{"id":47650,"date":"2015-09-08T14:39:31","date_gmt":"2015-09-08T20:39:31","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/?p=47650"},"modified":"2015-09-08T06:49:15","modified_gmt":"2015-09-08T13:49:15","slug":"where-is-rationality-and-scientific-classification-of-ministries-and-what-happened-to-the-ministry-on-kandyan-peasants","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/2015\/09\/08\/where-is-rationality-and-scientific-classification-of-ministries-and-what-happened-to-the-ministry-on-kandyan-peasants\/","title":{"rendered":"Where is rationality and scientific classification of Ministries? And what happened to the Ministry on Kandyan Peasants?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Sudath Gunasekara. Mahanuwara 7.9.2015 (Updated)<\/em><\/span><\/h2>\n

\u00a0<\/strong>The following list shows the list of Cabinet Ministers sworn in on 4th<\/sup> Sept 2015<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/strong>Cabinet Ministers<\/strong><\/p>\n

1. Prime Minister Ranil Wickramasinghe \u2013 Minister of National Policy & Economic Affairs
\n2. John Amaratunga \u2013 Minister of Tourism Development & Christian Affairs<\/span>
\n3. Gamini Jayawickrama Perera \u2013 Minister of Sustainable Development & Wildlife<\/span>
\n4. Nimal Siripala de Silva \u2013 Minister of Transport
\n5. S.B. Dissanayake \u2013 Minister of Social Empowerment & Welfare<\/span>
\n6. W.D.J. Seneviratne \u2013 Minister of Labour and Trade Union Relations
\n7. Lakshman Kiriella \u2013 Minister of University Education & Highways
\n8. Anura Priyadharshana Yapa \u2013 Minister of Disaster Management<\/span>
\n9. Susil Premajayantha – Technology, Technical Education & Employment
\n10. Thilak Janaka Marapana \u2013 Minister of Law and Order & Prison Reforms
\n11. Dr Rajitha Senaratne \u2013 Health, Nutrition & Indigenous Medicine
\n12. Ravi Karunanayake \u2013 Minister of Finance
\n13. Mahinda Samarasinghe \u2013 Minister of Skills Development & Vocational Training<\/span>
\n14. Vajira Abeywardena \u2013 Minister of Home Affairs
\n15. S.B. Nawinne \u2013 Minister of Internal Affairs, Wayamba Development & Cultural Affairs<\/span>
\n16. Patali Champika Ranawaka \u2013 Minister of Megapolice & Western Developmen<\/span>t
\n17. Mahinda Amaraweera \u2013 Minister of Fisheries & Water Resources
\n18. Naveen Dissanayake \u2013 Minister of Plantation Industries
\n19. Ranjith Siyambalapitiya \u2013 Minister of Power & Renewable Energy
\n20. Duminda Dissanayake \u2013 Minister of Agriculture
\n21. Wijedasa Rajapaksa \u2013 Minister of Buddha Sasana<\/span>
\n22. P. Harrison \u2013 Minister of Rural Economic Affairs<\/span>
\n23. Ranjith Maddumabandara \u2013 Minister of Public Administration & Management
\n24. Gayantha Karunathilake \u2013 Minister of Parliamentary Reforms & Media<\/span>
\n25. Sajith Premadasa \u2013 Minister of Housing & Construction
\n26. Arjuna Ranatunga \u2013 Minister of Ports & Shipping
\n27. M. K. A. D. S. Gunawardana \u2013 Minister of Lands
\n28. P. Digambaram \u2013 Minister of Upcountry New Villages, Estate Infrastructure& Community Development<\/span>
\n29. Chandrani Bandara \u2013 Minister of Women and Children\u2019s Affairs<\/span>
\n30. Thalatha Athukorala \u2013 Minister of Foreign Employment<\/span>
\n31. Akila Viraj Kariyawasam \u2013 Minister of Education
\n32. D.M. Swaminathan \u2013 Minister of Resettlement & Hindu Affairs<\/span>
\n33. Chandima Weerakkody \u2013 Petroleum & Petroleum Gas<\/span>
\n34. Dayasiri Jayasekara \u2013 Minister of Sports
\n35. Sagala Ratnayake \u2013 Minister of Southern Development<\/span>
\n36. Harin Fernando \u2013 Telecommunication & Digital Infrastructure<\/span>
\n37. Mano Ganesan \u2013 Minister of National Dialog<\/span>
\n38. Daya Gamage \u2013 Minister of Primary Industries<\/span>
\n39. Rauff Hakeem \u2013 Minister of Urban Development & Water Supply
\n40. Rishad Bathiudeen \u2013 Minister of Industries & Commerce
\n41. Kabeer Hashim \u2013 Public Enterprise Development<\/span>
\n42. Mohamed Hashim Abdul Haleem \u2013 Minister of Postal Service & Muslim Affairs<\/p>\n

This list does not include the following three Ministries.<\/p>\n

Minister of Finance, Justice and Resettlement who were sworn in earlier<\/p>\n

This list also does not have Ministers for Local Government, Trade and Food<\/p>\n

Probably they must be within the 4 or 5 to be appointed in few days as it goes increasing<\/p>\n

45 State and Deputy Ministers are also yet to come<\/p>\n

I do not want to make any comment on the quality or the capacity of individuals as everyone in this country knows who they are. So I will make few pertinent observations only with regard to its number, format and classification.<\/p>\n

Those Ministries marked in red could be easily dropped without any problem and they could be combined with those marked in black on a rational basis. \u00a0For example like Agriculture and Irrigation, Youth and Sports and Transport and Roads but certainly not like Education and Highways. Thus the number of Ministries could have been easily reduced to about 20 if the Government is serious in economy, efficiency and good governance. Before elections there was much talk for the need for a smaller Cabinet and scientific classification of Ministries and duties to be assigned on a functional relationship basis. But this looks a classic hotchpotch. It is ridiculous and disgusting for any country to have a list of Ministers like this. The whole world will laugh its guts out at this Ranil-Sirisena invention.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Highlights <\/strong><\/p>\n

Too many ministries<\/p>\n

No scientific and rational classification of Ministries or assignment of duties<\/p>\n

No Ministry for Kandyan Peasants numbering over 6 million natives who the poorest of the poor in this country<\/p>\n

Multiplication of utterly ridiculous and meaningless Ministries<\/p>\n

Too many Ministries to handle the Plantation sector and Estate Tamils<\/p>\n

Following Ministries are utterly superfluous created just to satisfy the recipients for plain political expediency?<\/p>\n

Sagala Ratnayake \u2013 Minister of Southern Development\u00a0.<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Digambaram \u2013 Minister of Upcountry New Villages Estate Infrastructure& Community Development<\/li>\n
  2. Gamini Jayawickrama Perera \u2013 Minister of Sustainable Development & Wildlife<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    S.B. Nawinne \u2013 Minister of Internal Affairs, Wayamba Development<\/p>\n

    Gayantha Karunathilake \u2013 Minister of Parliamentary Reforms & Media<\/p>\n

    Thalatha\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Athukorala\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Ministerof \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Foreign\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Employment
    \nD.M. Swaminathan \u2013 Minister of Resettlement & Hindu Affairs<\/p>\n

    Mano Ganesan \u2013 Minister of National Dialog<\/p>\n

    Gayantha Karunathilake Minister of Parliamentary Reforms & Media\u00a0,<\/p>\n

    No Ministry for Kandyan Peasantry Development \u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

    Isn\u2019t it a national tragedy that this Government which has set up separate ministries for subjects like above including one even for wild life<\/strong> has completely ignored the Kandyan Peasants<\/strong> in this country and forgotten to have a Separate Ministry for the them who number over 6 million living in the entire Central, Sabaragamuwa, Uva and North Central Provinces and in parts of NWN, Southern and\u00a0 Eastern Northern Provinces altogether living in 16 Districts out of the 25.<\/strong>They are the real Bhumiputras of this land and they have a birth right over this very territory from the dawn of history. This was their beloved land inherited from their ancestors that was taken over by force by the British since 1840; this was the land their ancestors lost for the British and on which they died in battle in thousands; this is the only land in the world where they have to fall back and pray and get buried when they die. According to the latest reports they are the most neglected and betrayed people in this country and they are among the poorest of the poor and the most neglected and betrayed by all Governments since independence. But this is how their own government treats the Kandyan Peasants, the descendants of those millions who have died between1505-1948 to protect the motherland and leave behind their heritage for the present generation<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

    What is worse and the irony is that while this Government treats the natives<\/strong> in this manner it has created a new<\/strong> Ministry called Ministry of Upcountry New Villages Estate Infrastructure & Community Development<\/strong> and appointed P. Digambaram as its Minister, introducing a new type of Villages to this country called \u2018Upcountry New Villages\u2019 unheard in the annals of this country since the dawn of history. I also would like to point out at this stage that these were the very lands denied to the native Sinhala people who were evacuated in thousands from Kotmale and other landslide affected areas in the past to satisfy Thondaman. How come the present Government is generously handing over to the Indian Tamils to create Tamil villages in the heart of the Sinhale.<\/p>\n

    I am sure these Villages will be the future mono-Tamil villages referred to by Ra nil Wickramasingha and Kiriella during the pre-election period when they were distributing outright ownership of lands to estate Tamils. The ultimate result of this programme is the establishment of a separate Tamil country on the central Sri Lanka comprising Kandy, Matale, Nuwara Eliya and Badulla which will be extended to parts of Kegalla, Ratnapura and Monaragala districts in the near future. This is travesty and blatant violation and betrayal of the birth rights of the native Kandyan peasants. I am lost to understand as to why the Kandyans do not protest against this selective discrimination against them.<\/p>\n

    Apart from the importance of the Central hill country as the \u2018Geographical Heartland\u2019 (Major watershed of the nation) as the area from where the Islands entire river system begins you think of its geopolitical and strategic importance. Putting this region under the control of South Indian Tamils whose allegiance is still with India will be the end of the Sinhala Buddhist civilization in this country. From an Indian perspective I don\u2019t think God could bestow a better deal on them than this as this will complete the age old Indian hegemonic dream over this Island. In fact this is exactly what they have been dreaming from the days of Ramayana. In other word what Rama and the whole chain of invaders like Sena Guttika, Elara (2n C BC) and Kalinga Magha( 12th<\/sup> C AD) failed to do for 5000 years will be done by the \u00a0Ranil and Maitripala Sirisena government in the next few years.<\/p>\n

    This is why we have been against Tamilizing this part of the country right from the beginning. That is why we suggested creating Sinhala-Tamil mixed villages for those get displaced from the plantations along with landless peasants from the neighboring Kandyan villages as mixed village settlements so that there will be permanent \u00a0ethnic and social harmony in this part of the country.<\/p>\n

    Now look at the following news item that appeared in the Daily FT of 5th<\/sup> May 2015 on a 10-year National Plan of Action for Plantation Infrastructure Development.<\/p>\n

    \u00a0The Ministry of Plantation Infrastructure Development has initiated an action to formulate a 10-year National Plan of Action 2015-2025 for social development of the plantation community with the technical assistance of the United Nations\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Development\u00a0\u00a0 Progrogramme UNDP
    \nThe key objectives of the National Plan of Action (NPA<\/em>) are to achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in the plantation areas, especially in the estate sector. <\/em><\/p>\n

    The comprehensive 10-year NPA is expected to be finalized by end of July 2015.
    \nGiven the national importance of this\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

    The 10-year National Plan of Action for Plantation Infrastructure Development is intended for social development of the plantation community with UNDP assistance to achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in the plantation areas, especially in the estate sector. This is also classed as a Top Development Project of the present Government. The short period of completion stipulated, broad areas of development covered and the tight time frame and the national importance given to it clearly show the high degree of priority the present\u00a0 Government has assigned to the estate Tamil votes, while criminally neglecting and betraying shamefully all the Sinhala people particularly living in the Central, Sabargamuwa and Uva Provinces<\/p>\n

    I request the government not to take this type of short sighted policy decisions for narrow political expediencies without thinking of the future of the country.<\/p>\n

    I can assure you with hundred percent certainty that if you go ahead with this programme without heading to my observations definitely you will be guilty for creating another Israel right at the centre of this country.<\/p>\n

    Therefore I request the Government to immediately stop creating these mono-Tamil settlements in the hill country for short term political gains. Then create the Ministry of Kandyan Peasantry Development to implement the rehabilitation programme outlined in the KPC report of 1951 and start a vigorous settlement programme under a village expansion project as Sinhala Tamil mixed villages with your eyes projected to the future where one can see Sri Lankan (not Indian) villages where ethnic and socio-cultural harmony reigns without any distinction as Sinhalese and Tamils. Once that is done both Sinhalese and Tamils in the hill country could be called Kandyan peasants, all sons and daughters of mother Lanka with no one having any allegiance to South India thereafter. This in my opinion is the best solution one could think of to bring about a permanent solution to this vexed problem.<\/p>\n

    Before I wind up this note my advice on Ministries is<\/p>\n

    Have a minimum number not exceeding 25. Classify them scientifically and rationally. Let the subjects assigned to them have some linkage. Select the best men and women as Ministers. Select people like Luxman Kadiragamar, Lalith Atulathmudali, Gamini Dissanayaka and R Premadasa to be appointed as Ministers. If you don\u2019t have enough such men chase out some useless fellows you have caged in the so-called National list and bring in few with brain, character, vision and talent. After all as you have 29 slots, even after taking in 10 such new persons you still have 19 political watch dogs places left in Parliament\u00a0 to accommodate your favorites for personal reasons.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    Sudath Gunasekara. Mahanuwara 7.9.2015 (Updated) \u00a0The following list shows the list of Cabinet Ministers sworn in on 4th Sept 2015 \u00a0Cabinet Ministers 1. Prime Minister Ranil Wickramasinghe \u2013 Minister of National Policy & Economic Affairs 2. John Amaratunga \u2013 Minister of Tourism Development & Christian Affairs 3. Gamini Jayawickrama Perera \u2013 Minister of Sustainable Development […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[46],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-47650","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-dr-sudath-gunasekara"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/47650","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=47650"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/47650\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=47650"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=47650"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=47650"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}