He thought out of the box and always saw the bigger picture

An inescapable feature of my public service career starting in 1960 was interacting regularly with technocrats - in survey, forestry, irrigation, land settlement, agriculture - both at district and later at national level. Of them Douglas Laduwahetty impressed me as one of the few engineers who could ‘think out of the box’ and also ‘think laterally’ in looking for solutions to development related problems as they unfolded.

In those days of ‘closed departments’, loyalty to the agency one served in, was uppermost in the minds especially of technically trained staff. DL often went beyond engineering and never hesitated to speak his mind even if he broke the ‘departmental code’ for he had the ability to look at the bigger picture and the wider issues; both I believe, intuitively as well as perhaps through wider reading.

In the mid-70’s, we used to meet across tables and exchange views in resolving mostly day-to-day mutual problems in the fields we were involved in. DL had the personal charm and skill to meet non-engineers at equal level and get their assistance departing from established protocol and worrisome rules. As Resident Project Manager of Mahaweli System H, he was reputed to have not only breached departmental barriers but also mentored his young engineers to look beyond the discipline they were trained in and to learn to interact effectively with other officials and the farming community who were mostly ‘settlers’ in a new environment.

By the time I renewed contact with DL in the late 70’s the high level government decision for the Accelerated Mahaweli Programme (AMP) in which DL was the proponent and the driving force had already been made. This was about the time when DL introduced me to Minister Gamini Dissanayake in his makeshift office on Darley Road.

As a member of the small ‘AMP Task Force’ headed by N.G.P. Panditharatne, that reported directly to President JR fortnightly, I observed that DL was perhaps the only member who was always optimistic about the AMP and never ever uttered a negative response whenever a doubt was raised. Invariably he came up with an alternative solution. That reflected his resolve and determination to go through what he had pledged to the Head of State which later made President J.R. Jayewardene to announce “we have made a decision to accelerate the Mahaweli Programme…. And we will see it through” which gave all stakeholders the confidence to commit themselves. DL never ‘took his foot off the accelerator’ so to say.

In this connection, I recall the ‘Travelling Seminar’ we had in early 1978 where ten of us specialized in seemingly conflicting and adversarial fields, drawn from both the public and the private sector, led by NGP toured the yet unexplored AMP area - from the future Victoria Dam site through future Ulhitiya, Systems C, B and A to the East Coast exchanging views on the AMP strategy. At the end of three enjoyable days, many conflicting viewpoints had been discussed and we had some consensus on the road map. This was the beginning of an AMP management style which flourished throughout the next decade and more.

In the early stages, the AMP had many detractors. DL in no small measure reached out to them and the media and assisted the political leadership to convince the nonbelievers and opponents on the potential benefits of the AMP. The highlight of this exercise was when DL was instrumental in arranging for President JR and Minister GD to meet face to face, live in the field, with political stalwarts “NM” and “Colvin” to address their genuine concerns and resolve them on the spot.

After 10 years together in the ‘Mahaweli Team’ we went our own ways when I joined then IIMI (now IWMI). In the mid-90’s a heterogeneous set of retired Mahaweli aficionados re-grouped to ‘re-live the Mahaweli spirit’. Following intensive brain-storming, the result was the birth of I/D/E/ A/S, a non-profit private company committed to foster community led development and micro and small scale enterprises through the medium of seed capital and concessionary financing. After 25 years it is flourishing. DL took great pains that it adhere to its original principles.

In a recent TV talk show, a business leader while referring to the need to expand IT to its full potential quipped: “for us to meet our goals, we must make it a ‘Mahaweli Project’”which goes to show that ‘Mahaweli’ has acquired a brand name status.

DL clearly was one who relentlessly worked towards it; these memories will certainly live with our colleagues for a long time.