Great brain flight

Wednesday 24th November, 2021

Two Sri Lankan academics, in an article published in today’s Midweek Review section, discuss the vexed issue of brain drain affecting this country. They have identified the causative factors and suggested some ways and means of breaking the back of the problem. Their arguments are tenable and worth consideration. We, however, do not labour under the delusion that the government politicians and their lackeys in key positions in the state service will care to read and understand such articles.

Brain drain, in our book, occurs when the brains that deserve to be flushed down the drain are catapulted to positions of power. When cattle rustlers, chain snatchers, pickpockets, killers, racketeers and other such elements are elected and entrusted with the task of ruling the country, it is only natural that intelligent, educated, talented youth lose hope and emigrate in droves. This, we have witnessed over the last several decades. However, the blame for Sri Lanka’s backwardness should be apportioned to the public as well in that nobody seems keen to help increase national productivity, and most Sri Lankans grovel before political dregs after voting the latter into office. Trade unions are bent on making demands without caring to spur the productivity of their members. The teachers’ unions have won their demands after a protracted struggle, and nobody will grudge teachers better salaries, but students in most schools are dependent on shadow education or private tuition to prepare themselves for competitive examinations. The need for a work ethic to inspire Sri Lankans to toil and help develop the country, thereby preventing the youth from emigrating, cannot be overemphasised.

Besides the causes of brain drain identified by the aforesaid academics of the Rajarata University—Dr. Manoj Samarathunga and Rasanjalie Kularathne—the youth are resentful of social inequalities and injustice. Their consternation is understandable. They are either unemployed, or underemployed, or overworked and underpaid, having spent the best years of their lives, studying and acquiring skills and qualifications required in the highly competitive job market. But the political brats are living the life of Riley thanks to their parents’ ill-gotten wealth although most of them are not qualified to be employed even as labourers. When they live off the fat of the land, multiply like rabbits at the expense of the public, and make a vulgar display of opulence, the deserving youth struggling to make ends meet despite their education, talents, skills, etc., become frustrated.

Unlike the youth who took up arms to ‘change the system’, on two occasions, in this country, albeit in vain, the present-day frustrated young men and women are emigrating. Others are canalising their aggression via social media, which is full of scathing attacks on politicians and their families who have all the luck. There is reason to believe that but for the ubiquitous smartphone, which enables the enraged youth to give vent to their pent-up anger freely, they would have adopted violent means in a bid to get rid of the parasites in the garb of politicians, and enthrone social justice.

This country is lagging behind other nations mainly because the cancer of dirty politics has eaten into its vitals, and the good men and women have resigned themselves to the status quo. Politicians, intoxicated with power and holding on to popular mandates like a bunch of drunkards embracing lampposts, unable to stand erect, much less move forward, consider themselves omniscient and brush aside expert advice, and create unholy messes. The current fertiliser crisis is a case in point. What should have been done over a considerable period of time cautiously was telescoped into a few days, and the farming community has been left high and dry, as a result. There is no gainsaying that the use of organic fertiliser has to be encouraged, and the application of agrochemicals reduced greatly, but it should have been done in a sustainable manner with the help of all stakeholders including scientists and other experts. Now, the government has made another U-turn and allowed the private sector to import agrochemicals; unscrupulous businessmen including ruling party cronies are sure to fleece the poor farmers, the way they are exploiting the pandemic victims.

Regime changes kindle hope in the Sri Lankan youth from time to time, but they invariably turn out to be false dawns. Following the last change of government, young Sri Lankans thronged the streets and turned the country into an open-air art gallery with fascinating wall paintings. But their euphoria gave way to despair a few moons later; they became disillusioned upon realising that the self-proclaimed liberators whom they considered mavens and voted into office, expecting miracles, were actually mountebanks. Today, these disillusioned youth are joining winding queues for passports and visas.

It is high time the good men and women who have so far remained silent, allowing evil to flourish, wised up and realised the need to come forward, call a halt to the ongoing political circus, and make a serious effort to take charge of the affairs of the state if they are genuinely desirous of preventing brain drain, or human capital flight, which is destroying the nation insidiously.