Helping Government to develop the East
The stage is set for
Saturday’s Eastern Provincial Council elections and people in the
province would get an opportunity to exercise their democratic rights
after many years.
People in Trincomalee, Batticaloa and Ampara districts would be happy
to elect their representatives for the Eastern Provincial Council
through which the Government would decentralise power.
Barely anybody would have even dreamt of the current atmosphere that
now prevails in the East - eradicating terrorism, driving away the
Tigers from their strongholds and creating a conducive environment for
the people to exercise their democratic rights after many moons.
Thanks to the unrelenting efforts of our valiant Security Forces and
perspicacious political vision of President Mahinda Rajapaksa, people in
the Eastern Province are now not only enjoying true liberation and
freedom but have also got an opportunity to pick representatives of
their choice to strengthen the Provincial administration system.
The Government has not only wiped out the LTTE power from the
province but has also changed the attitude of a breakaway group of the
terrorist outfit. The TMVP, the political wing of the LTTE’s breakaway
group, has changed its stance - from bullet to the ballot - a positive
sign which augurs well for democracy and strengthening provincial
administration.
Though the liberation of the Eastern Province commenced with the
Mavil Aru operation, the most acid test for the Government was at Sampur.
When innocent civilians were trapped and the Muslim population in
Mutur was at the receiving end from Tiger terrorists, President
Rajapaksa took a firm stand by unilaterally withdrawing from a
meaningless Ceasefire Agreement (CFA).
When the LTTE were chasing out innocent Muslims from the North and
the East, President Rajapaksa, as the Commander of the Armed Forces,
embarked on a great humanitarian mission to rescue the people from the
clutches of terrorism.
Though the Muslim Congress and its leader Rauff Hakeem is raising a
big hue and cry to woo the Eastern votes, there wasn’t a single fearless
SLMC leader who came to the rescue of the Eastern Muslims when they were
under Velupillai Prabhakaran’s terror rule.
It was President Rajapaksa and his Government who rescued all those
hapless people in the Eastern Province who suffered untold privations
due to the LTTE’s gun culture.
When Prabhakaran drove hundreds of thousands of Muslims living in the
North and the East, the SLMC leaders did not utter a word in their
favour. But now that the Government has cleared the East and provided
freedom to the people in the area, Hakeem has emerged from nowhere
projecting himself as a leader of the Eastern Muslims.
People in the North and the East have not forgotten the difficult
conditions they were subjected to under the UNP regime, especially under
the CFA where Ranil Wickremesinghe’s Government gave legitimacy to areas
held by the LTTE. As Prabhakaran had his own way under cover of the CFA,
the Security Forces were obliged to turn a blind eye to terror acts
under the Wickremesinghe Government.
It’s now up to the people of the East to take the right political
decision. They have only two options - to decide what could be a
Tiger-friendly UNP rule under SLMC Leader Hakeem or an UPFA-led
administration that could eradicate terrorism to usher an honourable
peace that could lead to development.
People in the East have already started making a positive
contribution to the national economy. They have secured a good market
for their milk and fish productions. This has brought a tremendous
amount of money to the East that would increase rapidly in the years to
come.
With the Government investing billions of rupees on infrastructure
development in the province and people in the area becoming rich by
marketing their products, the real Eastern Reawakening would soon be a
reality.
People in the East are not gullible and would not fall prey to the
UNP and SLMC gimmicks as the opposition makes a desperate attempt to woo
votes in their lust for power. The Easterners are not willing to go back
to those dark days during which the LTTE exploited them to the maximum.
The people would no longer tolerate the LTTE terror rule under which
they were subjected to various forms of harassment, including
abductions, killings, ransom, using innocent civilians as human shields
and recruitment of child soldiers.
The Government has already proved its commitment and sincerity to
improve the life of the people in the East.
After the liberation of the East, President Rajapaksa and his
Government have given a better meaning to their lives through several
mega development projects. Roads, bridges, buildings and houses
destroyed by the LTTE are being reconstructed as the Government spares
no pains to provide a better future for the people in the East.
Be they Sinhalese, Tamils or Muslims, all people living in the East
are now enjoying real liberation and they are no longer subject to
intimidation by Tiger terrorists. People there are not willing to go
back to those dreadful days when Prabhakaran inflicted misery on their
lives through his acts of terror.
Hence, there is no doubt that the people in the East would give a
clear mandate to the Government to continue its good work. It would not
only be a mandate for the Government but would also be an inspiration
for the Security Forces to intensify their progress in the North and
liberate that province too.
The Eastern voters should help the Government in its unceasing battle
against terrorism and thereby secure a better deal for the people living
in the North and East. |