Get-together to achieve peace - Social Services Minister

Nadira Gunatilleke

The LTTE which preys upon the Tamil people is not at all worried about the well-being of the people and is repeatedly subjecting them to immense sufferings, never allowing them to raise their heads. This barbaric force is with the belief that they could exist in such situation, Social Services and Social Welfare Minister Douglas Devananda said.

While taking part in several development activities, social welfare programmes and social services in Jaffna, Minister Devananda said that when he examined the reported cases of missing persons in Jaffna what he observed was that almost all those missing persons were from very poor families and he was suspicious that the LTTEers were making use of them for criminal activities.

"I request from all those who gathered here not to be cats-paws of destructive forces", he added.

The Minister said that the Eelam People's Democratic Party (EPDP) put forward a set of proposals that would be practically successful to be implemented in three stages for resolving the problems of the Tamil speaking people and the present Government having realised its practicability and efficiency has now initiated the first stage of the proposals.

In the journey for solving the problems of Tamil speaking people needs to begin with the Provincial Council System.

Until a conducive environment comes into being for holding a Provincial Council Election in the North, the Special Task Committee appointed by President Mahinda Rajapaksa will carry out the functions of the Provincial Council, the Minister added.

Minister Devananda pointed out that having well comprehended the realities, a concerted effort needed to be made to make use of the Provincial Council system.

"Our people cannot be kept in hunger until permanent peace dawns and till then the Provincial Council will be given political leadership and re-activated to enable the people to attend to their day-to-day activities.

Minister Devananda stressed that the sounds of shelling and guns heard in Jaffna signal danger and doom but these ominous sounds are to be silenced for ever soon. It is necessary that we all need to get-together and cry for peace, only then much needed peace to this island of ours will dawn.

Minister Devananda explained the importance of Hindu Temples being involved in people friendly activities that would prove beneficial to the public and at the same time trying their utmost to engage in activities that would usher-in peace and harmony to Sri Lanka.

When taking into consideration the present situation of the country many progressive activities could be undertaken by the Hindu Temples for the common good of the public. Such institutions could contribute immensely to bring about solace to the suffering minds of the people.