The Hon. Sivagnanam Shritharan

¶ 01 Hon. Presiding Member, the time granted to me should have been that of Hon. Mano Ganesan—15 minutes—but I was first told eight and now only six minutes. Please grant at least ten minutes.

¶ 02 Tamil people are deeply agitated over several issues, particularly the placing of a Buddha statue in Trincomalee. Historically, no Tamil has been appointed as Government Agent in Trincomalee, yet State-backed efforts repeatedly establish viharas and promote Buddhism to alter the historical Tamil character. The transport and re-installation of the Buddha statue at the same site under police protection has inflamed feelings. Astonishingly, the Opposition Leader, Sajith Premadasa, demanded in this House that the statue be kept there, calling it a “national issue”. Tamil voters supported him in the last presidential election expecting justice. He must retract and apologize publicly to Tamil people before seeking their votes again.

¶ 03 Religious projects are repeatedly used to provoke tensions. In Kuchchaveli DS division, about 30 viharas are reportedly being constructed with military assistance; for example, in Thiriyaai, though there are only a couple of Sinhala families, a vihara is being built. Seizure of lands for such constructions is accelerating. If the Government fails to stop this, there will be no harmony among communities.

¶ 04 We met the President today regarding the tensions in Trincomalee. While it was a cordial meeting and he acknowledged some concerns—and his speech in Parliament gave a measure of hope—we wait to see if law and justice will prevail. Yet, neither the President nor the judiciary has addressed the illegality around the Vihara built at Thayiddi.

¶ 05 On the subject of Public Administration: in Jaffna District, the Kodikamam area under Chavakachcheri DS should be established as a separate DS division. For over twenty years proposals have been submitted by successive administrations. Chavakachcheri DS is vast—72 GN divisions from Navatkuzhi to Ezhuthumaduval—so carving out Kodikamam as a new DS is essential. Similarly, under Kopay DS, Achchuveli (including Idikadu) should be a separate DS. In Kilinochchi, creating Akkarayankulam DS by carving from Karaichi has long been proposed, including when late Ras nayagam served as GA. Please take preliminary steps to establish Kodikamam DS, Achchuveli DS, and Akkarayankulam DS to ease administration and drive development.

¶ 06 Further, several operating DS divisions in the North—Oddusuddan, Madhu, Kandawalai, Maruthankerny—still lack corresponding local authorities despite functioning over 25 years. Proposals for local councils have been discussed in multiple committees but not implemented. Urban Councils for Kilinochchi and Mullaitivu have been proposed and are pending gazette. To my knowledge, Polonnaruwa, Mullaitivu and Kilinochchi are the only districts without an Urban Council. Mannar MC is proposed but not gazetted. Please expedite gazetting and establishment of Mullaitivu UC, Kilinochchi UC, and LAs for Madhu, Oddusuddan, Maruthankerny and Kandawalai—ideally before the next Budget debate.

¶ 07 Thank you.