Are plantation workers of Sri Lanka second class citizens?
by John David
Are the plantation sector people a second class or no class citizens? Are the state institutions like the Centre for Disaster Management, Department of Social Service etc. only for the first class citizens? What is the backbone of the Sri Lankan economy? Who are the lowest-paid but the hardest working community in Sri Lanka? Is there no one to look into the basic needs of these hapless people? Is it that the politicos and the trade unions that live on these people have no conscience or any sense of responsibility? Are not the plantation companies that profit from the labour of these people duty-bound to provide the basic needs of their workers? Where are the trade unions that claim to work for the welfare of these people? Where are the do-gooders of NGOs?These questions came to my mind when I saw the men, women and children huddled together braving the cold and the inclement weather in make-shift shelters since their houses were burnt down on the 23rd of January this year.
It is said that the leaders of their trade unions hastened to the place only to promise that new houses would be built for them within three months. But nine months have gone by after the fire and no signs of houses and rehabilitation are in sight.
The State and its service arms like the Department of Social Service, the Centre for Disaster Management, the INGOs and the NGOs are elbowing each other to be the first in giving aid to victims of natural disaster like the tsunami affected people, but nobody seems to know or care that the families consisting of 80 to 90 people are destitute with only promises and hope.
It is significant that the trade unions collect Rs. 45.00 to Rs. 50.00 from each individual per month. Multiply this with the membership and you will know what a gold mine it is. In passing it would be an interesting and worthwhile exercise to go into the matter of how this money is spent.
Added to this there is yet another NGO which I am told collects a large sum of money on the export of tea specifically meant for the welfare of the plantation worker. It would be interesting to know what action the Trust has done so far to rehabilitate these people.
I would very much wish that the media- electronic or otherwise - takes up this issue, to give it due publicity and thereby help to give succour to this hapless people.
