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‘முடி’ந்த காதல் கதை

‘முடி’ந்த காதல் கதை

 மாதவராஜ்

சின்ன வயதில் இருந்தே தாழமுத்துத் தாத்தா தெரியும். தூரத்துச் சொந்தம். பிரியமான மனிதராய்த்தான் இருந்தார். எனக்கு முடி கொட்ட ஆரம்பித்த பிறகுதான் அவரைப் பார்த்தாலே எரிச்சல் வர ஆரம்பித்தது. எப்போது பார்த்தாலும் எதாவது சொல்லி, என் தலையைக் கிண்டல் செய்வதை வழக்கமாய் வைத்திருந்தார். கோபம் கோபமாய் வரும். சுத்தமாய் வெள்ளை முடிதான் அவருக்கு. கொஞ்சம் கூட கொட்டாமல் அடர்த்தியாய் இருந்தது.

அவருக்கு வயது என்ன இருக்கும் என்று நினைக்கிறீர்கள்? அதை அவரே ஒரு விடுகதை போல போடுவதைக் கேட்க வேண்டும். அவருக்கு இருபது வயதில் கல்யாணம் என்பார். கல்யணாம் ஆகி ஒரு வருசத்தில் மூத்த மகள் மங்களம் பிறந்தாள் என்று சொல்லி, மங்களத்துக்கு பதினேழு வயதில் கல்யாணம் என்பார். இரண்டு வருடம் கழித்து அவளுக்கு காத்தவராயன் பிறந்தான் என்பார். அவனுக்கு இருபத்தைந்து வயதில் கல்யாணம் எனத் தொடர்வார். இப்போது காத்தவராயன் மகன் ராஜேஷின் வயதைச் சொல்லி ஒவ்வொன்றாய் கூட்ட ஆரம்பிப்பார். வாழைக்குலை, கத்திரிக்காய், கருப்பட்டிக் கொட்டம் என பார்த்த வியாபாரக் கணக்கெல்லாம் உதவிக்கு வந்து நிற்கும். கடைசியாய் ‘இந்த பங்குனி வந்தா எம்பத்தாறு’ என்று சொல்வார். ஆலமரமாய் இந்த ஊரில் அவர் இருக்க, விழுதுகள் எங்கெங்கோ வேர்பிடித்து இருக்கின்றன. மனைவி,  இரண்டு மகன்கள், சில பேரக் குழந்தைகள் மறைந்து போயிருக்கிறார்கள். 

நம்பவே முடியாது. இந்த வயதிலும் தாழமுத்துத் தாத்தா சைக்கிளில் நாதன்கிணற்றிலிருந்து தளவாய்புரத்திற்கும், தண்டபெத்துக்கும் சைக்கிளிலேயே போய் வந்துவிடுகிறார். ராத்திரியில் ஆறுகட்டை  பேட்டரியோடு, சப்சப்பென்று ரப்பர் செருப்புச் சத்தமிட வாழைத் தோட்டத்துக்கு தண்ணிர் பாய்க்கச் செல்கிறார். மேல்ச்சட்டையோடு அவரைப் பார்த்த ஞாபகம் ஊருக்குள் யாருக்கும் இருக்காது என்றுதான் தோன்றுகிறது. மத்தியானம் சாப்பாட்டுக்குப் பிறகு ஒரு செருமலுடன் தாழமுத்து தாத்தா முத்தாலம்மன் பஸ் நிறுத்தத்தின் சிமெண்ட் பெஞ்சில் தோள் துண்டை விரித்துப் படுத்து, வேப்பமரத்தை அண்ணாந்து பார்த்துத்   தூங்கிப்போவார். அப்படியொரு நாளில்தான் அவரது இளவயதின் காதல் கதையைச் சொன்னார்.

“தாத்தா அந்தக் காலத்துல இந்த முடிக்கே பொம்பளப்பிள்ளைய எல்லாம் ஒங்கள மொய்ச்சிருப்பாங்களே” என்று நான் வேடிக்கையாய் கேட்டதிலிருந்துதான் ஆரம்பமானது. என்னையே பார்த்தவர், மெல்லச் 
சிரித்தவாறே “ஆமாம்லே, ஒரு சிலோன்காரி என்னை அப்படிக் காதலிச்சாத் தெரிமா...”  பெரும் ரகசியம் போலச் சொன்னார். கொஞ்ச நேரம் எதுவும் பேசாமல், அப்படியே தரையைப் பார்த்து உட்கார்ந்திருந்தவர் மெல்ல ரசித்துத் திரும்பவும் சிரித்துக்கொண்டார். அதைத் தொந்தரவு செய்ய விரும்பாவிட்டாலும், சுவாரசியம் விடவில்லை. “எப்ப தாத்தா..” என்றேன்.

“அப்ப நான் மெட்ராசில ஒரு கமிஷங்கடையில வேலைக்கு இருந்தேன். இருவது இருவத்திரண்டு வயசு போலத்தான் இருக்கும். எப்படி இருப்பேன் தெரிமா! ஒரு நா வீட்டுக்கு வா, கோர்ட்டு சூட்டு போட்டு, டையில்லாம் கட்டி ஒரு போட்டோ எடுத்து வச்சிருக்கேன் பாரு” அவரது முகம் பொங்கிக்கொண்டு இருந்தது.

“கடைக்குப் பக்கத்துல ஒரு பெரிய வீடு. அங்கதான் அவ இருந்தா. என்னப் பாக்கும்போதுல்லாம் சிரிப்பா. நானுஞ் சிரிப்பேன். அவங்க வீட்டுலத்தான் கடைக்குத் தண்ணி பிடிப்போம்.” தொண்டையைச் செருமிக்கொண்டுத் தொடர்ந்தார். “இப்பிடி இருக்கும்போது ஒருநா என்னைப் பாத்து ஒங்க முடி நல்லாயிருக்குன்னுச் சொல்லிப்புட்டா. சட்டுன்னு பதிலுக்கு,  நீயும் ரொம்ப அழகாயிருக்கேன்னு  நாஞ்சொல்லிட்டேன்.” சிரித்துக்கொண்டார். அந்தத் தனிமையில் அவர் குழந்தையாகியிருந்தார். “என்ன பேராண்டி, இந்தக் கெழவன் எவ்ளோ சேட்டை செஞ்சிருக்கான்னு பாக்குறியோ” என மெல்லிய குரலில் கேட்டார். “ச்சே..இல்ல. அப்புறம்..” என்றேன்.

“அப்புறம்தான் அவளப்பத்தித் தெரிஞ்சுது, அவளோட அப்பா அம்மா எல்லாம் சிலோன்ல இருக்குறாங்கன்னும், அவ மெட்ராசுல அவங்க சித்தப்பா வீட்டுல இருந்து டாக்டருக்குப் படிக்கிறான்னும்” என்றார். 

“டாக்டரா...!” எனக் கேட்டேன். குரலிலிருந்த ஆச்சரியம் அவர் எதிர்பார்த்திருக்க வேண்டும். சந்தோஷம் கண்களில் தெரிந்தது. “ஆமாம்லே.. நானும் அவளும் சினிமா, பீச்சுக்கெல்லாம் போயிருக்கோம் தெரிமா” 
என்றார் பெருமையோடு.

அமைதியானவர் அப்படியே மெல்ல அந்த மரத்தடி பெஞ்சில் படுத்துக்கொண்டார். “என்ன தாத்தா, படுத்துட்டீங்க.. சொல்லுங்க“ என்றேன். ஒன்றும் பேசாமல் அண்ணாந்து பார்த்துக்கொண்டிருந்தார். தொண்டை 
எலும்பு துருத்திக்கொண்டு மேலும் கீழும் அசைந்து கொண்டிருந்தது. “என்னத்தச் சொல்ல... ம், அப்புறம் ஒருநா அவ சிலோனுக்கு போயிட்டா. அவ்ளோதான். முடிஞ்சுபோச்சு.” என்று ஒருக்களித்துப் படுத்தார். என்ன சொல்வது என்று தெரியவில்லை. அவரே எதாவது சொல்வார் என இருந்தேன்.

“போகும் போது, ஒங்க நெனைவா எதாவது தாங்கன்னு சொன்னா. ஏங்கிட்ட என்ன இருந்துச்சு கொடுக்க. எம்முடியைத்தான் கொடுத்தேன்.” எனத் திரும்பியவர் கண்கள் கசிந்துகொண்டு இருந்தன. என்ன நினைத்தாரோ, எழுந்து உட்கார்ந்து “சரி, நீ போய்ட்டு வா பேராண்டி!” என வீட நோக்கி நடக்க ஆரம்பித்தார். தூரத்துச் சந்தில் ஒற்றையாய் அவர் மறைந்து விட்ட பின்னரும், நான் அவரோடு சென்றுகொண்டிருந்தேன்.

இரண்டு நாள் கழித்து, குரும்பூருக்குச் செல்லும் வரும் வழியாக உச்சி வெயிலில் சைக்கிள் அழுத்தி வந்துகொண்டிருந்த தாழமுத்துத் தாத்தாவைப் பார்த்தேன். அருகில் வந்ததும் நிறுத்தி, “பேராண்டி, இன்னிக்கு ஒம்மண்டை ரொம்ப கிளாரடிக்கு. நீயும் எந்தப் பொண்ணுக்காவது  முடியைக் காணிக்கைச் செஞ்சிருக்கலாம்ல” எனச் சிரித்துக்கொண்டே தலையில் கட்டியிருந்த துண்டை அவிழ்த்தார். அவரது முடிகள் காற்றில் லேசாக அசைய ஆரம்பித்தன. ஏனோ சந்தோஷமாய் இருந்தது.

தீராத பக்கங்கள்

``தேசியக் கட்சிகளும்`` விவசாய படுகொலையும்!

Upali S.Wickramasinghe

The Paddy Lands Act 1956

The Paddy Lands Act was promulgated by the Government after 1956 with late Philip Gunawardena as the Minister. It provided a form of security to the tenant cultivator and established a formal boundary between the owner of the Paddy Land and the tenant cultivator.

When this Act was promulgated the country had a problem of meeting the demand for the stable food item of the people – Rice. This vacuity, the Act was expected to fill and ensure the country was self sufficient in the main food item of the people.

That objective was never met for very long, and the country remained a net importer of rice, and the supply to each household was rationed. It became so bad that during the period 1970 – 1977 the movement of paddy within the country was nearly banned.

Since 1977, with the opening of the market and free import of food items, the supply of rice became stabilized and over the years, more tenant cultivators have moved out of that occupation, as seen in the Western and the Southern Provinces.

One factor that contributed to this is improvement of the economic outlook of the people of the areas- more and more have become members of the employed lower middle class. All over the country, the majority of those cultivating paddy are the owners themselves, as seen by the frequent protests organized by the farmers with their harvest.

In the South there are many lands that have gone fallow-பயன் படுத்தப்படாமல் பாழடைய விடப்பட்ட பசுமை நிலங்கள்- and not utilized for any economic purpose. The registered tenant cultivator is no longer interested in the cultivation of paddy.

There is a valid reason for this

  –with rice available in the open market at very low prices,cultivating paddy had become a useless occupation.

Adding to this is the lack of interest and lack of technological expertise in the organization meant to oversee implementation of the Paddy Lands Act and stimulate the cultivation of more profitable crops, the Agrarian Services Department (ASD).

The tenant farmer commenting on the production of average types of paddy where the guaranteed price is Rs 40.00 per kg., complains he is unable to dispose of it even at Rs 25.00 per kg.

There are many solutions to this problem, one of which is for a group of farmers joining to process their produce, brand it and market it under their label. The second is to cultivate varieties, which will yield higher prices. Some of the varieties sell at prices varying from Rs 150 to Rs 200 per kg.    The ASD should help farmers to seek one of these solutions.

A third alternative is to convert the rice so produced to bio-fuel – bio-ethanol, which can be easily be used in diesel engines. Again, it is the duty of the ASD to formulate such a scheme, seeking help from one of the Chemical Engineering Departments of a university, and get the Government to implement such a scheme. The ASD seems benumbed to all such solutions.

Worse, they took one step further and helped to destroy nearly 100 acres of paddy in and around the Ruhunu University. The drainage canal to these paddy fields lie in front of the Ruhunu University, running close and parallel to the University and the Matara –Hambantota Road. When the construction started in 1980, the contractor dumped the excavated earth on the drainage canal and blocked it till 2004, and was cleaned only during the tenure of Anura Kumara Dissanayake as the Minister of Agriculture. Since the canal was opened the farmers produced two crops and it stopped once again. The reason given was that a rival political group had blocked the feeder canal. After a
few years that block too was cleared and cultivation resumed, but only for another two seasons. Then came the question of prices indicated above.

In short, during a span of 35 years 1980 – 2015, landowners had received only 4-5 crops. The blame for this should be borne by the sloppy service provided by the ASD.

In the first instance, when dumping earth on the drainage canal in 1980, the ASD should have instructed the contractor to clean the canal and lay pipes below so that the water could move freely. The next opportunity arose when the contractor handed over the buildings in 1984. He should have been ordered to clean the canal before he left the premises. The third opportunity arose when the contractor left, the ASD should have ensured that the canal was cleaned – as was done during the ministry of Anura Kumara Dissanayake. The next failure was in not helping the cultivator process and market the produce. Further failure was in not encouraging the cultivator to grow the local
varieties which fetch a higher price and in not formulating a scheme to convert the rice to bio-fuels.

Meanwhile, many a land owner had requested the ASD to allow them to fill the land and use it for a more economical purpose; this is also refused on the basis of the Paddy Lands Act. There is a report that one person who attempted to fill his land was prosecuted.

The best and the only solution I foresee is to abrogate the Paddy Lands Act and allow the landowner to exploit the land for the benefit of the country and oneself. If in the rush the ASD becomes redundant – so be it, it is their failure which should not be hoisted on society at large.    

Upali S.Wickramasinghe   spupalisw@yahoo.com Source: The Island

Will India topple Ranil’s government too?

Will India topple Ranil’s government too?

2016-04-13

India maintained strict silence on Ranil's visit to China. Only India is aware of the secret behind that silence. Subsequent to Mahinda's defeat, his brother former Defence Secretary Gotabaya said at a conference that Indian Defence Adviser Ajit Doval had told him to halt the Colombo Port City (Chinese) Project. Gotabaya said, his brother's government got involved in problems with India because of the decision the government took not to halt this project.

If Doval had told Gotabaya to halt the Colombo Port City Project then there is no reason for them not to tell the same thing to either Maithri or Ranil. However, during his tour of India it was reported that India had given their approval for the project.

The maintenance contract for the roundabout close to the Colombo Port City Project at the Galle Face had been handed over to the Kingsbury Hotel located nearby during the period of the Rajapaksa Government. Recently when the Kingsbury Hotel expressed their willingness to hand over the maintenance to another institution, the Indian Oil Company (IOC) expressed their desire to take over the contract of maintenance.

IOC is also in charge of the project of renovating fuel tanks in Trincomalee. At the same time IOC is in charge of the Trincomalee Port Development Project as well. We do not know how China interprets the taking over of maintenance of the park near the Chinese Port Project by IOC. The government has not yet agreed to hand this over to the IOC. Maintaining a silent policy about Ranil's Chinese Tour and the Chinese Port Project and remaining silent on the IOC taking over maintenance of the park near the Chinese Port Project depicts the secret behind India's silence. During Mahinda's Government, India wanted to establish an Indian Consul General Office near the Hambantota Port. It is not that Ranil is unaware of India's fear regarding his visit to China and the Chinese Port Project. Ranil says that he pointed out to India that the Chinese Port Project will not be a threat to the security of India.

However, India had a keen eye on the manner in which Ranil's agenda for his trip to China was prepared. We do not know whether Ranil was aware of that. He took preparation of his agenda for his trip to China to Temple Trees from the Foreign Ministry. The agenda was prepared secretively at Temple Trees. Therefore, India found it difficult to obtain information on it. The other thing is that when Ranil went to China, President Maithripala Sirisena met a group of German parliamentary representatives in Sri Lanka. Here Maithri said, that Sri Lanka will not act in a manner that will cause a threat to the security of another country because of a relationship with a certain country.

Maithri gave that message to India. Germany is a country that is interested in the Chinese impact on Sri Lanka. When Maithri visited Germany, German Chancellor Angela Merkel was more interested in the topic of Lanka-Chinese relations. She showed that during Mahinda's Government Germany was not happy regarding Lanka-China relations.

America

It is no secret that Western countries led by India and America helped to bring the Maithri-Ranil Government to power. The main reason for this was that Sri Lanka was under the influence of China. However, we do not know how they will analyze Maithri-Ranil getting close to China. The Bandaranaikes had close ties with India. However, in 1962, during the Indo-China war, Prime Minister Sirimavo acted as a peacemaker depicting that she was working towards an attempt to halt it, but there was an accusation that she acted in a manner that was advantageous to China. There was a suspicion that a secret agreement had been reached by her to hand over the Trincomalee Port to China if an Indo-China war took place. In 1964, India supported the UNP in overturning her government. That was against her government's preference to China. In 1970, when Madame Sirimavo came back into power,

she was accused of having helped the JVP in their 1971 uprising. Although she had a very close relationship with then Prime Minister of India, Indira Gandhi during the Indo-Pakistan war she allowed Pakistani Aircraft to refuel in Sri Lanka. However, India did not fall out with her.

During Ranil's visit to China, Chinese media reported pleasant news to India. That is that when the Chinese Silk Route Port Plan is being implemented, China will not depend on or have any hopes regarding Pakistan harbours or about Pakistan itself. Chinese media had stated that it was due to threats of terrorism in Pakistan. This was a very auspicious message for India. India is most fearful of this Chinese Port City Project due to the possibility of China getting together with Pakistan. Just as the Chinese media have given the message that Pakistan is not secure, it has given a signal to India as well. A signal has been given that the Chinese Colombo Port City Project will not be a threat to the security of India by Maithri-Ranil changing the agreement on the Port Project. How will India accept these signals? It is difficult to say whether India will renew its ties with the Rajapaksa's to teach the Maithri-Ranil Government a lesson.

Zero environment pollution at Norochcholai - அமைச்சர்

 Nuraichcholai Coal Power Plant

Zero environment pollution at Norochcholai
APR 13 2016
Sandasen MARASINGHE

 The Norochcholai Coal Power Plant's emission of flying ash as well as environment pollution is almost 'Zero', Power and Renewable Energy Deputy Minister Ajith P. Perera said.

He made this observation during an interview with the media.

Minister Perera said although some people have said that flying ash affects their agriculture, it is totally misleading.

He said 99.4 percent of the flying ash is trapped at the chimney and sold to cement factories. He also said sometimes a bit of bottom ash is blown away with the sea winds.

"Building a parapet wall where the bottom ash is dumped will give a permanent solution to this issue," the deputy minister said. "Even after a lapse of a considerable period the CEB has failed to construct it. It will be constructed soon."

He said that sulfur emission of the Norochcholai Coal Power plant is also "Zero". The only emission is Carbon Dioxide and added that it is not hazardous. 

பயங்கரவாதம் ஒழிந்தது! அந்நிய நிதி மூலதனம் நுழைந்தது!!

Sri Lanka among Asia's top 10 FDI hotspots : IHS
APR 15 2016

Sri Lanka is ranked among Asia Pacific's top 10 foreign direct investment (FDI) hotspots, according to a study by US-based global information company IHS Inc.

The other Asia Pacific FDI hotspots are China, Indonesia, Vietnam, the Philippines, Myanmar, Thailand, India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.

In a statement today, IHS said that over the next decade, the Asia Pacific is forecast to be the fastest growing region of the global economy and the region that offers the biggest potential gains for FDI.

"The Asia Pacific region will grow at an average annual rate of 4.5 per cent per year, boosted by rapid growth in consumer spending in China, India and Southeast Asia," said IHS Chief Economist Asia Pacific Rajiv Biswas.

Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines and Thailand are also expected to join the ranks of Asian nations with a Gross Domestic Product exceeding US$1 trillion by 2030.

"This will help to increase the geopolitical and economic importance of ASEAN and economic grouping in international diplomacy and the global dialogue on trade, investment and international standards-setting," said.

IHS said that Southeast Asia is expected to be one of the world's fastest growing regions with these four ASEAN nations.

Referring to Malaysia as Asia's next advanced economy, the IHS report said that Malaysia's economy is forecast to achieve a per capita GDP of US$20,000 by 2025, with total GDP exceeding US$1 trillion by 2030.

Biswas pointed out that the structure of the Malaysian economy will continue to shift towards higher value-added manufacturing and services.

"Strategic growth industries in the services sector will include financial services, healthcare, education, commercial aviation, tourism and the IT-Business Process Outsourcing industry, as Malaysia becomes an increasingly important services, services-exporting economy for Southeast Asia," said Biswas.

Indonesia's GDP is forecast to grow at five per cent per year over 2016-2020, supported by strong growth in consumer demand and infrastructure investment, he added.

"By 2020, Indonesia will have already become a nation with a GDP size exceeding US$1 trillion, and by 2030, Indonesian GDP is projected to exceed US$3.7 trillion," said Biswas, adding that Indonesia is Southeast Asia's largest economy and one of the world's largest emerging markets.

The Philippines, he said, has shown rapid GDP growth averaging at around six per cent per year over 2011-2015, with GDP growth of 5.8 per cent per year forecast over 2016-2018.

"The total size of the Philippines' economy is projected to grow from US$300 billion in 2016 to US$700 billion by 2025, and a US$1 trillion economy by 2030," Biswas added.

Meanwhile, the ASEAN frontier markets of Vietnam, Myanmar, Cambodia and Laos are forecast to continue to grow rapidly.

The IHS study showed that Vietnam will grow at a pace of around 6.5 per cent per year over the medium term, with rapid growth in manufacturing exports of electronics and garments driving industrial development.

"The new EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement and the planned TPP deal will significantly boost Vietnam's market access to the EU and the US for its manufacturing exports by reducing tariff barriers substantially," he added.

(BERNAMA)

கலைமகளின் ஆனந்தபுர முற்றுகைச் சமர் ஒளிப்பதிவு

கலைமகளின் ஆனந்தபுர முற்றுகைச் சமர்
                                ஒளி நாடும் ஒரு முன்னுரை.
Published on 4 Apr 2016

''தமிழீழ விடுதலைப் போராட்ட வரலாற்றில் என்றென்றும் நினைவில் நிலை நிறுத்திக் கொள்ள வேண்டிய பல போர்க்களங்கள் நாம் கண்டுள்ளோம்.

வியப்பின் உச்சியில் ஆழ்த்தக்கூடிய சாதனைகளைப் படைத்த வீர வரலாறுகள் எமக்கே சொந்தம்.

உலக விடுதலைப் போராட்டங்களை எடுத்துப் பார்க்குமிடத்து அவற்றை விஞ்சிய தியாகங்களையும், அர்ப்பணிப்புக்களையும் ...... எங்கள் தமிழீழ விடுதலைப் போராளிகள் தமது வாழ்க்கையாகவே கருதி வாழ்ந்துள்ளார்கள் என்பது புலப்படும்.

ஒவ்வொரு மாவீரர்களின் வாழ்க்கையும் ஒரு பெரிய சரித்திரமே. உலகின் மிகச்சிறந்த தலைமைத்துவைத்தால் வழிநடத்தப்பட்ட, வீரஞ்செறிந்த விடுதலைப்பாதை பல பாடங்களையும் எமக்குக் கற்றுத் தந்துள்ளது என்றால் மிகையல்ல.

அந்த வகையிலே மிக வித்தியாசமானதொரு களமாக ஆனந்தபுரத்தில் நிகழ்ந்தேறியே முற்றுகைப் போர், (மறந்து)விடமுடியாத, மனங் கனக்கின்ற ஒரு நெருக்கடி நிறைந்த சூழ்நிலையின் யதார்த்தம்.

இன்னும், ஆனந்தபுரத்தில் நடந்தேறிய முற்றுகைப் போரை முழுவதுமாய் எழுதுவதென்பது இலகுவானதல்ல.

இருப்பினும் தொடர்கிறேன். 

பல வருடங்களாக தமிழீழ விடுதலைப்போர், பல பரிமாணங்களைக் கடந்து(ம்) நடந்து கொண்டிருந்தாலும், 2006 தொடக்கம் 2009ம் ஆண்டு வரை மிக நேர்த்தியாகத் திட்டமிடப்பட்டு உலக வல்லாதிக்க நாடுகளின் முழுமையான ஒத்துழைப்போடு இலங்கை அரசால் மேற்கொள்ளப்பட்ட தமிழினவழிப்பின் கொடூரத்தை ஒருபோதும் மறந்துவிட முடியாது.''

எனினும் இதையும் வெல்வோம்!
                                                                             தமிழரின் தாகம் தமிழீழத்தாயகம்!!

ஈழப்போராளி கலைமகள்

வரி ஏய்ப்பு மூலதனத்தின் வாரிசே பதவி விலகு!

Cameron family fortune made in tax havens

''Private Matter''

Cameron family fortune made in tax havens
Revealed: David Cameron's father built up legal offshore funds in Panama and Geneva


David Cameron's father ran a network of offshore investment funds to help build the family fortune that paid for the prime minister's inheritance, the Guardian can reveal.

Though entirely legal, the funds were set up in tax havens such as Panama City and Geneva, and explicitly boasted of their ability to remain outside UK tax jurisdiction.

At the time of his death in late 2010, Ian Cameron left a fortune of £2.74m in his will, from which David Cameron received the sum of £300,000.

Cameron and other cabinet members have recently suggested that they would be willing to disclose their personal tax filings amid growing scrutiny following the budget, but this would only shed light on annual sources of income rather than accumulated wealth or inheritance.

The structure employed by Cameron senior is now commonplace among modern hedge funds, which argue that offshore status can help attract international investors. UK residents would ordinarily have to pay tax on any profits they repatriated, and there is nothing to suggest the Camerons did not.

Nevertheless, the dramatic growth of such offshore financial activity has raised concerns that national tax authorities are struggling to pin down the world's super-rich.

Ian Cameron took advantage of a new climate of investment after all capital controls were abolished in 1979, making it legal to take any sum of money out of the country without it being taxed or controlled by the UK government.

Not long after the change, brought in by Margaret Thatcher after her first month in power, Ian Cameron began setting up and directing investment funds in tax havens around the world.

Leaving his full-time role as a City stockbroker, Ian Cameron went on to act as chairman of Close International Asset management, a multimillion-pound investment fund based in Jersey; as a senior director of Blairmore Holdings Inc, registered in Panama City and currently worth £25m; and he was also a shareholder in Blairmore Asset Management based in Geneva.

However, the family will – a public document seen by the Guardian – only details the assets of Ian Cameron's estate in England and Wales. Offshore investments would only be listed in submissions to HMRC for inheritance tax purposes. It is unclear what those assets – if any – are worth and which family member owns them.

In 2009 the compilers of the Sunday Times Rich List estimated Ian Cameron's wealth at £10m.

He was survived by his wife, Mary Fleur Cameron, who as his spouse would not have had to pay inheritance tax on sums transferred between them.

In 2006 Ian's eldest son, Alexander, became the sole owner of the family's £2.5m house in Newbury, Berkshire, where David had been brought up.

Another family home in Kensington, London, worth £1m, passed to his two daughters in equal share.

Cameron's father was "instrumental" in setting up the Panamanian company, Blairmore Holdings, in 1982, which was exempt from UK tax, when David was a pupil at Eton aged 16.

The fund shares its name with the family's ancestral home in Aberdeenshire, Blairmore House, in which Ian Cameron was born in 1932 but which the family no longer owns.

A lengthy prospectus for Blairmore Holdings written in 2006 and meant to attract high net worth "sophisticated" investors, with at least $100,000 to buy shares, is explicit about how the fund sought to avoid UK tax. At the time more than half of the fund's 11 directors were UK nationals.

Under Panamanian law the fund was excluded from taxation derived from other parts of the world.

"The fund is not liable to taxation on its income or capital gains as long as such income or capital gains are not derived from sources allocated within the territory of the Republic of Panama," the 2006 prospectus reads.

"The Directors intend that the affairs on the Fund should be managed and conducted so that it does not become resident in the United Kingdom for UK taxation purposes. Accordingly ... the Fund will not be subject to United Kingdom corporation tax or income tax on its profits," the prospectus continues.

The investor document also credits Ian Cameron as a founder member of Blairmore Holdings and states that as an adviser he would be paid $20,000 a year – the highest paid director – whatever profits were realised.

In fact, the long-term Panamanian investment fund performed above market rate over many years averaging a 116% return from 2002-2007. Today many of the fund's largest holdings are in blue-chip stocks such as Apple, Unilever and Coca Cola.

Before his death, aged 77, Ian Cameron was also chairman and shareholder of Close International Equity Growth Fund Ltd, registered in Jersey and worth £9m according to papers filed in 2005. In that year just under half of the fund's holdings were in UK listed stocks.

A third fund set up in Geneva, Switzerland, had a shorter life span and finally dissolved in 2007 but had many of the same registered shareholders as the Panamanian outfit. These included a number of former employees of Panmure Gordon, the stockbroking firm where Ian Cameron spent much of his career and those from Smith and Williamson investment management where Cameron senior was a consultant.

One notable investor into the Panama fund was a charity established by Tory peer Lord Vinson. Accounts from 2009 show that a charitable trust set up under his own name invested £82,000 into the fund – almost one quarter of its investments in shares.

Vinson's trust that year went on to donate tens of thousands of pounds to rightwing think tanks including the Institute of Economic Affairs and Civitas.

David Cameron has recently remarked on companies who have taken advantage of offshoring to legally avoid tax. Speaking at the start of the year to small business leaders in Maidenhead, he said: "With the large companies, that have the fancy corporate lawyers and the rest of it, I think we need a tougher approach.

"One of the things that we are going to be looking at this year is whether there should be a general anti-avoidance power that HMRC can use, particularly with very wealthy individuals and with the bigger companies, to make sure they pay their fair share."

The row also comes as the top rate of tax was lowered in last month's budget from 50p to 45p and the rate of corporation tax continue to drop to achieve the chancellor's ambition of giving the UK one of the lowest rates of corporation tax in the G7.

Responding to opposition criticisms over the lowering of the top tax rate, Cameron said: "The cut in the 50p tax rate is going to be paid five times over by the richest people in our country."

Downing Street said it did not want to comment on what was a private matter for the Cameron family.

A spokesperson added: "The government's tax reforms are about making sure that some of the richest people in the country pay a decent share of income tax."

The investment managers Smith and Williamson, for whom Ian Cameron worked, chose not to comment.

Edward Snowden Trolls David Cameron Over Panama Papers

Edward Snowden Trolls David Cameron Over Panama Papers