Common Language, the strong point:

Tamils and Muslims live in harmony - Sivanesathurai Chandrakanthan

By Mohammed NAALIR

There is a need for 48,000 houses in the Eastern province for the people who live below the poverty line. I plan to implement a housing scheme for the people who live below the poverty line and also help widows if I am elected Chief Minister, former Eastern Province Chief Minister, Sivanesathurai Chandrakanthan said.

Special plans have been drafted to improve the living standards of widows. Community livelihood development projects will be implemented while introducing loan schemes, the former Chief Minister said.

Q: Can you explain the unity of Muslims and Tamils in the Batticaloa District?

A: The Eastern province is a unique province where Muslims and Tamils live in nearly equal number.

Eventhough Muslims, Tamils and Sinhalese live in the province there is no dispute whatsoever between the communities. They live in unison. There is ample evidence in history about the unity of Muslims and Tamils.

Eventhough they differ culturally and in religion it is not a barrier for ethnic integrity. Muslims are invited to weddings of the Tamils and vice a versa. Language is the main mode connecting both communities.

Language wise these two communities can't be separated. Muslims and Tamils love the Tamil language just like loving a mother. While protecting language, the Muslims have contributed to the growth of the Tamil language.

There are famous poets, writers and Tamil enthusiasts in the province among the Muslim community in the Eastern province. Politicians during election time carry out propaganda on an ethnic basis it does not continue after elections are over. It won't affect the ethnical integrity at any time. Besides, the Tamils and Muslims are jointly engaged in agriculture, fisheries, business, state sector employment and other affairs in the province.

Q: Were you satisfied with your service to both communities in the province during your tenure as Chief Minister?

A: Of course, I am a Tamil but I never stayed away from serving the Muslims in the province. I have enough concern towards the well being of Muslims in the province.

I fulfilled the needs of Muslims with my whole heart. My service was satisfactory to the Muslims in the manner that they did not miss having a Muslim Chief Minister.

I helped the Muslim and Tamil people who approached me for help as far as possible.

There are Muslims in the Eastern Province who serve the Muslims and Tamils without discrimination. They do the job on an equal scale when serving the people. Muslim Ministers and Deputy Ministers provided me a solid support to do my job well.

Due to this congenial environment in the province the Tamil-Muslim relationship in the province has further developed.

Eventhough one may be Tamil or Muslim his aim should be the prosperity and development of the province.

Q: What is your comment about the statement that many kinds of services could be rendered in your four-year of office?

A: There is no truth in this statement. Those who make such baseless allegations should think of the state of the Batticaloa district at a time it was liberated from the clutches of the LTTE. Then they will be able to see the truth for themselves and see the difference.

The contribution of the provincial council is also there to the program implemented by the government to improve the agriculture sector in the province.

Due to the projects implemented by the Government, paddy production has reached self-sufficiency in the district.

The Gama Neguma, Divi Neguma projects and Deyata Kirula program of the Government is a fortune package for the East. Several billion rupees have been spent on various development projects.

The fisheries industry has been developed. Steps have been taken to uplift the living conditions of fishermen. The giant industries have been modernized.

Small and domestic industries have been encouraged. The moves to develop the education sector were satisfactory. Shortcomings in hospitals has been solved. Hospitals come under the administration of the Eastern provincial council, rural dispensaries have been modernised to solve the problems of patients.

Several million rupees have been spent for rural electrification. Pure drinking water facilities have been provided to rural villages in the province. Dilapidated roads and other roads have been developed. Damaged bridges have been reconstructed. Transport has been improved. Buildings that were destroyed have been reconstructed.

Reservoirs and irrigation canals have been renovated. Recreation facilities for youth have been improved. Steps have been taken to improve the sports sector in the province.

Due to the rapid development in the province the tourism industry has also improved.

Q: How are the opportunities for victory and propaganda in the Eastern Provincial council election?

A: The destructive 30 year-old terrorism has ended. Due to terrorism the Eastern province was severely affected. President Mahinda Rajapaksa decided to hand over democracy to the people to hold a free and fair election.

The provincial council election was held in 2008 and the United People's Freedom Alliance recorded a landslide victory. I was appointed as Chief Minister.

The TNA withdrew from the election; I don't know what the reason was for such destruction in the province.

This time the TNA is contesting in the Eastern Provincial council election with its previous stories. However, the monopolistic attitude should be removed.

He said that the employment problems of graduates have already been solved. Secondly we have worked out plans to generate employment for those who passed G.C.E (O/L) and (A/L).

A large number of employment avenues can be generated only through increasing investments in the province.

A large number of vocational training programs are going on in the province to address the problems of unemployed youth, Chandrakanthan said.

He said that production should be increased. Technical know-how is the only means to increase production capacity, while minimising wastage.

Improved infrastructure facilities and political stability is the gate-way to attract more foreign investors to the country.

Then only a large number of employment concerned can be generated, Chandrakanthan said.

The Batticaloa Medical College is being developed. The existing universities are enough to cater to the educational needs of the province.

The contribution of universities was not sufficient to improve the fisheries industry.

There was no separate research body to improve the agriculture sector. All of these sectors are now being developed in the province, he said.