No districts on ethnic lines: Govt

4 November 2014 03:28 pm - 5 - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

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The Government told Parliament today that administrative districts would not be carved out on the basis of enthnicity.

Prime Minister D.M. Jayaratne gave this assurance during the committee stage of the budget debate when he responded to a question asked by United National Party (UNP) UNP MP Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe who criticised the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) which demanded a separate administrative district consisting of the three Muslim majority electorates in the Digamadulla District.

Mr. Rajapakshe, who referred to the Daily Mirror lead story headlined 'SLMC renews demands', said it was unethical for any party to demand administrative demarcations on ethnic lines.

He said such demands would promote separatism in the minds of Muslim youth.

Mr. Rajapakshe said similar ideas were advocated by some Tamil leaders like A. Amirthalingam and Yogeswaran and it ended up in the advent of Tamil militancy led by Velupillai Prabhakaran demanding a separate state.

The Prime Minister in his response said the views expressed by the UNP warranted attention and pointed out that most Tamils and Muslims outside the North and East lived among the majority community in peace and harmony.

He said this population scattered throughout the South outnumbered the entire Tamil and Muslim population in the North and East and as such the demand for a separate administrative district based on ethnicity was not valid.

Commenting on the formation of SLMC, the PM said it was he who had mooted the idea first to late Minister A.H.M. Ashraff.

"I made this suggestion. In fact, it was not the late Mr. Ashraff who took the initiative in this regard. I fielded Sinhalese youths from my Gampola electorate on the SLMC ticket at that time. I did it to encourage Muslim youths to join a political movement. I believed at that time that a political leadership was needed for the Muslim community in the greater interest of the country," he said.(KB & YP)

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Comments - 5

Vernon Tuesday, 04 November 2014 09:50 PM

It is essential that no district is carved out on ethnic or religious basis. All should fully support that. On the same principle political party should never be formed on ethnic or religious basis. You have done a terrible blunder by promoting a party based on ethnicity. All political parties should be national parties, and not representing any ethnic or religious group. Also government must stop registering babies on ethnicity. Then all are only recognized on nationality. Government should also not give priority to any particular religion but only encourage and allow people to follow whatever religion they believe in. Religion is a complete private

SugerPuff Tuesday, 04 November 2014 10:26 PM

Just that statement alone make Sri Lanka a racist country leave aside the district. Time for this guy to retire.

sangaralingham Wednesday, 05 November 2014 12:22 AM

ethnicity districts. let us face reality birds of fhe same feather tend to cling together religios racial group linguistic group crowd togerther as as a matter of fact not unusual govt with officers must recognise it and adopt to changing scenery. democracy must play its part autoctacy must depart society can function at a pace satisfactory to the state of affairs

Farook Wednesday, 05 November 2014 07:54 AM

well said. we do not need Sri Lanka to be divided on ethnic grounds. any Lankan should be able to live in peace in any part of the island that he so desires.

Hanan Wednesday, 05 November 2014 09:00 AM

Well done PM. SLMC is playing a ugly politics. What SLMC talking is against the well being of the Muslim community.

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No districts on ethnic lines: Govt

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