The Tamils
opposed the resettlement of the Sinhala dispossessed of their land and property
under terrorism. But about 2400 Sinhala families were settled in
Bogaswewa-Kokilai and Kokkeliya by the
previous Government.
In the
name of reconciliation and to please the
West and the Tamil Diaspora the present Yahapalanaya government of
President Maithripala Sirisena is all out resettling the Tamils and Muslims
dispossessed of lands under terrorism, giving them lands, deeds, and houses in
publicised ceremonies.
I77 acres
of land liberated by the Naval force in Sampur is to be handed over to the
Tamil at a ceremony by the Yahapalanaya President. Yahapalanaya President also handed over land
and deeds at a ceremony to farmers
displaced under Moragahakanda –Kalu Ganga Irrigation project. There is also a proposals to build modern
houses with Solar panel electricity and pipe water to the resettled Tamils in
the North .
But the Sinhala people similarly dispossessed of their lands and
property live in extreme living conditions in their villages in Vavuniya. The roads to their villages have not even been
tarred let alone being carpeted and people specially the children suffer
from constant breathing of dust. They
live in sheds without any privacy. There is no fresh water or electricity.
During the
previous government the Army Camps
looked after these people by providing them with water, food and sanitary
facilities. But with the coming of
Yahapalanaya the Sinhala families in
these settlements in Vavuniya have been completely neglected. The Army Camp
which sent a water bowser regularly to
provide water for them has stopped that
service as well since the change of government in January,2015.
These
Sinhala families are constantly intimidated by the Tamils. TNA MPs chase away
surveyors who come to measure lands for these families. There are no shops in close vicinity to these Sinhala Villages.
The Tamils
enjoy themselves living with the Sinhala in the south, but these Sinhala people in Bogaswewa and other
villages in Vavuniya are being threatened
and the Tamils and Muslims show hostility to them with the intention
of making them leave these villages.
These poor
Sinhala people meeting with various other hostilities from the Tamils,
put up with their discontentment as they have no body to appeal to or
from whom to seek protection.
There is no police station any where close by. MP Swaminathan determined to send these
people away from the area has become a
nuisance and a creator of trouble for
these Sinhala people, refusing them any assistance.
Many
Sinhala villagers have already left the settlements. When appeals are made on behalf of these
people the yahapalanaya officials ask them to got to Mahinda Rajapakse who settled them there.
President
Maithripala Sirisena and Ranil Wickramasinghe are taking a more important interest
in helping the resettled Tamils and Muslims providing them with carpeted roads
, houses, clean water, medical facilities etc., but unfortunately these Sinhala
settlers in Bogaswewa, Kokilai in
Vavuniya live in pitiable conditions, completely neglected and left to
themselves without any help.
For the
2400 Sinhala families only 360 houses have been built , others have been given
one acre of land for each family, with a few zinc sheets to put up sheds. They also suffer from kidney diseases.
The children suffer from skin diseases and breathing
difficulties. There are no schools for
the children. There are no Buddhist temples.
These
are important Sinhala settlements that would thwart any attempts of the Tamils
to combine North and East to make one
Province. The Tamil Parliamentarians aware of this are therefore all out to
make the living conditions of these people worse as possible to make them
decide to leave the villages. Therefore it is imperative that patriotic Sri
Lankans wake up to the necessity of helping to maintain these villages until
the Government wakes up to serve these people not forgetting that they are
also the citizens of Sri Lanka.
It is
important that the living conditions of these Sinhala people are improved to encourage them to continue to live in
these Sinhala settlements. They have about 5000 votes and they had voted for a
Muslim candidate hoping he would help them to live peacefully under better conditions. But the Muslim Parliamentarian has not even
shown himself after the election.
Some of the
people who are fishermen are Catholics and even the Catholic Priests do not
visit the Sinhala Catholic settlers. Bodu Bala Sena Movment is making an effort
to help these Sinhala villagers without differentiating between the Buddhists
and Catholics by visiting them with clothes, dry ration, water, and medicine.
No one else
has shown any interest in these people. Not even the new minister Sarath
Fonseka the bugle player for the
Yahapalanaya, making his duty as a parliamentary taking revenge from Mahindha
and Gotabhaya Rajapakse, speak of the Sinhale people displaced during the
terrorism. He has a right to be
concerned about them as he was then the Commander of the Army.
Those of
us who feel for these poor people could contribute to their well being through
the Bodu Bala Sena Movement. A minimum of 70 US
Those who
are willing to make a contribution could pay it to the following account:
Account
No. 74948616 (swift code: BCEYLKCX), Bodu Bala Sena Subhasadana, Bank of Ceylon
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