‘Udayan trying to create wrong image of govt among Tamils’

Ridma Dissanayake and Rakshana Sriyantha

The Udayan newspaper is in a desperate attempt to prove that the government is trying to abolish the Provincial Councils. The newspaper is publishing items which create communal hatred aiming to create a wrong image about the government among the Tamils living in the Northern and Eastern Provinces.

Commenting on the Udayan newspaper's communal stance, Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) Jaffna District Chief Organizer Angajan Ramanadhan said: “I would like to emphasize that the United People’s Freedom Alliance (UPFA) government under President Mahinda Rajapaksa's leadership strongly believes in democracy and popularity. The government has granted more space for the public to engage in civil administration.

The government has established Samatha Mandala and Jana Sabha to re-establish civil administration in the North and East Provinces.” The government will not abolish Provincial Councils although it criticises shortcomings of the Provincial Councils.

The Udayan is trying to distort the truth and is trying to create an unfounded fear among the Tamils while reporting that the government will abolish the provincial councils to stop the decentralisation of power, which is totally false, he said.

Facilities have been provided to all Provincial Councils the UPFA won at the last elections. Provincial Councils provide much for the government's development and reconciliation process. The government will never abolish Provincial Councils, Ramanadhan said.

The Mahinda Chinthana future vision has clearly shown the way President Rajapaksa follows in his leadership.

The action which should be taken to ensure Tamils' political rights are also included in the Mahinda Chinthana future vision. Basic arrangements are in place to appoint the Senate Council as a solution to the ethnic conflict, he said.

The President has launched a National Language Policy to improve the language knowledge and communication between the Sinhalese and the Tamils. The government has provided facilities essential for these, including language laboratory facilities.

All these attempts are to grant equal rights and facilities for all, he added.