The Hon. (Dr.) V.S. Radhakrishnan

¶ 01 Hon. Deputy Chairperson, I wish to raise a few matters.

¶ 02 A new government is in office and the Independence Day on the 4th was held with reduced costs—good. Yet, after 1948, the first community victimized was the Indian-origin estate workers through the Citizenship Act, rendering them stateless; only after 1988 were changes made to restore their rights.

¶ 03 Compared with other communities, we in the estates lag about 30 years—our education levels and employment opportunities are low, and we remain backward. Sri Lanka, once second in the world economy in 1948, is now bankrupt. To revive, we must work together. The NPP is now in power, and it bears responsibility to address our people’s grievances.

¶ 04 A key issue is wages. Estate workers now get Rs. 1,700 per day. With recent price hikes of rice, wheat flour, coconut, salt, etc., they suffer. You must raise their wages, as promised—to Rs. 2,000 per day.

¶ 05 Next is housing. Successive governments promised individual houses and 10 perches of land each. We need land rights. The government proposes high-rise housing, but that is unsuitable for the hill country due to frequent landslides. Build high-rises in Jaffna, Colombo, or Batticaloa—flat terrain. In the hills, give each family 10 perches and implement individual housing.

¶ 06 In April 2024, this House held a full-day debate on hill-country issues, moved by Hon. Mano Ganesan and seconded by Hon. Anura Kumara Dissanayake, then an MP. We are not asking for anything new—now he has the opportunity as President. He has the people’s mandate and a two-thirds majority in this House. Use that to deliver—particularly with incoming international support from China, India, and the World Bank.

¶ 07 The formerly separate Plantation and Community Infrastructure Ministries are now under one, led by Hon. Samantha Viddyarathna with Deputy Minister Hon. Sundaralingam Pradeep—both from plantation areas (Badulla and Ratnapura). They must resolve hill-country issues.

¶ 08 Let me put it this way: during courtship many promises are made; after marriage, they are forgotten. Similarly, you made promises—now, after “marriage,” fulfil them. You are in your honeymoon; we will give you ten months. If by then you don’t “deliver,” we will seek a “divorce.” Please consider the people. Discuss with the Minister; even MP Digambaram raised the weakness of local structures. If needed, let’s debate separately and fix them.

¶ 09 Also, provide relief to farmers in our areas—the yam farmer has the same rights as the paddy farmer. Allow people to at least afford sambol, porridge, and salt. That is all.