Indian Tamils seek fair representation

The 15 lakh Tamils of Indian Origin (TIO) in Sri Lanka, majority working in up-country tea plantations, have begun lobbying for a legitimate share of power under the new Jana Sabha system, akin to the Indian Panchayati Raj. Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa is keen on introducing the new system by year-end.

P P Devaraj, chairman of the Global Organisation of People of Indian Origin (GOPIO) told Express here on Sunday that GOPIO and the Sri Lanka-India Community Council led by Livestock Minister Arumugan Thondaman were seeking fair representation for the TIO in the new system in which some of the powers of the pradeshiya sabha and the district administration would be transferred to village-level Jana Sabha.

“The voice of Indian Tamil community is not being heard now because of inadequate representation in local bodies. As a consequence, they are unable to get their due as citizens,” Devaraj said.

The leaders of the Indian Tamils are also seeking an end to the present system in which the plantations are placed outside the jurisdiction and ambit of the local administrative and political set up.

The workers in the plantations, who live within the estates, are governed by the plantation companies. They are not participants in local bodies like the Pradeshiya Sabhas and other village institutions.

The welfare measures instituted by the local government and other organs of the state do not automatically apply to them. The plantations come under a separate ministry of plantations.

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