Ex senior civil servant Dr Devanesan Nesiah no more

 

Dr Devanesan Nesiah - photo courtesy- Vasuki Nesiah 

Retired senior civil servant and human rights activist Dr Devanesan Nesiah passed away on Sunday (June 14), his family said. He was 91. 

Having served in the Sri Lankan Administrative Service from the late 1950s, he was a former Government Agent of Batticaloa and Mannar, and later served as Government Agent of Jaffna during the highly challenging and turbulent early years of the 1980s.

He was a committed advocate of meaningful power-sharing, inter-community unity in Sri Lanka, social justice, gender equality, and the sustainable use of natural resources without upsetting ecological balance, noted Jaffna based political activist Sritharan Thirunavukarsau. 

“He was also deeply concerned with socio-economic issues and actively engaged in human rights and civil society initiatives. Through his columns and writings in the English-language media, he consistently championed these causes for many years and was widely respected as a public intellectual.Our heartfelt condolences.”

Meanwhile,  Colombo based Non Governmental Organization (NGO) Centre for Policy Alternatives expressed condolences over passing away of Dr. Devanesan Nesiah 

Dr. Nesiah had a distingushed career as a public servant in the Ceylon Civil Servince with numerous stints in key administrative positions including as the Government Agent in Jaffna. He went on to serve in a number of state initiatives appointed to address human rights violations, the ethnic conflict and reconciliation, including heading the Committee on Disappearances in the Jaffna Region appointed by the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka in 2003, the statement noted. 

Dr. Nesiah joined CPA as a Consultant in 2004 playing a key role during the last stages of the war in documenting human rights violations and the humanitarian crisis unfolding in the North and East of the country, raising critical questions on the need for a permanent solution to the war, for peace, reconciliation and justice. Dr. Nesiah was deeply committed to pluralism, the rule of law, and human rights; values which CPA has long advocated for and his vast experience enriched much of CPA’s research and advocacy during the war and immediate post war period. 

His unflinching belief towards constitutional democracy was evident when he returned his Deshamanya award, marking his principled opposition to then President Maithripala Sirisena’s constitutional coup in 2018. Through this symbolic move, Dr. Nesiah showed the government and his fellow citizens of the importance of challenging injustices and authoritarian practices that erode our democracy. 

“We remember a man who was an optimist at heart and believed in a Sri Lanka that could aspire to be just and fair to all its citizens. His wry sense of humour, the twinkle in his eye and boundless energy constantly reminded us of the work that needs to be done and the many miles we need to walk. Rest in peace, Dr Nesiah.”the statement added.