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Scholars petition President to stop moves to oust National Archives DG
View(s):Several academics, researchers and practitioners have written to President Gotabaya Rajapaksa strongly condemning alleged attempts by the Cultural Affairs Ministry to remove National Archives Director General Nadeera Rupesinghe.
The letter, signed by 45 eminent persons, including academics and researchers, notes with extreme concern that there has been no official communication as to why the Ministry wants to remove Dr. Rupesinghe. The letter has also been sent to Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa and the Ministry Secretary.
The signatories state that in the discharge of her duties, Dr. Rupesinghe has developed an unblemished record of professionalism and demonstrated a strong understanding of how the Department—a critical public institution in this country—should position itself in the future.
“The attempts to remove Dr. Rupesinghe will have far-reaching consequences for ongoing work and may also irrevocably impact the Department, which is currently undergoing a comprehensive renovation programme and attempting to develop critical policies to guide institutional functions. It is nigh on impossible to strengthen and improve institutions if government officials remove competent professionals, and if the same officials further intervene—with very little technical knowledge—to suspend urgent and time-sensitive work, particularly with projects developed to preserve centuries-old records. Such actions, which are arbitrary, reckless and uninformed, directly threaten our national archival heritage and must be condemned in the strongest of terms,” the letter adds.
The signatories strongly urges the Government to take note of Dr Rupesinghe’s key achievements over the last two years since her appointment in August 2017.
“We unreservedly stand in solidarity with Dr. Rupesinghe and request the Government to take necessary action to immediately rectify the current position,” the letter stresses.