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| Sunday, 18 September 2005 |
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Features |  |
| News Business Features Editorial
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Up-country
'war dance' on top gear
by S.S. Warani War of words climaxed among the plantation trade unions on the presidential polls. Only one of many trade unions announced its decision on whom it should support. The Upcountry People's Front (UPF)led by Parliamentarian P. Chandrasekeran faced an internecine struggle. He interdicted S. Arulsamy from the post of Administrative Secretary of the UPF and informed all the party officials not to have anything to do with him. The UPF leader said disciplinary action would be taken against those who violate party rules. Provincial Councillors S.Arulsamy, T. Dhihamparam and more than one hundred senior members of the party had met Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapakse a fortnight ago and extended their support to him at the forthcoming presidential poll. Prime Minister Rajapakse readily agreed to expedite their request to repair more than 100 roads in the Nuwara-Eliya District. As far as the UPF is concerned, this is nothing new since Chandraskeran sacked party's Secretary General M. Sivalingam long ago and kept the post himself. Arulsamy speaking at a meeting in Maskeliya said that he had to meet the Prime Minister to solve the problems of the workers. He alleged that the political leadership in the plantations knew well how to strike deals after obtaining financial considerations. He said he did not know such games as he was born in a line room. The Ceylon Workers' Alliance challenged all the trade unions to contest with their own symbols and show their strength and influence they have among the workers. But so far nobody has taken up this challenge.Democratic Workers' Congress leader and Parliamentarian Mano Ganeshan blamed the trade unions and the political parties for not solving the problems faced by plantation workers. So far only one trade union based in Badulla came out with its demands to the presidential candidates. The Agricultural Plantation Workers' Congress (APWC) was the first to put forward ten demands. It said that the century-old unhealthy and squalid line rooms should be replaced with modern houses for the plantation workers and make them owners of the land and houses. All estates should be brought under respective Divisional Secretariats and social development projects should be implemented on the estates. Educational facilities available at rural and urban areas were not accessible to estate schools. Therefore, the children of the plantation workers could not compete with their counterparts in rural and urban schools. Reservations in education and employment should be introduced for this backward community, as in India. This would pave the way for equal treatment of the plantation community. The APWC also wanted to solve the citizenship problem as there are five categories of registered citizens in the plantation sector. The Northeast problem should be solved through negotiated settlement. The problems of the upcountry Tamils should also be addressed during the process of northeast negotiations. A monitoring Committee should be appointed to oversee development resources and funds allocated to plantation areas as they are not properly utilised at present. Unemployment in the plantation sector should be solved and the appointment of plantation youth to the public sector should be considered favourably. Industrial complexes and self-employment projects should be established at the abandoned tea factories. This would help eradicate migration from estates and using upcountry children for immoral activities in towns. Issuing of National Identity Cards should be expedited without delay. APWC President R.M. Krishnasamy said he would lead a delegation to submit these demands to Prime Minister and extend his support to him. |
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