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by M.P. Muttiah

Academics, intellectuals, professionals, trade union and political leaders and social workers belonging to the plantation community have submitted a memorandum highlighting problems of the Tamil Plantation Community to presidential candidates for the first time in the history of that sector.

At a workshop organised by the Institute of Social Development in Colombo last month a committee was appointed to draw up a memorandum. The memo requests the guarantee of the rights of the community by constitutional provisions as equal citizens and a distinct nationality of Sri Lanka, while ensuring the security of the community. It calls for a proper representation of the community through an effective mechanism in all legislative bodies from the Pradeshya Sabhas to Parliament, based on the population ratio.

The memorandum calls for the establishment of additional Divisional Secretaries in the plantation areas and an effective implementation of bilingualism in 29 Divisional Secretariats which had been identified already.

The memorandum requests to establish a National Wage Commission for the plantation sector. Modern housing to be provided with land rights in accordance with UN policy on housing. Four hundred schools in the plantation areas are in a dilapidated condition, and they should be repaired and provided with sufficient resources.

The standard and quality of former estate schools should be improved. Higher educational institutions should be established as there is not even a university college for the people of Indian origin in their areas.

It also calls for the extension of Information Technology to the plantation sector as well. An interim mechanism to deal with domestic violence should be established. In the reproductive rights and reproductive health issues women should be empowered to the right of choice on the number of children and planning their families.

The Government through the Ministry of Women's Affairs and other institutions should take steps to inform and educate the plantation women and their families.

The concept of joint heads of households should be applied to plantation areas. Sundays should be declared a paid holiday and this should not be left to the companies' whims and fancies. The state should take the responsibility to ensure that this is effectively implemented.

The memorandum calls for the extension of the maternity benefit circular implemented and enjoyed in the state sector to the plantations as well. The plantation sector has been the source of child labour for the whole country and they are employed as domestics in urban areas. Effective steps should be taken to prevent this situation and protect their rights.

Action should be taken to provide employment for youths in the public sector and provision be made to fill the vacancies in the plantation sector with the youths from the plantation community. Industrial complexes should be established in the plantation areas with local and foreign investments.

The memorandum also calls for the implementation of the observations made by the Presidential Committee on Plantation Youths (August 1996) headed by Prof. S.T. Hettige.

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