Minister Thondaman denies wrongdoing, blames estate management

by Hemantha Randunu and Norman Palihawadane

Chief Executive Officer of the Kelani Valley Plantations Anura Weerakoon has been admitted to the ICU of the Nuwara Eliya hospital following a protest staged by a group of workers led by Water Supply and Estate Infrastructure Development Minister Jeevan Thondaman on Saturday opposite the Nuwara Eliya Police station.

The protest was led by Thondaman following a complaint lodged by the plantation company that Minister Thondaman had threatened some of its senior managers.Minister Thondaman and his men arrived at the Kelani Valley Plantations company premises to protest against the suspension of two workers by the company on 30 May.

The company management has complained to the police that the Minister and his armed security personnel held them incommunicado for hours, demanding the reinstatement of the workers.The incident occurred while a senior official from the Pedru Estate under the Kelani Valley Plantations company called over to complain to the police over an incident on the estate on Thursday.

Hours later, the Minister and his supporters left the police station, claiming that the complaint against him had been withdrawn. However, the plantation company officials said that they had not done so.

A senior police officer confirmed that the complaint had not been withdrawn.Following the incident, the Ministerial Security Division (MSD) personnel detailed to the Minister surrendered their firearms to the Thalawkelle police.

However, the weapons were returned to the police officers subsequently. Contacted for comment, a senior officer told The Island that the weapons had been given back to the MSD personnel in view of threats to Minister Thondaman.

Minister Thondaman said that he had visited the plantation company office to discuss a trade union issue with other officials of the CWC and the company management had summoned the police unnecessarily. “I went there to secure the release of some workers being forcibly held by the company management.

I stand by my people. It is my duty as the CWC leader to protect their rights. The issue is being misinterpreted by plantation company owners,” he said, adding that the conduct of the police was questionable. He said that police had no right to participate in meetings between plantation owners and trade unions. Workers have constitutionally guaranteed rights to engage in union actions. Police are biased against unions,” he said.