The Hon. Ramalingam Chandrasekar - Minister of Fisheries, Aquatic and Ocean Resources

¶ 01 Hon. Deputy Speaker, thank you for this opportunity.

¶ 02 Hon. Deputy Speaker, there are many comments coming from the North about this Budget; scholars in the North say that this and the previous Budgets further strengthen national unity. Since our Government came to power, we have focused greatly on strengthening national unity. We know, and our Hon. President knows, that national unity is not a mere slogan; thus, our discourse has aimed to reinforce it.

¶ 03 From the day the 2026 Budget was presented to now, there is no dispute that it is a Budget praised by all ethnicities—Sinhala, Tamil, Muslim—by elders and youth alike, by media and social media, and especially by Tamil-speaking diaspora abroad. A professor at the University of Jaffna told me yesterday, “Minister Chandrasekar, after past Budgets, people in Jaffna would say this is missing for Tamils, that is missing for the Hill Country, or for Muslims. Even if some try to say that again, when we examined your proposals, nowhere could we say any province or community was treated as less. This is a Budget that considers all people in all aspects; a Budget that further strengthens national unity.”

¶ 04 Hon. Deputy Speaker, perhaps leaders like Gajendrakumar Ponnambalam may not be comfortable, because they are rooted in oppositional politics. They may only bring criticisms. Nevertheless, across Sri Lanka, people—Tamil, Sinhala, Muslim—call this a people’s Budget. We are proud of that, and we speak further on it.

¶ 05 However, we see that people in the North and East speak less about their local issues in the context of the Budget. Are they speaking enough? That too is a question.

¶ 06 Hon. Deputy Speaker, you know well that Karthigai is an important month for Tamils. It is also the month of remembrance of Maaveerar; people in the North and East remember children and relatives lost in the war. In this month, we must reflect. Decades ago, what were the hopes and aspirations of the youth who struggled for Tamil rights? If their fight was to ensure Tamils could live in peace and happiness, are any Tamil parties or politicians today working to realize those dreams? Are they honoring the sacrifices made then? That is a question.

¶ 07 Today, population is declining in the North and East; poverty is high. The Northern Province ranks at the bottom among provinces, followed by the East, in contribution to national production—only next to Uva. Past rulers did not address these problems or provide solutions; they only filled their own coffers rather than solve the issues of Tamils, Muslims, or Hill Country people. The situation in the North today is well known.

¶ 08 In 1981, the population of Jaffna District was about 830,000; today it is around 610,000. Then, 11 Members were elected from Jaffna to Parliament; today only six. Next year it may drop to five or four. Our people’s political presence has become a question. Politicians there act only to protect their own positions. If this continues, there may not be enough people even to elect one MP. We must identify the causes and take measures to rescue our people. Meanwhile, Tamils are rapidly emigrating, shrinking our population further.

¶ 09 In the past, we proudly said Jaffna produced the country’s top scholars. But over the last 10 years, Jaffna’s educational performance has declined. Yet, in the last 6–7 months, we have seen a new hope among educators and students in the North. Only the National People’s Power Government can take decisive measures to improve education there. Hon. Gajendrakumar Ponnambalam, I believe you will understand this.

¶ 10 Above all, a grave problem now is that drug mafias rule the North and intimidate people. No other politicians are coming forward to rescue the North from this. Whether they are those you support in Sajith’s camp or their associates, they have been involved in creating mafias and destructive elements since 1978.