Crying need for a Think Tank

BY Dr B.J.C.Perera
MBBS(Cey), DCH(Cey), DCH(Eng), MD(Paed), MRCP(UK),
 FRCP(Edin), FRCP(Lon),
FRCPCH(UK), FSLCPaed, FCCP,
Hony FRCPCH(UK), Hony. FCGP(SL)

Specialist Consultant Paediatrician and Honorary Senior Fellow, Postgraduate Institute of Medicine, University of Colombo, Sri Lanka.

The word “think tank” owes its origins to John F. Kennedy, America’s 35th President, who collected a group of top intellectuals in his White House — people like McGeorge Bundy, Robert S. McNamara, John Kenneth Galbraith, Arthur Schlesinger and Ted Sorenson, among others, to give him counsel on issues, from time to time. He described it as having them on tap and on the turn of the spigot, good advice was on hand. He called them his “think tank”. Kennedy, describing their first dinner meeting, said the White House never had so much brilliance and brain power in its dining room since Thomas Jefferson had dinner alone in it.

The two words ‘Think Tank’ have been bandied around quite a bit in many parts of the world. The real definition and a graphic description of it is as given above. The members of such a Think Tank would play a seminal role in assisting the Head of State of a nation to make the right decisions.

A fundamental necessity for a ‘think tank’ is the realisation by a Head of State that he or she cannot be an expert on anything and everything. That person needs intense, and far-thinking intellectual assessment of a given situation, or a planned course of action, by experts in the given field, as also by doyens in other arenas. Since Independence, most of our woes have been brought about by the elected Heads of State getting into a mindset that the person concerned is indeed ‘it’, a phenomenon that this writer calls the ‘I Syndrome’, the latter being a group of features which consistently occur together. It denotes a group of collective thinking, on the part of the person concerned, that he or she is a ‘know all’. No human, on planet earth, would fit the bill in such a contention as a ‘master of all.’ The downfall of many Heads of State was due to them having the wrong type of ‘advisors’ around them.

Our country is at a critical juncture. With the developments over the last few days, there is much speculation about the path that a Head of State should take. This writer does not know how the dice will turn but, within the next few days, we will have a Head of State, who will be entrusted with the daunting task of steering the country out of the abyss of despair.

I believe that a Think Tank is perhaps one that could facilitate this process and guides the Head of State on the right path. I would like to list the following as absolute requirements for such a Think Tank.

The Think Tank will consist of highly educated intellectuals and proven experts in different disciplines, head-hunted and hand-picked by the Head of State. I would suggest a set of 20 people for this endeavour in the Think Tank.

ALL of them would be completely apolitical, honest and trustworthy.They would not be expected to address the Head of State as “Your Excellency”. After all, in the United States of America and the Russian Republic as well as in many countries of the developed world, the Head of State is addressed as Mr President. In the United Kingdom, the Prime Minister is addressed as Mr Prime Minister.

There will be two experts from a given field. This would be to ensure that there will be an opportunity to consider different perspectives on a given subject under discussion.The Think Tank will meet once a month, perhaps on the evening of the fourth Sunday of every month. There will be no perks, no foreign trips, no remuneration of any kind, or special privileges attached to a position in the Think Tank. They will not be provided with any transport to attend meetings with the Head of State. The discussions would be over a simple home-cooked meal. It must be impressed on them that this initiative is a mission of commitment to the nation and is not for any personal gain. All 20 will be expected to attend every meeting. There will not be any meetings with selected individuals.

The Head of State will meet them alone without any secretaries politicos or other hangers-on.The members should be assured that they are at liberty to disagree with the Head of State and that there will not be any punitive measures imposed for any disagreement. President Kennedy encouraged his Think Tank to disagree with him whenever its members were against a proposed course of action.There will not be any rancour during meetings and the Think Tank members will be able to disagree without being disagreeable.

The Head of State would have the freedom to remove any of the members from the Think Tank if that person seeks any undue privileges but not because the person disagrees with the Head of State.

Readers may justifiably ask whether there are Sri Lankans, residents in Sri Lanka, who would fit the bill? I have absolutely no doubt whatsoever that if one looks carefully, they are there in plenty. They are mostly the back stage performers; even retired ones with a wealth of experience. They are the unsung heroes who would always put the country before themselves. Their intelligence, abilities and honour are totally beyond reproach.

These suggestions are provided with the best of intentions and goodwill to help the Head of State to govern the country properly and join the people in a relentless march towards affluence. The Think Tank members will hopefully advise the Head of State on how to provide home-grown food security and facilities for agriculture, how to offer all essential needs for our populace, including fuel and good transport, look after the health of our people, take all necessary steps to increase exports, limit imports only to absolute essentials and, of course, promote tourism. These will be the initiatives that would take us on the road towards munificent grandeur.Is there a statesman, or stateswoman, in our country who would be up to this task of formulating such a ‘Think Tank’? I fervently hope so.

Postscript
The writer hastens to say he has no intention of being a part of the proposed ‘Think Tank’.