Unemployed Graduates skeptic about Govt. promises, suspect a crackdown on their activists
The Joint Unemployed Graduates’ Association says it does not trust the Government to deliver its promise to provide jobs for 50,000 unemployed graduates before March 1.
Association Convener Ven. Tenne Gnanananda Thera told Education Times they had two rounds of discussions with the President’s Additional Secretary Rohana Abeyratne on the issue.
“All we are seeing so far are grand pronouncements from the President and others, but they are yet to lay out a definite programme on how this will be done,” the prelate said.
Ven. Gnanananda Thera said the unemployed graduates were not prepared to trust the Government’s word and wait.
“This problem has existed for six years. We were hoodwinked by the previous Government and are not prepared to let this Government deceive us too. We want letters of appointment handed out in February. If they wait for March it will not amount to anything as the Government will be dissolved for a general election,” he said.
He also accused the Government of preparing for a crackdown on their activists.
“The police had gone to the temple where I reside and had visited the houses of three of our activists, under the guise of collecting information. We see this as a clear attempt to intimidate our members.”
“While the Government is promising to give us jobs, it is also preparing for a crackdown on activists. We are directly telling President Gotabaya Rajapaksa not to stoop to a low level, as we will not be intimidated by such tactics.”
The prelate said their association will complain to the National Police Commission and the Human Rights Commission next week regarding the alleged harassment of activists by police.
“We are also in discussions on whether to intensify our protests next week,” he added.- Sandun Jayawardana