Hon. Shanakiyan Rajaputhiran Rasamanickam

¶ 01 Thank you. Mr. Speaker, what I speak today relates to the debate. In the North and East there are many land issues, which connect to doping in sports because if you grant our people their lands, they will have grounds to play, develop talent, and reach levels where anti-doping awareness matters. The Forest Department has fenced off grounds our youths use. This is not solely the current Government’s fault; successive governments used the Forest Department to appropriate Tamil lands.

¶ 02 We learned from the current President—when he was in Opposition—how to connect issues within a debate. Today, most of the Opposition walked out; I remain the only Opposition speaker in the Chamber, supporting continuation of this debate. Yet you seem to criticize us rather than hear us.

¶ 03 Our primary issue is not doping; it is a political solution enabling self-governance in our regions. With genuine devolution under a new Constitution, we could determine how to develop sports locally. This is not separatism; our party has sought a federal solution for 75 years. Those in Government should study federalism; you split the North and East and even opposed the Provincial Council system of the Indo-Lanka Accord. Today you call yourselves different from the past.

¶ 04 While pursuing a political settlement, please address urgent daily issues. Land problems are severe across the East, especially due to the Forest Department. During the war, our people fled; after 20–30 years, returning, their lands are overgrown. Now those lands are declared forest and used for show on World Environment Day. If lands reclaimed as forest after displacement are returned—e.g., accept only pre-1985 Gazette forest declarations as valid—the rest should be released. Most of our lived lands are now under Forest Department declarations.

¶ 05 To develop sport, first release such lands so grounds can be built and youths can engage legitimately in sport, reducing incentives for prohibited substances. Also, release school and public grounds under military control—for example, the playground at Gurukulamadam School, Batticaloa.