Partha Sarathi Kuri

(Tutorial 0104)

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Pfaffenberger, Bryan. "The Harsh Facts of Hydraulics: Technology and Society in

Sri Lanka's Colonization Schemes." Technology and Culture 31, no. 3 (1990):
361-97. The article puts forward the argument that social relations are not
technologically determined. To support this argument Pfaffenberger claims that
socio-economic differentiation in Sri Lanka was due to the schemes and social
designs created and adopted by British public servants during the colonial period, in
particular the gravity flow irrigation schemes, and was not the result of the design of
Sri Lankas irrigation system by the engineers. Pfaffenberger mentions that civil
engineers constructed the irrigation technologies based on the schemes developed
by the British. The engineers believed that their jobs only include creating
well-designed and reliable structures such as dams and canals, whereas water
management and socioeconomic differentiation is a people problem and not their
professional responsibility. Pfaffenberger puts forward the example of irrigation
settlements in ancient civilizations such as the Buddhist monasteries. These
settlements were founded on strong norms of equal distribution of water, ensuring
that a single community will not get all the advantage. People served the king by
working towards the development of the society and not their personal benefit
(known as r ajakariya). This system offended British principles of social justice and
was banned in 1832. The British introduced the principles of capitalism, but the
change didnt turn out well resulting in the degradation of irrigation systems, and
people fighting over water supply, worsening the social differentiation. The Crown
Land (Encroachment) Act of 1840 arrogated all unused land, which later led 6 million
acres to be acquired by political dominant landlords. This led to the fragmentation of
land plots, landlessness, technological retardation. Traditional peasant economy
was devastated. Also, the Partition Ordinance No.10 of 1863, allowed capitalist to
eject the actual owners of a land for a very good deal. The elite class of Sri Lanka,
especially the moneylenders were favourable to these policies as they generated
income by renting their lands at a higher interest rate, thus resulting in greater
differentiation. Pfaffenberger also mentions that the government wanted to parallel
the ethnic composition of Sri Lanka, hence allotting lands to the Sinhalese and Tamil
community in proportion. As a result of the Sinhalese were granted lands which
Tamils considered as traditional homelands, resulting in a deterioration in the
community.

I have to argue that engineers did play a role in shaping Colonial Sri Lankas
socio-economic status, even though they denied their social involvement. Engineers
identify the systems in which their designs will operate, by doing so they can
effectively design their machines or structures to meet the demand or need of the
people living in that system or society. Failure in doing so, or ignoring this
encourages the elite class to misuse the technologies for their own benefit. Drawing
from examples of this century. The social media platforms such as Facebook,
Twitter, Instagram, designed and implemented by scientists and engineers have
vastly influenced the way we make decisions in the society, let be it the decision to
cast vote or to protest against a political party etc. Thus indicating that the process
by which engineers design the technologies we will use shape our lifestyle.