We mourn the loss of lives through the landslide: TGTE
( November 1, 2014, New York City, Sri Lanka Guardian) ‘We are saddened by the news that over 300 people have lost their lives as a result of a huge landslide at the Meeriyabedda Tea Plantation in the district of Badulla in Sri Lanka. While paying our final respects to those who perished in this natural disaster, we wish to convey our heartfelt condolences to all of the grieving families’ said Mr. Visuvanathan Rudrakumaran, the Prime Minister of the Transnational Government of Tamil Eelam, in his condolence message.
In his condolence message, he further said:
The news of the disaster that led to the homes of 66 families belonging to Meeriyabedda Tea Plantation being buried under a tragic landslide reached us yesterday. The delay in recovery efforts due to the inclement weather saddens us. The small relief that the children who were at school had been saved from the disaster is compounded by the fact that many of them have lost their parents and relatives to the landslide. It is hard to fathom why nature chooses to be so harsh on the long suffering Tamil brethren in the hill country whose life circumstances are so dire. This sorrowful event also demonstrates the urgent need for uplifting of the living conditions of hill country Tamils in Sri Lanka.
The Transnational Government of Tamil Eelam takes to heart the call made by the Leader of the Democratic People’s Front, Mr Mano Ganesan, for the observation of a week of mourning beginning on Thursday, 30th of October, as a way of remembering the lives of Tamil brethren who lost their lives to the calamity. We call upon all Diaspora Tamils to observe the week of mourning and to engage in prayers in memory of the lives lost.
The Transnational Government of Tamil Eelam expresses our unqualified support for rehabilitation efforts in rebuilding the lives of the people affected by this catastrophe. We are deeply distressed by our inability to directly engage in the rehabilitation efforts in view of our position as a banned organization by the Government of Sri Lanka. We therefore ask Diaspora organizations involved in humanitarian work and engaged in many other forms of community work to render their full support for the rehabilitation tasks ahead of us in this regard.
