Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena told Tamils in the war-ravaged North Lankan town of Puthukudiyiruppu on Sunday, that infrastructural development alone will not bring about ethnic reconciliation and that efforts must be made to win the hearts of the people to achieve that goal.

The President was speaking to families of disappeared Tamils on the sidelines of a function to formally inaugurate a major garment factory set up by the Hiradarmanis, a Sindhi family living in Sri Lanka since the 19th Century. The Hirdarmanis are among the three top manufacturers of garments in Lanka. Incidentally, all three are Lankans of Indian origin. 

The President made the remark about the inadequacy of the “brick and mortar approach” to peace building, to draw attention to the fact that the Rajapaksa government’s stress on infrastructural development in the war-torn Northern Province had not won the hearts of the Tamils.

The President also met the family of the pardoned LTTE cadre Sivarajah Jeneepan, who profusely thanked him for releasing Jeneepan.

“ There is not a kovil which we did not  visit to secure his release and when you released him you became our God,” the relations said.

Jeneepan took the opportunity to request the President to release the remaining hundred-odd LTTE cadres or “political prisoners” as the Tamils describe them.

The President assured that the matter will be looked into, and drew attention to the plan to replace the Prevention of Terrorism Act by a more humane one which will enable the release of many detainees.

The Hirdaramani garment factory has over 850 employees, all local Tamils. It has the capacity to produce 40,000 garments a month. Previously, the youth of the area had to travel long distances to find employment and also live away from their families.

(The New Indian Express)