{"id":102982,"date":"2020-05-30T15:18:36","date_gmt":"2020-05-30T22:18:36","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/?p=102982"},"modified":"2020-05-30T15:23:18","modified_gmt":"2020-05-30T22:23:18","slug":"discrimination-oppression-by-tamils-suffered-by-an-engineer-at-kankesan-cement-works","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/2020\/05\/30\/discrimination-oppression-by-tamils-suffered-by-an-engineer-at-kankesan-cement-works\/","title":{"rendered":"Discrimination & Oppression by Tamils Suffered by an engineer at Kankesan Cement Works"},"content":{"rendered":"

Engr. Kanthar Balanathan, Australia DipEE (UK), GradCert(Rel-Eng-Monash), DipBus&Adm(Finance-Massey), CEng. MIEE(UK) Former Specialist Engineer Power & Control NRG-GPS, Australia<\/em><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n

The author had ambitious to write about\nhistory during his working career as an Electrical Engineer\/Works Engineer\n(Elect) from 1969 to Feb 1977 at Kankesan Cement Works (KCW). It is the right\ntime now that I come forward to present them in a concise article format. The\nreason being that by hiding activities the world will not change and in\nparticular the North is like a jungle dominated by a certain group of people\nonly and others are treated quite indifferently & indecently. Discrimination\n& Oppression prevails in the North only. It is good to unravel certain\nhidden dirty qualities among our Tamils in the North. That\u2019s the nature among\nthe Tamils in the North. In India workers and officers are treated\nindifferently; no courteousness, gallantry & regard for working class.\nThose Tamils who read this article shall understand their quality and correct\nthemselves to have a positive progressive Tamil race or else the Tamil race\nwill dissolve into any other race(s). No wonder why some Sinhalese do not like\nTamils.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I commenced my wring career on the\n5th of<\/sup> December 1965 with the Department of Govt. Govt. Electrical\nUndertakings (DGEU). My career ended with the DGEU in September 1967 while\nworking as a shift Officer at the Inginiyagala Power Station. During the period\n5-12-1965 to 09\/1967, I enjoyed my work as the environment was friendly and the\nSinhala people were quite helpful and friendly. It was a totally friendly\ntechnical environment. However, my professional life at KCW was shifted to be a\ndetrimental oppressive and discriminatory life while at KCW. Although I asked\nfor Puttalam, CCC Posted me to KCW.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In my working career at KCW, the\nWorks Manager (WM) position was held by Tamils up to 1974. The organisation was\nin shambles. One WM arrives direct from Udupiddy at 8 am and then leaves sharp\non the dot at 4 pm. He never stepped foot inside the factory at any instant. He\nwas a Civil Engineer who was seconded for service from the Department of\nHighways or so. The only WM we had who was quite competent and capable was A.\nFrancis, who was a Mechanical Engineer, however, he left the organisation in\n1971, however, he was quite rude with his staff. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Late in 1974, a dynamic and\nenergetic leader (Pat Vithanage) came as the Works Manager, appointed by Mr A.\nElkaduwa, who was the Chairman of Ceylon Cement Corporation. After Pat\nVithanage (WM) came to the works people behaved differently and were near\ndecent, however, behind the back not at all courteous and honest. The staff had\na quite ethnic hatred towards Pat. Pat was decent and professional and had a\ntop managerial capability and people acted with courtesy towards him and the\nengineers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This article will unstitch &\nloosen the dirty politics of the workers and engineers at KCW, although KCW\ndoes not exist now, the people in the North shall learn from this as to how\nthey shall treat others and work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On the day I started work, I was\nwalking to the electrical workshop and a man was urinating on the road (inside\nworks). This road is been used by women and men to access their workplace and\ncanteen. I observed that there were dozens of toiles built which were only\nabout 20 feet away from the man who was urinating. I advised the man to urinate\nin the toilet and not on the road. He quietly went off and complained to his\nunion President which was sent to the WM. Mr Francis knowns the character of\nthe workshop people. He called me and said not to talk with any of the clowns\nin the mechanical workshop. I realised that the caste system came into the\nflow. I also comprehended that there was this caste system practised by even the\nCOOLIES. Maybe the man (COOLIE) was related to (Filipino) SJV Chelvanayagam?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This article limits only to\ncertain key incidents which distressed my anxiety and health. One of the WM\n(late Shunmuganathan), says always that he is thinking. He was sent to Germany\nfor three-year training and came back just a few months before me. I\ncomprehended that he did not do any modifications or solve any technical\nissues. He was my boss and I was certain that he was not a fit and proper\nperson to be my boss. That\u2019s nature and the Jaffna man\u2019s influence based on\ncaste and culture. He looked like a Chinese guy in appearance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Right from 1969, the precipitator\ndoes not work effectively and efficiently. My so-called boss always slides any\noutside complains to me and I had to face the public. With too much work I\nstarted to investigate the precipitator function. There were two issues faced\nwith the Precipitator. (i) Voltage dips (VD) which were the CEB problem. Virtually\nI send 10-15 telegrams to the GM of the CEB about the VD. The damn CEB\nengineers had little clue of the issue. The issue here is that Chief Burner is\na sixth or eighth standard qualified person, however, his brothers were in the\nPolice as DIG ad SPs. So, he was influential and people do not bother him.\nWater must be sprayed in the fourth cyclone, however, because of the VD Burners\ndo not spray water. The water spray equipment bends and had to cut it off to\npull it out. (ii) The EHV electrode was made of barbed wires and suspended with\nguided weight. The dust accumulation bends the barbed wire and flashes to the\ncathode plate. The particular chamber has to be isolated immediately for the\nother chambers to function. So, the second issue here is that the electrode was\nnot fit for the particular duty. (iii) The particles were of smaller size\nbecause of the type of grinding and sieve used. Very small particles can be\ncarried away because of the Precipitator design not fit for purpose. Shift\nChemist does not understand high-tech explanations. Wondered whether they do a\nsample analysis to know the Standard Deviation at various levels in the silos.\nQuite doubtful cos they get annoyed when asked. The Chemist workplace is like a\nsecular lab. Most of the staff have low education.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

None of the WM did anything on my\nadvice. After Pat Vithanage assumed office, he discussed with me and asked me\nto prepare a comprehensive report on the issues and solution and send it to the\nChairman through him, of course. I had two solutions. (i) Procure stainless\nsteel discharge tips for at least one precipitator and install, (ii) Install\nSLC on the 33kV live running from Chunnakam to Kaithady at Chunnakam. This\nequipment will limit the fault current. The discharge tips were ordered and I\nleft the organisation to assume duties in Feb 1977 in Nigeria. Pat and I\nattended a meeting with the engineers and explained the function of the SLC.\nThe other alternative is to reroute the Chavakacheri line which is up to the\nCEB. None of the engineers or the Burners gave me support except Pat Vithanage\nand AB Elkaduwa.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The 3.3kV ID Fan motor failed once\nand, the culture at KCW is that any failure is shifted to the Works Engineer\n(WE-El). I saw one Tamil electrician throwing raw meal dust into the fan motor\nout of hatred against myself and Pat. The issue here was that the banding wire\nused was high tensile stainless steel and it can give way at high temperature.\nIt was recommend to use high tensile epoxy tape for the banding.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Most of the staff in the Kiln\nsection were unqualified. A few with A\u201d level were okay, however, the other\nBurners including Chief Burner (late G. Joseph & Thuraisingham) were\nunqualified with 6th<\/sup> & 8th<\/sup> standard only. The problem\nhere is that they cannot understand Parallax\u201d issues. Always complain that the\nmotor current and voltage is over limit. The meters were installed about 6.5\nfeet above the floor. Quite often have to explain about the parallax problem.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The gantry crane had a span of\nmore than 60 feet, maybe. The drive shaft had several segments and they were\nconnected by bolting the flanges. The shaft is supported by a couple of\nbearings which had white metal bearings. The white metal, when worn off, introduce\nmisalignment and heavy torque friction and a heavy torque is required to turn\nthe shaft. What is required is to machine the bearing after filling with white metal.\nHowever, the damn mechanical engineers who were incompetent did not want to do\nthe job, however, blame the electrical section that the fuse is blowing and the\noverload relay is tripping. The damn mechanical engineers or what I call them\nas Sledge Hammers wanted a higher setting the O\/L and with a higher fuse\nrating. So, we did it knowing what will happen. The main drive shaft\nbreaks.  It was an agony to explain the\nhalf qualified and the sledgehammers. Some Sledgehammers claim that they are\nfrom Peradeniya University and that they are superstar idiots<\/em><\/strong> and\nknow everything not knowing that they lack in experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Similar things happen with the cement transport system.\nThe FK Pumps. The FK pump is a screw conveyor which has a few segments coupled with\nflanges and supported by bearings. The Workshop guys do not do good welding to\nstandard and the flanges fail and the motor trips. Immediately the complain\ncomes to the WM that there is an electrical fault. Okay, as donkeys we check\nthe motor and the circuits and come up with a clean system. We direct the plant\nmaintenance & Workshop and advice that the welding if not up to standard,\nfor the reason for the failure. The Superstar<\/em><\/strong> Peradeniya\nengineers argue with me. Myself being an electrical and mechanical\nengineer which is not known to these idiots leads them to override and bully the\nelectrical section<\/em><\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The irregularities in the supplies\nand Stores section: Most of the time, the welding rods are recycled through the\nshops to the stores again with a cut going into a team pocket. Items are\nbearings, domestic fuses, some cables, and consumables. Staff steel items from\nthe stores to which some store-keepers help them. The Asst Accountant who was\nin charge of the stores was an incompetent person always attacking people. He resembles\na Japanese or a Korean.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A couple of engineers like three\nwere quite honest but we were afraid to talk as the Union and the staff rise\nagainst us. There were so many irregularities and frauds that happened at KCW;\nhowever, I cannot bring everything in one publication. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

One example: An elec. an engineer\nfrom State Fertiliser Manufacturing Corporation (SFMC) was sent to my section\nfor specialised training. What he did was to apply for his IEE Charter stating\nthat he is the cement engineer and that he is the boss of the place without my\nunderstanding. I also applied and when called upon for an interview by the CTE\nand Mr John Pillai asked me whether I was the Cement engineer. After discussion\nfor over 2 hours, I advised them to check with the GM of Cement. On the day in\nColombo, the GM called me and said that IEE checked with him and that truth was\nconveyed to the IEE. GM was a Sinhalese person. I received my Charter in 1975\nand believe that the SFMC engineer\u2019s application was deferred by ten years.\nThese are fraudulent activities by Tamils in the North.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Head Office chairman and GMs\nin Colombo shall note this and be cautious as still, the North has CEB Offices\nand maybe branches of other Departments in the North.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

My judgement and comprehension are\nthat Pat Vithanage was the best WM in the North.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tamils wanted a Tamil as the\nGovernor for the NPC. GOSL should now understand as to why the people in the\nNorth need a Tamil. I comprehend that a Sinhalese SriLankan shall be appointed\nas the head of the NPC and in any Department in the North. I can bring out a\nsignificant volume of irregular and fraudulent practices in the North, which I\ncannot in this instant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hope the Tamils will correct\nthemselves rather criticize others. A typical example is Arjuna Mahendran and\nhis Son-in-Law for plundering Rs 20 Billion.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Engr. Kanthar Balanathan, Australia DipEE (UK), GradCert(Rel-Eng-Monash), DipBus&Adm(Finance-Massey), CEng. MIEE(UK) Former Specialist Engineer Power & Control NRG-GPS, Australia The author had ambitious to write about history during his working career as an Electrical Engineer\/Works Engineer (Elect) from 1969 to Feb 1977 at Kankesan Cement Works (KCW). It is the right time now that I come […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":true,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[114],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-102982","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-kanthar-balanathan"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/102982","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=102982"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/102982\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=102982"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=102982"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=102982"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}