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Story of the future Hambantota Industrial zone and ‘Swarnabhoomi’s beautiful palace ‘ -an analysis by Visal

(Lanka-e-News -09.Jan.2017, 11.30PM) We witnessed via the media what amount of false propaganda and malicious campaign that were being  carried out by the defeated and discarded political forces  against the Hambantota investment zone. The man behind and in front of the protests was Namal Rajapakse  (along with his group) who is charged with committing  a  colossal multi million rupee fraud in relation to Krissh Co., and who is therefore in and out of prison.

In fact the talk of the town is , a revolving door has been installed in the prison specially for him because he is now such a frequenter.  Since we have written umpteen times about this fraud , the disgraceful son of an equally disgraceful ex president of the country , we decided that there is no need to  write again and again  about him and his outrageous misappropriations  and  rackets he has committed to  the detriment of the country.
 
Protests and demonstrations  are nothing new when it comes to development projects . All along,  down history not only Sri Lanka even the world had encountered such protests often. 

Minister Rajitha Senaratne cited the inauguration of the Galoya scheme as one  example . Even at that time the leftists ( who are now a forlorn , disdained and discarded  group) opposed and declared that people are being taken to the jungle  to be killed when that scheme for the benefit of the country was launched. 

They even said, in the jungles there are mosquitoes as large as the crows. Groups that were Left aligned did not  even go to the Gal Oya settlement . However those who went to  the  Gal Oya scheme founded a town by the name of Amparai where the largest  paddy production zone was commenced.
 
The route from Amparai to Samanthurai is adorned by   paddy fields exclusively on both  sides  which I have seen with my own eyes ( Maya Ranjan’s Digamadulla wonder). The people there are today free from poverty. Everywhere there are houses abounding with facilities.Government Institutions , wide  roads and  large shops have sprung up  ,and practically everyone has some vehicle.  Today , even after 60 years there is nobody to pinpoint that  the Gal Oya scheme of late D.S. was a wrong political decision, though   the leftists who opposed the scheme ended up with no place even to go.

The Gal oya scheme belongs to the generations before us. Its share holders were our fathers. We know well  the opposition that was mounted against it through literatures. The opposition staged during our time which has been proved false too are also known.  It was such an opposition that     was  mounted under the name of ‘ Wellassa plunder of land’ against the  launching  of the Pelwatte sugar Co.

This short account is about that ...

In any event  the opposition mounted against it was not  by  notorious crooks like Namal . It was not one that was in pursuit  of  political agendas based on power greed. It was rather spearheaded by a different group -  Leftist divisions , environmentalists , human rights activists and  artistes  .Even though a protest may have good leadership it can turn obnoxious when  the protest is  staged on falsehoods and motivated by false pretexts.  Ultimately , those protests were  even historically condemned.  Here is a good illustration.

After JR came to power in 1977, following a research done along with the world bank with a view to producing sugar locally  , Moneragala was identified as suitable for Rain fed sugar cane cultivation . That was in 1978. In order to get a feasibility report that task was entrusted to a British Co . –  ‘Booker Tate’and within a year , that is , in 1980 , the report was prepared and handed over to the Sri Lanka (SL) Government. Based on the rainfall factor they identified Buttala Pelwatte district as suitable for cane cultivation. Accordingly JR ‘s government decided to grant 100,000 acres of land from Pelwatte  district  to Booker  Tate on a 25 years lease agreement .

Pelwatte  is bordered on one side  by Hadapanagala wewa and on the other side by Menik ganga . In fact most of the land in that district belonged to the government , and some people too were living there, a  majority of whom  were engaged in Chena cultivation . Though there were a  few settlers  they were generally  in difficulties and were poverty stricken Chena cultivators. They did not have electricity even ten meters  away. Buttala also did not have pipe borne water or telephone services at that time. The Company offered attractive compensation to evacuate the residents .In spite of that  the protests were continued . The groups that went from Colombo to Buttala led the protests and the  Moneragala district secretariat was often held siege. 

The opponents of JR identified this land transfer as ‘handing over the country  to the Britishers again’. The protestors said , ‘after chasing out the people from  our  ancestral lands , the country is again being betrayed to the Britishers.’ Therefore the protestors urged  all to rally together against this life time betrayal. The protests were almost as fiery as were those staged against the imperialist rulers. Environmentalists also claimed the government is getting ready for a huge devastation.

JR’s government nevertheless  did not relent or change its decision in the face of the opposition. Huge Dozers  (Cat D 9 Komatsu 115) were got down to clear the forests . Using ten inch thick chains along with the dozers trees were felled, and the forest was cleared. The soil was prepared for the cane cultivation after using County tractors whose each wheel was about our height .

‘Bimbarak senaga gewasuna
Chandra soorya ipaduna 
swarnabhoomiye manaram maligawa ko?’

The above song written by RathnaSri Liyanage about Pelwatte development  was   sung by Kapuge . Those who have never seen Pelwatte in their entire life , hearing  this song turned  antagonistic towards  imperialism at once. Without knowing anything they alleged JR is giving their  lands to the Britishers , and proposed to murder JR. Middle class nationalists in the environs of Colombo cried on hearing the song.  Conferences and workshops were held. At that time , a drama ‘ Wellasse vedi handa’ was also staged and shown  frequently.  It was rumored Rathnasiri was in Moneragala during that period. In the meantime , all the Industries  and  offices were built and finished in the village ,Cane cultivation too was also complete  and in 1986 sugar production commenced. JR then appeared to inaugurate the factory .Villages were built to provide all facilities for the employees . The village was  called ‘hamlet.’ Another Hamlet was built for the foreign officers .Schools for infants and children were constructed  ,and a separate transport service was begun for the travelling comforts of the children . The Chena farmers in the vicinity too got  jobs in the company.  The Britishers built a cricket play ground on the same lines of their golf links. Even Sri Lankans could drink in their clubs along with them. During that time the Sugar Company was among the companies which paid high salaries.

When I went  to Buttala in 1990 ,  poverty was not known. Those who were not employed in the company were cultivating cane in their own lands and supplying to the company , thereby earning n income. They also earned by providing transport and other ancillary services .It was in Buttala I saw people flocking to the bars to buy  arrack . Cane was transported in the night . Buttala transformed into a bustling  Town even in the night .By 7.00 a.m. passengers were  transported to their work places, and transported back in the evening. Owing to the transport facilities provided  , laborers came to work there from remote places .

In 1994 , the Britishers and the BookerTate Co. left for   Britain leaving back   Pelwatte. By then the sugar factory was being run as a government factory , yet it was not at its peak as it was during the period when the BookerTate Co. was  here.
 
Today , there is nobody in Moneragala now to say JR’s decision was wrong. Nobody has been displaced. Besides the standard of living of the residents in every house has risen .  The Buttala district that was hidden and in the backwoods has now come to the fore.
 
‘Mineemal pipuna seethala 
Nimana bhoomiye Etakatu 
Hathara riyan kada ahimivi vilapaya nagai’

The song of Rathna Sri is now sung by the youths of Moneragala - Buttala , and enjoy it while they dance. They play the song in their three wheelers in a loud tone. They do not even know that song is about them .
 
I spent ten years of my life in Buttala. That was during the BookerTate period.  That was a period of nostalgic memories. When the vehicle was  moving along  Pelwatte , what was seen on both sides were only cane plantation . In the distance were  the Central  hills. In the night the illumination of  Bandarawela and Badulla towns were  visible. It was  a beautiful scenery . To have a booze we go to the vicinity of Menik ganga along   the border of the cane plantation.
 
How wonderful it will be  if only Rathnasri is able to  notice  how the lives of the  laborers , the transport of school children by the company buses , and the standard of living of the people have improved  in general in  ‘Hamlet’ . 

It is a universal truth , the   descent is easier than the ascent , similarly it  is easy to oppose and protest against a project. That is the favorite odious hobby and pastime of Leftists , racists and short sighted environmentalists.  Not only these blokes , but even those who joined in their protests finally ended up in the garbage heaps, whereas the names of those who spearheaded  the development projects are indelibly etched in golden letters in the annals of history  like those of D.S. and J .R.
 
The story of the future  Industrial zone project and its benefits  therefore cannot run counter to this proven history  

By Visal Karunaratne 

Translated by Jeff

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by     (2017-01-09 23:47:28)

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