Destructive trend of Sinhalicisation harmful for future harmony in East: Thurairatnam

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 31 January 2012, 23:57 GMT]
Archaeological traces of heritage, preserved in 25 acres of land in Chuvaami-malai and Kevu'liya-madu villages in Paddippazhai DS division of Batticaloa district, are being destroyed by Sinhala encroachers, who are attempting to construct a Buddhist vihara at the occupied lands, civil sources Paddippazhai said. Condemning the move, Eastern Provincial Council (EPC) member R. Thurairatnam, said the destructive trend is opposed to any future ethnic harmony in the East. The historical evidences in the area were well preserved even during the times of war, Mr. Thurairatnam observed.

The occupying Sri Lanka Army and SL Police are assisting the encroachers to carry out the destruction, civil sources in the area said.

140 Sinhala families had encroached lands that belonged to Tamils in the villages of Kevu'liya-madu and Chuvaami-malai four years ago, after the war ended. Now the encroachers claim that the area belong to them.

The act of destruction of archaeological traces of heritage in the lands confirm that the traces belong to Eezham Tamil heritage, a young Tamil politician in Batticaloa said.

The trend also indicates why the Sri Lankan government, aiming total demographic change in the East, has not been interested in giving land and police powers to Eezham Tamils, he added.

EPC needs land powers to preserve traditional Tamil homeland: R. Thurairatnam

[TamilNet, Saturday, 14 January 2012, 13:06 GMT]
Land powers should be provided to Eastern Provincial Council in order to safeguard the traditional homeland of Tamil speaking people from being plundered by the Colombo government under the pretext of setting up army cantonments and implementing tourist and various corporate projects, councilor of the EPC from Batticaloa district R.Thurairatnam, has said. Two third of the so-called state lands in the eastern province come under the centralized authority of the Colombo. The existing powers on lands are not enough no stop plundering lands in the Eastern province by the central authority, Mr. Thurairatnam, said bringing a motion introduced by him in the council meeting on the land issue.

Thurairatnam added that the central government has been setting up military camps in the lands that belong to Tamil speaking people, handing over lands to tourist projects, to the Forest Department and Mahaweli Development Authority without referring the matter to the provincial authorities and without obtaining their consent. The legal and illegal acquisition of lands belonging to minority communities are being carried out in the province during the conflict and after.

He stressed that this type of activity carried out by the Colombo government would not help to bring reconciliation between communities at any time.

Illegal acquisition of lands of Tamil speaking people is being carried out by Colombo government with a covert plan to make the Tamil speaking people into a minority in the province forever.

Colombo government is continuously authorizing the acquisition of lands in the East, leaving the District Secretariats, Divisional Secretariats and provincial land authority in dark.

He said provincial council should be conferred with full powers of lands to put a full stop to the illegal acquisition of lands in the East and that the EPC administration should demand the central government that land powers should be handed over to it.