Features

Tact and tricks in public service

Published

3 years ago

2023/08/17

By Chani Imbulgoda

Public service and the political system are interconnected and bound together and co-exist. Political authority formulates policies. Public service executes them. Today, we hear slogans chanted by politicians against public servants and vice versa. Louder slogans against both the politician and the public servant are heard from the recipients of public service, i.e. the general public.

Public sector organisations, big or small, are discredited as poorly managed, corrupt, financially unsound, lethargic, and bureaucratic. Lengthy procedures, ambiguous guidelines, numerous structures, excessive documentation, and communication barriers are often cited. The work of the public servant has a direct or indirect impact on the daily lives of their fellow citizens. Accusations and agitations made by the public on public sector organisations are justified when the impact turns more burdensome than beneficial and the experience with public servants is a curse rather than a blessing.

This article does not intend to discuss the pros and cons of public service. Instead, it tries to unveil some bitter truths about the public sector. Recently I completed reading two satirical novels authored by Jonnathan Lynn and Antony Jay. “Yes Minister” and “Yes Prime Minister”. They are about the British public service during the 1960s. They are not based on fabrications or fantasies, but on real-life experiences of a Cabinet Minister, and his two Secretaries who represent the British Civil Service. Being a public servant myself, I find the stories in these novels both appealing and appalling. The system that I work in as well as experience gained in my nearly two decades of public service is similar to what I read in the two novels. There is no better time for us to engage in some soul-searching as public officials.

Doublespeak

The use of ambiguous and evasive language in verbal and written communication to deceive or confuse the audience is known as doublespeak. This is widespread in the public service. It helps to hide deficiencies and exaggerate. In those two novels, I mentioned, the Minister with his prolonged exposure to public service sees the language “as a curtain to draw across the mind, not as a window to the mind”. Language veils reality. It steals creativity and conceptualisation. This is well showcased during conducting performance audits and progress reviews. Often used phrases during this time are “we have taken actions to rectify it” or “actions are being taken”. Same organisation, the same employees keep on repeating this over and again year after year. Things are being done forever, results are never seen. Back in the novel, the Minister talks about some major changes. His advisor asks “Do you want to do or appear to be doing”? Appearance is the priority, not the outcome. Politicians and public servants talk the walk, without walking the talk.

Urgent and Approved

In public service, even a simple message goes through several hands and with a heap of papers. It takes its usual tortoise pace. But, if the decision to favour, discriminate or penalise someone it moves at a hare pace. An unusual urgency pops up. Urgency conceals facts. If one wants to get something approved, approach the approving authority when he/she is in a hurry. He/she will either approve it without looking for facts carefully or perhaps they will call for an explanation, where the officer can brief it in a manner, they wish to get the concurrence. In the novel Yes Prime Minister, a senior officer counsels that, “If the approval does not satisfy you, tighten the grip of the man that approves… not as a threat, but as a wise Counselor who helps to see the way out. The approval will be guaranteed”. This reminds me of the phrase “ignorance is the strength” in George Orwell’s famous novel 1984. Urgency shades sight and vision; hypocrites win over ignorance.

Things take time

“Rome was not built in a day”. In the novel, the Administrative Secretary reminds his Minister, when the Minister expresses his worries about a delay in the completion of a scheme. When a government initiates a new project, public service officials find space to intervene. There are protocols to follow. The first step is appointing a committee to examine the feasibility and to make recommendations. Another committee to examine the feasibility of implementing the recommendations. If any discrepancy is found between the recommendations of the two Committees, a third Committee comes in. The process goes on in circles; the work is always in progress. Means matter more than the ends; conformity to the letter more than to the spirit. When all assessments and approvals are in order and in favour of the commencement of the project finally, the need for it may not be there any longer… rather the outputs would not produce the outcome expected. Public money goes wasted over feeding the committees, not the public.

Morale and moral at stake

The British Minister in the novel worries about productivity. He expresses his concerns to the Secretary over the waste associated with public service. While the government is paying a lot of people to produce masses of food, they pay another to destroy it. Pay thousands of bureaucrats to push papers about to make it all happen. He asks the Secretary whether the latter is not concerned about waste. The Secretary’s response was, “Not really, I am a Civil Servant”.

No surprise in the context of Sri Lanka as well. Pushing papers from one office to another, not being concerned about the end results are visible here. Instead of saying, “I am a public servant and I am not concerned”, our public servants declare in case of a moral dilemma, “I have to do so as my superiors told me to do”. I quote a message from the Administrative Secretary of the novel to justify such moral detachment of public servants; “Conscience is for politicians, civil servants are humble functionaries, whose duty is to implement the commands of their democratically elected representatives”. So, the public servants shed their moral obligation of doing the ‘right thing’. Nevertheless, when the New Year begins, they take an oath to perform the entrusted role in the implementation of public policies and goals; efficiently, productively, with firm determination, and utmost dedication, honestly, and loyally to the public.

Sri Lanka is suffering setbacks and is getting pushed back on the world stage by the outdated rule-based public service. Public service has failed to earn the credit and the confidence of citizens as well as non-citizens. The country is crying, vying and dying for results-targeted, development-oriented public service, which should be a blessing for the private sector to bloom and the general public to be comfortable. Until and unless the mindsets of public sector employees are changed, and the systems transformed, the general public will keep on agitating and criticising about 1.5 million public servants in the country.

(The writer is a holder of a senior position in a state University with international experience and exposure and an MBA from Postgraduate Institute of Management (PIM), Sri Lanka and currently reading for a PhD related to reasons of reform failures at PIM. She can be reached at cv5imbulgoda@gmail.com)

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Features

The hard challenge of clinching a political settlement in the Middle East

Published

23 hours ago

2026/07/23

Sahan Weerasooriya

Bruised hearts: Displaced Palestinian civilians in the Gaza.(Photo by Mustafa Hassona/Anadolu via Getty Images)

Despite some sections of the Trump administration persisting with the view that the possibility could not be entirely ruled out of there being a diplomatic solution to the current US-Iran hostilities in West Asia, the skeptic could not be blamed for thinking otherwise. The intensity, scale and frequency of the tit-for-tat strikes by the antagonists over the past few days against selected military targets and civilian infrastructure in particular in West Asia make the adoption of this stance excusable.

The continuing hostilities render the mentioning of the MOU signed between the warring parties in mid-June a laughable matter. While it could very well be that the foes are wishing privately for a cessation of hostilities before long, what seems to be uppermost on their minds right now is to negotiate with each other from a position of strength. This strategy compels them to incapacitate each other militarily to the extent possible, lest they have to concede too much to each other during negotiations. Hence the stepped-up hostilities.

However, even on the question of there being a negotiated political settlement in the West Asian theatre in the longer term, the skeptic could come to be seen as scoring over the optimist. Developments on the ground account for this.

At the time of writing Israel’s Netanyahu government is going ahead in fairly care-free fashion with the establishment of more Jewish settlements in the Gaza and the West Bank, and it’s all happening under the apparently complacent gaze of the US. In fact, some quarters estimate that Israel is in control of some 65% of the Gaza Strip. Ethnic cleansing, that is, is being drastically stepped-up.

Accordingly, in terms of the power relations of West Asia, the world is almost back to the status quo of the late forties of the last century when the state of Israel was established and the Palestinians were reduced to a microscopic minority in the land they came to inhabit. Therefore, even the impartial observer would be compelled to ask: ‘Will a negotiated peace be ever possible in the Middle East?’

The humanist in the observer would prefer to answer this question in the affirmative and it is indeed the ideal stance to adopt considering the staggering human and material costs of the conflict. But the way ahead to peace could be expected to be highly hazardous and arduous. Among other odds, it would also prove an uphill endeavour to win minds and hearts.

The US’ Trump administration would need to be counted out in this pursuit. This is on account of the fact that it has been far too wayward in its management of West Asian affairs in particular over the past couple of years. Given its unpredictable character it is a matter for conjecture whether it could be counted on to live up to its commitments.

Moreover, Israel could be expected to ‘go it alone’ in the Middle East regardless of whether US help is coming or otherwise. It has indicated as much in recent times and Israel could be doubted on this score only at the doubter’s peril. Because time and again Israel has demonstrated that it could steadfastly defend its interests even single-handedly in the Middle East. History bears this out.

However, a durable alliance with the US would stand Israel in good stead. On the matter of military and intelligence assistance, for example, the US’s help proved invaluable for Israel in the past and going forward this is bound to be so as well. Moreover, it is unlikely that the Trump administration would give up on Israel, considering that a strong Israel is crucial for the furtherance of the US’ strategic and economic interests in West Asia.

But whether the above factors would have a considerable bearing on the question of working out a durable solution to the West Asian tangle is an entirely different matter. Israel, as in the case of the Palestinian enclaves, is acutely security conscious and would need to satisfy itself fully that it could live in a security environment that would guarantee its complete safety, going forward.

The Middle East is badly in need of another peace effort on the lines of the Oslo Accords of the mid-nineties that brought the key actors together and helped hammer out a solution that addressed some of their notable concerns. To be sure, that process did not prove to be the ideal answer to the tangle, but it yielded some respite to the region and drove home that one-time sworn foes could indeed negotiate with a degree of success. The West Bank authority, although falling short of fulfilling some key Palestinian aspirations, is testimony that a degree of success is possible if the intent is right.

Given the current realities of West Asia, peace-making is bound to be an uphill challenge. The violence faced in recent times by the Palestinian community, in particular, has been nothing less than mind-numbing. Merciless has been the violence visited on them by the Israeli side. In such circumstances, durable peace in the region could smack of an idealist’s dream.

Nevertheless, there needs to be urgently, a meeting of minds over the divides. The US would need to be counted out as an honest broker in bringing the sides together but the rest of the West would do well to step up to the challenge.

In this exercise the onus would be on the world’s democracies to take the initiative and doggedly stay the course. An acceptable combination would be the EU and the UN. Given their credentials, the main sides in West Asia ought to find them the least controversial.

Even if the relevant institutional and political arrangements could be shored up to take a reconciliation process forward, winning hearts and minds for the peace drive would prove a grueling challenge. Over the past few years in particular tens of thousands of hearts and minds on both sides of the divide have been bruised badly in the runaway murderous violence that has come to define the Middle East.

These badly scarred personalities would need to experience healing without much delay. It is therefore a multi-faceted challenge that is at hand. Since wide-ranging expertise would be needed in the healing process, people’s participation in peace-making, ranging over the divides, would need to be made a durable reality. It will be a time for enthroning humanity and ensuring the rejection of all forms of violence and coercion.

Features

Amazing Thailand …right here in Colombo

Published

23 hours ago

2026/07/23

Sahan Weerasooriya

For many Sri Lankans, Thailand is the go-to holiday — beaches, temples, food, and that famous warm hospitality.

In fact, I’ve been to Amazing Thailand 24 times myself, and was honoured with the Friends of Thailand International Media Award by the Tourism Authority of Thailand for promoting Thai tourism.

The good news I have for you today is that you don’t even need a passport to get a taste of Amazing Thailand.

The Royal Thai Embassy, in Colombo, is bringing a vibrant slice of Thailand, to the city of Colombo, with Thai Festival 2026 — a cultural experience like never before.

Whether you are an avid enthusiast of Thai culture, a total novice, or simply just interested in exploring foreign cultures, Thai Festival 2026 is going to be the perfect opportunity for you to get more than just a glimpse into one of the most celebrated cultural heritages in South East Asia. And ENTRANCE IS FREE.

The festival will be held on the 1st and 2nd of August, 2026, at Siam Nivasa, 43, C.W.W. Kannangara Mawatha, Colombo 7, and the East Parking Area, of the Colombo Municipal Council, from 11:00am to 5:00pm.

Both days will be full of live entertainment, and dispersed throughout with Thai cultural displays, including exhilarating traditional dance performances and breathtaking Muay Thai demonstrations.

Exploring art and craft specific to Thailand, tasting irresistible authentic Thai cuisine, and playing arcade games, are just a few more fun-filled events available for visitors at the festival premises.

An array of Thai products will also be available for purchase.

While at the festival, you will find Sri Lankan Alumni from Thai universities sharing their experiences with you and willing to answer any questions you might have, related to studying abroad in Thailand.

You can also register for the Muay Thai workshop that will be happening on the 7th and 8th of August, 2026, in Colombo.

Irresistible authentic Thai cuisine

Visitors can also stand a chance to win traditional Thai souvenirs, get exclusive photo opportunities, and, the big one — to enter the raffle draw, at the end of each day, for the grand prize of an all-inclusive round trip to Thailand.

Be sure to avail yourself of this exceptional opportunity and add a cultural spin to your weekend.

To keep up with the latest updates on Thai Festival 2026, head over to the Thai Festival official social media pages.

The Royal Thai Embassy in Colombo official webpage:

https://colombo.thaiembassy.org

Official social media:

Facebook: @RTEColombo

Instagram: @thaiembassysrilanka

Thai Festival official social media:

Facebook: Thai Festival in Colombo

Instagram: @thaifestival_colombo

TikTok: @thaifestival.incolombo

Features

Thicker, stronger hair …

Published

23 hours ago

2026/07/23

Sahan Weerasooriya

Hair fall, in this heat, can be so frustrating, and noticing a thin patch is even more worrying. The good news is … yes, with a little care and kitchen ingredients, you can nourish your scalp and support healthy regrowth.

Try these four easy home remedies … even our grandmothers trusted:

* Coconut Oil and Curry Leaves Tonic:

Warm 04 tablespoons of coconut oil, with a handful of curry leaves, till the leaves turn black. Cool, strain, and massage into scalp 02-03 times a week. Leave for 01 hour, or overnight.

Why:

Coconut oil deeply nourishes, while curry leaves help strengthen roots and add shine.

* Onion Juice for Spot Treatment:

With cotton, dab the juice of 01 small onion, directly on the thin/bald patches. Leave for 20-30 minutes, and then wash with a mild shampoo. Use twice a week.

Why:

Rich in sulfur, onion juice helps boost blood circulation to the scalp.

* Aloe Vera and Castor Oil Mask:

Mix 02 tablespoons of fresh aloe vera gel and 01 tablespoon castor oil and apply to the scalp, focusing on thinning areas. Leave for 45 minutes, and then rinse with cool water.

Why:

Aloe vera soothes the scalp, while castor oil coats hair to make it look thicker.

* Fenugreek and Curd Strengthening Pack:

You will need 02 tablespoons fenugreek seeds, soaked overnight, and 02 tablespoons plain curd.

Grind to a paste, apply to scalp for 30 minutes, and then wash.

Why:

Fenugreek strengthens strands and reduces breakage.

Extra Tips for Healthy Hair:

Avoid tight hairstyles that pull on the scalp.

Eat iron and protein rich foods: greens, dhal, eggs, fish.

Use lukewarm water, not hot.

Be gentle when brushing and drying.