I'raal-kuzhi villagers protest against sand-scooping

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 13 May 2015, 20:58 GMT]
The Eezham Tamil villagers of I'raal-kuzhi, a small hamlet about 10 square km, situated along one of the two rivers where Mahaweli ganga is branching off into the sea in Moothoor division of Trincomalee district, protested on Wednesday against the unabated sand-scooping carried out by wealthy businessmen from Moothoor. The people living in the low-lying land have been struggling for long time unable to withstand the rainy and flooding seasons. The businessmen who operate with the backing of politicians in power have been engaged in the systematic exploitation for a long time. In addition to the danger of water entering their village, the systematic exploitation irreversibly destroys the environment of the region, the protesters complained.

I'raal-kuli is located along the A-15 Trincomalee - Batticaloa Road.

Colombo was only interested in transforming the ferry point into a bridge in 2011 in order to facilitate its infrastructure with funds obtained from Europe.

The protesters were blocking the road in their drive to gain attention to their acute problem.

The occupying Sri Lankan State was also trying to dump the uprooted Tamils from Champoor into I'raal-kuzhi after seizing the fertile lands in Champoor for ‘development’ and geopolitical exploitation after the genocidal onslaught in 2009. But, the people of Champoor refused to receive alternative lands at I'raal-kuzhi, which is a low-lying land affected by floods.

The protesting villagers told TamilNet that they would step up their protest disturbing the traffic along the A-15 road if the sand-scooping was not stopped by the SL authorities and the businessmen operating with the backing of certain Muslim politicians who collaborate with the new regime in Colombo.

The protesters also condemned the politicians of Tamil National Alliance for failing to address their needs.

The sand scooping became a multi-million business for Colombo-operated agents in the North and East during the regimes of Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga and Mahinda Rajapaksa. The business was also bringing in multi-million rupees into the pockets of the SL paramilitary and military officials.

A Tamil environmental activist from Kuaththanai village in Vadamaraadchi was shot and killed by a killer squad operated by the EPDP paramilitary and the SL military in Jaffna on 31 December 2010.

The exploitation has been reported at several places, from Adampan in Mannaar to Chantha'na-madu river basin in Batticaloa in the country of Eezham Tamils.