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| Sunday, 6 November 2005 |
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Politics |  |
| News Business Features Editorial
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Youth in plantations defiant, CWC vote split by S.S. Warani Central Provincial Councillor S. Arulsamy said that voting at the Presidential election in the Nuwara Eliya district would be `free and fearless'. For the first time after many years the plantation workers had been given an opportunity to think freely and vote independently. Commenting on the present political situation in the plantation areas, Arulsamy said that in the past, politicians with ministerial portfolios `coaxed' the people to cast their votes in defiance of their conscience. Now this had changed considerably. Most of the young people lost their confidence in their traditional trade unions and political parties that changed colours during Presidential and Parliamentary elections. He said with the allocation of nearly Rs. 80 million by Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapakse, work had already begun on the repair of 104 estate roads that were in a dilapidated condition. He said that it only took about a month to complete the project by the authorities. If the plantation leaders would have had any interest of the estate community, they could have done much more service through the Estate Infrastructure and community Development Ministry, in the past. Ceylon Workers' Alliance President and former Parliamentarian T. Sennan said at a meeting held in Badulla on Oct.30, that the Tamil community owed much to President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga as she was the only leader who apologised publicly for the 1983 riots and paid compensation to those who were affected. It is the duty of the Tamils to pay the debt of gratitude by voting for Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapakse at the forthcoming presidential election. Sennan said that President Kumaratunga initiated the unveiling of a statue of late S. Thondaman in the vicinity of the old Parliament. He was also given a State funeral. She created a separate ministry to deal with the problems of the plantation community. Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapakse follows the same path of President Kumaratunga. The Ceylon Workers' Congress was with the government and enjoyed all the facilities and advantages, and therefore, it is an insult to the Tamils as the CWC is now supporting the Opposition Leader. The CWC held cabinet portfolios in all the governments, but the benefit reached the people is too little. Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapakse proposed Worker's Charter when he was the Labour Minister. Sennan said that `Mahinda Chintana' contains promises that would benefit the country. The Prime Minister is the only person who has all the qualities to be our President, he said. Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapakse said at a public meeting held in Badulla, that he would implement a special program to improve the lives of the plantation workers. He said he would first introduce a housing project with all facilities. The Prime Minister said that he would appoint 3,000 teachers to fill the vacancies in estate schools. Although a separate ministry was created for the benefit of the plantation community only the leaders enjoyed the benefits. The funds that were allocated for the Estate Infrastructure Ministry was not properly and fully utilised, the Prime Minister said. |
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