Sunday Observer Online

Home

News Bar »

News: Multi-million rupee development projects for East ...           Political: Govt’s next target: Development of North ...          Finanacial News: Lanka to be least affected -MDGs under pressure ...          Sports: A great trier Farveez Maharoof won Observer top cricket award in 2003 ...

DateLine Sunday, 4 May 2008

Untitled-1

observer
 ONLINE


OTHER PUBLICATIONS


OTHER LINKS

Marriage Proposals
Classified
Government Gazette

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.

EMAIL |   PRINTABLE VIEW | FEEDBACK

Gamin Gamata - Presidential Community & Welfare Service
Ceylinco Banyan Villas
www.army.lk
www.news.lk
www.defence.lk
www.helpheroes.lk/
www.peaceinsrilanka.org
 

| News | Editorial | Financial | Features | Political | Security | Spectrum | Impact | Sports | World | Plus | Magazine | Junior | Letters | Obituaries |

 
 

Produced by Lake House Copyright © 2007 The Associated Newspapers of Ceylon Ltd.

Comments and suggestions to : Web Editor