By Kesara Abeywardena in Bataleeya
Responding to a warm welcome by the cashew girls of Bataleeya to the UNP march, Opposition Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe yesterday declared that the second phase of the "Jana Bala Meheyuma" would start tomorrow at Town Hall in Colombo.

Cashew girls received the "Jana Bala Meheyuma" by playing "Raban" and by adorning Mr. Wickremesinghe with cashew necklaces. An elated Wickremesinghe responded that the UNP was moving towards making a change to restore the bankrupt economy of the country and usher in a prosperous time again. "In 1994 you were dressed in gold necklaces, but today all those gold chains are with the pawn brokers and iron chains have been put around your necks," he hit out to the ovation of the massive crowd.

He picked cashew nuts from the necklaces and distributed them among the people gathered while cheerfully flinging one in his mouth and cracking a joke with the cashew girls who accompanied him in the march to quite a distance.

Cashew girls

The fourth day of the "Jana Bala Meheyuma" resumed last morning from Weweldeniya after religious observances. The March caught steam along the way as it was nearing Colombo and large crowds kept on joining in along the way.

Party deputy leader Karu Jayasuriya led the march as it passed through the Mirigama electorate in the Gampaha district. UNP leader Rail Wickremesinghe on Tuesday adjourning the march for the day said that the march reached the electorate of the father of the nation D. S. Senanayake and the UNP is tributing that great leader by agitating to restore his noble principles. "We are today demonstrating to establish the democratic policies in this country and make everyone prosper and not a few families as it is happening today," he said.

People thronged to the sides of the road to see the march as it passed through villages and towns along the Kandy-Colombo main road. The march yesterday was about 4km in length at some points and was laced with decorated floats in-between.

The "Jana Bala Meheyuma" was expected to rest in Yakkala last night and would adjourn tonight at Peliyagoda. The march will conclude tomorrow in a rally at Town Hall.