Malin Abeyatunge

President Rajapaksa brought freedom to a devastated nation . He united the country. His leadership brought UPFA into power with an overwhelming majority in the Parliament albeit just short of six to make it one third. At the presidential election, it was the votes of the rural folks thatƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  gave him without any hesitation the second term to run the country. At the General Election, the same trend was seen and the votes from the remotest villages brought UPFA into power again. Now the cabinet has been decided and no time should be wasted and commence business with much more vigor.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Since defeating the LTTE militarily, it is observed that more focus has been seen in the North and East by the Government. I have no qualms about it. But let us not forget the most ordinary youth in the villages in NCP, Uva, Southern, Western. NWP, Central provinces who fought for country; Let us not forget it is they who broughtƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ President Rajapaksa for the second term and also bringing UPFA into power for the second time.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ItƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s true that North and ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ part of East were a land of devastation subjected to 30 years of war but who was responsible for that? Not the present Government or the successive governments or the Sinhalese in the South (I use the South in broader terms to cover all other provinces other than North and East). ItƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s the very Tamils who were living in these two provinces who are responsible of the destruction. ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ As from the beginning of the LTTE terroristƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  operations, almost 99.9% of the Tamil population living in the North and East overwhelmingly supported LTTE. They genuinely or blindly thought that Prabhakaran would bring them a Separate State (Eelam) for them and many young and old voluntarily joined the terrorist outfit and started terrorizing the whole country. They chased both Sinhalese and Muslims fromƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  the North and grabbed their land and assets. Not a single Tamil either in the North, East or living with the Sinhalese in the South shed a tear for those displaced people. It was the LTTE terrorist outfit who destroyed the infrastructure, buildings, temples, Kovils, churches. This wouldnƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢t have been possible for the LTTE if the Tamils did not support LTTE. So the Tamils living in the North and East over the last 30 years are also responsible for its destruction and they are also partly to be blamed for having supported the LTTE.

Now the Tamils in the North and East want everything on earth in a jiffy at the expense of the Tax payers from the South. All the development is now focused in the North and East whilst those innocent villagers in the formerly LTTE threatened villages are still living in same poverty line and under difficult conditions although they were a buffer to stop LTTE expanding further to the South. One will recollect how LTTE sent their youngest cadres (child soldiers on training) to villages like Avaranthalawe, Anuradhapura, Padaviya, Welioya, Gonagala, Mahaoya, Medawachchiya, Eluwankulam, Kebitigollawa , Moneragala to name handful out of LTTEƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s thousands of murders slaughtering hundreds of innocent villagers including infants, children, unborn babies, pregnant mothers, old and young men and women. Sadly, they are a forgotten lot. No Government has so far compensated those remaining kith and kins if any as LTTE slaughtered them by ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ families not sparing even infants The villagers in the remote villages in the SouthƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  still walk miles and miles to the nearest hospitals and schools. They walk miles and miles to fetch water to drink and their life has not improved and remains at poverty line without any constructive assistance from the Government.

But within six months after defeating LTTE, ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ the Tamils who once supported the LTTE in the North and East now are getting pipe born water, electricity, hospitals, schools, bridges and everything. Yet again, no qualms for that but are the poor villagers in the South getting the same facilities which the Tamils now enjoy in the North and East. I saw in Saturday Daily news a picture of a dilapidated suspension bridge with only few planks left for the villagers to walk through at their own risk . I quote the report: quoteƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ The suspension bridge over the Kehelgamu Oya on the Koswatte-Homagama Road in the Ambagamuwa Pradeshiya Sabha area in Nuwera Eliya is in a state of disrepair. (Picture by G.A.Gunasena,Gingathhena correspondent) Unquote This is one of many neglected bridges in the South butƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  the North and East are getting brand new bridges which were destroyed by their own hero Prabhakaran and his Gang.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ The international organizations and pro-LTTE western countries are flooding funds to the North and East some through the Government but many thro the INGOs. This may be a subtle attempt to create rift between the Tamils and the Sinhalese as they are the experts in divide and rule.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  If this disproportionate developments in the North and East is not addressed, what guarantee that the youth in the South will not take up arms again this time not under JVP but may be a new generation rebel group.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ If President Rajapaksa ignore the ordinary Sinhalese living in the areas other than the Tamil dominated areas in the North and East, it is ungrateful as President was elected for the second term by the rural folks in the South and not the Tamils in the North and East nor the Colombains. It is the rural community in Sri Lanka brought UPFA into power for the second time and not the Tamils in the North and East nor the Colombians. At the General Election former LTTE proxy TNA which is now called ITAK is still preferred by majority Tamils to the UPFA which has been doing all the development works in the North and East and continue to do so even now.. This shows how ungrateful the Tamils are. Of course, there a few development projects happening in the South but the dividends of these have not gone into grass root level of the rural community and there is no improvement in their standard of living. May be due to pressure from the Western led International Community, Government is spending almost every cent of donations received to please 600000 Tamils left now in the North and East. And they are enjoying the dividends of the end of the war which they supported earlier. The developed countries allocate their budgets on development projects and one of the criteria is the population and demography. Therefore, it is very important that a census and statistics is taken as soon as possible so that the centre Government can allocate the budget/finances more rationally and proportionately.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Dear Mr. President , please donƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢t kick the ladder that helped you and your party to climb to the top. Please do not forget the rural community in the South that brought you and the UPFA into power for second time and not the Tamils in the North and East who helped you and your alliance to come to power. I wish to conclude this appeal by borrowing one of JVPƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s earliest slogans (although they are a loss case now ) with a small change ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-UTHURETA KIRI; DAKUNATA KEKIRIƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Malin Abeyatunge