The President emphasizes the government’s commitment to fully integrate the Tamil plantation people

President Ranil Wickremesinghe, speaking at the ‘Naam 200’ (We are 200) celebration, emphasized the goal of moving the country forward by uniting all its citizens. He stated that it is the current government’s policy to uphold the rights of all Sri Lankan citizens, regardless of their background. He emphasized the government’s commitment to fully integrate the Tamil living in the hills into Sri Lankan society and he revealed a project to construct 10,000 houses with Indian assistance. When he stated so, southern Tamil plantation workers handed over a survey report with Seven recommendations to the government on the same day highlighting the need for proper Rights to their Lands.

President Wickremasinghe expressed these remarks during the ‘Naam 200’ celebration at the Sugathadasa Indoor Stadium in Colombo on Thursday, 02nd of November, marking the 200th anniversary of the arrival of the Indian Origin Tamil (IOT) people in the hill country.

Taking the initiative to the project,  the President and Indian Finance Minister Mrs. Nirmala Sitharaman laid the foundation stone for a project to construct 10,000 houses with Indian aid in the lower part of Mount Vernon Estate, Dimbula, Kotagala.

Additionally, a new auditorium and computer unit at the Hatton Vocational Training Centre were inaugurated virtually, and school equipment was distributed to students.

President Wickremasinghe acknowledged the Indian Prime Minister, Mr. Narendra Modi, for contributing to Sri Lanka’s financial stability, praising the support provided for the successful event. He also commended Indian Finance Minister Sitharaman for her dedication to the cause.

The event was honoured by the presence of Indian Finance Minister, Mrs. Nirmala Sitharaman, who was warmly welcomed by over 5,000 Tamil people from the hills. The celebration featured various cultural elements.

Furthermore, the President stated that this celebration marks the beginning of a new journey for the hill Tamil people, and the government is committed to providing them with land titles and ensuring their right to education.

Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena, who also spoke at the event, recognized the significant contributions made by the hill Tamil people, particularly in promoting ‘Ceylon tea’ and contributing to the development of Sri Lanka over the past 200 years. He stressed that it is the first time a comprehensive program has been initiated to fully integrate this community into Sri Lankan society.

Indian Finance Minister Mrs. Sitharaman highlighted the substantial contributions of the Tamil people from the hills to the Sri Lankan economy and expressed readiness for cooperation in the government’s efforts to acknowledge and secure their rights.

The event was attended by religious leaders, former President Mahinda Rajapaksa, and various government officials, home and abroad foreign diplomats together with Tamil plantation people.

Meanwhile, on the same day, another group of Tamil plantation people appealed to the government to obtain the titles to the lands they received from the government due to the landslide that occurred in the years 1993, 2003, 2004, and 2017.

The document titled “Survey Report on the Land Ownership of the Malayagam People in the Southern Province” was handed over to three government officials at a meeting held at the Sri Lanka Foundation Institution in Colombo last Friday, the 02nd of November.

The survey was compiled by the Voice of the Plantation People’s Organization (VOPP) and presented Seven recommendations to the government urging the land ownership of the Malaiyagam people.

The Additional Secretary of the Ministry of Lands, the Commissioner General of Lands, and the Public Relations Officer of the President’s Secretariat participated in the discussion about the land ownership of the Tamil plantation workers held at the Foundation Institution and they admitted that injustice had been done to those Tamil plantation people.

Among the Seven recommendations suggested by the Voice of Plantation People’s Organization, suggested creating a specialized Task Force for plantation Land disputes tasked with compiling comprehensive data, including the number of individuals who have received land, those with land and housing, and those who have been granted land titles.

And to Implement a systematic demarcation of the designated lands and ensure that each family is provided with a survey plan for their respective allocated pilots.

And, Initiate prompt measures to issue land entitlements, permits, or deeds to confirm and protect the rightful ownership of the land for the affected communities.

And, Transfer the administrative control of the allocated land from the plantation Estate Management to the rightful landowners to ensure autonomy and secure land tenure for the residents.

And, assign distinct addresses to each household within the Plantation Estate communities to streamline mail distribution and effectively resolve any potential addressing disputes.

And, to improve the quality of life of the workers by repairing the access roads of Estates and houses, developing the infrastructure, and giving priority to their maintenance, have been made as recommendations.

“”There is no meaning in having a land because we have no rights to that land. If the estate authority tells us to leave, we have to leave at any time. The right to send a child to school affects the right to the land as there is no address. If there is a right to the land, then we can mortgage the land and get money for any of our needs or an emergency. But we lose that opportunity too.” Several people who were present representing the people of the estates who joined the meeting said while expressing their opinions.

Some people have built a small house on that land spending each and every cent that they are earning tirelessly. Some people don’t have money to build a house yet due to the economic problems. Some people do not even have land and still live in line houses for years. but we give our lives a lot and a lot to earn currency to the country.” said Jandran Dilan, a plantation worker at the meeting.

“Therefore, the government should look into this pressing issue and provide solutions now without giving mere words and false promises,” he added.

END.