Only one PCR machine in Sri Lanka's Nuwaraeliya district - MP Velu Kumar

Sri Lanka major opposition Samagi Jana Balavegaya Kandy district MP M. Velu Mumar said that entire Nuwaraeliya district has only one PCR testing machine. 

He expressed these views addressing a press conference held by the opposition today.

He accused that the government had not allocated money to increase health facilities of the poor people like estate workers despite their vulnerability.  

He pointed out that the 2021 budget proposal does not allocate money to buy even the COVID-19 vaccine.  

He said that the government had not provided any solutions to the burning issues of the estate population hiding behind the proposal to increase the estate workers' salary up to Rs. 1,000 per day.

Nuwaraeliya district has a high density of Upcountry Tamils who are mostly low-income plantation workers.

Indian Tamils, Upcountry Tamils, Country Tamils or Sri Lankan Tamils

Sri Lankan Prime Minister says that the Indian origin Tamils will have a new race name as Sri Lankan.

Were they not Sri Lankans so far?

British colonial rulers brought poverty stricken South Indian Tamils to Sri Lanka for plantation labor. They made the Sri Lankan soil fertile with their sweat and have been building the national economy for more than a century.

Majority Sinhalese and 'local' Tamils considered them as aliens or foreigners and wonderfully, the Marxist theorists like Rohana Wijeweera considered them as invaders.

This community which is suffering from endemic and abject social backwardness needs to be guaranteed their equal rights.

I don't know if the Sri Lankan race name in their birth certificates and other relevant documents will mean anything in a context the other Sri Lankans identify themselves as Sinhala, Tamil, Muslim peoples.

In my point of view, they have the right to the identity of Upcountry Tamils which they have fought for. But there is a considerable number of Low Country Tamils in the districts of Kalutara, Rathnapura, kegalle and Galle districts.

What if they are called Country Tamils? 

On the other hand, is Indian Tamil a derogatory remark? I don't think so. The Jaffna Tamil elite needed to alienate themselves from this community for backward reasons. They need the same with the Batticaloa Tamils also. Do we need to give into a backward need of a community?

Why can't they claim for the identity of Sri Lankan Tamils? If they too need to mark a distinct identity, I think still Indian tag is better than the geographical term of Upcountry. India is a powerful country you can be proud of our origin.

Upcountry Tamil politicians of Sri Lanka divide and lose in Badulla

(April 20, Colombo - Lanka Polity)  The election result of Upcountry Badulla district of Sri Lanka proves the fact that the minorities may lose when they are divided.

Upcountry Tamils failed to win a single seat in Badulla district despite they have a considerable population there. This is notable in the context they have secured this seat since a long time and they had two seats in the previous parliament.

In 1994, Ceylon Workers' Congress (CWC) contested under United National Front (UNF) and both Wadiwel Suresh and M. Sachchiththananthan elected into parliament. Suresh joined the ruling Sri Lanka Freedom Party first. Later the CWC decided to support the government. Both Upcountry Tamil MPs were given Minister posts. Later Sachchiththananthan quitted quit the CWC and joined United National Party.

In 2010, Suresh contested under ruling United People's Freedom Alliance (UPFA) while Sachchiththananthan contested under UNF ticket. Both lost.

In 2010, five Upcountry Tamils contested the election from two major coalitions. They are the above two persons and former MP T.V. Sennan and S.Chandramohan representing CWC in the UPFA and A. Velayuthan under UNF.

All five candidates failed to elect while all MPs elected from Badulla district are Sinhalese.