Permanent Sinhala settlements constructed in the Jaffna town periphery. Government prepared to distribute lands.

Sunday , 03 February 2013

Activities are processed speedily to originate Sinhala colonization permanently in Nawatkuly border area adjoining the Jaffna town.

With the support of Sri Lanka government's associate party, Jathika Hela Urumaya, and with military security, these inhabiting assignments are expedited.

Minister Douglas Devananda has given assurances to those got settled in this permanent Sinhala settlement, that he would take immediate action to provide them to own lands.

In year 2010, 5th of October, 54 Sinhala families in the aim of settling in Jaffna suddenly arrived to the Jaffna railway station and were sheltered. They stated that they were residing here before year 1980, and attempted to get settle; however they did not submit any proof for their residing to the officials. Hence assistance given to them was rejected by the officials.

For one month, this situation continued, but suddenly they got inhabited in the Nawatkuli locality. They crept inside the land belonging to National Housing Directive Board and constructed huts and lived.

Regarding this illegal settlements, the officials of the Housing Directive Board Jaffna district notified to the Colombo head office, by many memorandums. But action was not taken to remove this sudden occupation.

But now activities are processed to make this colonization of Sinhala people permanently living in Nawatkuli, where they illegally intruded.

Jathika Hela Uruma, the government's associate party and Singaravaya the Bhikku movement are funding and providing necessary assistance towards this was mentioned by them.

Walls are raised up for 20 houses, and activities are expedited in this settlement. Further foundations are laid for 40 houses. Cement mixing machines are working day and night is according to the information from the neighborhood.

"Officials here did not give us any assistance. But Singaravaya movement from Dehiwela,and the Bhikkus gave us cash assistance of five lacks of rupees to each house owner. We are helped only by Hela Urumaya party and Bhikkus" Such statement was made to the Media by one of the inhabitant Sooriyakanthi.

Bhikkus are unable to collect all the funds immediately to construct all the houses which we require. Hence stage by stage they are funding us was further mentioned by her.

In the aim of strengthening the permanent Sinhala colonization, decision had been taken to construct a general-purpose hall adjoining the Vihara.

The lands which are forcibly kept by them, activities will process to given them the ownership was the assurance given by Minister Douglas Devananda some days back was said by the people to "Udayan" print media.

Currently 135 families are living here. This land is not enough for us. Minister Douglas Devananda visited to this locality last 28th and gave us assurance that he would make the necessary arrangements to distribute the lands and to provide us with valid documents was said by Malkanthi.

According to Malkanthi, 135 families have got settled, but none are permanently residing.

To introduce a Sinhala colony at the entrance of Jaffna and to instigate the Tamil people in the entire peninsula, such systemized attempts are done, is alleged by the Tamil politicians.

“All of us do not live here at the same time. We go to our native places of Anuradhapuram and Mihinthala. We do not have jobs here. Children do not have schools here. Hence we are not permanently occupying here. This is the reason we are constructing permanent homes” was said by Malkanthi.

The local councils did not give any sanctions to construct permanent houses,. Chavakachcheri divisional council Treasurer K.Thurairasa said, request for permission for the construction of permanent buildings to the Sinhala people was not forwarded. “They are illegally carrying out these activities” was alleged by him.

“ I am responsible for the Sinhala colony “was said by identifying himself as the officer in charge of a nearby Military camp, who was in uniform mentioned” to the "Udayan" news reporter.

A military soldier warned the reporter if any attempt to meet the Sinhala people who are living here, or to take photographs of the area they are living, the permission should be obtained from the military camp.

A name board is displaced at the land periphery where the Sinhala people are forcibly occupying states “Nawatkuli housing project land belongs to National Housing Directive Board".

Meanwhile in the same area where the Sinhala people have forcibly confiscated lands, 125 Tamil families are also occupying. But those families are living in huts, without any facilities.

Sunday , 03 February 2013