Development all over in equal fairness
* How do you see the recent developments taking place in the
country?
Rishad Bathiudeen - Minister of Resettlement and Disaster Relief
Services:
The President took the decision to liberate the uncleared areas from
Mavil Aru to Thoppigala and now progressing towards the North to end the
suffering of the people. While a huge volume of money is spent on these
humanitarian operations, Government never neglected the development work
of the rest of the country and also in the recently liberated areas.
Continuing developing programs parallel to the operations suppressing
terrorism is a huge success, specially to a developing country like
ours. The development work not only focuses on infrastructure
development but it includes several mega projects as well like the
Norochcholai coal power plant, Kerawalapitiya power plant and several
highways and expressways. This is a huge responsibility. Then we were
able to resettle approximately 200,000 of displaced people in the East
which didn't happen for a long time in our history. We are conducting
many projects to develop the infrastructure as well as the livelihood of
people of those areas.
V. Anandasangaree - Leader, Tamil United Liberation Front
It's encouraging on one aspect and distressing on the other.
Encouraging in the sense the people who have been suffering for the past
30 odd years trapped in uncleared areas are now escaping from those
areas trying to find safety; Gradually getting liberated. In a fight
with a ruthless organization like the LTTE, the credit should go to the
Sri Lanka Army for the minimal number of civilian casualties. Most of
the people who criticize the Government, don't understand the importance
of this. If the Army wants it can destroy the Tigers within a few days.
But because of the civilian presence the Army is extra cautious. I never
supported war but I kept on agitating for a friendly Army coming in to
Kilinochchi and liberating innocent civilians. I give the credit to the
Army for their methodology. This is what I stress to the international
community as well. These people undergo many untold hardships while
under LTTE grip like killings, tortures, dark room torture, abductions.
I know that people of the Wanni are in a desperate situation where they
want the Army to come and free them wherever possible. That, I don't
think anyone has the right to comment against.
*Do you think we are on the right track as a country?
Rishad Bathiudeen - Minister of Resettlement and Disaster Relief
Services:
We can't see any other way. This is the correct path. The President
Mahinda Rajapaksa's decision is the most correct decision we could have
taken under the present context.
V. Anandasangaree - Leader, Tamil United Liberation Front
If we consider the problems those affected people are under-going,
this is the right track. What else can the Government do? Terrorism is
the main cause for the economic and many social problems we face. It
needs to be suppressed. This terrorism could have been nipped in the bud
at its initial stages. Now terrorism have grown into something like a
big tree. So, for what could have been done with two fingers at the
beginning, now you need ten strong men to chop down this menace. At this
late stage there is no other decision a Government can take.
*Are you satisfied with these developments? Do you think we could
have gone further?
Rishad Bathiudeen - Minister of Resettlement and Disaster Relief
Services:
Yes I'm very much satisfied. Specially when you consider the ground
realities we are facing. On one side, we are facing a ruthless terrorist
organization. Hence, safeguarding people and eradicating terrorism are
conducted parallely and it is of primary importance. In this backdrop it
is highly satisfactory the way we are conducting the development
projects without neglecting.
V. Anandasangaree - Leader, Tamil United Liberation Front
We definitely could have gone far if not for the narrow thinking of
certain politicians. Our country would have been a paradise.
*Can you be satisfied with the way minority groups are treated by
the Government?
Rishad Bathiudeen - Minister of Resettlement and Disaster Relief
Services:
In my ministry we serve people irrespective of their ethnicity. This
is how the President directs every minister to carry out their services.
Serving all communities is the key perspective of the Government.
V. Anandasangaree - Leader, Tamil United Liberation Front
My people in Wanni undergo immense untold hardships due to the LTTE
iron grip, be it abductions, killings, tortures, dark chamber tortures
etc. Children of the TNA MPs and Prabhakaran's are safe in foreign
countries while children of innocent people suffer in the war front for
a cause not of their own. These MPs and Prabhakaran must send their
children to the war front. Otherwise they have no right to talk about
the Tamil populace. What does the Tamil Nadu protestors know about the
hardships my people are going through? Do they know schoolchildren
studied with the light of a coconut oil lamp for over a decade? LTTE can
buy any one for money. Millions of funds they collected over the years
are used to buy certain personalities. If they tried to bribe the US
state Departments they can bring anyone in to their payroll. And Thank
God the Sinhala youth are not extremists. I salute them for their
thinking.
*Do you believe that the Government is treating all the ethnic
groups equally?
Rishad Bathiudeen - Minister of Resettlement and Disaster Relief
Services:
There are many Muslim politicians as Members of Parliament in the
Government. Many are holding ministerial portfolios. Hence, there is a
satisfactory level of representation of the Muslim community in
Parliament. As I see, this is the same situation with the Tamil
politicians. The President's decisions are unbiased. He doesn't
demarcate people on racial issues.
V. Anandasangaree - Leader, Tamil United Liberation Front
Government must correct the priority list. First of all those
affected people want to live safely - without fear and tension.
Development must come secondly. When I met the people who escaped from
Wanni areas now in welfare centres in Jaffna they only requested me to
send them to Vavuniya so they can return either to their home or to a
relative's house and restart their lives in a safer environment - they
don't want big houses or super markets. So first eradicate terrorism and
make a safe environment for these people to live in. Then lets discuss
about development.
*How do you see the status of the internally displaced people?
Rishad Bathiudeen - Minister of Resettlement and Disaster Relief
Services:
Whatever the ethnicity is we treat every displaced Sri Lankan citizen
with equal importance. There is no room for any sort of a
discrimination. Maintaining welfare camps and supervising its proper
functioning is given high priority all the time. The Government
continuously provides food items fresh and dry depending on the
necessity, water and all the other essential items to these displaced
persons. When certain INGOs refused to send food and non food essential
commodities to those displaced in uncleared areas due to LTTE attacks on
their vehicle convoys we, the Government immediately took measures to
send the necessary items to the people despite the threat. We are highly
concerned as to resettling people in their original lands, but priority
is given to their preference actually. It always receives high priority
from the Government under the directives of the President.
V. Anandasangaree - Leader, Tamil United Liberation Front
I think never in our history has such a large number of people got
displaced. So for the Government, this is a big challenge. We understand
any Government can't single handedly take care of these displaced
people. So, certain sectors can be given to charity organizations. On
the other hand, Government must pay more attention to let these
displaced people living in welfare camps, to move in and out of their
camps for their necessities. They should not be kept as prisoners. But,
I agree with the security concerns very well aware of the possibilities
of the LTTE using children, pregnant women and disabled people for their
disastrous work.
*How do you see the progress of the recently liberated uncleared
areas?
Rishad Bathiudeen - Minister of Resettlement and Disaster Relief
Services:
If we take the East as an example, the total infrastructure network
is almost complete. People have returned back to their livelihood
activities. East is regaining. Many development programs under 'Gama
Neguma', 'Jathika Saviya' and various other mass scale development
programs are conducted. In Mannar the Coastway bridge is getting
completed with Japanese aid along with many other development work.
Action plans for the other recently liberated areas are on the way as
well. The Government is doing its best to create a safe environment for
the people to live and earn their livelihood freely and peacefully.
V. Anandasangaree - Leader, Tamil United Liberation Front
This is why I reiterate, development should come second. Please
create a safe environment for these people. With so many ambitions a man
would build a house. But ultimately if he can't live there safely just
imagine how he would feel.
*Majority from Mannar to Jaffna belong to either Tamil or Muslim
communities. With the opening of the A32 road how do you see their
future?
Rishad Bathiudeen - Minister of Resettlement and Disaster Relief
Services:
People are very happy about clearing the A32 road. This development
will be highly beneficial for my people in Mannar area. There was a time
when the Sinhala community was afraid to visit certain areas where Tamil
people lived and the same situation applied to Muslim people. But now
the situation has changed drastically. We want to create an environment
where every citizen will enjoy their right to live and travel in peace
and safety. That era is coming closer.
V. Anandasangaree - Leader, Tamil United Liberation Front
Definitely this would be highly beneficial for the people of Jaffna.
Instead of taking days, travelling to Colombo is a matter of 2-3 hours
for a person. My house was by the side of the A9 road. Sometimes I used
to count the number of lorries carrying various goods travelling towards
Colombo. Sometimes it's about 60-70 lorries per day. I hope that we will
be able to see those prosperous days again. |
