28 March, 2024

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No Other Politician Than Mangala Samaraweera Had Shown Support Towards The Development Of Cooperatives: Jaffna District Cooperative Council

No other politician than late Mangala Samaraweera had shown support towards the development of the cooperatives, says the Jaffna District Cooperative Council.

Issuing a statement the Jaffna District Cooperative Council said: “Driven by his vision of reconciliation, the late Mr. Samaraweera introduced special development schemes for the war-affected regions in the national budget. To rescue the people who fell into the debt trap of predatory microfinance companies, he disbursed 292 million rupees to the credit cooperative sector in the North and created the “Aravanaippu” loan scheme. He disbursed a further 450 million rupees to revive the producer cooperative sector to create 50 industries. Under this loan scheme, 40,000 small scale loans have been granted through the cooperative sector.”

Samaraweera met women’s groups at the Puthukudiyirippu Divisional Secretariat

We publish below the statement in full:

The loss of Mangala Samaraweera, former Parliamentarian and former Minister, is indeed shocking news for many. The political leaders of the country have described his demise with a heavy heart as the loss of an irreplaceable leader, a great hero, a senior leader of the country and a voice that advocated justice for the Tamil national people and their political freedom.

Those of us who are members of the cooperative movement in the North feel immense sadness at the loss of a friend of our movement. There is no surprise that the late Mangala Samaraweera, who dedicated himself to serving the people in a just and fair manner, upheld democratic traditions, and strove for the creation of a society free of inequalities, had faith in the cooperative movement.

The late Mr. Samaraweera strongly believed that the Cooperative Movement could achieve a lot for the wider society. He once described the cooperative system as a sleeping giant and lent his hand towards its revival. Sadly, he entered eternal rest before seeing its full rejuvenation, leaving us in grief and sorrow.

Driven by his vision of reconciliation, the late Mr. Samaraweera introduced special development schemes for the war-affected regions in the national budget. To rescue the people who fell into the debt trap of predatory microfinance companies, he disbursed 292 million rupees to the credit cooperative sector in the North and created the “Aravanaippu” loan scheme. He disbursed a further 450 million rupees to revive the producer cooperative sector to create 50 industries. Under this loan scheme, 40,000 small scale loans have been granted through the cooperative sector.

No other politician had shown such support towards the development of the cooperatives. The cooperative sector remembers with gratitude the many visits made by the late Mr. Samaraweera to the Jaffna District Cooperative Council and co-operative societies in the Jaffna District. He interacted in person with the members of those societies and observed their activities with keenness. Standing shoulder to shoulder with members of the cooperative movement, he carried out his ministerial responsibilities both as a friend and as a person committed to service.

Even as many among us were splitting hairs over whether the “cooperative movement” came under the purview of the central government or the provincial administration, the late Mr. Samaraweera embraced the Tamil regions that had faced severe destruction during the war and the people whose lives were in tatters, and recognized the supportive role the cooperatives could play in their rejuvenation. He offered us a helping hand in the hour of our need. 

In 2016, when he was the Minister of External Affairs, for the first time in history, he held ministerial level talks with his counterpart in India to seek a solution to the problems that Northern fishermen were facing due to the poaching of Indian trawlers.

The late Mr. Samaraweera was simple, friendly, honest, justice-minded and likeable. We have lost a friend of the cooperative movement. As cooperative workers from the Northern Province, we, in our thousands, pay our heartfelt homage to this great leader and pray for his soul to rest in peace.

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  • 2
    2

    This comment was removed by a moderator because it didn’t abide by our Comment policy.

    For more detail see our Comment policy https://www.colombotelegraph.com/index.php/comments-policy-2

    • 5
      0

      Gatamboo, as always spewing out your stupidity here.

  • 12
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    A fitting tribute to Mangala from the North.

  • 4
    6

    Best thing that was done for done for the people of Jaffna as their diaspora does not contribute much towards them and the central gov. has only so much to give.

    • 6
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      ramona stop your racist stupidity. It is the responsibility of the central government to fund projects equally. It is not the job of the diaspora to fund development programs. On the other hand show me one project that the Sinhala diaspora has funded? Idiot, stop talking rubbish.

      • 0
        5

        Racist, Terrorists and Terrorists Oriented Tamils and Muslims who robbed the wealth of Sinhalese Aryans country, Sri Lanka. Are these Tamils and Muslims brought the money from the moon? They used to a robbed wealth of Sri Lanka and established companies in Sri Lanka, we only know Indian Bohras brought the money from India and established companies in Sri Lanka

  • 1
    5

    Cooperatives got their free funding from the tax-prayer money of the Lankan Masses.

    • 7
      1

      ramona, aren’t the cooperatives in majority Sinhala areas funded by the state? Is the Sinhala diaspora funding the cooperatives in those areas? Aren’t the Tamils and other minorities paying the taxes which this horid government has squandered? Who are these tax payers you are speaking of? Do you think only one section of the population pays taxes and others are free loaders? Dumb woman, this is what happens when you spend too much time in a hole. Idiot, grow up!!!! You are one stupid woman.

    • 0
      5

      Tamils and Muslims are wealth robbers of Sinhalese Aryans Country Sri Lanka 75% of the total population these Muslims and Tamils made companies with the wealth robbing of Sinhalese Aryans Country. We only know Indian Bohras brought the money from India and established companies in Sri Lanka. This is a well-known secret also

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