Govt. must intervene to protect estate workers – MONLAR

By Rathindra Kuruwita

The government had to intervene immediately and prepare the estate sector to face the COVID-19 threat, Moderator of the Movement for Land and Agricultural Reform (MONLAR) Chinthaka Rajapakshe told The Island yesterday.

Hatton and several towns had been isolated due to the spread of COVID-19, but there was little preparation in the plantations to deal with a possible outbreak, Rajapakshe said.

“We are reaching a dangerous state as a nation, but the situation on the estates is particularly bad. Estate workers live in congested line rooms, use common toilets and have low levels of education. So, if COVID-19 spreads to the estates, it will spread like wildlife. On the other hand, it virtually has no infrastructure to deal with an outbreak.”.

The MONLAR Moderator said that the state of estate hospitals was abysmal and the workers had not been educated on COVID-19. “At least, in other parts of the country, people are somehow exposed to programmes on preventing COVID-19. But that’s not the case here. That is why the government has to intervene now.”

The government must also keep an eye on how any possible lockdown would affect the estate sector workers economically. He said that the nutrition among the estate sector workers was extremely low with at least 30% of children underweight and pregnant women malnourished. External shocks like the COVID—19 would only make matters worse, Rajapakshe said.

“Therefore, we urge plantation companies and the unions to find a way to help these people during this crisis. An allowance for them to weather this storm must be given at least for the coming three months.” The MONLAR moderator said there were around 150,000 families on estates.