By Rasika Somarathana
DailyNews.lk
July 31, 2012
President Mahinda Rajapaksa yesterday emphasized that he will not allow petty minded politicians to benefit by harping on the ethnic issue. “Petty politics shattered the harmony and peace which existed 30 years ago, among all communities be it from North or South. Now with terrorism being a thing of the past, those bonds, once wounded are getting stronger again”’
“We have gained nothing but loss from disharmony. It is unity, not ethnic division which will define our success”, he said addressing a large group of rehabilitated former LTTE ex-combatants and their families at Temple Trees.
The event was organized to provide soft loans to socially re-integrated trainees to start their own employment. The loans up to a maximum of Rs.250,000 were provided through state banks with government releasing an initial allocation of Rs.300 million for the purpose.
The President after distributing the cheques among loan recipients said the government has also released Rs.400 billion for development work in the north carried out for the benefit of the public.
He told the gathering that it was the government that took care of the people and not ones from the outside. He told them that the diaspora what ever they say does not genuinely care about their needs .
Recalling the past, President Rajapaksa said 30 years ago, people from all communities lived in brotherhood both in the South and North “In our School holidays we went on visits to the North. We shared our rooms with Tamil students from the North.
“We went together to the Temple and Kovil” “We had strong bonds, be it cultural, religious or others. However, we lost all that. It is now time to rebuild that harmony we lost due to petty politics” he said.
He told the rehabilitated trainees that their childhood, youth, happiness had been lost to the gun culture which they were forced to embrace and added it was time for them to begin a new life with hope and vigour for a brighter future.
He told the trainees that they had been rehabilitated in accordance with established humanitarian practices and it was now time for them to rise as productive and erudite citizens.
“By working with commitment and dedication the loan recipients could become successful entrepreneurs, he added.
The President pointed out to the rehabilitated ex-combatants that some of their colleagues were now engaged in employment both in state and private sectors. Some have gone abroad for jobs and others are pursuing professional careers in arts, sports etc. he added.
“Also the government has taken steps to recruit 5000 rehabilitated ex-combatants to the civil security department, he noted explaining them the livelihood opportunities they have,” he said.
He reminded them that they are now going to a socially and economically rapidly developing environment which was quite opposite to the one they formerly occupied.
He urged the loan recipients to use the facility to the maximum and become successful partners of the country’s development.
“The country needs to go forward as one nation, driven by one powerful development thrust from which the whole country equally benefits,” he added.
The government has reintegrated 10,375 former combatants from the North and East into the society following the successful completion of the rehabilitation programme.
The socially reintegrated have received vocational training as a part of the rehabilitation process to enable them to be self-employed.
During the event Minister Chandrasiri Gajadeera also spoke. Senior Ministers A.H.M.Fowzie, D.E.W.Gunasekera, Ministers Rishard Baththuideen, Douglas Devananda, other politicians, ambassadors, High Commissioners, government officials, state bank officials, military officers too were present.
