Unemployed graduates resume protest fast in Batticaloa

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 24 June 2008, 08:14 GMT]
Hundreds of unemployed graduates in the Eastern Province launched a fasting campaign Tuesday from 7:00 a.m outside the Zonal Education Office in Batticaloa in protest against the Eastern Provincial Council (EPC) Chief Minister, Sivanesathurai Chandrakanthan (Pillaiyan), for not fulfilling the pledge he made to the Association of Graduates of Eastern Province that he would find employment for all the unemployed graduates in Eastern Province, sources in Batticaloa said.

The Chief Minister had intervened when the Association of Graduates in Eastern Province launched a one day token fasting campaign 10 June and had promised the Association by phone that action was being taken to provide employment for all unemployed graduates of Eastern Province.

The association had insisted on a written pledge from the Chief Minister as it no longer had faith in promises made by word of mouth and the Chief Minister had agreed to do so.

EPC Minister of Education, M. L. A. M. Hisbulla, had earlier said that employment will be given on the basis of the interview held for those who had scored more than 80 marks in the selective examination.

The Association of Graduates of Eastern Province said that the 2500 graduates who had appeared for the selective examination in the Eastern Province should be first given employment and that its members will continue the protest fast until their demand is met.

A one day token fasting campaign by hundreds of unemployed graduates organized by the Association of Graduates of Eastern province 10 June outside the Zonal education office of Batticaloa district effectively stopped functioning of the office from 7:00 till 11.00 a.m.

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