Commission.

The session on "Spurring the Growth of South Asia’s Social Economy" comprised of five panelists; Adi B. Godrej, Chairman of the Godrej Group, Rohini Nilekani, Chairperson of the Arghyam Foundation in India, Kasim M. Kasuri, an educationist from Pakistan, Imran Khan, the former Pakistani Cricket Captain and the leader of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf and Asanga Abeyagoonasekera. When other respondent were of the view that philanthropy, NGOs and voluntary service emerge to fill gaps in the services delivered by governments and markets, Mr. Abeyagoonasekera drawing an example from Sri Lanka pointed out how a sync of philanthropists, social entrepreneurs, government and private sector helped in overcoming the problems created by the Tsunami in 2004. He also added that empowering the bottom of the social pyramid, improving educational institutions, strengthening corporate social responsibility, improving governance processes and having the courage to engage all these components in eradicating poverty are important in achieving growth on a large scale.

The session "A Vision for India" in the course of its discussion recognized a number of points. It was brought into light that there are many challenges in capitalizing the potential of the youth bulge in the Indian society. One way to overcome this challenge and create a better future for the youth in India would be through increased investments in basic services like healthcare and education. Mr. Abeyagoonasekera stated that India needs to play a much better regional leadership role and the small nations in South Asia wants India to be a great success. It would be important for India to be attentive to the issues in other countries. In addition, Mr. Abeyagoonasekera underscored the importance in getting the basics correct by changing the mindset and by institutionalizing the changes in the mindset. He also emphasized the need to create actual integration in the South Asian region. One way to meet this end is loosening visa regimes. He suggested that India could be more flexible in giving Visa to people from Pakistan.

See you next week!

The Columnist

Yasas Vishuddhi Abeywickrama is an entrepreneur, trainer, writer and speaker. In 2011 he was recognised as one of the Ten Outstanding Young Persons (TOYP) in Sri Lanka. He co-founded Lanka BPO Academy (www.lankabpoacademy.lk). Yasas is an Executive Council Member of the Computer Society of Sri Lanka (CSSL – www.cssl.lk). He is a regular resource person for ‘Ape Gama’ program of FM Derana and 100% Youth program on TV Derana.

Standard Chartered unveils zero carbon credit card

November 23, 2012, 7:33 pm 

Standard Chartered announced the first zero carbon credit card in the country in partnership with the Conservation Carbon Company (CCC). Subramaniam Eassuwaran, Director of CCC handed over the certificate to Sanjay Wijemanne, Head of Consumer Banking, in a ceremony held on Friday, 16 November at Standard Chartered’s Head Office.

Standard Chartered recently launched its Green Cover Project, an initiative to reduce paper wastage, whereby the Bank will pledge to plant a tree for every customer signing up for an eStatement. The carbon credits accumulated by this imitative and other environment focused sustainability activities of the Bank, such as the planting of 200 trees along the stretch of beach at Kosgoda by the Bank’s volunteers and the replenishing of degraded forest cover in Atale, were used to offset the credit card’s carbon footprint.

Sanjay Wijemanne, Head of Consumer Banking, speaking at the handover ceremony said: "The conservation and protection of the environment has always been a focus activity for our volunteers, and we are pleased to be able to announce that our efforts have yielded a significant prize. We look forward to our peers in the industry following our lead in offering carbon neutral or carbon zero products to their customers as well, thereby engendering positive impacts for the benefit of the environment in general."

Standard Chartered’s groups of volunteers will continue to engage in restoring imperilled habitats by replanting lost or destroyed flora coverage under the Green Cover Project. The Bank’s sustainability agenda is focused on minimising the negative impact on the environment, and Standard Chartered customers now have the opportunity to actively participate in ensuring the conservation of our environment for future generations by engaging with the Bank’s eStatement facility as well as its zero carbon credit card..

Subramaniam Eassuwaran, Director of the Conservation Carbon Company commented: "Many organisations would resort to purchasing the carbon credits to offset their footprints, and it is encouraging to see a bank acquiring sufficient credits on the strength of its environmental contribution. We all have a contribution to make and the onus lies with all of us and not simply with the manufacturing and production sectors, service sector industries too can make a significant contribution to conserving and replenishing the environment."

IUCN, Sri Lankan businesses push for greater conservation

November 23, 2012, 7:41 pm 

The Business and Biodiversity (B@B) Platform is a tool to foster dialogue with business and biodiversity. The Ceylon Chamber of Commerce (CCC), the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and Dilmah Conservation are developing the platform to encourage greater cooperation between businesses in Sri Lanka, including SMEs, and links to national and global initiatives. The platform will provide science, technical and management advice on biodiversity conservation issues to assist businesses to become more sustainable.

As in other Asian economies, in Sri Lanka the private sector is the engine of growth. Despite the past conflict and inflation becoming a serious issue in the country, the engine has propelled Sri Lanka’s economy forward. The combination of sustaining high economic growth rates and improving the lives of the poor or marginalized communities whilst not compromising on environmental conservation and restoration is one of the biggest challenges facing the country. Safeguarding the country’s biodiversity is integral to sustainable development, competitiveness, economic growth and employment. Many of the services that biodiversity and ecosystems provide are currently severely threatened.

The CCC, IUCN and Dilmah Conservation have joined forces to respond to this issue through the B@B Platform – a facility where businesses can come together to share experiences and best practices, learn from their peers and voice their needs and concerns aiming to strengthen the link between the business sector and biodiversity conservation.

The B@B Platform will engage and promote strong leadership of the private sector through a forum, where the sector can easily obtain technical support, share information, promote best practices and dialogue with state and civil society partners on biodiversity conservation issues to achieve a knowledge sharing system: a nationally-owned mechanism to promote dialogue and improve the exchange of knowledge, information and methods on biodiversity conservation, within and between the private sector and to link existing and emerging networks and initiatives. It will also help businesses to find solutions to adjust their activities to ensure fair income and sustainable growth, whilst providing benefits for biodiversity and ecosystems.

Benefits to Business…

It will provide access to sectoral best practice for biodiversity conservation through the Resource center of the B@B website. The platform will draw up an inventory of the current best practices through benchmarking initiatives supporting sustainable livelihoods and biodiversity conservation.

The B@B platform will also contribute to the development of principles of best practice implementation. Principles of best practices implementation will be discussed through workshops, involving businesses and diverse stakeholders from the respective sectors. These principles will assist companies in including biodiversity concerns in their core business, contributing to sustainability performance.

Further, the platform will highlight outstanding contributions to biodiversity conservation. This facility will measure corporate performance on biodiversity conservation and assess best practices implemented.

It will also provide access to technical advice and assistance in integrating biodiversity concerns in project planning and implementation and provide access to a project bank consisting of current and future projects, involving biodiversity solutions for business.

In addition to internal advice, the initiative will seek guidance from external representatives from academia, policy makers, media, financial and the business sector on a variety of implementation activities. An advisory panel will provide science, technical and management advice relevant to its functioning. The B@B will apply a membership structure. The additional advantage of membership is that member companies become part of a biodiversity network. B@B will provide the services of its Expert Groups on a concessionary basis for members given that B@B is not meant to be a profit making enterprise but a platform for facilitation.

International linkages and networking…

The platform will establish global and regional linkages and share lessons of significance. Results from initiatives in various countries will also be exchanged. Through its extensive networks, the CCC will be able to cover not only the official, government-driven initiatives, but also the initiatives undertaken by NGOs and the private sector. Mechanisms for linking globally and regionally with sustainability bodies will be worked out and CCC will facilitate networking amongst regional chambers of Commerce and Industry. B@B will take the lead in establishing international links and networks with other such centers of excellence, networking bodies, notably are the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) and the UN Global Compact.

Who can participate?

Sri Lanka based businesses ranging from SME’s to national and multinational companies, business associations as well as expert institutions, state agencies and nature conservation NGOs

Contacts for more information: Shiranee Yasaratne, Head, Regional Business and Biodiversity Programme, IUCN Asia Shiranee.yasaratne@iucn.org. Alikie Perera, Deputy Secretary General, Ceylon Chamber of Commerce alikie@chamber.lk

University Students on Bicycles?

September 25, 2012, 7:48 pm 

By Douglas King

What’s one of the first things a student does when arriving at Cambridge University? The answer if you didn’t know is to buy or rent a bicycle. Nearly every student and many faculty members travel around the colleges and city by bicycle despite often wet and cold weather. Whether you are a wealthy or not wealthy student, the bicycle is the great leveler. In fact there are so many bicycles that even the numerous authorised places to park your bike are often full.

Having lived in Kandy for over eight years and frequently visiting Peradeniya University (often on my bicycle), I have yet to see even a single student or faculty member riding a bicycle. Occasionally I do see a labourer astride an old and rusting bike, but never a student. Hostels and various university buildings are not in close proximity so it would seem a sensible and convenient mode of transport that would both save time and provide good exercise. Surely it cannot be the cost of a bicycle that prevents ownership or the lack of suitable roads and tracks. Eight thousand rupees buys quite a serviceable machine and most roads in the university have been upgraded.

Most Sunday mornings I cycle around the various university roads and further afield. Passing by many students walking along the roads, I do get stared at as if I am some (mirage. I am over three times the age of most students and obviously not a local labourer, so maybe I am an eccentric (albeit, a healthy one!).

I have sometimes asked students why they don’t ride bicycles and those who understand my English just smile. However, several students have hinted that riding a bike on campus is an indication that you are either poor or strange. Of course, motor bikes are what every student would like but cannot afford.

While bicycles in many European cities are becoming a popular means of transport for both residents and tourists, Sri Lanka sometimes does everything to deter ownership. During my recent visit to London and Paris, I was amazed at the huge number of bicycle depots located seemingly at every junction where anyone with a credit card can borrow a suitable city bike free of charge and leave it at any of the numerous roadside bike stations. London is gradually becoming a bike-friendly city with bicycle lanes alongside many roads. Unfortunately in Kandy and surroundings, there are few places where it is safe to ride a bike especially for children. Why not invite children to bring their bikes to the Botanical Gardens once a month? With the various paved tracks around the Gardens, it would give children a safe place to ride, as well as enjoying the wonderful environment. A suggestion to this effect some time back, went unanswered.

So I shall continue to be the sole rider on the campus and ignore the stares and looks of surprise from passersby. Occasionally you can see either the Prime Minister  or MPs riding bicycles to Parliament or travelling on public transport. Naturally, I am referring to the UK and not Sri Lanka