The Hon. Ramanathan Archchuna

¶ 01 [5.17 p.m.]

¶ 02 Hon. Presiding Member, I thank Hon. Kabir Hashim for bringing this Adjournment Motion.

¶ 03 Let me go straight to a pressing issue: the proposed wind power expansion in Mannar has become a major problem in the Northern Province. Mannar is a strategically central location. There are already 35 turbines, and they are attempting to bring equipment for 15 more. People met the President, who promised a stakeholder meeting within a month. Yet, when a Minister came to discuss, the people chased him away—this is on video. Despite this, actions continue. Where is this headed? Some speak of tourism zones, but electricity is a basic necessity. Turning Mannar into a graveyard of 45 turbines—on what basis does that bring development? The land is slowly being degraded. Think carefully—how will you develop Mannar like this? This is big politics. Even the rupee has slipped from 290 to 302 per US$ recently.

¶ 04 To the people of Mannar: reflect on whom you voted for. Do not let your land become a graveyard. If you continue putting faith in such leadership, you will see daily tragedies. Mannar is close to my heart; I will join the struggle. I appeal to all religious leaders—Muslim, Hindu, Christian—to unite to protect the land, and oppose, under the guise of development, both the wind power project as designed and the associated excavation.