In the coming days, I will be putting bit more time into my other two blogs. AI Game Development and Software in General.
However, I am certainly not planning to leave this blog unattended! In fact, I'm preparing for my next post... In a totally different manner ! Like to know ?
This is an experiment!
Before writing the article, I'm going to announce the topic and give 1-2 days for our readers to comment on it. Those who know me can call/email/chat with me and give me their thoughts like they have done in last few weeks, however, commenting them on here would be even better! That way there will be discussions/arguments and I will do my best to take essence from all valid points and accomadate them in the post!
Have you heard those funny Cinema experiments to provide interactive movies ? Well, this would be not that exciting, but certainly will add a new dimension to traditional blog posting. It should be possible for letting readers to take a more active role in blogging than this, right ? Taking reader's ideas BEFORE A POSTING can also lead to interesting outcomes!
What do you think ?
Let's see...
OK, Next post I'm going to write is about "Why people leaving us?"
No, it's not about broken hearts / relationship breaks or anything like that!
What I mean is why good educated professionals are leaving Sri Lanka? Is it because of selfishness or is it because Sri Lanka is really not a good place to live ? or bit of both, or something entirely different ?
More importantly, what can we do to keep our good friends in here ? Can we turn this tide on it's head ? Should we try to do it in the first place ...... So many questions!
Keep your thoughts/suggestions/questions/answers coming.....
This is going to be exciting!
Stay Tuned ................
I think it's a bit of both. Probably they are selfish. Otherwise, why wouldn't they stay back and fight to make it a better place. Lack of opportunities for talented, barriers when trying to do something, corruption, job satisfaction, money.. I think all those facts sums up, when taking a decision to fly away.
ReplyDeleteSome people who goes abroad temporary, see the world is not something surrounded by Indian Ocean. Seeing the infinite opportunities to explore they decide to stay abroad. After all, it's a global village and living overseas doesn't mean one is really away from home. Some expats know what's going on in SL better than people who lives in there.
TK
Sinhala_blog : Tx for the comment. Yea I guess you have nailed down most common reasons.
ReplyDeleteLets not include people who goes abroad temporarily as the subjects on this thread. That I think is a great thing to do for themselves and for country both! What's more useful than go see the world, learn new things, earn some money, come back and serve ? Actually Sri Lanka needs lot more people like that.
In this thread we should discuss mainly those who are leaving SL for good and settling in another country. That's a lost to the country. What can be done to reverse that ? or is it too late already ?
All human beings are selfish, but that is how society is.
ReplyDeleteThey leave looking for a better life.
If there are good jobs here they will stay, but there are not enough. People who go to Italy, Japan, Korea or the Middle East enjoy a good standard of living. When their friends and family see that, they too want the same thing and they too try to go abroad.
Jack Point : Tx for the comment and what you saying is true as well.
ReplyDeletePeople who go to Italy, Japan, Mid East are mainly technicians and others who don't get that many opportunities in here. Also, lot of them coming back to SL after earning something for themselves.
What about people who already have good enough jobs and opportunities in here ? Doctors, Engineers, Lecturers etc.. This is the area I would really want to know more on. Country and poor masses spend lot of money to make a doctor, engineer etc. Somehow it doesn't look right to see those people too leaving for green pastures on the first opportunity they get...
Of course this is only one side of the coin. They may have perfectly justified reasons, frustrations and complains from their ends.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LGIgJWvt6fw
ReplyDeletewatch this!
Tx Anonymous for the useful link!
ReplyDeleteThe IIT link above was very interesting.. In SL context, I think a person leaving SL to the US (as an example) is very similar to a person born in Kandy/Matara living in Colombo. You go where the grass is greener! It does not make you forget who you are or where you came from, or stop you from returning. You uplift the life of your family from where you can do better. Its not being selfish - but making better use of your talents.
ReplyDeleteI thought the same way, and when I had the opportunity to live in two countries (including the US) with my family - choose to come back to SL.
But now, I want to go out of SL - because being more mature - I understand that I need the freedom to think and live "freely", to raise my kids and teach them right and wrong - the right way. Not by tying people to trees, jailing on false charges or abductions, or asking my children to keep quiet on seeing corruption, and politicians riding on the wrong side of the road, at twice the allowed speed limit! The wealth of the country is robbed in front of our eyes - even the Galle face being sold now, next it will be the Vihara mahadevi park. Instead a Casio ring will come up with 7 star hotels none of the natives can afford.
Once someone had said they counted x number of ships per day passing Hambantota and built a port on a commercial load - without due diligence. Now we find that the entrance is blocked by a big rock which cannot be blasted either, and the whole port is waiting for the 3rd ship for n number of days? That means x * n ships passed by without any notice
The majority will someday wonder why they were not born Chinese instead, as the Chinese will have a better future in SL, when the future generations of our kids are in debt to the Chinese
Thanks Anonymous for the detailed comment with lot of facts and thoughts to wonder upon.
ReplyDeleteIt is that thing which was mentioned at the end of that IIT link which raises the difficult question. In case of India and IIT, It is US which benefits most out of it. (while India also getting some side gains). There is some undeniable injustice in it considering how valuable a professional is to a third world country which had very scarce resources to build one and how much excess of resources a developed country has.
Now, India doesn't even have most of problems we have in Sri Lnaka as illustrated in the second part of your comment. At least they have got the IIT right and producing best brains in a remarkable system. Still, brain drain is not sparing them! This shows that brain drain is not entirely caused by set of local push factors alone. There are larger pull factors playing in here as well.
There are 2 schools of thoughts. One is "Loken Uthum rata lankaway" (Lanka is the greatest country in the world) kind of thinking. Other is the exact opposite of it. Truth of course lies somewhere in middle. All countries/communities have their own strengths/weaknesses, issues and challenges. We have our set. Being a developing country, of course we will have a bigger set compared to a developed country.
An interesting problem is.. how are we facing them ?
About the IIT comment - sending 100 IT guys to US is actually much much much better than sending 100 doctors out of a country! Each IT guy will get more work for his company and at least 10 other offshore guys who could not have been that smart. That uplifts lives of at least 11 families.
ReplyDeleteA Doctor leaving any country is a waste for the people who funded his education - but then again, even in Socialist China - not even university education is free unlike in SL. I believe its same in India.
If SL also gives free school education and asks each university student to fund himself - this problem will have a clean solution. Now if one asks how a poor child can fund himself through uni - please dedicate Mahapola, Bursary and even other monies for such persons. Do not fund new backup vehicles for MPs and wives, or send 30 of them for cricket matches! Do not let people who've passed out of universities and work outside, remain in hostels and leech out the resources of the students - throw them out.
Like in Singapore, let Govt. institutes and private companies fund students on a legal bond - They get their education, and they can then work for those who fund them - or pay and exit. All unwanted trouble and politics then will be gone, as people will get to uni to study and nothing else