Thoppigala victory hailed

National Congress:

COLOMBO: National Congress has expressed its gratitude to President Mahinda Rajapaksa for liberating the Eastern Province, exterminating terrorists and terrorism.

The region was merged to the Northern Province in the year 1987 by the then United National Party regime, without any concern to the aspirations of the Sinhalese, Tamils and Muslims who live there, says a message sent by Minister of Water Supply and Drainage and National Congress leader A.L.M. Athaullah.

“I am happy to remind my prolonged political stand of demerging the East from the North to function as a separate province that would ensure the well-being of the people of all three communities living there.

I have been solitarily vociferous for a long time in expressing my stand in and out of the Parliament and at the meetings of the All Party Representatives Committee chaired by You.”

“I am glad that Your untiring and genuine efforts to make the Eastern Province function as a separate administrative entity have paved the way for the Sinhala, Tamil and Muslim communities of the Eastern Province to live in peace and harmony.

As a native of the Eastern Province, I take this opportunity to express my sincere appreciation and gratitude for your courageous steps in this regard, on behalf of the people in the East, the message said.