Certain Tamil politicians making baseless statements - Jaffna District SLFP Chief Organizer

Rakshana Sriyantha

Jaffna District SLFP Chief Organizer Angajan Ramanathan yesterday said that some Tamil politicians in the North who identify themselves as the sole representatives of the Tamil community are in the habit of pointing fingers at the Government rather than working for the welfare of the people represented by them.

Ramanathan was responding to a statement made by Tamil National Alliance Parliamentarian E. Saravanabhavan on the International Refugees Day. This statement appeared in the Uthayan newspaper.

The Jaffna SLFP Chief Organizer said the allegations made by the TNA parliamentarian against the government are baseless.

Ramanathan added that TNA parliamentarian in his statement has said that Government has failed to provide a viable solution to the problems faced by Tamil people.

"The TNA MP has said that government is suppressing the peaceful protests launched by the people against the government in an aggressive manner" and this has resulted the mass exodus of Tamil people to foreign countries as refugees, he said.

Ramanathan said that some Tamil politicians in the North have been continuously criticizing the Government though the entire region has seen massive development during the past few years.

"An average citizen visiting the North region will have a better understanding on how the region has been developed by the Government in the aftermath of the War, " he said. He said the Tamil people living in the North and the East do not want to leave the country as the Government has provided all facilities to them.

"Infrastructure facilities in the North and East has been fully development and the Government has launched a number of programmes to promote livelihood activities in the region", he said.

He said the people who were resettled in their original places after the war have reiterated that they would never leave the country as their children are receiving a better education at government schools.

"The government is providing every assistance to strengthen their livelihood and they are reaping the benefits of the Government's welfare programmes", he said.

Ramanathan said President Mahinda Rajapaska and External Affairs Minister Prof G.L. Peiris have repeatedly requested the Sri Lankan Tamil community living in foreign countries to return to the country.