Colombo destroys herbal forest in Batticaloa

[TamilNet, Saturday, 08 October 2011, 21:38 GMT]
Several hundred acres of forest that contains herbal plants, situated along the coastal strip from Koa'ra'langkea'ni to Paalaiyadith-thoa'naa in Koa'ra'laip-pattu South DS division in Batticaloa district where rare medicinal plants are found are being destroyed deploying bulldozers for the past six days under the direction of Colombo authorities. On behalf of Colombo, Vinayagamoorthy Muralitharan, a paramilitary leader and deputy minister in Rajapaksa government, has been heading the destruction in the name of ‘urban development and tourism’.

Rare medicinal plants such as Kaakka'nam, Marungkai, Ka'ruvaa, Pilaa'li and Pilaasa, whilch are needed to cure snakebites and dog bites, are in the jungle strip which is being hurriedly destroyed, complain Ayurvedic doctors in Batticaloa.

According to civil sources in Batticaloa, the destruction of the valuable plants has been taking place without informing the Divisional Secretary and the village officers (GS) of the area.

This is another ruse by the Colombo government to Sinhalicise the land of the Tami country while several thousands of uprooted Eezham Tamils have been rendered landless following SL military operations, massacres and natural calamities throughout the last three decades, the civil sources further said.

Civil sources expressed fear that if the trend of acquiring lands for Colombo's tourism development and other purposes continue at the current rate there would be no lands left for the people of the area soon.

SL government officers working in the area fear either losing their jobs or getting transferred to other places if they voiced against the destruction and the land grab taking place under various covert names.

Meanwhile, hundreds of Sinhalese are working in recently opened “Maalu Maalu”tourist resort located in Pasikkudah in Kalkuda DS division. The personal establishment of SL presidential sibling and development minister Basil Rajapaksa owns the resort. Civil sources further allege that the resort is also used for sexual exploitation of Tamils.

Two similar resorts are also located close to SL Army camp in Kumpu'rumoolai.

One of the resorts in Kumpu'rumoolai is registered in the name of Vinayagamoorthy Muralitharan and the other in his sister’s name, informed sources said.

Mr. Muralitharan's sister is allegedly involved in illegal extortion of money from the youths in Kiraan promising employment in SL government sector.

Principals, teachers and government employees in Kiraan are indirectly intimidated to join an institution called “Karuna Foundation” to sustain their jobs and to get new employment in the government sector.