Features
Thondaman says he’ll throw his weight behind Ranil
By Saman Indrajith
CWC leader and Water Supply and Estate Infrastructure Minister Jeevan Thondaman says that if President Ranil Wickremesinghe decides to run in the upcoming Presidential polls, the plantation workers would overwhelmingly vote for him. This would be a gesture of gratitude for his granting them landownership rights, which is considered the most significant advancement and acknowledgment the estate Tamils have experienced in the past 200 years.
“Not only that they know that it was under his premiership in 2003, that 300,000 estate Tamils got their citizenship. As such he will be able to clean sweep all estate Tamil votes in a presidential poll,” Thondaman said in an interview with the Sunday Island last Wednesday.
Excerpts:
Q: This year, Thaipongal celebrations concluded with social media campaigns vilifying you for bringing down four prominent South Indian actresses Aishwarya Rajesh, Aishwarya Dutta, Samyuktha Menon, and Meenakshi (Pinky) Sarkar. There were accusations of spending money on Indian actresses while estate Tamils were starving. Your comment?
A: The Thaipongal festival holds significant cultural importance in Sri Lanka, particularly for the Tamil community. It marks a celebration of the harvest season and symbolizes new beginnings. Our aim in organizing the festival was to spread joy and foster a positive mindset among the people.
The event featured the participation of four Indian actresses, known to the Tamil audience through their work in movies. One of these actresses had come from a difficult background. Upcountry youth have an interest in the film industry, so we organized four workshops on film-making, engaging around 100 young individuals. During these sessions, the actresses shared their life stories, providing inspiration and guidance.
Our decision to host the National Pongal festival in Hatton, away from Colombo, was intentional. We sought to shine a spotlight on the upcountry Tamils, acknowledging their significance beyond the tea-plucking stereotype. Despite our genuine efforts, criticism surfaced on social media in three languages, from individuals who had not attended the event. However, those present at the festival were happy.
Contrary to the criticism, the national Pongal festival received extensive media coverage not only in India but also globally. This served to showcase Sri Lanka as an inclusive country, challenging the negative narrative that often surrounds it. The event exemplified the government’s commitment to promoting inclusiveness and projecting a positive image of the nation.
Addressing concerns about celebrating during times of hardship, it is essential to note that festivals took place even in the preceding year when people faced difficulties. Harsh criticism seems to be disproportionately directed towards upcountry Tamils. Last year, the Naam 200 festival, commemorating the upcountry Tamils’ 200 years of service to the country, received significant attention and participation, including dignitaries from India.
Both the national Pongal festival and the Naam 200 event were executed with minimal state funds. Criticism arises from a perceived double standard, especially when compared to other events that receive substantial government funding without facing a similar backlash.
This charge of hosting actresses reveals a skewed perspective. Those who attended, including government officials, did not perceive any wrongdoing. The criticism seems to have come from those who were not there. It is worth noting that the actresses volunteered their participation, with their expenses covered by private sponsors, not the government.
In emphasizing the government’s commitment to addressing the housing issues of upcountry families, a cabinet paper was passed in November of the previous year, allocating significant funds for landownership rights. While acknowledging the hardships people endure, it is unfair to deny them moments of happiness.
There are apparent double standards on instances of public spending on events. The Galle Literary Festival did not face comparable criticism. The national Pongal festival utilized a mere 500,000 rupees of state funds, with the remaining 4.5 million rupees sourced from private donors and well-wishers.
It is crucial to highlight that the actresses attended as a personal favor, with no government funds utilized for their participation. Their airfare and expenses were covered by private sponsors, and they did not charge appearance fees. The festival, while facing unwarranted criticism, stands as a testament to our commitment to inclusivity and the well-being of all Sri Lankan citizens. So, I do not apologize for this.
Q: There was criticism by animal rights activists about cruelty inflicted on bulls in Jallikattu games played at this year’s Thai Pongal festival. How would you respond to this?
A: Governor Senthil Thondaman had his Pongal festival in the East. It got a lot of publicity. If you have a question relating to an event there, it should be directed to the Governor. Thai Pongal festival is amalgamation of many different cultural events within the Tamil spectrum. There were Thai Pongal festivals in Badulla and Colombo. Each of these festivals had different events.
Q: This is an election year, with political party alliances being formed regularly. Hardly a day passes without news of the creation of new alliances or new parties entering the electoral arena. What about the CWC? Is the CWC also actively participating in these talks to form alliances?”
A: The current political situation is very interesting. If you look at the current Parliament, there is no such thing as party loyalty anymore. Nobody knows which MP is supporting which party.
Despite differing stances on supporting the President, there is a consensus that he successfully guided the country out of an economic crisis, a feat deserving more recognition. This achievement is particularly noteworthy when compared to the global scenario. For example, Pakistan went into an economic crisis at the same time we did. Along with the economic crisis came a political crisis. They have still not been able to come out of it.
Bangladesh which has given us a loan earlier, when we went into economic crisis, is facing an economic crisis right now. Even in India there is an unemployment issue though in terms of economy they are quite strong. All countries in the region are experiencing difficult times.
When I was in London recently, I had interactions with members of the House of Commons. They revealed their admiration for Sri Lanka’s ability to rebound economically. The country achieved a notable reduction in inflation, surpassing the efforts of England, which struggled to achieve similar results by attempting to halve their inflation rate.
In terms of politics, my allegiance is to this country. As such my allegiance is with the person who saved this country. So far, he has delivered on whatever he promised. He put this country on the road to recovery as he had promised. The President initiated a housing program for estate Tamils, beginning with the construction of 10,000 houses.
The most significant accomplishment for the upcountry Tamil community was the attainment of landownership rights, a promise delivered by the President. He has allocated approximately 10 billion rupees for 89 divisional secretariats for this purpose.
In 2003, Ranil Wickremesinghe as the Prime Minister enabled 300,000 estate Tamils to get citizenship, and educational initiatives, including the establishment of schools and the Sri Pada National College of Education in Kotagama, to train teachers for plantation schools.
We have come this far; we still have a long way to go. We prefer to go under his leadership.
To go that long way, we must look at two things – one is the right to ownership of lands, which put an end to the plantation companies’ mentality that the workers could live on their lands only if they work for them. Today the estate workers can build their own toilets which they could not have done earlier without permission from the plantation companies.
Land ownership rights are the catalyst for change. If we see the global examples of any marginalized community of people, it is only after land ownership rights are given, that inclusivity starts working. That social inclusion factors in economic upliftment. Second is the wage issue. I am happy that the President shares my view in this regard. We must move for a system change and to see the end of this daily wage system for the estate workers.
Companies are not agreeable to wage increases though they have made profits during the past two years. We are summoning the wages board within a month. We are hopeful that there will be a solution which would be between Rs 1,500 to Rs 1,700 increase of daily wage for every estate worker. That is only a temporary solution, we are working towards a permanent solution.
Q: So, are you promising the upcountry votes to President Wickremeisnghe in case he would be contesting the upcoming presidential elections?
A: I prefer to say that I am not only able to deliver him the upcountry votes but also votes from across the country. As I am the water supply minister, we have given 100,000 new water connections to people all over the country. We came up with a water tariff formula to make the Water Board a sustainable entity. We are working on rural drinking water projects which will ensure 50 percent of the population gain access to water. Right now, we have connections to only 11 percent.
Delivering votes is not my primary concern. It is my secondary concern. My primary concern is delivering what we promised to people. We have delivered on our promises of houses, land rights, education for children with smart classrooms.
Q: It is often stated that India and Sri Lanka share an umbilical cord relationship. There are highs and lows in this relationship. Your community’s welfare has been India’s continuous concerns. Would you like to comment on status quo of India – Sri Lanka relationship in the backdrop of China and US concerns and the Maldives and India having a diplomatic row?
A: There had been a past of us Sri Lankans having an adverse mentality towards India. That was simply because of the past and the war that had Indian influence and interference. India currently under Prime Minister Modi has a neighbourhood first policy which helps our two countries to rebuild our relationships.
The relationship between our two countries goes back thousands of years, much before our relationships with the US and China. It is during the past 50 years that everything deteriorated. Now it’s time to rebuild. India is geographically and culturally our closest ally. India in the past 75 years received close to 953 billion US dollars of foreign directed investments. Out of this, nearly half has come during the last 10 years.
Sri Lanka being the closest neighbour, we can formulate our economic policies in line with geopolitical and regional strategy and we would be able to attract such FDIs. If we got even one percent of that amount, we would not have been in an economic crisis. In improving our bilateral relations, former Indian High Commissioner Gopal Bagley put in much effort to rebuild our ties. Despite the pandemic, economic crisis, and other problems we had, he was able to bring our relationship to new heights.
Right now, in the global arena, India is a superpower. If we are not going to utilize that for our benefit, we would be left behind. Incumbent High Commissioner Santosh Jha with his previous experience of working here, is well aware of dynamics here. I think he would do a phenomenal job.
Q: Is there anything further you want to tell our readers?
A: Though there are many narratives being circulated within our polity. Something that cannot be denied and must be acknowledged is the President has managed to pass difficult period. He was able to bring the country out of the mess it was in. Though we all inherited the problem, we must all understand that people are also part of this problem. In past years we reveled in populist economic policies.
We were okay with political appointments; we were okay with public money being wasted. We did not realize that we too contributed for the economic mess we are in. Now we have a chance to move forward. We have moved out of the crisis but there is a hard road ahead with many other difficulties such as taxes, high prices of goods etc. However hard we must all go forward together. We need consistency for at least the next 10 years to overcome our problems.
One of the issues I have noticed is the lack of voter awareness of realities. If we vote with our emotions and not with our logic, then we would be taking our country backward.
by Dr Gotabhya Ranasinghe
Senior Consultant Cardiologist
National Hospital Sri Lanka
When we sought a meeting with Hon Dr. Ramesh Pathirana, Minister of Health, he graciously cleared his busy schedule to accommodate us. Renowned for his attentive listening and deep understanding, Minister Pathirana is dedicated to advancing the health sector. His openness and transparency exemplify the qualities of an exemplary politician and minister.
Dr. Palitha Mahipala, the current Health Secretary, demonstrates both commendable enthusiasm and unwavering support. This combination of attributes makes him a highly compatible colleague for the esteemed Minister of Health.
Our discussion centered on a project that has been in the works for the past 30 years, one that no other minister had managed to advance.
Minister Pathirana, however, recognized the project’s significance and its potential to revolutionize care for heart patients.
The project involves the construction of a state-of-the-art facility at the premises of the National Hospital Colombo. The project’s location within the premises of the National Hospital underscores its importance and relevance to the healthcare infrastructure of the nation.
This facility will include a cardiology building and a tertiary care center, equipped with the latest technology to handle and treat all types of heart-related conditions and surgeries.
Securing funding was a major milestone for this initiative. Minister Pathirana successfully obtained approval for a $40 billion loan from the Asian Development Bank. With the funding in place, the foundation stone is scheduled to be laid in September this year, and construction will begin in January 2025.
This project guarantees a consistent and uninterrupted supply of stents and related medications for heart patients. As a result, patients will have timely access to essential medical supplies during their treatment and recovery. By securing these critical resources, the project aims to enhance patient outcomes, minimize treatment delays, and maintain the highest standards of cardiac care.
Upon its fruition, this monumental building will serve as a beacon of hope and healing, symbolizing the unwavering dedication to improving patient outcomes and fostering a healthier society.We anticipate a future marked by significant progress and positive outcomes in Sri Lanka’s cardiovascular treatment landscape within the foreseeable timeframe.
by Fr. Emmanuel Fernando, OMI
Jesuit Fr. Aloysius Pieris (affectionately called Fr. Aloy) celebrated his 90th birthday on April 9, 2024 and I, as the editor of our Oblate Journal, THE MISSIONARY OBLATE had gone to press by that time. Immediately I decided to publish an article, appreciating the untiring selfless services he continues to offer for inter-Faith dialogue, the renewal of the Catholic Church, his concern for the poor and the suffering Sri Lankan masses and to me, the present writer.
It was in 1988, when I was appointed Director of the Oblate Scholastics at Ampitiya by the then Oblate Provincial Fr. Anselm Silva, that I came to know Fr. Aloy more closely. Knowing well his expertise in matters spiritual, theological, Indological and pastoral, and with the collaborative spirit of my companion-formators, our Oblate Scholastics were sent to Tulana, the Research and Encounter Centre, Kelaniya, of which he is the Founder-Director, for ‘exposure-programmes’ on matters spiritual, biblical, theological and pastoral. Some of these dimensions according to my view and that of my companion-formators, were not available at the National Seminary, Ampitiya.
Ever since that time, our Oblate formators/ accompaniers at the Oblate Scholasticate, Ampitiya , have continued to send our Oblate Scholastics to Tulana Centre for deepening their insights and convictions regarding matters needed to serve the people in today’s context. Fr. Aloy also had tried very enthusiastically with the Oblate team headed by Frs. Oswald Firth and Clement Waidyasekara to begin a Theologate, directed by the Religious Congregations in Sri Lanka, for the contextual formation/ accompaniment of their members. It should very well be a desired goal of the Leaders / Provincials of the Religious Congregations.
Besides being a formator/accompanier at the Oblate Scholasticate, I was entrusted also with the task of editing and publishing our Oblate journal, ‘The Missionary Oblate’. To maintain the quality of the journal I continue to depend on Fr. Aloy for his thought-provoking and stimulating articles on Biblical Spirituality, Biblical Theology and Ecclesiology. I am very grateful to him for his generous assistance. Of late, his writings on renewal of the Church, initiated by Pope St. John XX111 and continued by Pope Francis through the Synodal path, published in our Oblate journal, enable our readers to focus their attention also on the needed renewal in the Catholic Church in Sri Lanka. Fr. Aloy appreciated very much the Synodal path adopted by the Jesuit Pope Francis for the renewal of the Church, rooted very much on prayerful discernment. In my Religious and presbyteral life, Fr.Aloy continues to be my spiritual animator / guide and ongoing formator / acccompanier.
Fr. Aloysius Pieris, BA Hons (Lond), LPh (SHC, India), STL (PFT, Naples), PhD (SLU/VC), ThD (Tilburg), D.Ltt (KU), has been one of the eminent Asian theologians well recognized internationally and one who has lectured and held visiting chairs in many universities both in the West and in the East. Many members of Religious Congregations from Asian countries have benefited from his lectures and guidance in the East Asian Pastoral Institute (EAPI) in Manila, Philippines. He had been a Theologian consulted by the Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conferences for many years. During his professorship at the Gregorian University in Rome, he was called to be a member of a special group of advisers on other religions consulted by Pope Paul VI.
Fr. Aloy is the author of more than 30 books and well over 500 Research Papers. Some of his books and articles have been translated and published in several countries. Among those books, one can find the following: 1) The Genesis of an Asian Theology of Liberation (An Autobiographical Excursus on the Art of Theologising in Asia, 2) An Asian Theology of Liberation, 3) Providential Timeliness of Vatican 11 (a long-overdue halt to a scandalous millennium, 4) Give Vatican 11 a chance, 5) Leadership in the Church, 6) Relishing our faith in working for justice (Themes for study and discussion), 7) A Message meant mainly, not exclusively for Jesuits (Background information necessary for helping Francis renew the Church), 8) Lent in Lanka (Reflections and Resolutions, 9) Love meets wisdom (A Christian Experience of Buddhism, 10) Fire and Water 11) God’s Reign for God’s poor, 12) Our Unhiddden Agenda (How we Jesuits work, pray and form our men). He is also the Editor of two journals, Vagdevi, Journal of Religious Reflection and Dialogue, New Series.
Fr. Aloy has a BA in Pali and Sanskrit from the University of London and a Ph.D in Buddhist Philosophy from the University of Sri Lankan, Vidyodaya Campus. On Nov. 23, 2019, he was awarded the prestigious honorary Doctorate of Literature (D.Litt) by the Chancellor of the University of Kelaniya, the Most Venerable Welamitiyawe Dharmakirthi Sri Kusala Dhamma Thera.
Fr. Aloy continues to be a promoter of Gospel values and virtues. Justice as a constitutive dimension of love and social concern for the downtrodden masses are very much noted in his life and work. He had very much appreciated the commitment of the late Fr. Joseph (Joe) Fernando, the National Director of the Social and Economic Centre (SEDEC) for the poor.
In Sri Lanka, a few religious Congregations – the Good Shepherd Sisters, the Christian Brothers, the Marist Brothers and the Oblates – have invited him to animate their members especially during their Provincial Congresses, Chapters and International Conferences. The mainline Christian Churches also have sought his advice and followed his seminars. I, for one, regret very much, that the Sri Lankan authorities of the Catholic Church –today’s Hierarchy—- have not sought Fr.
Aloy’s expertise for the renewal of the Catholic Church in Sri Lanka and thus have not benefited from the immense store of wisdom and insight that he can offer to our local Church while the Sri Lankan bishops who governed the Catholic church in the immediate aftermath of the Second Vatican Council (Edmund Fernando OMI, Anthony de Saram, Leo Nanayakkara OSB, Frank Marcus Fernando, Paul Perera,) visited him and consulted him on many matters. Among the Tamil Bishops, Bishop Rayappu Joseph was keeping close contact with him and Bishop J. Deogupillai hosted him and his team visiting him after the horrible Black July massacre of Tamils.
Sri Lanka-Singapore Free Trade Agreement
By Gomi Senadhira
senadhiragomi@gmail.com
“You might tell fairy tales, but the progress of a country cannot be achieved through such narratives. A country cannot be developed by making false promises. The country moved backward because of the electoral promises made by political parties throughout time. We have witnessed that the ultimate result of this is the country becoming bankrupt. Unfortunately, many segments of the population have not come to realize this yet.” – President Ranil Wickremesinghe, 2024 Budget speech
Any Sri Lankan would agree with the above words of President Wickremesinghe on the false promises our politicians and officials make and the fairy tales they narrate which bankrupted this country. So, to understand this, let’s look at one such fairy tale with lots of false promises; Ranil Wickremesinghe’s greatest achievement in the area of international trade and investment promotion during the Yahapalana period, Sri Lanka-Singapore Free Trade Agreement (SLSFTA).
It is appropriate and timely to do it now as Finance Minister Wickremesinghe has just presented to parliament a bill on the National Policy on Economic Transformation which includes the establishment of an Office for International Trade and the Sri Lanka Institute of Economics and International Trade.
Was SLSFTA a “Cleverly negotiated Free Trade Agreement” as stated by the (former) Minister of Development Strategies and International Trade Malik Samarawickrama during the Parliamentary Debate on the SLSFTA in July 2018, or a colossal blunder covered up with lies, false promises, and fairy tales? After SLSFTA was signed there were a number of fairy tales published on this agreement by the Ministry of Development Strategies and International, Institute of Policy Studies, and others.
However, for this article, I would like to limit my comments to the speech by Minister Samarawickrama during the Parliamentary Debate, and the two most important areas in the agreement which were covered up with lies, fairy tales, and false promises, namely: revenue loss for Sri Lanka and Investment from Singapore. On the other important area, “Waste products dumping” I do not want to comment here as I have written extensively on the issue.
1. The revenue loss
During the Parliamentary Debate in July 2018, Minister Samarawickrama stated “…. let me reiterate that this FTA with Singapore has been very cleverly negotiated by us…. The liberalisation programme under this FTA has been carefully designed to have the least impact on domestic industry and revenue collection. We have included all revenue sensitive items in the negative list of items which will not be subject to removal of tariff. Therefore, 97.8% revenue from Customs duty is protected. Our tariff liberalisation will take place over a period of 12-15 years! In fact, the revenue earned through tariffs on goods imported from Singapore last year was Rs. 35 billion.
The revenue loss for over the next 15 years due to the FTA is only Rs. 733 million– which when annualised, on average, is just Rs. 51 million. That is just 0.14% per year! So anyone who claims the Singapore FTA causes revenue loss to the Government cannot do basic arithmetic! Mr. Speaker, in conclusion, I call on my fellow members of this House – don’t mislead the public with baseless criticism that is not grounded in facts. Don’t look at petty politics and use these issues for your own political survival.”
I was surprised to read the minister’s speech because an article published in January 2018 in “The Straits Times“, based on information released by the Singaporean Negotiators stated, “…. With the FTA, tariff savings for Singapore exports are estimated to hit $10 million annually“.
As the annual tariff savings (that is the revenue loss for Sri Lanka) calculated by the Singaporean Negotiators, Singaporean $ 10 million (Sri Lankan rupees 1,200 million in 2018) was way above the rupees’ 733 million revenue loss for 15 years estimated by the Sri Lankan negotiators, it was clear to any observer that one of the parties to the agreement had not done the basic arithmetic!
Six years later, according to a report published by “The Morning” newspaper, speaking at the Committee on Public Finance (COPF) on 7th May 2024, Mr Samarawickrama’s chief trade negotiator K.J. Weerasinghehad had admitted “…. that forecasted revenue loss for the Government of Sri Lanka through the Singapore FTA is Rs. 450 million in 2023 and Rs. 1.3 billion in 2024.”
If these numbers are correct, as tariff liberalisation under the SLSFTA has just started, we will pass Rs 2 billion very soon. Then, the question is how Sri Lanka’s trade negotiators made such a colossal blunder. Didn’t they do their basic arithmetic? If they didn’t know how to do basic arithmetic they should have at least done their basic readings. For example, the headline of the article published in The Straits Times in January 2018 was “Singapore, Sri Lanka sign FTA, annual savings of $10m expected”.
Anyway, as Sri Lanka’s chief negotiator reiterated at the COPF meeting that “…. since 99% of the tariffs in Singapore have zero rates of duty, Sri Lanka has agreed on 80% tariff liberalisation over a period of 15 years while expecting Singapore investments to address the imbalance in trade,” let’s turn towards investment.
Investment from Singapore
In July 2018, speaking during the Parliamentary Debate on the FTA this is what Minister Malik Samarawickrama stated on investment from Singapore, “Already, thanks to this FTA, in just the past two-and-a-half months since the agreement came into effect we have received a proposal from Singapore for investment amounting to $ 14.8 billion in an oil refinery for export of petroleum products. In addition, we have proposals for a steel manufacturing plant for exports ($ 1 billion investment), flour milling plant ($ 50 million), sugar refinery ($ 200 million). This adds up to more than $ 16.05 billion in the pipeline on these projects alone.
And all of these projects will create thousands of more jobs for our people. In principle approval has already been granted by the BOI and the investors are awaiting the release of land the environmental approvals to commence the project.
I request the Opposition and those with vested interests to change their narrow-minded thinking and join us to develop our country. We must always look at what is best for the whole community, not just the few who may oppose. We owe it to our people to courageously take decisions that will change their lives for the better.”
According to the media report I quoted earlier, speaking at the Committee on Public Finance (COPF) Chief Negotiator Weerasinghe has admitted that Sri Lanka was not happy with overall Singapore investments that have come in the past few years in return for the trade liberalisation under the Singapore-Sri Lanka Free Trade Agreement. He has added that between 2021 and 2023 the total investment from Singapore had been around $162 million!
What happened to those projects worth $16 billion negotiated, thanks to the SLSFTA, in just the two-and-a-half months after the agreement came into effect and approved by the BOI? I do not know about the steel manufacturing plant for exports ($ 1 billion investment), flour milling plant ($ 50 million) and sugar refinery ($ 200 million).
However, story of the multibillion-dollar investment in the Petroleum Refinery unfolded in a manner that would qualify it as the best fairy tale with false promises presented by our politicians and the officials, prior to 2019 elections.
Though many Sri Lankans got to know, through the media which repeatedly highlighted a plethora of issues surrounding the project and the questionable credentials of the Singaporean investor, the construction work on the Mirrijiwela Oil Refinery along with the cement factory began on the24th of March 2019 with a bang and Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and his ministers along with the foreign and local dignitaries laid the foundation stones.
That was few months before the 2019 Presidential elections. Inaugurating the construction work Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said the projects will create thousands of job opportunities in the area and surrounding districts.
The oil refinery, which was to be built over 200 acres of land, with the capacity to refine 200,000 barrels of crude oil per day, was to generate US$7 billion of exports and create 1,500 direct and 3,000 indirect jobs. The construction of the refinery was to be completed in 44 months. Four years later, in August 2023 the Cabinet of Ministers approved the proposal presented by President Ranil Wickremesinghe to cancel the agreement with the investors of the refinery as the project has not been implemented! Can they explain to the country how much money was wasted to produce that fairy tale?
It is obvious that the President, ministers, and officials had made huge blunders and had deliberately misled the public and the parliament on the revenue loss and potential investment from SLSFTA with fairy tales and false promises.
As the president himself said, a country cannot be developed by making false promises or with fairy tales and these false promises and fairy tales had bankrupted the country. “Unfortunately, many segments of the population have not come to realize this yet”.
(The writer, a specialist and an activist on trade and development issues . )
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