(-2024.04.17 – Jaffna Public Rally-)
– Says the President in Jaffna
President Anura Kumara Disanayake stated that no matter in what form racism attempts to raise its head within the country, the government of the National People’s Power (NPP) will take every possible step to defeat it.
He highlighted that, despite efforts by certain groups to incite racism and mischaracterize the government, it remains steadfast in its dedication to safeguarding the rights of individuals in both the North and the South while fostering national unity.
The President made these remarks while attending another rally under the ‘Victory is certain – the village is ours’ national rally series today (17) in Jaffna.
He reiterated that at no point will the government take action to violate the rights or heritage of people in any province. Referring to the issue surrounding the Tissa Viharaya, the President said that to resolve it, politics must be removed from the matter.
He further said that every possible step will be taken to restore Jaffna to its former state and that no room would be given to dredge up the bitter history of the war repeatedly. Instead, the focus will be on resolving the problems of the people of Jaffna and rebuilding the area through a new urban plan.
President Disanayake noted that he fully understands the pain of the parents and relatives of the disappeared, and that to heal that pain, the truth must be revealed. He assured that the government will take all necessary steps to uncover the truth.
The President further said that the people of the country united to appoint the NPP government to begin a new chapter for the nation. He emphasised that this new beginning aims to end the dark past and lead the country toward a bright future, inviting the Tamil diaspora to return to their homeland and invest in the rebuilding nation.
Addressing the rally, the President continued:
“First, I must thank you for giving the National People’s Power a historic victory from the Jaffna district at the last Parliamentary Election. In past elections, what often happened was division among the people. However, in the last general election, the Sinhala, Muslim, and Tamil people from the North, South, and East together chose the National People’s Power. Instead of being divided, the people united for the country. And now, we must never allow ourselves to be divided again. We do not want a country where we live in fear and suspicion of each other.
The aspiration of the NPP government is to build a just country where every citizen Sinhala, Tamil, Muslim has equal rights, and where we live and die together in one motherland. We have harboured hatred, fought wars, and yet we have been left with nothing but a devastated Northern Province and parents who have lost their children. We have lost friends and relatives. This happened in both the North and South. We do not want such an era again. We must put an end to it now.
Our ancestors fought wars. But for the future generations, we must build a country where there is no war, no violence, and where all live in unity. I assure you that the NPP will create such a country.
There is no place for racism in our country anymore. Racism is needed only by certain politicians. You are aware of the issue surrounding the Tissa Viharaya. I stated at the last Parliamentary Consultative Committee that it is easy to resolve the Tissa Viharaya matter if politics is removed. If the Chief Incumbent of the Tissa Viharaya, the local residents, and the Chief Incumbent of the Naga Temple come together, this issue can be resolved. Politicians are once again seeking to promote racism. As a government, we are committed to ensuring that we will never take any measures that infringe upon the rights or heritage of the people in any province. Regardless of where an archaeological artifact or historical ruins are discovered in this country, we should not view them through the lens of Sinhalese, Tamil, or Muslim identities. Instead, we ought to recognize them as part of the country’s shared heritage. We are committed to preserving and protecting these sites for future generations, regardless of ethnicity.
Although racist groups were rejected by the people, they still try to stir up conflicts based on racism. However, I assure you that no matter what form or guise it takes, the NPP government will take every step necessary to defeat racism. We need national unity. Here in Jaffna, there were traditional political leaders and large parties. Yet despite all that, you placed your trust in us. Despite all difficulties, I assure you that the trust you have placed in us will not be broken. There are issues that you expect us to resolve, and we will resolve them.
No matter how much the racist groups try to label us or protest, we will protect your rights and safeguard national unity.
First and foremost, we are taking steps to return lands occupied by the government for security reasons to their rightful owners. There is no justification to continue holding onto people’s land under the pretext of security. Every piece of land that can be released will be returned so that you can settle, cultivate, and live freely.
We are not working with the mind-set that a war will come again. We are working to prevent another war from ever occurring. That is the duty of a responsible government.
Many roads in this area were closed off during the war. We are now gradually reopening them, so you can live freely. Even in Colombo, we reopened roads that had been closed in front of the President’s House and Temple Tress. If those roads could be reopened, there is no justification for keeping roads closed here in Jaffna.
We will restore Jaffna to normalcy. We will not allow the bitter, painful history of the war to be repeatedly dredged up.
I know there is a painful issue concerning the disappeared. We are doing our utmost. If you handed over your child to a police station or military camp, then we must find out what happened to him or her. It is the responsibility of a government accountable to its people. I understand the grief of parents of the disappeared. Usually, when someone dies, there is a body, a funeral, and rituals that help ease the pain over time. But when someone disappears without a trace, that pain remains forever. I know this pain personally because my cousin too disappeared. Therefore, to heal that pain, the truth must be revealed.
This is not for revenge but for reconciliation. As a government, we are committed to this. We must not live trapped in the pain of the past. We must start a new chapter. That is why you placed your faith in us. If you wanted the old ways, you would have chosen the old parties. But you chose us for a new future. We assure you, we will build that new future without fear.
This is our country. It belongs to all of us.
Not only that, we must also systematically uplift the lives of the people. The former rulers destroyed our economy. They created a country where we couldn’t even import fuel or medicines, or repay debts.
However, now we are gradually rebuilding the economy. We are receiving support from many countries. Our ultimate aim is to rebuild this nation. And even now, we are working to ensure that the benefits of the growing economy reach the people.
Recently, I attended a District Committee Meeting here in Jaffna where we discussed proposals. We have allocated the largest provision ever set aside for construction of roads in this Province — 5,000 million rupees from this year’s budget.
Not only that, one of the darkest incidents in our history is associated with the Jaffna Library. Destroying a library tore at our hearts. Setting fire to a library represents the peak of racism. This year, we have allocated 1 billion rupees to improve the facilities of the Jaffna Library.
Furthermore, there is a large building belonging to the Municipal Council here, but it is not being utilized for any productive purpose. It is a huge building, while in our villages the houses are very small. Our Municipal Council building is quite large..We have allocated 40 million rupees for renovations to make it suitable for official use once again. These places must be developed and turned into spaces for the people.
The people of the Northern Province are also closely tied to the land. We have increased the fertilizer subsidy from 15,000 rupees to 25,000 rupees. We are also working to provide fertilizer support for vegetable and fruit cultivation. In the Northern Province, about 16,000 acres can be used for coconut cultivation. A new coconut triangle can be developed. The government must support this. We have allocated 500 million rupees for that purpose.
The government will provide coconut saplings to the farmers. We will provide coconut fertilizer. We will give financial support to clear the land and prepare it. Get ready to cultivate! Without any divisions between North, South, or East, let’s work hard together to rebuild this country.
There is also immense potential for tourism in the Northern Province. However, unlike Arugam Bay or the South, tourists do not yet come to the North in such numbers. We are strengthening the domestic air services and setting up a system for tourists who arrive in Colombo to fly to Jaffna.
We are turning Jaffna into a new tourist destination. Next year, we expect to rebuild the city of Jaffna according to a new development plan that reflects the character of old Jaffna.
Jaffna must shine as a historic city. The Urban Development Authority is already preparing the necessary plans for the reconstruction that respects their culture and history. We will allocate funds for that next year.
We are also working to resolve the drinking water issues and waste management problems faced by the people of Jaffna.
This is a government that is determined to move the country forward while treating the people of every province North, East, South equally, without any discrimination.
We also know that since 1983, a large number of Tamil people left this country. Today, they have become major businessmen and wealthy individuals around the world.
I invite all members of the Tamil diaspora to return to their ancestral land, to help rebuild their communities and their economy, and to invest as much as possible. We are inviting you to come back to Sri Lanka.
Today, this country is safe. It has become a nation free from racism. It is a country that fairly recognises the rights of everyone, a country that respects every culture. Therefore, I invite you to invest and contribute towards rebuilding this land.
This is the beginning of a new chapter, a chapter that moves away from the dark past and leads to a new future.
It is a very important political transformation. It is something that our mothers and fathers prayed for over a long period of time. In various ways, they hoped for a government like this.
Today, that government has been established a government that does not steal a single cent of the people’s money.
The old politics made this country poor. It made the people poor. But the rulers became rich.
We have put an end to that culture. Now, we invite everyone to come together, to strengthen the regional and municipal councils, and to move this programme forward.
