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| Tuesday, 13 January 2004 |
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Sarvodaya leader wants J-Biz to win peoples strength by Lionel Yodhasinghe Sarvodaya leader Dr.A.T.Ariyaratne told the business community yesterday that they should fund social development projects to uplift the living standards of the poor rather than financing politicians at election campaigns. The Joint Business Forum (J-Biz) had invited members of the civil society and religious groups to obtain their views in support of the J-Biz proposed plan of action to assist resolve the current political impasse between the President and the Prime Minister at the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce, Navam Mawatha yesterday. Key speaker at the forum Dr.A.T.Ariyaratna said that street demonstrations would not serve any purpose as none cares such protests today. Businessmen can do more constructive protests rather being stooped to that level, he observed. "Businessmen should not sponsor political campaigns that lead to ruin the country. Instead, you can initiate a project to buy paddy from rural farmers at a reasonable price with that money. These is type of act will change the attitudes of the common man who can later bring pressure on politicians", Dr.Ariyaratne said. He also said that the business community in this country have not understood their social responsibility. They should realise that the smooth flow of a better society would bring a very strong impact on the business activities to enable businessmen to do their duty in return to the society, he said. One hundred business companies can get together and fund 10 small development projects in 10 villages and such an effort will yield better results rather than your effort to bring these two leaders together, he said. He also said that the entire society including the business community have been divided into various groups on petty differences and at this stage, business community should unite if they really want to raise a strong voice in order to resolve problems and protect their business ventures. The business community perturbed by newspaper reports yesterday of an early general election decided to include an additional proposal to its agenda to urge the authorities not to hold early elections. Many participants at the second meeting of the Joint Business Forum (J-Biz) wanted this proposal to be highlighted in every future activities by the J-Biz. The forum decided to summon another meeting again of the members of a cross section of the society including professionals, religious leaders, NGOs, charity organisations and other socially influential people to endorse a document of a series of proposals to be presented to the two leaders. J-Biz has already written to the President and the Prime Minister requesting a meeting with them before January 31. "So far we have not received any response either from President or from the Premier, J-Biz Chairman Mahendra Amarasuriya lamented. The earlier decision to hold a street demonstration was put off until a meeting with the two leaders one granted by January 31. Mario de Alwis of Agro Business Council said that the support of the public servants should also be canvassed. Both, businessmen and public servants could contribute immensely to keep the economy moving and they could even marginalise politicians if necessary. Another participant proposed to publicise the consequences of an early election and use peoples' power to stop the Government's move for a poll. J-Biz will summon another meeting soon to have signatures of a wider section of the society to be forwarded to the President and the Prime Minister before the end of this month urging them to arrive at a consensus to serve national interests. |
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