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

¶ 01 Only one of them is here.

¶ 02 Hon. Presiding Member, the Motion brought by the Opposition today has become meaningless. They spoke about various issues of the past. As the Minister responsible for Fisheries, I must first state that our fishers must go to sea and their boats need kerosene. We have managed all fisheries-related activities properly. We have taken appropriate measures to provide sufficient fuel for all fishers to go to sea and carry out their livelihood without any difficulty.

¶ 03 Whether you take the North or the whole country, it is paddy harvesting time; farmers need extra kerosene and petrol. Our Agriculture Minister has clearly stated that steps have been taken to provide the necessary fuel with priority for all such activities. Our Government has clearly taken the necessary measures to supply fuel for all essential activities. Therefore, there is no need for any unrest among the people. The Opposition, however, is in turmoil and keeps pointing to past issues.

¶ 04 We all know what happened in 2022. It was nothing but the collective plunder by those representing the current Opposition. They looted the country’s resources and filled their own pockets. They stole tsunami relief funds and filled their bags. During major floods and landslides, too, they stole and became moneybags. The collective plunder by them has led to a 76-year curse. Because of that, the ‘era of queues’ arose in 2022. The culprits were none other than the then rulers who cleaned out and looted the country, plunging it into crisis.

¶ 05 Today’s crisis is due to war. This war was not started by us or by our people. It has become a global crisis beyond all else. Therefore, the Opposition must first understand the Motion they brought. Specifically, today’s crisis is due to the war among the United States, Israel and Iran. This is not a crisis only for us; the whole world is anxious. Countries everywhere face fuel shortages. Many nations have imposed various internal controls. Even developed European and other countries face such problems.

¶ 06 Hon. Members, in 2022 our country was officially declared bankrupt when it was handed over to us. Yet, the collapsed economy has now risen. GDP has increased by 5 percent. The industrial sector has grown by 7.8 percent, and the services sector by 3.3 percent. Agriculture has also increased. Fisheries earnings, which were USD 285 million earlier, have reached USD 300 million this year. We are all happy about that. A ruined country is being rebuilt step by step.

¶ 07 As we rebuild, the Opposition has run out of options and is in a pitiable state. That is why they bring such Postponement Motions. The Member who moved today’s Motion is not in the Chamber now. Tomorrow, we might have to search the list of missing persons to find his name.

¶ 08 Let me state this clearly: our Government is managing the current problems well. Because of that, the world is praising our Government today. Some Muslim Members here rise like warriors when Muslim issues come up. But during the Rajapaksa regime, when Muslims were beaten and driven away, when they were forced to live as subjugated people, when mosques and villages were set on fire, these Members were silent. Some of them were Ministers. Where did Muslims seek refuge to save their lives? It was none other than our party offices. That is why, from then until now, we have been voicing the rights of the Muslim people.

¶ 09 When an Iranian naval vessel approached our maritime zone, all of you know it. At that time, no one spoke; all were silent. Rauff Hakeem uttered a blatant lie—I did not expect that from him. Our Foreign Minister, Hon. Wijitha Herath, gave him an apt reply. It shows they have nothing else to say except to act with malice against the Government and work against it, instead of engaging in any constructive activity.

¶ 10 Hon. Presiding Member, it is true the whole country is affected today, and the whole world is affected by war. The expectation of people worldwide, including Sri Lanka, is that the world should recover from war and become a land of peace. To improve the lives of those affected by the war and to restore normalcy, the Government is making every possible effort with dedication. We can clearly see that the destructive Opposition is taking steps that hinder this dedicated journey. Whatever others may say, as the saying goes, “Let the admirers admire and the slanderers slander; let our path be straight.” Even amid the present crisis, our Government is taking measures to prevent harm to the people and to rescue them, moving in the right direction. With that, I conclude. Thank you.