Dr. Michael Emile Joachim: He walked tall amongst his colleagues and subordinates
Dr. Michael M. Joachim, the brilliant engineer, who adorned the public service of Sri Lanka for over four decades, is no more; he passed away on May 28 after a brief illness.
Mike, as he was fondly known to his friends and colleagues, was the son of another distinguished public servant and an academic, Dr. A.W.R. Joachim, who held the highly prestigious post of Director of Agriculture for almost a decade and fostered agricultural extension and research in this country in the post-independence era. Mike, graduated from the Engineering Faculty of the University of Ceylon, Peradeniya and joined the then Department of National Housing as an engineer, where he rose to be the Deputy Commissioner. He specialized in the field of housing development and was a pioneer in introducing and implementing the concept of ‘aided self-help’ housing.
In 1978, Mike became a member of that core group of professionals and administrators, who chartered the formulation of new strategies and approaches for human settlement development in Sri Lanka.
He, together with the late Dunstan Jayawardena, the then Commissioner of National Housing, attended to all preparatory work for the establishment of the National Housing Development Authority.
Subsequently, Mike took over as the Director of Engineering Services of the newly formed Urban Development Authority, where he and his small group of engineers which included K.A.H. Ranaweera and Ananda Weerasinghe, (they are no more) were responsible for the technical supervision of the public buildings being constructed in the new Capital of Sri Jayawardenepura; the ‘Sethsiripaya’, the ‘Isurupaya’ and the Parliamentary complex itself. Mike was a key-member of the team led by R. Paskaralingam, then Secretary to the mighty Ministry of Local Government, Housing and Construction and also the Chairman of the Urban Development Authority, entrusted with the planning and building of the new Capital city arising out of the Diyawanna marshes.
Mike was ascended to the plum position in the Engineering Service, the prestigious post of the Director of Buildings, in 1987, and was subsequently elevated in 1990 as the Secretary to the Project Minister of Construction and Building Materials and Additional Secretary to the Cabinet Ministry of Housing and Construction, where he excelled in a working environment which promoted, appreciated and encouraged innovation, commitment and hard work. His responsibilities were many and the workload heavy, but he always remained self-confident and unflappable and carried out his tasks with a wry sense of humour.
Mike, a person of highest integrity, and well versed in his own field of engineering, especially, in contract management, also possessed the capability of working harmoniously with politicians of diverse political outlook and still persist in his objectivity. He was an excellent team player and never was in the habit of showing off. At a time when Public Private Partnership was unheard of, Mike was instrumental in the formation of two companies, the Colombo Land and Development Company and the Ocean View Development Company.
He was the founder Chairman of both companies. During this prime period of his career, he was entrusted with many responsibilities, falling even outside the realm of his expertise, all of which he ungrudgingly carried out to perfection.
He was a member of the Sugathadasa Stadium Board of Management, a novel institution established to manage and maintain the three sports stadia; the Sugathadasa Stadium, the Sugathadasa Indoor Stadium and the Khettarama (now R. Premadasa) Cricket Stadium. He was entrusted with the installation of lights for night time cricket at Khettarama with a target of 365 days.
Mike, who had never seen a cricket ground with night time playing facilities, had to rush to Australia, the only country which then possessed such facilities, with another engineer, Gemunu Silva who was then the General Manager of the State Engineering Corporation and study the lighting systems in Sydney, Melbourne and Perth.
With a tremendous effort by Mike and his team and with the facilitation and financial support provided by the Stadium Board of Management, the task was accomplished on time. In a simple inauguration ceremony, first batsman at the crease under the lights at Khettarama was the President of the Nation, himself and the first ball was bowled by the then Minister of Housing and Construction, who was also the Chairman of the Stadium Board of Management. Mike, a former St. Benedict’s College cricketer, and a fast bowler in his time, was then invited to bowl to the President, the batsman at the crease.
Mike, unfortunately labelled as a ‘Premadasa acolyte’, was forced into premature retirement in 1995, at the early age of 55, thus ending an illustrious career in the public service. He possessed a doctorate in engineering, which was a rare achievement in those times and could have easily obtained a posting with an International Organization. Unlike most members of his Burgher community, he never sought emigration, but was committed to stay in Sri Lanka and serve the country of his birth. His pre-mature retirement therefore, was a sad ending to a devoted career. After retirement, he worked in the private sector and had a long spell as a Project Manager in the Maldives and subsequently as the head of a consultancy firm.
He was recalled from retirement by the present Minister of Housing and Construction, to head the then struggling State Engineering Corporation. Subsequently, Mike took over as the Chairman of the prestigious Construction Industry Development Authority which regulates and manages the construction industry in Sri Lanka, where he used his extensive knowledge and vast experience to further the development of the construction and building materials industries. One of his last memorable achievements in office was the ratification by the government of the new National Policy on Construction.
High calibre personalities such as Dr. Michael Joachim don’t adorn the public service of this country often. He walked tall amongst his colleagues and subordinates. I was privileged to have been a friend and a close associate of him for almost four decades, since 1978. We all miss him and are much saddened by his sudden demise, which, at this moment in time, is a great loss to the country..
W.D. Ailapperuma,
(Former Secretary, Ministry of Urban Development, Housing & Construction)
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Dr. Mary Helen Irwin Ratnam : Legendary contributor to women’s welfare
June 2, the 134th birth anniversary of Dr. Mary Ratnam marks a very significant day for all Sri Lankan women when we pay tribute to this great Lady who was responsible for awakening our women from their slumber. She is none other than Dr. Mary Helen Irwin Ratnam. It was she who spearheaded the women’s movements and social rights. She left an indelible mark in the field of social service. Her contributions to women’s welfare and the community at large is legendary. She had her higher education at women’s Medical College attached to the Trinity College University of Toronto, Canada and passed out as a Doctor in 1896. While training in New York she met with a Sri Lankan Tamil, Dr. Samuel Canaga Ratnam who was doing Postgraduate studies in New York and soon after they got married in 1896, that same year she arrived in Ceylon as a missionary Doctor, but was rejected by the missionaries because of her marriage to a Ceylonese, and she was asked to leave the mission. Unmoved, she stayed in Ceylon and left the missionary.
Then she started her own private practice and became very popular with, especially, the Muslim women who preferred to be treated by a woman doctor. She also came to know women from all walks of life and their problems. She visited many state hospitals and studied the problems that women faced. Inspired by her thinking in 1904 she formed the Girls’ Friendly Society a place for women and girls to meet and discuss their problems.
After her husband passed away in 1929, she became more involved in social services. She wrote a number of health manuals for schools, home craft manual for Ceylon. She always had a kind, deep feeling in her heart for the less privileged. She also worked tirelessly during the Malaria epidemic (1934-1935) along with her son Robbin.
She formed the Tamil Women’s Union 1909 as a branch of the Ceylon Women’s Union, it was to foster Tamil Culture and promote education and social welfare work among the less privileged.
Her efforts to popularize family health and family planning issues met with resistance. However, a determined woman, she went ahead with many obstacles and opened the first family planning clinic at Deans Road, Colombo.
She always supported organizations like the Girl Guides’ Movement and the Jayasekara Home for unwed mothers. Adding new dimensions to her activities she joined the Women’s Franchise Movement, as a very active member and infused much strength to the organization.
She also founded the Sri Lanka Women’s Conference which is an Umbrella Organisation. The Lanka Mahila Samiti was founded in 1930 by Dr. Mary Ratnam with a group of cultured and privileged urban women who felt deeply for the plight of their rural sisters. The Lanka Mahila Samiti evolved as a catalyst for rural transformation through the vision and the commitment to service, of all those who joined to make this mission a success. Dr. Mary Ratnam had been the President for the first 14 years leading and guiding her close associates.
Looking back on 87 years of its history, The Lanka Mahila Samiti can be happy with the results achieved by our informed and committed members in carrying out sustained and sustainable voluntary development activities in our villages throughout the country. In the name of Dr. Mary Ratnam let us all get together with new vision and vigour to take this great movement into the future, fulfilling our objectives, to promote the wellbeing and progress of the nation.
This remarkable lady died in May 1962, we pay tribute to her memory, to her vision and her dynamic spirit, leadership, dedication and commitment to a cause. The only memorial to her stands at the Lady Ridgway Hospital in Colombo. We are deeply indebted to her for the great service she has done for our rural community.
June 2 we consider as Mahila Day and in commemoration, as a mark of respect we had organised a meeting and various activities and a lunch for the day, but due to the prevailing situation in the country we cancelled the program and had only the tree planting campaign at our headquarters in Malabe.
Lanka Mahila Samiti