The Hon. Kitnan Selvaraj

¶ 01 Hon. Presiding Member, at this sitting of the 10th Parliament, as the Vote on Account is presented, I first extend my greetings to this House and begin my speech. I especially thank the people of Badulla District — Tamil, Sinhala, Muslim, Burgher, Malay, and my up-country Tamil community — who, together with our lead candidate Comrade Samantha Vidyaratna, elected six NPP candidates from Badulla.

¶ 02 Many have presented various views here. As usual, the opposition sang their outdated refrain — perhaps unaware it is out of time. My up-country community has a 200-year history. They were brought to this country by colonialists through deception and bondage; even in the 21st century, they live in the hills with no rights, treated as if under a welfare handout, like leaves hiding fruit. But from that subjugation, they are transforming into a people’s force for a renaissance in the hills.

¶ 03 Today, nearly 99 percent of up-country Tamils rallied for the NPP, strengthened it, led it to victory, and now journey with it. Our party is taking steps to win rights for this rights-deprived community. Our government will never hesitate to support that.

¶ 04 For 200 years, our community has been without land rights. After the British left and the UNP took office in 1948, many up-country Tamils backed the left and sent Nadarajah from Badulla to Parliament. Because the up-country people supported the left, the UNP government then deprived up-country Tamils of citizenship and rendered them stateless in 1948.

¶ 05 In 1956, the SLFP government unleashed ethnic violence and created the “Red Bana” programme; through it many of our people were transported to Kilinochchi and other northern areas. Many youths thus gravitated to Tamil Eelam ideology and joined the LTTE’s 30-year struggle. Some here representing Tamil nationalist organizations claim that 30-year war history belongs only to the North. Not so — the pivots of that struggle were youths from our hills taken by the “Red Bana” in 1956. I salute them in this House.

¶ 06 Some members here push a separate North–East state. As the NPP, we completely reject it. We are committed to national unity, and through it to uplift the welfare and livelihoods of all Tamils, Sinhalese, and Muslims. Our President Anura Kumara Dissanayake has stated this firmly in his policy declaration.

¶ 07 Today our community lacks land rights and home ownership. We must secure those. In 1946, then Minister of Lands D. S. Senanayake brought a bill stating that “Indian-origin estate workers in Sri Lanka should not be granted land rights.” As a result, Tamil estate workers were evicted from estates like Uruwalawala in Avissawella. A 21-day token strike was launched nationwide demanding land rights for up-country Tamils. Many youths joined that struggle; among them, Sivananda Laxmanan, an up-country youth, was killed by the then-UNP rulers — the very doctrine of D. S. Senanayake caused his death. It is our duty as the NPP to realize Laxmanan’s dream.

¶ 08 Our government will secure land and home ownership for these people. Even though the barrack-style line-room housing was abandoned in Vancouver in 1952, estate people still live in such lines today. We are ready to provide land and housing rights.

¶ 09 For about 157 years in the tea industry, our workers remain daily-paid. We must change this wage model. We are prepared to do so. At one time, wage issues were addressed via the Wages Board, and later collective agreements. In 1992, 449 estates were leased to 22 multinationals for 52 years. Today, 32 years on, in Badulla alone 48 tea factories have closed; over 150 have closed nationally. Tea production has been undermined and the plantation sector has been run down. We will restructure and develop the sector parallel to others and resolve wage disputes.

¶ 10 To those in Central, Uva, and other provinces, especially plantation workers and the hill community who voted to adorn this House with the People’s National Force — we thank you. I conclude. Vanakkam.