வல்வெட்டித்துறையில் பொதுவாக அறியப்பட்டவர், அதிலும் கப்பல் துறை சார்ந்தவர்களால் பெரிதும் அறியப்பட்டவர். வல்வெட்டித்துறையைப் பிறப்பிடமாகக் கொண்ட இவர் கடந்த பல ஆண்டுகளாக சிங்கப்பூர் மற்றும் மலேசியா ஆகிய நாடுகளிலிருந்து பல்வேறு தொழில்களை நடாத்திவருபவர்.
வல்வையில் இன்றுள்ள பல கப்பல் தலைவர்கள் (Captain) உட்பட்ட பல கப்பல் துறை சார்ந்தவர்கள் உருவாகக் காரணமான ‘கப்பல் பிதா’ எனக் கருதப்படுபவர். ஆனாலும் இவை எவற்றுக்கும் ஒரு போதும் உரிமை கொண்டாடத தன்னடக்கவாதி.
திரு.மணிவாசகர் அவர்கள் தற்பொழுது மீண்டும் வல்வைச் சமூகத்துக்கு உதவும் நோக்கில், கடலியலில் இருந்து முற்றிலும் வேறுபட்ட விமானத்துறையைப் பிரதானமாகத் தேர்ந்தெடுத்து தனது எண்ணங்களைப் பகிர்ந்துள்ளார்.
இன்னும் இரண்டு விடயங்களைக் குறிப்பிட்டாக வேண்டும்
முதலாவதாக ஆங்கில எழுத்துக்களுக்கு பஞ்சமாக இருக்கும் எமக்கு, எம்மவர்களுக்கு ஒரு ஆங்கிலக் கட்டுரை.
இரண்டாவதாக தனது ஆக்கத்தில் எந்தவொரு இடத்திலும் எத்தனையோ கப்பல் துறை சார்ந்தவர்களை உருவாக்கியுள்ளதை ஒரு இடத்திலும் மறைமுகமானும் காட்டாத பெருந்தன்மை – அது தான் மணிவாசகர்.
இப்பொழுது திரு.மணிவாசகர் அவர்களின் எண்ணத்தைப் பார்ப்போம்.
I am aware of the scarcity of qualified candidates for a highly technical field as aeronautical Engineering. Qualifications are not merely "A/Level" or Science subjects.
People doing well in such fields are generally expected to have the 'aptitude'. It is to be remembered that not all Advanced Level or Science subjects students can become Doctors or Engineers, and even all qualified Doctors and Engineers never become the best in each of their fields.
It is the "aptitude" not the 'attitude' that a leader must learn to identify in every candidate. The 'attitude' is also a basic requirement but it is more of 'aptitude' that will help every candidate. It is difficult for a layman like me to explain how to identify the aptitude.
If We all would try to recollect 'ART" as a subject in lower schools or higher levels. It is not merely 'drawing' or painting. It is not only the use of the pencil and the brush. It is the use of the brain and the imagination that brings out the art in a person. 'HANDICRAFT' again is the same. Here again the use of the knife or tools and the glue and gum is not the only thing that brings out the best 'handicraft'.
Look at 'COOKING' . The best cooks do not come out of 'science' or 'A' levels or not even best 'home' science graduates. Not even the best 'recipe' books can produce the best "COOKS"
This applies in every field or career. Our youngsters have unfortunately been deprived of basic education but the best way to identify some talent is to look for and locate the ones who have done well under such conditions. A person like
Saba Rajendran may be the best person to identify one or two candidates.
Aeronautics is not my field. But I am in the process of learning the field and find that the remuneration is much higher than the other fields. There are NO vacancies or opportunity already secured in my hands.
I am simply looking around and trying to locate some candidate who is good in repairing bicycles, cars or engines. Or boys who can use their hands, brains and imagination to produce something out of nothing or who can make toys and kites out of material available and of no significant value.
We should not concentrate only on shipping oriented jobs. There are so many trades that our youngsters can learn. Besides learning from books they have to learn using their brains, imagination and their hands and fingers.
We have to get them involved in existing trade and industry in the Jaffna scenario. There are Motor car repair workshops, Cycle repair shops, Fishing boat and engine repair workshops, Radio, TV repair shops, Furniture manufacturers , not to forget Computers and internet and telephone maintenance and repair workshops, hospitals and clinics, Home electrical wiring and repairs to appliances like grinders, liquidizers fans and motors,building construction, welding workshops
Boat building yards . There is no end the avenues and opportunities are plenty.
Let us make a twin pronged approach .
1) Two or Three of your (Vaiswa) core helpers or committee members must get together and simply visit such workshops or persons involved in the business and discuss with them the difficulties they are facing.
Difficulties in Finance, in source of spares and mostly having no workers to help them is the work. Or the problem that the worker demands higher wages and will not work for their wages.
Simply choose ten such industries in our own area of VVT/ Thondamanaru or Point Pedro. It can be workshops, schools or paddy fields or agricultural ventures.. Anywhere they need workers.
2) Another committee has to assemble the unemployed youngsters boys or girls. Select TEN volunteers for this experiment and send them to work on their own selection of fields. Engine workshop, TV repair shop, tailoring shop, labor of a construction worker, Hospital nurse or Dental nurse , any field that the worker is willing to work.
Let the employer pay the amount he is willing to pay. We will pay a subsidy to the worker. Say Rs1.000/- per worker per month. This amount can be more or less depending on the individual job and the importance of the field or the value of the training the worker is getting.
Out of this Ten volunteers we are bound to identify the worker with a ‘best attitude' and the worker is bound to show his 'aptitude'.
Once we identify and choose the correct candidate we will arrange for further training in the field in India , Malaysia or Singapore or any other country offering such training and MOST importantly the certificate for future employment with better remuneration and careers with a solid future.
I am sending this proposal to another group of VVT who are trying to help youngsters and they approached me last December in Sydney. One of the gentleman who approached me under the name of "Nediyakadu development group". I am not aware of their present activities and progress to which I would like to know in response to this proposal.
Let us see the response and ideas anybody will come up with. We will choose the best path. But I am willing to send a fixed sum to the group every month for the next one Year to see the success.
The quantum of the fixed sum has to be assessed from the exercise chosen. I as an individual can manage to send Rs 50,000/- a month or say even Rs 100,000/- a month. But I am confident that I will be able to muster more funds from others as well, depending on the success of the project.
