Kachcheri talk and the good old days
It was a lively evening of 'kachcheri talk'. The venue was the Sri Lanka
Institute of Development Administration (SLIDA), an appropriate place to
discuss 'kachcheri' matters. The occasion was the launch of 'Tales from
the Provinces' written by Tissa Devendra, a seasoned administrator who
served in the provinces as a District Land Officer (DLO) for many years.
Super administrator turned politician Dr Nissanka Wijeratne was making
the keynote address. He belonged to the now extinct Ceylon Civil Service
(CCS), the elite group which headed the administration. Tissa had served
under him when he was Government Agent, Anuradhapura. There were so many
interesting tales to relate.
The age old 'kachcheri' was the hub of activity in the provinces - a
place very close to us, since all state matters were handled there and
the public who wanted to get something done always trudged there to meet
the officials. The head was the `ajantha hamuduruwo' - the Government Agent
who was a very powerful figure.
Going back to the days he joined the CCS, Dr Wijeratne remembered how
they learnt while on the job. There were no professional institutions like
the SLIDA then. They had to watch how others did the job and pick up the
finer points.
The advice from subordinates, who had many years of experience was very
useful. There were many a time when a subordinate would give him advice.
"I may not have liked it then but reflecting on what happened, they
were always correct," Dr Wijeratne said.
There was a fine sense of humour in the stories he related. Most of
them referred to the old British Government Agents. A collection would
be a best seller.
Referring to Tissa's book, Dr Wijeratne described it as a recollection
of the past effectively passed on to others. "It's full of memories.
He has caught the pictures and gives them to the others in an effective
way. The scenes and the people have been richly presented," he said.
"He can very rightly say 'thus have I seen'."
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