Garvin Karunaratne, former G.A.Matara

 A Report from Reuters on 17/2: Shortage of Suzuki Car Mirrors reflect Sri Lanka’s growing economic crisis harks a re write of one of my early Papers:

Old memories of development: A Youth I will never forget

By Garvin Karunaratne
Posted on October 15th, 2019

Seeing what is happening in Elpitiya my mind travels back decades to a youth that struck me most in my eighteen years’ service in the Administrative Service of my beloved country.

It was a youth from Elpitiya. In 1970 I was the Deputy Director in the Small Industries Department in charge of making allocations of foreign exchange to small industrialists to import an item that was required to make something useful for sale.  Mr Kariyawasam the Member of Parliament for Bentara Elpitiya met me with a youth. Mr Kariyawasam introduced the youth to me with a number of side mirrors of cars, which he had made. The side mirrors were good replicas.  They were very well done. An allocation of foreign exchange was sought to import mirrors to be fitted into the side mirrors that he had made. It was a reasonable request. I immediately summoned one of my Inspectors and told him to inspect the process of manufacture and submit a recommendation.

In a weeks’ time the inspector reported that this was a bogus case, a youth that did not have an industry. I sent for Mr Kariyawasam and gave him a piece of my mind. Mr Kariyawasam said that he stood by what the youth said and added that the youth was not a bluff case and requested me to look into the case further. I told Mr Kariyawasam that I will myself come to inspect the industry and gave him an appointment  to inform the youth. Later he phoned me to meet the youth at the Lorry Garage of the Cooperative Union at Elpitiya. On the appointed date I was at that place ten minutes earlier and neither the youth was there nor was there any place where side mirrors were made in the vicinity. I waited a while and the youth appeared with a bag slung on his neck. I told him to take me to the place where he had the smithy where he made the side mirrors. He opened his bag which was full of all sorts of metal pieces of different shapes along with some sheets of metal cut up to different sizes. Sir these are all my tools and all these are side mirrors I have made.”

Show me the machinery with which you make.”

Sir, you have to wait a while till one of the Coop Union lorries come back. I know some of the drivers who allow me to use their jacks. I have a number of iron rods with bolts which I fix and make a jig and use their lorry jacks to get different shapes of metal made.”

I looked at his bag and there were a few iron rods about two feet long and bolts. It was a mass of metal. I could not even imagine what he was speaking about and how he made anything.

Sir, please believe me. Please wait till a lorry comes. I am sure a lorry will return soon.”

The youth looked genuine and his tone was pleasant and I felt I should listen. I then understood what my inspector had reported that the youth had no industry. He had only a bag of tools and pieces of metal of different shapes. I waited and waited. He looked to be too genuine for me to tell him not to fool me.  In a while a lorry came in and the youth ran to the driver and got back to me.

Sir that driver is not going to give me the use of his jack. I will wait for the next driver.”

I waited a few minutes and luckily another lorry came in.

That is a good driver. I can get his jack.” He ran away and returned with the lorry jack. I yet could not fathom what he was going to do. He moved to a corner of the lorry garage pulled up his bag and got hold of the two feet rods which he fitted with bolts to make a jig. He tightened the nuts till the jig was very firm. Then he pulled out the pieces of metal and scouted around for some bricks which he fitted into the jig. Then he got the lorry jack which he placed at different angles and moved the jack lever till the piece of sheet metal was made into a shape. The then took the piece that was shaped up and fixed different pieces of metal and used the jack to shape it up further. It took a while but he did it again and again till the shapes were fully acceptable. Then he sat on the side shaped further with a file and cut off the ends. It took a while but he made a replica of a side mirror that was exact to what was imported. I gave him an allocation of foreign exchange and asked him to call over at my office to collect the allocation paper. If only that youth had access to a lathe and welding equipment he could have done wonders. Is it not sad that we do not yet make a bicycle in our country!

I called Mr Kariyawasam and thanked him.

I know not where the youth is now. Perhaps he happened to be one of the intelligent youths who lost their lives in the 1971 JVP uprising. That mistake of the JVP done to make Sri Lanka an appendage of the socialist block- -then it was North Korea that tried to get the JVP to wrest control of our island. That insurrection  took away the lives of many intelligent youths.

We have an intelligent cadre of youths and we have to enlist their support, help them to march on an import substitution venture to make everything we import. Later as Government Agent Matara, I was able to direct my staff to find the art of making crayons and also able to ensure that a cooperative industry was established.  It took three months of nocturnal experiments locked up in the Rahula College science lab from six till midnight for three long months to find he art of making crayons. Then it took three weeks for Sumanapala Dahanayake the member of parliament to establish it. He was the President of the Morawaka Coop Union. In a few months Coop Crayon was sold island wide. That was a feat done by the katcheri staff and Sumanapala’s   cooperative youths.

To my mid therein lies the path for the development of our industries. No foreigner or foreign country will come to our help. We have to do it ourselves. The above true achievements I can speak of tell me that it is a task that can be won.

Garvin Karunaratne, Ph.D. Michigan State University

Former Government Agent, Matara    15 th October 2019

It is high time that people who were selling cars commence small enterprises making car spares.  Near my Sri Lankan home on Old Kesbewa Road Gangodawila is a young lad making smallmotor spares. He took it over from his father and I had seen his father at work in the Fifties when I lived there. The Government has to also take action to develop this type of industry. Sad to say our last attempt was in 1971 when under the Divisional Development Councils Programme we(I was then GA Matara) we did wonders. I and my men- the Planning Officer of the Katcheri and other officers along with Member of parliament Sumanapala Dahanayake in his capacity as the President of the Morawaka Coop Union did get down to make crayons. We established that small factory in two weeks working day and night. It was developed to have islandwide sales with coop union lorries and lads selling coop crayon even in the far north.

Perhaps this idea may reach the ears of our Prime Minister or President. When there is a crisis at hand, it is time for quick action.

Garvin Karunaratne, former G.A.Matara