CWC-LTTE alliance bodes ill for plantation Tamils -Chennan

by P. Krishnaswamy

The recent Ceylon Workers' Congress (CWC) move to align with the LTTE purportedly for a common political stance with regard to the Tamil-speaking people will, in the long run, be detrimental to the interests of the plantation community, said T. V. Chennan, leader of the Ceylon Workers' Alliance (CWA), a plantation political party and TU with a large membership. Their new political strategy was a clear effort to cover up the recent allegations against the CWC leadership over certain malpractices, but it was sad that they had failed to comprehend the dire consequences this move will have on the plantation community, Chennan said.

He appreciated CWC dissident and present Deputy Minister in the Government Suresh Vadivel's, MP statement that he crossed over because the UPFA government had earmarked over Rs. 2000 million for plantation infrastructure and welfare of the plantation community.

All significant legislations relating to economic, social and political benefits for the plantation community were introduced only during the administration of the SLFP and its allies, Chennan observed, adding that it was, therefore, reasonable for anyone interested in the welfare of the community to support the UPFA government.

The first proposal for constructing independent housing units for the plantation workers was tabled by Dr.Colvin R de Silva when he was a Minister in the UF government and the Mahinda Rajapakse government is all out to implement it, he said.

Allotment of seven perches of land for each housing unit and the offer of 3000 teaching appointments in the near future to the plantation youths are other gestures of the UPFA government that should be appreciated, Chennan said.