A kind and upright boss
It was only recently that I heard of the very sad passing away of my old boss Rajah Salgado, whom I had the pleasure of knowing during my stint on the plantations in the Kalutara district in the 1980s. I also recently saw a few appreciations in the newspapers of this wonderful human being and thought the least I could do was to write a few lines about Mr. Salgado, although he was the last person who would want praise heaped on him. Praise and respect, he so well deserved!
Mr. Salgado served in the Sri Lanka State Plantations Corporation (SLSPC) regional office in Horana which was known as the SLSPC Board 3. To the best of my knowledge he served in this office in different capacities during the late 1970s to the mid-1980s, finally ending up as the Regional Director in charge of several large estates in the Kalutara District. It was very well known that his family owned the Panadura Tea and Rubber Company and having managed that company efficiently, he came to work in the state plantations sector and shared his knowledge and expertise.
I got to know him in the early 1980s when I had to report to him as my superior, who was overlooking the estate that I was managing and known as an estate Superintendent in those days. I can still picture him impeccably dressed in a white long-sleeved shirt seated in his office. He was straightforward, kind and firm when he needed to be, above all, a patient listener. It was a pleasure to work under him, and I am always ever grateful to him for having obtained official leave for me to pursue my studies at that time in Colombo.
I badly wanted this leave to pursue my studies and when I made this request to him, he took it upon himself to speak to General Ranjan Wijeratne, Chairman of the SLSPC Central Board as it was known at that time and obtained this leave for me.
I had no doubt that Mr. Wijeratne being a strict disciplinarian only approved this request because it came from a person of the stature of Mr. Salgado as it was unheard of to obtain this type of official leave in this era. It was due to Mr. Salgado’s kindness and initiative that I was able to pursue my higher studies at the University of Colombo in the 1980s.
During his entire career he was one person whose honesty and integrity would never have been in doubt and I’m not merely referring to financial integrity alone but integrity in decision making and other aspects of ethical management. People of the calibre of Mr. Salgado are exceedingly rare in the present generation of bureaucrats, particularly in the public sector. My only regret is that I hardly saw him after he retired.
I last saw him and Mrs. Salgado around six years ago at a function of the former employees of the SLSPC Horana Board Office. He was the same genial personality that I knew and respected. Although rather frail, his memory was sound as ever and I spent quality time reminiscing about old times. I reminded him of how he helped me by obtaining the leave many years ago and the humble man that he was, he smiled and brushed off my remarks as just something he did as a part of his duties.
Unfortunately, that was the last time I met him and I was sorry to hear of his passing many months after his funeral. Even though rather late in the day, I wish to offer my deepest condolences to his wife and family. One of the greatest privileges I value is the period I worked under him and learning from him, mainly of human values which helped me in my own career. I pray that God will bless his family and that his soul will have eternal rest.