Dr. Tilak Fernando

“As we have been victorious in the battle to defeat terrorism, we should also take to the required successful end the struggle to build our land. It is necessary for us to take the required clear decisions for this. We must now be ready to direct our Motherland to that new era of national revival. Dear Doctors, Engineers, Scientists and other eminent professionals of Sri Lankan origin, your Motherland needs your experience, capabilities, professionalism and expertise in its national revival?” – President

Contribution and the role played by Sri Lankan expatriates to save the good name and help their mother country goes back two to three decades. Brotherhood of the expatriate community started to disintegrate with the emergence of a faction of Tamils who elected themselves as ‘Prabakaran Tamil Diaspora’. After the elimination of the LTTE completely too, ‘a post Prabhakaran Tamil Diaspora’ which started to come to life seems to be breaking up into fragments in the United Kingdom.

In the meanwhile, open invitations are sent to Diaspora in general to return to a totally free country and work for a national revival. An objective overview of the topic needs to leave a broad margin for adjustment during transition from a uniform set of rules in a disciplined society to an indiscipline and chaotic civilization.

Equating Sri Lanka into this format, no matter in which form one attempts to evaluate it, one cannot avoid the magic word ‘frustration’ coming to the forefront.

Brain drain

Originally a massive brain drain commenced with professionals leaving for postgraduate studies. Diplomatic staff who went on tour of duty have stayed back sacrificing their careers and pensions for the sake of their children’s university education abroad; students after qualifying abroad have boosted foreign economies due to lack of opportunities at home and others have departed seeking greener pastures due to flawed government policies and political interferences.

Sirimavo Bandaranaike gave the first sledgehammer blow on the Diaspora by introducing a fiscal demand of five percent per month out of their earned income, which made many to abandon their national identity.

The dual nationality which was aimed to woo expatriates had a negative impact when the registration fee of Rs 5,000 was raised to Rs 100,000 by President Premadasa. The then Foreign Minister Lalith Athulathmudali called it as ‘killing the goose that laid the golden egg’! Rubbing salt to injury, Chandrika Kumaratunga increased the fee to Rs 200,000. The gulf between expatriates and the government deepened with the State harbouring the view that expatriates were wealthy and selfish as opposed to Diaspora’s view of the mother country alienating them purposely.

When terrorism spread from the South at first and then to East and North of the country, it fashioned a migratory element, encompassing Tamil intellectuals and sympathizers, thus creating a division within the Diaspora – Sinhala and Tamil. To achieve aims and goals of a ‘pro LTTE Diaspora’, a well coordinated strategy took shape to brainwash fellow expatriate Tamils and International Community whilst raising funds by smuggling drugs, arms, illegal immigrant rackets, credit card fraud, etc., to ‘bribe Western Parliamentarians and journalists’. Apathy among some of the Sri Lankan Missions abroad to counter false propaganda during this era made such fabrications flourish.

Tamil Diaspora

At the hour of need when anti-Sri Lanka propaganda widespread internationally, aided and abetted by the pro-Prabahakaran Tamil Diaspora, in collaboration with a variety of INGOs, a section of Sri Lankan patriotic Diaspora reacted and responded spontaneously in an admirable fashion, minus any financial aid from the State.

Diaspora from Australia (Spur Australia) and UK groups (among many) gave a jump-start others to emulate.

No one can deny the fact of the role played by patriotic expatriates, both individually and collectively and faced up to the challenges thrown at them on live TV debates and interviews conducted by skilled foreign TV and Radio journalists during this era; simultaneously they applied counter pressure on misguided British MPs, the Metropolitan Police and staged open protests and marches.

Those who were ‘on the ball’, blessed with financial resources, travelled to Western destinations to meet up with LTTE challenges, at their own expense, unlike the well-funded NGO mafia who were well rewarded for running down Sri Lanka.

Expatriates have a cause to be proud of being children of Sri Lanka who have stood up to the occasion by commitment and activity.

They have been forceful and effective in combating adverse propaganda internationally on par with bullets used in the battlefield by the gallant Security Forces in crushing the terrorist element.

It would be farfetched to expect everyone who has left the country to return back with lock stock and barrel uprooting themselves overnight to accept the challenges and problems at home.

Yet, the cardinal point that needs to set in motion would be to make the Sri Lankan Diaspora actively engage, involve, partake and assist the mother country.

People’s circumstances differ, yet there are expatriates who want to come back and ‘be part of the solution’ now that the country is free.

Towards this end the State needs to understand their problems and compromise rather than extending ‘sugar coated’ verbal welcome requests alone.

Expatriate professionals

Introduction of special welcome programs to integrate the returning expatriate professionals would be the foundation.

Understanding their broader outlook and experience in developed counties becomes a vital factor. Discarding pre-conceived prejudices and harbouring conflicting mind-sets would only have a negative effect. Once they are assimilated into the foray special programs to monitor their welfare too become compulsory. Nelson Mandela’s brainchild of offering South African expatriates (about six years ago) has benefitted South Africa immensely, and it would be a good role model for Sri Lanka to emulate.

In order to accomplish fruits of Mahinda Chintana Vision for the future, expatriates of all races should now be encouraged by the State by deed and action.

‘ Come Home’ invitation should be integrated with the dual nationality fee reduced even further, rather than enforcing investments of US $25,000 or $50,000 in fixed deposits for three years to qualify for free dual nationality status. Granting them perks such as duty free car permits against foreign earned income would be a welcome note; persuading them to visit regularly with families and spend foreign currency will boost government coffers.

Inspiring them on investment programs and stimulating them to buy property will open new avenues of foreign exchange intake. Relaxing visa restrictions on foreign wives would be another stimulant.

Encouraging pensioners to return to their roots with their retirement funds in foreign currency will make everyone happy. After all, they are all children of Mother Lanka and just because some of them hold a piece of paper indicating they are of a ‘different breed’, they too were born and bred and (most of them) educated here and still have lingering memories of their childhood with their hearts, minds and souls buried in their toots.

tilakfernando@yahoo.co.uk