Another container load of ethanol detected

January 7, 2014

By Dasun Edirisinghe

The Customs yesterday detected, at the Orugodawatta yard, another container load of ethanol smuggled into the country in the guise of palm oil from Malaysia.

Customs spokesman and Customs Director (legal) Leslie Gamini told The Island that 80 barrels of ethanol containing 200 litres each were being investigated by the Sri Lanka Customs Revenue Task Force and its Central Investigation Division.

Gamini said that the stock of ethanol imported from the Klang Port of Malaysia was worth Rs. 3.2 million, but the Customs would have been deprived of Rs. 10 million in revenue had it been cleared.

Gamini said that two persons had already been arrested in connection with importing the container which reached the Colombo port on December 02. "It was imported under a company supposedly situated in Kotahena, but there was no such company at the given address," he said.

Gamini said that the rubber seal and signatures on documents also had been forged and falsified documents stating that they paid Rs. 1.8 million as Custom duty had been submitted.

Investigations are continuing with the detained container and the suspects, he added.

The Customs detected 10 containers of ethanol, imported illegally last year – two in April and Eight in December.

Meanwhile, the JVP accused government politicians of being behind the illegal ethano imports.

JVP Propaganda Secretary Vijitha Herath told The Island that according to the Customs Investigation Report on eight ethanol containers clearly stated that Puttalam District MP Arundika Fernando called his cousin brother, a Director of Customs, to release the containers with 74, 480 litres of Ethanol.

He said that MP Fernando also told in a newspaper interview that he knew that government politicians were backing not only the illegal import of ethanol but also drugs. "We asked him to reveal the names of those politicians," Herath said.

The Gampaha District MP said that the government should take immediate action to stop the use of political influence to clear such illegal cargo.

VIDEO: TENSE SITUATION OUTSIDE PM’S OFFICE

January 8, 2014 

A tense situation is reported near the Prime Minister’s office as the ‘Sihala Ravaya’ members attempt to forcibly enter the premises, Ada Derana reporter confirms. Police have blocked the protestors from entering the Premier’s office which resulted in the tense situation.

PROTEST AGAINST PM TURNS VIOLENT...

January 9, 2014 

A protest was held outside the office of the Prime Minister demanding that he step down from his post. The protest was held by a group of Buddhist monks led by the Sihala Ravaya and their supporters this afternoon (January 9). A tense situation occurred when the group of protesters clashed with the Police while attempting to enter the office building of the Prime Minister. (Pics by Eranga Perera)

Police crackdown on Jaffna underworld: 21-year-old leader among 13 arrested

By Shamindra Ferdinando-January 7, 2014,

Acting on information elicited from an underworld figure in the North, police arrested 12 persons in a series of raids over the past 36 hours ending 6.00 am yesterday. It was the first major operation undertaken by law enforcement agencies in the Jaffna peninsula since the conclusion of the conflict in May 2009.

The Island revealed the existence of a Jaffna underworld in a lead story headlined UPFA constituent alleges escalation of robberies, violence in Jaffna on January 2.

Jaffna based sources said the Kopay police had arrested the 21-year-old underworld leader following a complaint received from a person living at Kondavil. Sources said that the suspect had, under interrogation, revealed the identities of those collaborating with him. DIG Jaffna Rohan Dias told The Island that Kopay police had arrested ten persons including the leader of the gang. According to him the Athchuveli police had taken three more suspects into custody as the police stepped up operations in the Jaffna peninsula.

DIG Dias said that the police were determined to crack down on the Jaffna underworld.

Sources said that at least one of the gang members was believed to have fled to India before the police operations got underway. The police are also looking for a woman and five other persons for questioning over their alleged involvement with the gang.

The police squads assigned for the operation took suspects in raids conducted in Kopay, Inuvil, Chunnakam, Kondavil, Manipay, Jaffna and Athchuveli.

The police recovered 12 swords, three knuckle-dusters, two hand grenades and six motorcycles.

Sources said that the police had recovered hand phones and CDs containing pictures of some of those now in custody. One video captured a person kneeling down before the gang leader while his associates looked on.

Police ruled out the gang’s affiliation to any political party or group operating in the Jaffna peninsula.

DIG Dias said that fresh instructions had been issued to the Jaffna police to step up operations against the underworld. Responding to a query, Dias said that the people had been reluctant to contact police fearing reprisal.

Parents to protest today 

By Aisha Nazim- January 8, 2014 

Parents of students, who completed their Grade 5 Scholarship Examinations last year, are planning to protest against the reduced number of intakes to popular schools, in front of the Education Ministry, today.

Parents claim their children have been treated unjustly by the decision to restrict their opportunities to enter popular schools, despite the fact that they had received outstanding results for their performance at the examinations.
They were due to engage in the protest at 9.00 a.m. this morning, after which they will hand over an epistle to Education Minister, Bandula Gunawardena, requesting the minister to increase the number of admissions to popular schools.

"When taking the last five years into consideration, the number of admissions has decreased noticeably. Our demand is not to cut down the admissions in such a harsh manner," Ranjith Dharmapala, a parent said.

"In order to enter any popular school, a student has to score over 180 marks. Only a few get exceptionally good marks and it's a major disappointment when they are not able to get into a school that they have set their minds on," he added.

Meanwhile, Ceylon Teachers' Union (CTU) General Secretary, Joseph Stalin, echoed Dharmapala's views regarding the injustice to students. He will also participate in the protest today.

CAA seizes 47 tonnes of expired sprats 

   January 8, 2014 

The Consumer Affairs Authority (CAA) has nabbed an importer, who tried to sell expired sprats in Hendala.

They have seized 47 tonnes of expired sprats.

The sprats were packed in three containers and were ready to be released to the market at Hendala, Wattala.

Arvind Kejriwal vs Manmohan Singh: A Tale of 2 Speeches

by Sonal Bhadoria , IndiaTimes | January 3, 2014, 

 

 

Two important speeches. Two relevant politicians. And that is where the similarities end. Because Indian PM Manmohan Singh’s address to the media and Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal’s speech during the trust vote at the Delhi Assembly are so different in their context, relevance and approach, that there is absolutely no case to compare them. But compare we must. Why? Because we need to see how the past of Indian politics stacks up against the future.

First Hand Reaction

Arvind Kejriwal was too emotional.
Atleast Manmohan Singh spoke.

Interest Factor

We wanted to hear Arvind Kejriwal speak. Our video kept getting stuck, but we kept reloading, because in the first 5 minutes, it was established, he was infact talking, no like a politician, but a common man. With Manmohan Singh, after reading the first 3 paragraphs, it took great effort to keep going on. The text had a 'neta ki speech' feel throughout, and struggled to retain our attention.

READ: Manmohan Singh's opening remarks at Press Conference

WATCH: Delhi Assembly Trust Vote: Arvind Kejriwal's Emotional Speech 

Where Both Were Looking
No, we don’t mean it in the literal sense. Arvind Kejriwal did tip his hat to the Delhi public for electing his party , but he also devoted a major share of his speech outlining the issues his brand new government will be tackling. Manmohan Singh’s tenure is just nearing its end, and he even made clear that he is passing on the baton (to whom? Only Congress knows). But he mostly talked about Congress’ past achievements and acknowledged the party’s shortcomings.

Language

Manmohan Singh stuck to the age old political jargon. Seriously, terms such as 'the cycle of global economic growth', 'institutions of our democracy', 'educational landscape of our country',' committed to the objective of combating corruption', 'our Government will work ceaselessly till its last day' have been so over-used, that they have ceased to be impactful anymore..Arvind Kejriwal spoke from the heart , so much so, while listening to his speech, the recurring thought was, he is speaking our thoughts. No fancy words, simple sentences that conveyed its intended meaning and no Keats/Mirza Galib quotes that netas throw in their speeches to make them look fancy.Just a heart-felt simple speech that we could easily connect to.
Delivery
Now, Manmohan Singh has never been a great orator, but his dead pan expressions and rote delivery have drowned many good written speeches before and this time was no exception. Yes, he did launch a never before seen scathing attack on BJP’s PM candidate-Narendra Modi by holding him responsible for presiding over the mass massacre of citizens on the streets of Ahmedabad, without naming him. But you had to invent Sherlock Holmes’s detective skills to find out voice modulation, expressions and passion in his delivery, which borders on being robotic, to say the least.

 

Posted by Thavam

China blocks the Guardian, censorship-tracking website says

Some attempts to access the Guardian site in Beijing fail, but no clear reason for China's leadership to take issue with recent content-Wednesday 8 January 2014

Internet users in Beijing. Photograph: How Hwee Young/EPA

Jonathan Kaiman in Beijing

The Guardian’s website has been partially blocked in China, according to a censorship-tracking website.

The website was first blocked on Tuesday, according to the websitegreatfire.org. Numerous attempts to access the site from multiple browsers, devices and locations across Beijing failed without the aid of firewall-circumventing software. As of Wednesday afternoon local time, the Guardian’s mobile and iPad apps were still uncensored.

While users around the country have reported problems, some of those commenting below this story say they reached it without difficulty; one, using the name zangdook, said the block "comes and goes". Other users were able to access the website front page briefly but could not reload it moments later and could not reach other sections.

China's leadership is known to block websites that it deems a threat – Bloomberg and the New York Times have been blocked since 2012, when they published lengthy investigations revealing the vast wealth accumulated by the families of senior leaders. 

China’s foreign ministry brushed off a question about the block at a regular press briefing on Wednesday. "This is the first time I have heard of this,” said ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying, according to Reuters. "I don't understand the situation. You can inquire with China's relevant department."

The reasons for the Guardian block are unclear – no China-related stories published by the Guardian in the past two days would obviously be perceived as dangerous by the country's leadership. One article, published on 6 January, explores tensions in China’s ethnically-divided north-western region Xinjiang, but the Guardian has covered the subject before without any noticeable fallout.

It is also unclear whether the block is permanent or temporary. The Chinese-language versions of Reuters and the Wall Street Journal wereblocked in November, but unblocked after about a month.

A Guardian News & Media spokesperson said: "Obviously we are dismayed that theguardian.com has been blocked in China. The reason for this is currently unclear but we are investigating the extent of the block and hope that access to our website will return to normal in the very near future."

Israel: No Evidence that Boy Killed by Soldiers Posed Any Threat

Second ‘Ambush’ Killing of Child Near Schools in 2013

JANUARY 5, 2014

Twice this year, Israeli soldiers hiding near schools, apparently to make arrests, have killed children who posed no apparent threat. If the past is any guide, these boys’ families can look forward to a prolonged, opaque, and fruitless process that does not hold perpetrators to account or deliver justice.

Joe Stork, deputy Middle East and North Africa director

(Jerusalem) – No evidence has been presented by the Israeli authorities that a 15-year-old boy fatally shot in the back by Israeli soldiers near his school on December 9, 2013, posed any threat to life that would justify such a killing. It was the second incident involving the lethal shooting of a child in the back by Israeli forces deployed near a school in 2013.

Israel No Evidence That Boy Killed by Soldiers Posed Any Threat by nelvely

Russia and China Headed for an Inevitable Geopolitical Clash

Dated 02-Jan-2013
By Dr Subhash Kapila
Introductory Observations
Russia’s “Great Power Aspirations” and China’s “Chinese Dream” (euphemism for China’s bid for global power status on par with United States) inherently carry the seed of an inevitable geopolitical clash of interests.

Russia and China Headed for an Inevitable Geopolitical Clash by nelvely

Arrest of Rwanda’s Director General of National Security Service

By: Jennifer Fierberg-Jan-07-2014

The Director General of the National Security Service in Rwanda, Emmanuel Karenzi Karake has been placed under arrest in an undisclosed facility in Rwanda. Sources held in Rwanda state he was arrested due to frequent and high volume of unexplained phone traffic between him the slain Patrick Karegeya.

Lieutenant General Karenzi Karake joined the RPF in the mid 1980’s after serving in the National Resistance Army in Uganda. He fought for the RPF under President Paul Kagame during the 1994 genocide and served during peacekeeping missions in Darfur and Sudan. In February 2008, a Spanish judge indicted Karake, alleging that when he was Rwanda’s intelligence chief between 1994 and 1997 he was responsible for a series of political assassinations and massacres. Human Rights Watch claimed that forces under his command had killed civilians in 2000 while fighting Ugandan troops in the Congolese town of Kisangani. In April 2010 President Kagame announced a shake-up of the military command, and a few days later ordered the arrest of Karake, who was accused of immoral conduct.

The source further stated that all soldiers are shaken by the death of Patrick Karegeya and quite aggrieved. Civil society remains silent doesn’t want to talk about his death due to fear of the government.

The loss of Col. Karegega has opened up a myriad of questions as to how loyal President Paul Kagame’s armed forces are to him. It is a well-known fact that there is no communication in or out of Rwanda that is not monitored by the government in both civil and government society and yet this high-ranking official was able to communicate with political opposition groups on a regular basis without the knowledge of the government.

Sadly, many Government of Rwanda officials have been seen abusing the children of Patrick Karegeya on social media. Louise Mushikiwabo, Minister of Foreign Affairs, has been one of the most shocking offenders of this activity.

Investigations continue and news will be updated as information is obtained.

Medical Administration and Relief within the Vanni Pocket, January to mid-May 2009

Image from author’s blog

by Michael Roberts 

- on 01/07/2014 

Beyond Imagination in Service to Humankind: Medical Administration and Relief within the Vanni Pocket, January to mid-May 2009

Amidst the obfuscations and cumulus clouds of propaganda that have subsumed reviews of the last stages of Eelam War IV, it has taken time for some remarkable feats to emerge. The affidavit provided by Dr. Veerakanthipillai Shanmugarajah on 10th May 2012 with assistance from a British solicitor reveals astounding medical relief work by a body of doctors, nurses, attendants and administrative aides during the Tamil peoples’ enforced retreat and crucible of battle in 2009. This statement has been deployed by a collective named ENGAGE SRI LANKA in the course of its criticism of Channel Four’s video reportage and the claims of “Vany Kumar” (Gnanakumar Thamilvani in name,[1] who also presented herself under such aliases as “Damilvany” and “Vany Kumar”). As such, it is an element in the ongoing propaganda war – one which no public document can rise beyond.

However, my focus here is directed towards a larger dimension rather thanseeking to demolish the fabrications and distortions perpetuated byTamilnet, Vany Kumar and Channel Four which is the interest pressed by Engage Sri Lanka (2013 for latter). I will be focusing upon the empirical detail and the ‘lens’ provided by Shanmugarajah’s affidavit account of 10th May 2012.

I do not merely report. I marvel. I wish you, too, to marvel and applaud the dedication and capacity revealed by a substantial (and mostly unnamed) team of unsung Tamil heroes. I do so in point form with numbers identifying the segments in Dr. Shanmugarajah’s statement that provide the empirical foundation for my review. The sections highlighted in purple are contextual elaborations and contentions that embody my thoughts.  Continue Reading →

Monetary System Reforms: Sri Lanka Is To Follow The West

By Hema Senanayake - January 7, 2014

Hema Senanayake

Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL) has now made a few announcements in this New Year. Central Bank Governor Cabraal, during the Central Bank’s annual policy speech, said, “Smaller private banks with less than 100 billion rupees in assets should grow or merge during a reasonable period.”

You cannot make banks to grow artificially; they have to grow with the businesses in real economy or in “fictitious businesses” in the financial sector. In view of this what Cabraal was telling is that small banks and non-banking financial institutions must be merged or be sold out to big ones. In regard to mergers, the proposals must be submitted to CBSL by June 2014. This is the first announcement. The second announcement is an intension. It says that CBSL would consider foreign acquisitions of existing banking institutions.

In view of above two announcements, within a few years there will be no relatively small banks or non-banking financial institutions and also there will be expanded foreign presence in banking sector. Are these changes good for the country? This might be the question that we all need to find an answer.

Efficiency of any contemporary economy depends on the efficient functioning of the country’s monetary system. Hence the failure of monetary or financial system will bring down any economy no matter whether it is big or small. This was proved clearly during the Great Recession of 2008. Therefore, ensuring the efficient functioning of the country’s monetary system must be a priority in governance. This is highly important for any country because the modern monetary system is inherently fragile; due to this very reason the professional ethics of CBSL must be at its best.

Modern money, whether it is paper currency or electronic currency, is a fiat currency. Fiat currency is simply defined as any money declared by a government to be legal tender. However, most of the fiat money is produced by the banking system and not by the Central Bank or the government. This is facilitated by a core banking system known as Fractional Reserve Banking system. Though we use the fractional reserve banking system, it enhances the fragility of the monetary system.

Now, you may possibly think that the objective of the proposed changes to the monetary system by CBSL is to increase the stability of a useful but fragile monetary system. Anybody may think that this could be the objective, since Cabraal insists that “Larger financial firms with better capital buffers will be better able to withstand economic shocks.” This is an unproven mythical belief because we saw that the largest bank in assets in the U.S. had to be bailed out in 2008. Similarly, the largest bank in deposits in the U.S. was also bailed out by the government. Therefore, if this is not a reason why the CBSL proposes new structural changes in the banking sector?                                           Read More

Presidential Commission on Disappeared to commence sittings on the 18th

 Tuesday, 07 January 2014 

The Presidential Commission on Disappearances is to commence sittings with the inaugural sitting to be held in Mullaitivu and Killinochchi from the 18th till the 20th of this month.

The Commission had received 11,500 complaints on disappearances, of which 7,500 are from the Northern and Eastern Provinces.
The Commission was set up ahead of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Colombo due to pressure from the international community to probe the disappearances during the war and the government is trying to commence sittings of the Commission ahead of the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) sessions in March.

A spokesman for the commission has been quoted in the media as saying it would work closely with the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) during the process of investigations and will launch its website and reference numbers, and letters of acknowledgement will be issued to those who had lodged complaints.

Calls for demilitarisation in North-East are 'redundant' - National Freedom Front
06 January 2014

A member from the Sri Lankan National Freedom Front (NFF) party, a constituent of the ruling United People's Freedom Alliance (UPFA) coalition, today stated that heightening calls to remove army camps from the North-East were ‘redundant.’

Piyasiri Wijenyaka, a key figure in the NFF, further claimed that the Northern Provincial Council Chief Minister’s continuous attempts to highlight the need to demilitarise the North-East were  only fulfilling the needs of the diaspora. 

“The Chief Minister went to Jaffna from Colombo and he did not even feel the war. It was the people in the North that lived through it. The Chief Minister should do the job he was elected for and not look into matters that do not concern him.”

“It was during the war and because of the LTTE that the number of army camps in the North increased,” he said.

The North-East electorate, last year, voted in the Northern Provincial Chief Minister, CV Wigneswaran, on a mandate that stressed the immediate need for reduced militarisation of the North-East that ‘resulted in the return to the pre-war situation as it existed in 1983 before the commencement of hostilities.'

TNA calls for merged N-E based on a federal structure (04 September 2013)

SRI LANKA WILL ALWAYS SUPPORT PALESTINE’S CAUSE – RAJAPAKSA

January 7, 2014

Expressing hope for an independent Palestine “as soon as possible,” President Mahinda Rjapaksa has said that Sri Lanka will always support Palestine’s cause and that relations between the two nations get stronger each year.

President Mahinda Rajapaksa arrived in Palestine from Jordan yesterday (06) for a two-day visit and held bilateral discussions at the Presidential Palace in Ramallah with President of the State of Palestine Dr. Mahmoud Abbas.

During the friendly and warm discussion President Abbas recalled his two visits to Sri Lanka respectively in 2008 and 2012.
The Palestinian President emphasized on the longstanding cordial relations between Palestine and Sri Lanka. “Our two countries maintain good relations and I wish it will improve more and more,” he added.

Dr. Abbas also expressed his gratitude for the support that Sri Lanka extended for Palestine to gain the status as a Non-member Observer State in the United Nations and updated President Rajapaksa on the ongoing peace process with Israel.

“Sri Lanka will always support your cause,” President Rajapaksa assured. “We hope that we will have an independent Palestine as soon as possible,” he said.

“Relations between our two countries get stronger year after year,” President Rajapaksa added.
President Rajapaksa apprised the Palestinian President of the current developments in Sri Lanka. 
President Rajapaksa said that within a short period of four years following the end of the conflict, Sri Lanka has made significant progress, in terms of reconstruction, resettlement, rehabilitation, reintegration and reconciliation. 

President Rajapaksa also briefed Dr. Abbas on Northern Provincial Council elections, the Presidential Spokesman said.
While noting that there has been no single terrorist incident reported in Sri Lanka since 2009, President Rajapaksa said in comparison to other provinces in the country more resources have been allocated for the development of Northern and Eastern Provinces.
The President also said that Sri Lankan government took a calculated risk in releasing the rehabilitated child soldiers into the society within a short period of time.
Followed by bilateral discussions, the two leaders witnessed the signing of the Agreement on Establishment of Sri Lanka-Palestine Joint Commission and the signing of the MoU on Establishment of the Mahinda Rajapaksa Vocational Training Centre.
Minister of External Affairs Prof. G. L. Peiris, Monitoring MP of the Ministry of External Affairs Mr. Sajin de Vaas Gunawardena, Parliamentarians Mrs. Kamala Ranatunga and Mr. Roshan Ranasinghe, Secretary to the President Mr. Lalith Weeratunga are accompanying the President.

WikiLeaks: US Commended Gota For Conducting A Successful Battle With Low Civilian Causalities

January 7, 2014

“Defense Secretary Gothabaya Rajapaksa offered his interpretation of the government security forces’ January victory in Vakarai to Ambassador and DATT on February 5 and explained the government’s current military strategy. Gothabaya noted that the security forces encountered predominantly younger, less committed Tiger cadres in Vakarai. The GSL’s redevelopment efforts in the east, he theorized, would head off any re-infiltration by the Tigers and allow the security forces to “devote their full forces” elsewhere. In particular, the military would seek to neutralize the LTTE’s navy, the “Sea Tigers.” Gothabaya was silent on whether the Army would attempt a major offensive in the North.” the US Embassy Colombo informed Washington.

Robert Blake

The Colombo Telegraph found the related leaked cable from the WikiLeaks database. The classified diplomatic cable details a meeting the US ambassador had with Gotabaya Rajapaksa. The “Confidential” is cable signed by the US Ambassador to Colombo Robert O. Blake on February 05, 2007.

The ambassador wrote; “Ambassador, DATT and PolMilOff met Government of Sri Lanka (GSL) Defense Secretary (and brother to the President) Gothabaya Rajapaksa on February 5. Rajapaksa offered his interpretation of the government security forces’ January victory in Vakarai and explained the GSL’s current military strategy. Ambassador commended the Secretary for conducting a successful battle with such low civilian causalities, after the initial shelling incident. Gotabaya claimed that no civilians had been killed and only 40 soldiers had been killed in action in the two and a half month fight for Vakarai. He emphasized that the military had been able to minimize civilian and troop causalities by surrounding Vakarai with small Special Forces teams rather than large battalions and moving without a “logistical tail” open to Tiger (LTTE) ambush.”

“According to the Defense Secretary, the security forces encountered predominantly younger Tiger cadres in Vakarai, at least 40 percent under the age of 18, and noticeably less well-trained. These cadres also appeared to be less committed to fighting for the LTTE, he said, indicating why they were willing to flee in the end. Many more of these cadres underwent forced recruitment than in previous years, claimed Gothabaya: “We can see that the lower-ranked cadres have not come out willingly. They have little motivation to fight. They aren’t committed, and in fact try to escape. We have intelligence that elsewhere in Batticaloa district LTTE cadres are waiting for a battle in which they can surrender.” The security forces captured a number of Tiger cadres in Vakarai. On the other hand, very few made use of the cyanide capsule all wear around their necks for that eventuality, according to the Secretary.” he further wrote.

Placing a comment Blake wrote; “Gothabaya assured us that the President remains committed to the peace process “without delay, and without respect to the military.” We understand that the security forces will try to consolidate the GSL’s hold on the east, and that the military will also pursue Sea Tiger and artillery targets in the east and in the Tiger’s northern Vanni stronghold. Gothabaya was silent on whether the Army would attempt a full-scale invasion of the north, as earlier GSL statements had suggested. The Defense Secretary appears to have realized, however, that winning Tamil hearts and minds will be crucial to the GSL’s consolidation of its new hold on the east.”

Read the cable below for further details Read More
;

வன்னி விவசாயிகள் தற்கொலை முயற்சி : பாராளுமன்ற உறுப்பினர் சிவசக்தி ஆனந்தன்

05 ஜனவரி 2014, ஞாயிறு

கடும் வரட்சி காரணமாக விவசாயம் பாதிக்கப்பட்டுள்ளமையால் விவசாயிகள் தற்கொலைக்கு முயல்கின்றனர். எனவே இத் துயரை தடுத்து நிறுத்தி அரசு நிவாரணம் வழங்கவேண்டும் என வன்னி மாவட்ட பாராளுமன்ற உறுப்பினர் ந.சிவசக்தி ஆனந்தன் கோரிக்கை விடுத்துள்ளார்.

 

இது குறித்து அவர் வெளியிட்டுள்ள அறிக்கையில் தெரிவித்துள்ளதாவது,

 

போரினால் பாதிக்கப்பட்டு பல்வேறு இடப்பெயர்வுகளைச் சந்தித்து ஒருவழியாக தமது சொந்த மாவட்டங்களில் குடியேறியுள்ள மக்களில் ஒரு பகுதியினர் தமது வாழ்வாதாரத்தை மீளக்கட்டியெழுப்பும் பொருட்டு பல்வேறு இன்னல்களுக்கு மத்தியில் இந்த காலபோக நெற் பயிர்ச்செய்கையில் ஈடுபட்டனர்.

 

மரத்தால் விழுந்தவனை மாடேறி மிதித்ததைப் போன்று வறுமையால் வாடும் விவசாயிகளை இயற்கையும் கைவிட்டுவிட்டது. போதிய மழையின்மையால் பயிர்கள் நாசமாகிவிட்டன. மழை இன்மை காரணமாக குளங்களில் இருந்த நீரும் பெருமளவில் குறைந்துவிட்டது. இதனால் விவசாயிகள் தமது நெற்செய்கையைக் கைவிட வேண்டிய துர்ப்பாக்கிய நிலை தோன்றியுள்ளது.

 

இவ்வாறான நிலையில் பல விவசாயிகள் தற்கொலை செய்யும் நிலைக்கு தள்ளப்பட்டுள்ளனர். கடந்த முதலாம் திகதி மாந்தை கிழக்கு பிரதேச செயலக பிரிவுக்குட்பட்ட அம்பாள்குளம் கிராமத்தைச் சேர்ந்த சி.எஜமான் (54) என்ற விவசாயி மழையின்றி விவசாயம் அழிவடைந்தமையால் விரக்தியுற்று தற்கொலை செய்துள்ளார்.

 

யுத்தம் காரணமாக பாதிப்படைந்த குறித்த விவசாயி தற்போது தமது வாழ்வாதாரமும் இயற்கையால் கைவிடப்பட்ட நிலையிலேயே உயிரிழந்துள்ளார். இதனால் இவரது குடும்பம் இன்று நிர்கதியான நிலையில் உள்ளது. இந்த நிலை மேலும் தொடரக் கூடிய அபாய நிலைகளே விவசாயிகள் மத்தியில் உள்ளன. எனவே இதனைத் தடுப்பதற்கு அரசாங்கம் உடனடியாக நடவடிக்கை எடுக்க வேண்டும்.

 

இது தவிர வங்கியில் கடன்பட்டு பெரும் சிரமத்தின் மத்தியில் பயிர்ச்செய்கையை மேற்கொண்ட விவசாயிகள் வறட்சியால் கடன்காரர்களானதுடன்இ ஒருவருட காலத்திற்கு மேலாக வாழ்வாதாரத்திற்கு வழி தெரியாமலும் தவிக்கின்றனர். அவர்களின் வாழ்வாதாரத்திற்கு வழியேற்படுத்திக்கொடுத்து அவர்களின் கடன்சுமையைக் குறைப்பதும் அரசின் கடமை.

 

ஆகவே பாதிக்கப்பட்டுள்ள விவசாயிகளுக்கு உணவுத் திட்டத்தின் மூலமோ அல்லது வேறு ஏதாவது வழியிலோ மக்களின் வறுமையைப் போக்குவதற்கு இந்த அரசு முன்வரவேண்டும் என்பதுடன் வங்கிகள் விவசாயிகளைக் கசக்கிப் பிழியாமல் அவர்களிடம் மென்போக்காக நடந்துகொள்வதற்கு ஆணையிடவேண்டும். பாதிக்கப்பட்ட விவசாயிகளை மேலும் துன்பப்படுத்தாமல் அடுத்த காலபோகம் வரை விவசாயிகளின் கடன்களுக்கு வட்டி அறவிடுவதைத் தவிர்க்க வேண்டும்.

 

இருக்கின்ற நீரைக்கொண்டு மாற்றுப் பயிர்ச்செய்கையை மேற்கொள்ள முடியுமா என்று ஆராய்ந்து அதற்கேற்ப விவசாயிகளுக்கு உற்சாகமளிப்பதுடன் ஏற்கனவே வறுமையால் வாடும் மக்கள் தற்போதைய சூழலில் மிகவும் துன்பத்திற்குள்ளாகியுள்ளனர். தமது பிள்ளைகள் பாடசாலைகளில் அளிக்கப்படும் மதிய உணவுத் திட்டத்தால் பயனடைகின்றார்கள் என்பது மட்டுமே அவர்களுக்கு இருக்கும் ஒரேயொரு ஆறுதல்.

 

பெரும்பாலான பிள்ளைகள் மதிய உணவுத்திட்டத்தில் வழங்கப்படும் ஒருவேளை உணவுடனேயே காலத்தைக் கடத்துகின்றனர். ஆகவே ஒவ்வொரு குடும்பத்தினரும் குறைந்தபட்சம் ஒரு நாளைக்கு இருவேளை உணவாவது உட்கொள்வதற்கு வழியேற்படுத்த வேண்டும்.

 

தூர்ந்துபோயுள்ள குளங்களைச் சுத்தப்படுத்துவதற்கும், குளங்களின் ஆழத்தை அதிகரிப்பதற்கும், பழுதடைந்துள்ள குளங்களைச் சீர்செய்வதற்கும் கிராம மக்களின் உதவிகளைப் பெற்றுக்கொண்டு அவர்களுக்கு வேலைவாய்ப்பளித்து அவர்களின் அன்றாட பொருளாதாரத் தேவையை ஓரளவிற்காவது நிவர்த்தி செய்வதற்கு நடவடிக்கை மேற்கொள்ளப்படவேண்டும் என்று அவரது அறிக்கையில் தெரிவிக்கப்பட்டுள்ளது.

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Farmers in Vanni on brink of suicide

07 January 2014
Many farmers in Vanni are on the brink of suicide, as they struggle to maintain their livelihoods, reported the Uthayan.

The farmers, who faced displacement during the final stages of the armed conflict, and have only just been resettled, are now faced with numerous debts to banks, as well as drought and a poor harvest.

On New Year's Day, S. Ajaman, a farmer from Manthai East committed suicide in desperation, reported the paper. 

26 victims exhumed, mass grave reveals torture, executions at standing position

[TamilNet, Monday, 06 January 2014, 06:59 GMT]
Some of the victims slain in the mass grave at Thirukkeathessvaram in Mannaar have been shot after being ordered to stand up straight inside the bunkers, according to those who witnessed the excavation of the mass grave in Mannaar. Of the four more skeletons recovered on Friday, one skull was found covered by a camouflage cloth used by the SL military. Gunshot wounds were also found on two of the skulls recovered on Friday. There were also teeth of children among the remains recovered on Saturday. On Monday, a full skeleton of a 6-year-old child has been exhumed. 26 skeletons have been found till Monday noon. Several skeletons recovered so far also bore marks of torture, the sources told TamilNet Monday. The exhumation effort will continue, the reports said. 

The victims were most probably innocent civilians who were trying to reach Mannaar through Naayaattu-ve’li during the Sri Lanka Army launched military operation Rana Gosha in 1999.

The Bishop of Mannaar and the Tamil National Alliance have called for international investigations on the massgrave at Thriukkeatheesvaran.

At least 240 people are reported missing between 1990 and 2009 in the nearby villages Paappaamoaddai, Ka’ndal, Pa’l’limunai, Ma’likaith-thidal, Theanudaiyaan and Veaddaiyaa-mu’rippu, the legal sources further said.

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