Praise for President's grow more food campaign

All Sri Lankans should be happy that a Maha Govi Samuluwa for 7,000 farmers has taken place at Temple Trees where President Mahinda Rajapaksa has assured them of the continued fertilizer subsidy.

People in Sri Lanka need not bother which political party spearheads grow more food campaign, as more food means the more people will be out of hunger.

The world food prices are cartelized and food prices are regulated for economic and political reasons. To maintain economic hegemony and bring down governments, food crisis are created thereby keeping people hungry.

In fact these are crimes against humanity since every person born into this world has an inherent right to obtain food which is given by nature. In case of Sri Lanka there State leaders who were always ensured that people have their basic food. D S Senanayake and Dudley Senanayake were amongst them.

Even J R Jayewardene by accelerating the Mahaweli Scheme ensured that a large areas of paddy were brought under cultivation.

However during the period of President Chandrika Kumaratunga and two years of Ranil Wickremesinghe, paddy lands were converted to commercial lands and there was no emphasis by the State on rice cultivation.

Farmers also obtained agricultural loans swallowed pesticides and committed suicide since they could not pay their loans. Only the JVP did something useful by building 1,000 tanks as part of the Kumaratunga government.In this background it is a matter of great relief that President Rajapaksa has initiated and sustain grow more food campaign which irrespective of his politics will feed the citizens of this country.

He maintains the fertilizer subsidy for paddy and now wishes to extend it to other agricultural crops.

With fertile soil and ample water given by nature Sri Lankans can look forward to a country first where they can have their square meals and then play cricket.The President should never allow food to be used as a political weapon.

Opposition parties have a right to win peoples confidence and come to power, but they must not be allowed to thrive on human hunger for political gain. They must choose other campaigns.

P V D Leo Samson