Dear Editor,

With great interest I read Eng. Jayantha Ranatunga's article given below where, as he often does, gave an accurate perspective to what really an "invention" should be at the risk of being called a "negative thinker / nay sayer" in the eyes of a casual reader. Eng. Ranatunga's article: http://ioes18.wildapricot.org/Is-he-an-Inventor-in-the-making.

It would have been better if the Editorial team included the Dinamina article link ( mentioned in Eng. Ranatunga's article) so that the reader gets the full context of the topic being discussed. I found the same article in Ceylon Today.

I agree with Eng. Ranatunga's viewpoints. We as intelligent, educated, experienced citizens of the country must influence thoughts and guide actions among our fellow citizens while cheering any "initiatives taken to act." Even better if we as engineers "walk the talk" - do something too, because talk is cheap!

I also would like to see IESL President / Council / SLEN Editor taking initiatives to meet outside the box thinkers like the young student who built a small car as stated in Ceylon Today article. In fact, digital SLEN should be an avenue ( ideally the foremost) for our inventors and innovators to showcase their ideas to the public. Unfortunately, we do not even give enough publicity to IESL Junior Inventors initiatives ( except for those few who go abroad and win an award).

SLEN team should regularly tap into the universities in Sri Lanka and abroad where inventions and innovations are taking place through Sri Lankans. With all the multi media tools and ICT tools we have at our disposal for collaborative work, this is an easy undertaking to the Editor and SLEN Team. This is where our funds should be spent. I have been a vocal activist / volunteer at IESL for the last three years on this matter and have written ( more than once) with action plans to utilize sufficient funds to highlight our own (engineers) entrepreneurs/inventors/innovators through digital SLEN. This has not got any momentum. Why is that?

"Shall we act now" when the country is in dire need of a value adding economy? I do not think we are short of inventors or innovators. What is lacking is a supporting social culture. I believe IESL Council has a duty to take leadership in this matter and become a nationally relevant entity to propel the country to the future.

Eng. Arjuna Manamperi
Council Member | Chairman MESC

Dear Editor,

Bravo to your editorial in the last digital SLEN where you were championing the call for engineers to proactively engage in politics and at least vote in the coming General Election with conscious minds to send more scientific minded, educated, capable, citizens to the Parliament.

You are not alone Mr. Editor, IESL Patron, the President of Sri Lanka has made this call recently at a function held at IIE(SL) and I watched it on national TV during prime time. A related news item: http://www.colombopage.com/archive_15B/Jul26_1437930293CH.php

I think ( and hope) overwhelming majority of citizens are with you Mr. Editor, irrespective of their education, political affiliations, etc. If one think of the future of own family and kids, it's a no brainer to agree with your request.

In fact, this trend has begun in earnest in the last year or two and I know engineers who are actively engaged in these types of activities. It's a positive trend that got momentum leading up to the Presidential Election in January 2015 and continue.

I am of the view that our contributions as engineers who become politicians or thought leaders should not be limited to talks and votes. We must provide engineering / scientific solutions to social needs, we must act daily as individual professionals and collective groups within and outside our own organizations providing pragmatic engineering solutions. We must reach out to our fellow citizens on a regular basis just like a "typical politician does." We must be the voice of reason and practical applications.

I as the Chair of Mechanical Engineering Sectional Committee invited a prominent minister who is also an engineer, to a public lecture this year. It was a great success. I want to do more with enthusiasm and under IESL protocols. In this context, I like to propose to IESL President and The Council to organize and deliver a monthly round table discussion (3 hrs) where prominent political thought leaders and engineers discuss topics of national importance (one topic per session). 12 per year and 8 of them should take place in Provincial Chapters as well as Colombo and in places where the public can attend easily. It should be on a set weekend of a month ( Saturday or Sunday). It must be prominently advertised in major weekend news papers the week before. Ideally press / TV / Radio coverage must be there. The program should be the joint responsibility of the Chairs of the IESL Sectional Committees. The discussion will be moderated by an Engineer who is a good communicator and a reasonable subject matter expert with an open mind ( not biased). Language used must be Tamil and Sinhala not necessarily English as the purpose of this Round Table is to educate and create social momentum within the country.

Eng. Arjuna Manamperi
Council Member | Chairman MESC