The Hon. K. Ilankumaran

¶ 01 Hon. Deputy Chairperson, I followed the 2025 Budget debate through the media as I could not attend earlier due to an accident. Thank you for the time today.

¶ 02 The Hon. President has allocated Rs. 100 million for the Jaffna Public Library; we are grateful. The Jaffna Library symbolizes the Tamil people’s reverence for education—even removing footwear to enter. The burning of the Jaffna Library was among the root causes of the 30‑year war that set our economy back and took the lives of Tamil and Sinhalese youth from ordinary families.

¶ 03 Like the recent Batalanda Commission inquiry, there must be an inquiry into the library burning. There is information that then Education Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe was in Jaffna at that time; a probe panel should be appointed to deliver justice.

¶ 04 I thank the President for allocating funds in this Budget to rehabilitate the road along the coastal area of Point Pedro (Paruthithurai), long neglected. Our Fisheries Minister obtained approval for a protective groyne/sea defense there; work is underway—we are grateful.

¶ 05 Beyond Budget allocations, we must use them to move the country forward and build industries in the North. The Industry Minister, Hon. Sunil Handunnetti, has been visiting many northern sites in a day—even skipping lunch—setting groundwork for future factories. Opposition members now raise topics like the Kurunjitivu salt fields, but our Fisheries and Industry Ministers went through floods to visit the sites directly, while critics were silent then. Kilinochchi must become an industrial zone rather than a land of taverns and illicit liquor. During Ranil Wickremesinghe’s tenure as Prime Minister, bar licences proliferated; local councils protested. Transform Kilinochchi into an industrial hub to move forward.

¶ 06 A Member insulted our women in this House. Northern people value education highly; despite war hardships, they pursued studies and hold high positions today. The current Fisheries Minister, though not from the North, has for over a decade understood and served Tamil sentiments, contributing much to educational and regional development with guidance.

¶ 07 Those who demand planning often lack it themselves—even in personal lives or party leadership. In the last general election, we saw internal competition; now some cannot even properly file nominations for local elections and have been excluded. If you need planning, consult Hon. Ramalingam Chandraseker—he is patient and calm, and when criticized, he said do not target ordinary sisters.

¶ 08 Some in this House spread falsehoods; recently one said I had a child while I was injured—untrue, I have none. That member now faces pushback in the North and has admitted media will see Tamil people oppose him; he long worked centered in Colombo and has yet to grasp Tamil sentiments.

¶ 09 The people of Sri Lanka, including the North, have given us an unprecedented mandate, showing there is no place for racism hereafter. We must unite to build a new humane era, with a practical Budget and salary increases for public servants, laying a foundation for a better development path. Thank you.