70% of Indian community live in estates

Though the Indian Tamil community has lived in Sri Lanka for more than 200 years, still 70 per cent of this community work and live in the plantations. They live as a backward community due to the denial of rights of citizenship, franchise and other socio economic rights, said Minister of Community Development and Social Inequity Eradication P. Chandrasegaran.

Addressing a seminar on Indian Origin people are descendant of the great ancient civilisation in Malaysia, he said last week, other communities have progressed and have transformed into advanced communities. The researchers indicate the gap between the Indian Tamils and others will become bigger in time to come.

The recent World Bank Reports have indicated the poverty levels has increased among Indian Tamils compared with urban and rural sectors in Sri Lanka. According to Government statistics school education, university education, lifespan, maternity and child death rate, monthly income and housing facilities for the Indian Communities are in a backward status.

To eradicate the social inequity of this community a separate Ministry has been created in our country. Another separate Ministry has been created to provide infrastructure facilities to our community. The recent reforms have given certain political rights to this people, who were political orphans for a long time without representatives in Parliament.

10 members of parliament are Ministers and Deputy Ministers now. Due to the ethnic and war situations it is not possible to get funds for their development from the economy which is already affected. Few programmes are immediately needed to uplift this community.

Sweden, Canada, Germany and India provided some assistance for their advancement in the recent past. But still the socio economic condition of this community is backward compared with other sectors. Due to ethnic problem the Tamil identity of this community is subjected to violation of human rights. Innocent people are arrested in thousands and send to jail.

I appeal through this conference, Indian Origins living in other countries should think seriously about the uplift of socio economic conditions of this community. Along with the backward people in India consider the plight of this community also. Your duties and contribution should not be confined only with the people living in the motherland.

The time as come for you to think seriously about your brothers who live in this country.

I wish to indicate the implementation of projects on education and health upgrading by the Indian government. To study and formulate programmes for the socio economic conditions of the Indian Tamils living in Sri Lanka in line with Indian Governments approach a separate unit has to be formed.

The Indian Tamils in Sri Lanka is known as plantation workers. To raise the social status of this community several individuals worked with commitment. Perisundaram, M. S. Suppaiah, V. K. Vellaiyan, C. V. Vethapillai, S. Somasundaram, Saumyamoorthi Thondaman, K. K. Kumaravel, A. Aziz, Metha, R. Sivalingam, S. Thiruchenduran are few personalities who had contribute for the well-being of the Indian community in education and other social activities.

A new programme has to be formulated with the participation of political and trade union leaders, educationists, professionals and well-wishers who have emerged from this community. I wish success of this conference and its activities.