Financial Times - Vacuum at TRI, RRI

Vacuum at TRI, RRI

Dr Tillekeratne said he planned to teach at the Ruhunu campus and also move into the private sector while Dr Mohamed, who has filed a fundamental rights case against the government over his victimization including unnecessary arrest, temporary jail and sacking from the post, said he had joined the private sector.

Two of Sri Lanka’s most eminent research scientists have quit or retired this month, leaving a vacuum in the institutions they ran.

Dr Keerthi Tillekeratne, director of the Rubber Research Institute, retired at the end of August while Dr Ziyard Mohamed, director at the Tea Research Institute, resigned under unfortunate circumstances on August 3 after a five-year stint.

While Dr Tillekeratne, described by industry colleagues as probably the most eminent scientist the industry has produced in the past 25 years, retired on his due retirement age, Dr Mohamed left the public service in disgust – after being victimised by government authorities.

Both officials were very efficient and had a good rapport with their respective industries. “Dr Tillekeratne was also absolutely honest and a person with a lot of integrity. He had excellent relations with producers, brokers, traders,” noted Upali Bandaranayake, director at Forbes & Walker, a veteran in the rubber trade.

Both are highly qualified individuals and stamped their class on the industry. The former RRI director was involved in a huge debate some years back, single-handedly opposing rubber lands being transformed into palm oil plantations while Dr Mohamed made an excellent presentation in Japan which helped that country to resume tea purchases, partly stopped due to complaints of pesticide residue in the tea. He was ‘dismissed’ while in Japan fighting his country’s cause.

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