Mano Ganesan Meets Swiss Ambassador

22-Feb-2026

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Leader of the Tamil Progressive Alliance Mano Ganesan has told Swiss Ambassador to Sri Lanka Siri Walt that the government is deliberately reducing the aspirations of the upcountry Tamil community to a mere wage and labor issue.

He emphasized that the upcountry Tamil people have evolved into a national community seeking land rights, housing rights, political rights, and educational rights. 

However, he said the government continues to narrowly frame their demands as labor-related concerns.

Ganesan further noted that estate Tamils were among the most severely affected by the recent “Tidhva” disaster and remain disproportionately marginalized in reconstruction efforts.

The discussion took place at the Swiss Embassy in Colombo between delegations led by Ganesan and the Ambassador. 

Ganesan called on Switzerland to expand its engagement with Indian-origin upcountry Tamils and to support the establishment of a political-civil dialogue platform to elevate their issues to national and international levels.

He also said that although the disaster was national in scope, estate worker communities suffered the highest levels of fatalities and displacement. 

While Sri Lanka has adequate legal authority under emergency and land laws to acquire estate lands for redistribution, he alleged that the government lacks the political will to act.

Ganesan added that, as previously conveyed to European Union representatives, land rights and related issues of the upcountry Tamils should be included as a condition under the EU’s GSP+ trade concession framework. He said a similar request had been made directly to the French Ambassador.