Jathika Saviya will bring country together - President

MEERIGAMA: The Jathika Saviya programme is being implemented in a manner that will bring the entire country together, President Mahinda Rajapaksa asserted yesterday.

“After nearly 20 years this program will bring life to villages in the North and East too and 12,000 villages that were not well treated all these years will have a new life. We expect to wipe out all difficult or uncongenial villages from our map through development,” President Rajapaksa said.

The President was addressing the inaugural ceremony of the Jathika Saviya gama Neguma programme via satellite.

He said the Government was determined to defeat the forces of terror and expand development to all areas. “Thousands queue up to join the Security Forces. At the head of that queue are our children. The country knows that we are correctly carrying out the battle against the terrorists. The people of this country have faith that this time we will not fail.”

“After the air attack at Katunayake there were those who asked us to resign.

They place the blame on us for carrying out a major war. They spoke the same language as Prabhakaran. But no one should think that it if there is a loser in this battle it will be Mahinda Rajapaksa. The attempt is to defeat the people of this country,” he said.

The President said: “Those who think they will be right on top if terrorism wins are making a grave mistake. No one can be pleased if terrorism is victorious. On September 11 the entire world was threatened with the airborne attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, created opinion in the world that terrorism should be eradicated.

The United States too agreed to this irrespective of any political differences. The LTTE terrorists have now come by air and attacked an Air Force base. It is now clear that terrorism is a threat to our region too.

If anyone thinks that the government will be shaken by terrorist attacks, they are committing a grave error by their own politics.

Whether a person takes one’s oaths at the Pattirippuwa (the Octagon of the Temple of the Tooth), at Galle Face Green, or at the Royal Palace your first admonition to them was to build national unity. The people have told this to all leaders since Independence. You have repeatedly asked all politicians to be united.

However, is there anyone who paid heed to this?

Everyone remembered about national unity only when the country was submerged on all sides following a national disaster. We realised that this country cannot be built with such a false unity .

That is why at the very outset we began work having said we will unite the country. The people of this country did not vote for Mahinda Rajapaksa; for me to work alone. It is to unite the country and work according to a consensus.

As you all know I am not alone in wanting to develop and revive the village. Mr. D.S. Senanayake tried to revive the village by establishing agricultural colonies. Mr. S.W.R.D. Bandaranaike tried to establish a Grama Rajya or rural governance. Mr. R. Premadasa introduced the Gam Udawa or Rural Awakening. But these leaders were unable to realise their expectations for the village. Why was this?

It is because where village and the country are not brought together; these efforts become mere political projects.

It is necessary to provide water for cultivation. The village has to be given electricity. The temple needs assistance.

The village needs a computer. If the youth have no place for recreation we intend providing that too. Yet, the village cannot be developed only by providing it with water, electricity, telephones and computers.

We must revive and build the ethical values of the village that prevailed before we became subject to imperialism. The village should say no to drugs and intoxication.

Is there any more proof needed that we will not move even an inch away from the Mahinda Chinthana? We will not depart one iota from the Mahinda Chinthana. There is a battle for development.

This battle includes the development of the Weerawila airport, the development of the ports of Colombo, Galle and Hambantota, the Upper Kotmale, Norochcholai and Kerawalapitiya power projects.”