Premier reassures rights of minority communities

RANIL Wijayapala reporting from Polonnaruwa

PRIME MINISTER Mahinda Rajapakse yesterday reacted to the efforts by political opponents to brand his leadership as racist by reassuring Tamils and Muslims that they will be given their pride and place.

Addressing a massive public rally organised by Sri Lanka Freedom Party General Secretary and Minister Maithripala Sirisena in Polonnaruwa, the Prime Minister reacting to media reports which tried to expose the political forces behind him as anti-Muslim added that he always stood to safeguard the rights of all minority communities and will continue to do so once he become the President.

"We strongly protested the bombing of Iraq while other leaders endorsed those attacks wholeheartedly," the Premier added.

He said the Muslims in the East have strongly expressed their solidarity with his leadership as they are sure that their rights will be protected.

The Premier denied reports that prayers of Islamic devotees will be banned once he come to power with the backing of Sinhala Buddhist forces.

He said as young leader he stood for the rights of Palestinians as a President of the Palestine Sri Lanka Solidarity organisation for more than 35 years.

The Premier said those who are making those allegations without knowing the fact that those rights are preserved under Sri Lankan Constitution and human rights laws. Premier recalled that it was the SLFP and the other political parties backing him that protested once Muslims were massacred in Kattankudi.

"We have the responsibility of bringing peace to the country while protecting the rights of all communities," the Premier added.

The Premier outlined his plans how he would create job opportunities for the younger generation of the country.

"I assure them that they will be trained in the internationally accepted professions like nursing and computers rather than train them as brickmakers and barbers as stipulated in the manifesto of the UNP," he added.

He said as the Minister in charge of Vocational Training he laid a solid foundation to provide training on information technology for youth.

The Premier said that arrangements have already been made to send youth for high profile jobs in foreign countries.

He also pointed that steps have been taken to fill 33,000 vacancies in the Government sector in January next year.

The Premier also ensured that farmer community will be given a better life under his leadership after investing more funds in the agriculture sector.

"We have made plans to reduce the production cost of agricultural crops by providing fertiliser at a lower price and ensuring them with proper marketing system," the Premier added.

Rajapakse in his Manifestos out tomorrow, will introduce the "Navum Boomi" concept, in order to develop the newly identified farm-lands which will accelerate agricultural development.

The Premier pointed out that the farming community of today, is crippled by their inability to locate sufficient land. In addition to the existing paddy fields, a need has arisen for the provision of more fields for those farmers who don't possess the same. The "Navum-Boomhi" concept introduced in his manifestos will resolve this issue.

Marketing their produce for a fair and favourable price was another formidable issue. Ironically, the consumer too is deprived of purchasing rice at an affordable price.

He argued that even though the government was pumping funds to the Cooperatives for purchasing paddy, their paddy stocking capacity was limited and therefore purchasing too was limited accordingly.

The large warehouses once owned by the Paddy Marketing Board (PMB) is now in the hands of private paddy merchants.

Therefore, he said, that he would take steps to re-establish an authority to purchase the farmer's paddy, and in turn, provide a mechanism to give the consumer a better deal.

For the stabilisation of paddy prices, steps should be taken to control rice imports, especially during the harvesting season, Rajapakse opined.

The manifestos will also provide an Agro-Insurance and a Farmer-Pension scheme for the benefit of the farmer. It will also pledge to redeem the genuine farmers of their outstanding debts.

The small tanks will be re-constructed further, under the "10,000 Tanks" project, by which it is envisaged that other farm-lands too, having water deficiencies, would benefit.

Around 98 per cent of the Polonnaruwa population are paddy farmers, a great and noble profession, he said. But unfortunately they are poor, as paddy farming has failed to become a profit-making and lucrative enterprise.

To emerge out of this morass, new and modern farming technology has to be pursued. Our manifestos has considered this too in depth and given its due recognition.

The rising cost of fertiliser also has a direct impact on the harvest. Our manifesto pledges to provide 50Kgs of fertiliser at Rs.350.

The farmer should also be aware on the proper usage of fertiliser, by way of quantity and quality, in relation to the type of the soil. The cultivation of higher varieties of rice should also be considered.

Modern machinery should be utilised in the 2000 odd milling stations which are already closed or nearing closure. We envisage to provide the necessary capital and the technical know-how for the same, he said.

"I am seeking to take our country forward with the modern world, along new dimensions of development. Uplifting the living standards of our down-trodden masses living in abject poverty, will be the ultimate dividend of my efforts. Rally round me on November 17, to steer our Motherland to prosperity and an era of renaissance," Rajapakse urged.

Irrigation, Mahaweli Development and Rajarata Development Minister Maitripala Sirisena said that through the manifesto to be issued within next few days the farmers will be assured a better life under the Presidency of Rajapakse.

He also said that the SLFP will never join the UNP as urged by UNP Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe.

"Late S.W.R.D. Bandaranaike left the UNP not to join them again", he added.

"I invite Ranil Wickremsinghe to join the Sri Lanka Freedom Party after dissolving the UNP in his defeat at the Presidential election," Sirisena added.