R. M. Dharmadasa Banda -Minister of Supplementary Crops Development is allowing Palmyra sector which provides livelihood to hundreds of thousands in the Northern Sri Lanka where it is considered as Katpaka Tharu is put on a state of stagnation .
The minister is reportedly planning to wind up the statutory Palmyra Development Board, which he has packed with his cronies while making his nephew S.M.Wickramapala its chairman. What criteria the minister followed in picking up Sena Jeyasinghe, S.Kaluarachi, L.G.H.Dayaratna, C.H.Gamage, R.M.S.Bandula, R.Warnakulasuriya, D.M.Sudhunilame and.M.M.Abeyaratne as the Board members remains a mystery.
For me, the withering away of the Palmyra sector is a cause for deep anguish. It was at my best the Palmyra Development Board was set up by the Sirimavo Bandaranaike government in the seventies.
The entire northern landscape is dotted with Palms which have a wide variety of uses in daily life – as edible fruit, fibre and fodder from leaves, termite-proof wood for construction, and above all a nourishing drink. Per capita income from Palmyra palm is anywhere up to LKR 3500.
Jaffna, Kilinochchi, Mullaitivu, Mannar, Vavuniya, Trincomalee, Batticaloa, Amparai, Puttalam and Hambantota are the Palmyra belt.
The LTTE Tiger saga of gory and bloodbath ruined the Palmyra sector. Not only Tigers, the SL army also wantonly felled these palms to build barricades and for use in the bunkers. Locals say Palmyra trees were wantonly destructed. Estimates say more than 4.5 million palms have been felled for the last 27 years.
Though it is more than six months that the guns have fallen silent, the government has not come forward to restrict the felling of the Palmyra palms by slapping restrictions on the felling.
It is learnt that presently there about 2.5 million palms are left in the Jaffna district, 2 million in Kilinochchi - Mullaitivu, and another 2 million in Mannar. Around 2.5 million are found in the Trincomalee, Puttalam and Hambantota districts.
At one time, Sri Lanka boasted of 12.5 million Palmyra Palms with Jaffna and Kilinochchi accounting for 3.5 million in the country. Mannar also used to have some 3 million Palmyras.
Even now around forty thousand families in the North depend on Palmyra palms for their livelihood, while another twenty five thousand families earn their living through toddy production, handicrafts as well other palm products.
The Government’s 180-day Northern Spring (Vadakku Vasantham) has ignored the ubiquitous Palmyra, which has umpteen practical usages over its entire life span of 100 -150 years.
Quick Recap
While working as a journalist, I was associated with the Socialist Study Circle headed by T. B.Ilangatne. To this forum, in 1969, I submitted a paper on how the palm can revolutionise the economy of the backward region.
My paper drew heavily from my observations, In 1925 sweet toddy of the Palm was used to produce Palm Sugar in Polikandy, Point Pedro and a sugar factory was set up in those days to produce sugar. Later, in 1965 came up a toddy bottling plant. It was set up by Velupillai who had to retire as Assistant Railway Station Master from Puloly South, Point Pedro under the language clause. Velupillai introduced me to the wonders of Palmyra and its by-products.
It could be in 1966 or1967, I do not exactly recall now, that I had gone to cover the Gopalan Trophy Cricket match for the Sun News paper. Those days Sri Lanka was Ceylon and we were not accorded with the test status. Gopalan Trophy was our nearest substitute for Tests and was therefore very popular. That year, there were three matches each in Tiruchhy, Salem and Madras (today’s Chennai).
We landed in Tamil Nadu just after the death C.N. Annadurai, a popular chief minister of the Indian province. I used the visit to go around handicraft centres and saw firsthand the manufacture of a wide variety of Palmyra products. My interaction with various people engaged in the trade helped me write my paper on Palmyra and it was well received by the members of the Socialist Study Circle.
When Sirimavo Bandaranaike became prime minister in July 1970, she asked me to discuss the Palmyra issue with LSSP stalwart Dr. Colvin R De Silva, who was given the portfolio of Plantation Industry. She also advised me to give my Study Circle Paper to him, which I did.
I knew Dr. Colvin R. De Silva personally; he glanced through my papers and called his Secretary (Permanent Secretary) to examine the setting up of a board for Palmyra Development.
May be after two weeks, I was called to participate in a discussion at the Ministry with Dr. Colvin presided and two dozen officials. I did not hear anything for a long while.
But one day suddenly, I received a call from Minister T.B. Ilangaratne, who at that time was the Minister of Foreign and Internal Trade. When I met him he told me that the Plantation Minister has put up a Cabinet paper on the Palmyra Development and has decided to set up a committee to go into the proposal.
A few days later, when I met Dr. Colvin, he told me that he has decided to set up a committee under Justice (retd.) V. Sivasubramaniam and asked me to suggest some experts as members. I told him of Velupillai of Puloly, the pioneer bottler of today would be an ideal choice as a member. The minister accepted my suggestion.
The labours of the committee resulted in the setting up of Palmyra Development Board as a statutory organization. The board was established as per Act No 46 of the Coconut Development law of 1971 and amendment No 24 of the coconut development Act of 1975, which say that the ‘ principal place of business of the Board shall be Jaffna’.
For more than 25 years, thousands of families were able to find a steady income by selling their palm products to Palmyra Development Board and its sales outlet Katpakam was marketing these products in Colombo. The distillery at Thickam, Point Pedro was at one time producing more than 65 thousand bottles per month. Now Palmyra arrack production has been dwindled and families involved are leading a life of penury.
Just before the conclusion of the ethnic conflict the Palmyra Development Board was suddenly brought under R. M. Dharmadasa Banda -Minister of Supplementary Crops Development. The decision seems to have sounded the dearth knell to Palmyra sector.
Will someone in the government wake up and undo the damage caused by Minister Dharmadasa Banda.
- Asian Tribune -
Comments
Uplifitng Palmyra usage
Thanks for the well explaining article Rajasinham.
Appointing croonies and relatives has become the downfall of Sri Lanka. As one reader said you need to appoint people who know the job. Akthough most of the palmyra is produced in North and East but I do not see one single name in the list from that area. No wonder the board cannot function any more!
Things in SL has unfortunately come to a situation where nothing can be expected
from the government to be done correctly. Rather than waiting for them to do any useful work many are now turning towards the private sector. From what Rajasingham has written there seem to be a great potential for Palmyra products. It is worth for him to look into the possibility of getting a bank loan for SMI and collect some knowledgeable people to give a kick start to a dying old industry. If the project is done properly I am sure the he will be able to sell these products in the super markets that are now popping up all over the country daily.
Niorthern Katpaka Tharu
Thank you sir Rajasingam for putting up this note about Palmyrahs. If the Government won't devolop and replant the palmyrah trees, why cannot the so called representaives of the Tamils and who speak for the Tamil people take the lead and do by themselves, without depending on the Government. I am aware many people in the North lived their lives on this tree. It is the emblem of the North. The LTTE destroyed them and the Army too without any hesitation. The Government has a duty to develop everything that was destroyed in the North. What is Douglas Devanda doing? He is puitting his pictures with garlends on his website.
Tree of life
Management of this industry must be given to people who know and appreciate the industry, and the value of this tree of life. This means it must be given to someone from the North who understands the value of the tree. I hope the President realises this and does something about it. In the post conflict situation, it is very important to provide self sustanance opportunities to people who were affected. Killing this industry will be like killing the spirit of people who were sustained by this tree. The Palmyrah board should be transferred to another ministry, until it can be made a provincial subject, so that the Norhern provincial Council when its elected, can take over this industry.
Save the Palmyra Tree
A metter that requires the urgent attention of the Government, I hope all the applicable ministers will focus on this to plan and implement a program to save the Palmyra tree and preseve the Northe East from years of devastation. Thank you for this informative piece and also the comments of others. A crisp message to the administration.
Tree of Life!
Thanks for taking up this important issue Mr. KTR. Panam maram, as it is called in Tamil, is the tree of life of the Tamils, particularly Nalavars. The sight of a palmyara evokes strong emotions. This 'maram'(tree) brings 'panam'(money) to the poorest of the poor in the North, not to mention the East. I hope the authorities in Sri Lanka will do the needful to save the tree of life on Earth!