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Jaffna poor to get land

by Jaffna special correspondent

The government will shortly organise a five-day mobile service in Jaffna to distribute 188,000 plots of land to the landless, said Lands Minister Rajitha Senaratne addressing Divisional Secretaries, Heads of government departments, and office-bearers of NGOs at the Jaffna Secretariat. He also said that a land bank will be set up and a land policy has been already drawn up.

Government Agent Jaffna K. Shanmuganathan presided.

Early in the day he opened a palmyrah products exhibition at St. John's College, Jaffna. President Palmyrah Development Board K. Sivapatham presided.

Mr. Senaratne said that he had throughout his political career been fighting for justice and equal rights for the Tamils. He had come to Jaffna in 1988 with late Mr. Vijaya Kumaratunga and met the LTTE leaders Kittu and Rahim. His advocacy of equal rights to the Tamils had enraged the communal elements in the South. As a result he became a target of a bomb attack. He has three bullets in his body as a memento given by the JVP for pursuing gentlemanly politics.

He said the Sinhalese in the South has an obligation to the Tamils. They have to accede to the Tamils the rights enjoyed by them. The forerunner to the peace process like the opening of A9 highway is sure to bring closer the Tamils and the Sinhalese who had been kept apart by communal politics, he said.

He praised the Jaffna voters for sending to parliament men like Minister Maheswaran who could smash the shafts and arrows of communal maniacs. He said he enjoys a pride of place in the party as a dauntless and unbending Tamil politician even before the indomitable might. He has an acid tongue and a ready wit and an unparalleled repartee.

Mr. Maheswaran in his speech said that he had invited the ministers to the North 'not for a picnic or one day cricket match', but for the ministers to see for themselves the devastation caused by the ethnic war and to sanction immediate relief. He asked the people to see for themselves the speedy progress of the 100-days program of the government. The Tamils are able to walk erect on any road in the country without fear of life or harassment physically or psychologically after 20 years. They should therefore strengthen the hands of the Prime Minister. 

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