A high-level meeting between Anura Kumara Dissanayake and the Tamil Progressive Alliance (TPA), led by Mano Ganesan, has led to a key administrative step to address issues faced by the Indian-origin Malayaha Tamil community.
A major outcome of the discussion was the appointment of the President’s Chief of Staff, Prabath Chandrakeerthi, as the official liaison for Hill Country Tamil affairs. Under this mechanism, the TPA will directly engage with the coordinator to submit proposals, which will then be reviewed at the presidential level and implemented through relevant ministries.
During the meeting, MP Mano Ganesan presented a structured policy proposal covering eight priority areas affecting the community. A key focus was disaster-related housing, with the TPA calling for a dedicated allocation of Rs. 5 million per housing unit for plantation families, to be implemented independently of existing housing programmes. The alliance also noted that the Government of India has pledged an additional 4,000 housing units to support affected families.
The proposal also addressed land and housing rights, delays in housing projects, the need for fair and standardised plantation wages, improved Tamil representation in public services, and administrative reforms including the expansion of Divisional Secretariat and Grama Niladhari divisions, as well as the holding of Provincial Council elections.
On education, Ganesan highlighted challenges such as the need for more education officials, teacher recruitment, stronger Tamil representation in administration, and concerns over reduced Tamil-medium opportunities in leading schools.
President Dissanayake assured that these concerns would be addressed through the newly established coordination mechanism, allowing for structured engagement and timely progress.
Commenting on the development, Barath Arullsamy described the appointment of a senior official to directly handle Malayaha Tamil issues as a positive and progressive step. He also pointed to urgent concerns in parts of the Kandy District, where some plantation communities have reportedly been relocated to disaster-prone areas, noting that the President has pledged immediate attention.
The TPA reiterated its commitment to representing one of the country’s most marginalised communities and expressed readiness to work with all stakeholders to secure their rights, dignity, and development.
