Upcountry workers invoke blessings

Nuwara Eliya group correspondent

Upcountry plantation workers will attend Poojas today in their estate temples and other places of worship invoking blessings on President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga on her birthday.

These Poojas on account of signing of the P-TOMS by the President have ensured the tsunami victims of just and fair distribution and other concessions.

Addressing estate committee leaders including women, former MP and Ceylon Workers' Alliances (CWA) General Secretary S. Sathasivam said it was a tragedy in the history of politics in this country that reactionary elements continue to voice communalistic tendencies and thus create economic upheavals and instability in the country.

He said any right thinking person will understand that the Joint Mechanism will not divide the country, but on the contrary pave the way for understanding peace and unity among the communities.

"The disturbances were organised for political gains and nothing else," Sathasivam said.

CWA Administrative Secretary R. K. Suresh said the plantation workers should oppose the destruction of estate lands for potato cultivation.