Plantation Tamils better recognised today - Thonda

by P. Krishnaswamy

Ceylon Workers’ Congress (CWC) formed an alliance with the ruling UPFA and agreed to contest the upcoming PC polls under its `betel leaf’ symbol primarily because of President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s genuine concern and commitment towards the welfare of the plantation community, said Arumugan Thondaman, party leader and Minister of Youth Empowerment and Socio-Economic Development. History bears witness to the fact that in post independent Sri Lanka, it was the SLFP-led governments that gave due recognition to the elected representatives of the community and extended maximum services for their social and economic welfare, he told the Sunday Observer.

Aside from providing employment opportunities to their educated youths in the state sector, including appointment of over 3000 teachers, 350 postal employees and communication facilitators, the UPFA administration has also given a maximum number of ministry portfolios to their elected representatives in an effort to mainstream the community, the Minister said.

The CWC has been able to launch several projects including the `Prajasakthi IT Centres’ at 43 venues in the hill country presently attended by over 10,000 students, with more to come in the near future, vocational and industrial training in 16 trades at the Thondaman Vocational Centre in Hatton, financial assistance or assistance from local support groups for starting self-employment ventures and a fully-fledged Internet Centre at Kotagala.

These were only dreams some years ago, but they have now become realities and the plantation community will be amply benefited under these programs, he said adding that it is a historical necessity of the plantation community to extend their support to the CWC and UPFA.

Fulfilling the longtime desire of CWC founder leader Saumiyamurthy Thondaman, the then SLFP government created a separate ministry, the Estate Infrastructure Ministry, exclusively for the purpose of formulating and implementing plans and programs for the social, economic and educational welfare of the community.

The plantation community has been benefited on an unprecedented level under President Rajapaksa’s UPFA administration in the spheres of housing, education, employment and social welfare, Thondaman said.

The CWC, in its seven decade old history, waged many struggles and took significant political decisions to guide the community in the right path for winning their socio-economi and political rights.

The CWC decision to ally with the UPFA was promoted by its vision for a better plantation society, he said.