In a notable political development from Sri Lanka’s central highlands, Tamil Progressive Alliance Deputy Leader and Member of Parliament Palani Digambaram has expressed his willingness to support President Anura Kumara Dissanayake—on the condition that tangible steps are taken to uplift the lives of plantation workers.
Speaking to the media in Hatton, Digambaram responded to President Dissanayake’s recent remarks in Talawakele, where the President pledged to distribute tea estate lands to estate workers and improve their living standards. Digambaram said he would “extend full support” to the President if those promises were genuinely implemented.
“This is something I have been advocating for a long time,” he noted, emphasizing that the economic empowerment of plantation communities has remained a central demand in his political career. He urged the government to operationalize a pilot project by collaborating with plantation companies and signing a formal memorandum of understanding to secure land rights and promote economic development in estate areas.
The MP was candid in his criticism of the current administration, asserting that it has only deepened the hardship faced by the public. “People have realized that this government has not fulfilled its promises. It continues to oppress,” he said, predicting that the Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) would secure control in most local government bodies in the upcoming elections.
Meanwhile, MP V. Radhakrishnan, leader of the Kandurata Janatha Peramuna and a fellow deputy leader of the Tamil Progressive Alliance, also weighed in from Hatton. He accused the President of rehashing old proposals. “The idea to distribute estate lands to workers was brought up by us over a decade ago,” he said. “It cannot be done solely with Indian assistance. We need broader international support to truly resolve the housing issues faced by estate workers.”
Radhakrishnan also criticized the President for offering contradictory messages. “He says estate children are leaving for domestic work and hotel jobs in Colombo and that he’ll stop this trend. But he gives different messages in different places. These are empty promises meant to win support.”
As estate communities watch closely, the support from influential Tamil leaders such as Digambaram may hinge not on rhetoric but on the actual delivery of long-awaited reforms. The weeks ahead may reveal whether the President’s pledges will evolve into policy—or remain yet another unfulfilled promise echoing through Sri Lanka’s hills.
