By
Nirmala Kannangara
Minister of Industry and Commerce Rishad Bathiudeen has come under severe criticism for demanding forestlands in the Mannar District to settle siblings of the internally displaced Muslims under the guise of a resettlement drive.
Although 2,300 acres of forestlands have been released from Mannar, Mullaitivu and Vavuniya Districts to resettle the displaced Muslims, Bathiudeen has requested for more forestlands causing concern amongst the employees of the Land and Lands Development Ministry and Forest Department.
“When all the Muslim IDPs have been resettled in Mannar, Mullaitivu and Vavuniya Districts Minister Bathiudeen’s request for more lands has raised many questions. The government cannot grant lands for the IDP siblings, but only to resettle those who lost their houses during the war. We have come to know that these additional lands requested by Minister Bathiudeen are to settle the IDP siblings, which cannot be allowed,” a senior official in the Land Commissioner General’s Department on condition of anonymity told The Sunday Leader.
Thick forest
According to him, this identified 800 acres of land is a thick forest and it is not clear whether there are landmines in the area.
“How can the Minister claim that this thick forest cover was a Muslim dominant area before the war? Then there should be at least remnants of houses in this area. There is no sign to prove that there was a habitat here,” claimed the sources.
The source further said that it was surprising why Minister Bathiudeen was demanding this land despite the fact that the Additional Secretary of the Land and Land Development Ministry clearly stated that the request could not be granted since the cabinet has decided to stop distributing lands in the North and the East temporarily.
“Even the Forest Department is strictly against this request and they too are not ready to release forest lands to settle IDP siblings. When the request came through the Divisional Secretary (DS) Muhudubadapattuwa to Director General Forest Department on January 25, 2012 copied to Commissioner General Lands R.P.R. Rajapaksa, the DS was requested to send the list of names to which the lands have to be given. But however the DS has so far failed to send us the list of names, which is a clear indication what Minister Bathiudeen’s hidden agenda is,” said the sources.
Muslim colony
The sources further said the lands were what the Presidential Task Force has rejected giving away for settlement considering them to be thick forest cover.
“In addition to this thick forest land, Minister Bathiudeen has requested another 450 acres of land from another part in the Mannar District claiming it too was a Muslim colony before the war. This is wrong, as this was an irrigation scheme abandoned when the war erupted. If the Minister really wants to resettle the Muslim IDPs who lost their houses during the war, then why cannot he give the list of names to the DS and send it to the Commissioner General Lands and the Director General Forest Department to consider the request,” said the sources.
More confusion
Meanwhile, in a letter dated February 23, 2012 the Additional Secretary (Lands) S.D.A.B. Boralessa to Commissioner General Lands has informed that there is confusion over the request made by the DS Muhudubadapattuwa to resettle 1455 Muslim families in forestlands.
d Development Ministry cabinet paper submitted to the cabinet, the cabinet has decided to discontinue land distribution in the North and the East temporarily. Since the resettlement drive in the North and the East have completed to a certain extent, kindly look into whether the District Secretary has distributed lands in those areas against the 2008/4 circular and send me a report.
“When the DS was requesting more lands at a time most of the IDPs have been resettled, the ministry wanted to check whether the District Secretary has distributed lands against the 2008/ 4 circular giving away lands for non IDPs. That was why the Ministry secretary wanted the Commissioner General Lands to see whether land distribution was done properly,” sources said.
Exposed intention
The sources further alleged that Minister Bathiudeen had once said at a meeting that his intention is to give a challenge to the TNA once the Muslims are resettled.
“We should not discriminate any race. Be it Sinhalese, Tamils, Muslims or Burgers we are all Sri Lankans. That is what President
Mahinda Rajapaksa clearly stated after winning the war. So why should a Minister in Mahinda Rajapaksa cabinet try to discriminate other races, which is completely against the Mahinda Chinthanaya. If he is allowed to settle IDP siblings then the Tamils too will ask for more lands to settle their siblings,” he added.
When contacted Commissioner General Lands, R.P.R. Rajapaksa, he said that lands would not be released for whatever reason unless the required procedure was followed.
“There is no way to give away any land unless the proper procedure is followed. In regard to this issue DS Muhudubadapattuwa wrote to us requesting for 850 acres to resettle 1455 Muslim families. We have instructed him to send us the list of names of the beneficiaries. But so far he has failed to send the list,” said Rajapaksa
He further said that there is no way lands could be given to settle the next generation, but give only for those who were displaced during the war.
Director General Forest Department K.P. Ariyadasa too said that unless the required guidelines are followed, forestlands would not be given for any resettlement.
“I have instructed the District Secretary Mannar not to clear the forest lands to settle any person unless they follow the rules and regulations,” said Ariyadasa.
Refutation
However refuting allegations, Minister Bathiudeen said that he had never said that he wants to settle the Muslims in Mannar to challenge the Tamils in the district.
“Although the government claims that Muslims IDPs were resettled, none of them have been resettled. The LTTE chased 20,000 Muslim families (70,000 family members) from Mannar, Vavuniya, Mulaithivu, Killinochchi and Jaffna. After the war in 2009 only 22,000 families (60,000) members were sent back to their places of origin. Although they were sent back, not a single Muslim family was given even a perch of land and a tin of sheet over their heads. This is total discrimination. When the Tamils are getting funds from UNHRC the Muslims were left over,” said Bathiudeen.
According to Bathiudeen, there are another 10,000 Muslim families (40,000 family members) still living in IDP camps in Puttalam.
“They are a forgotten lot. It was the LTTE that chased them from their places, but the Tamils have been resettled in their places of origin and even areas where Muslims lived,” he added.
According to Bathiudeen, it is disheartening to see how Muslims are now sleeping under trees in Mannar, Vavuniya and Mullaitivu Districts.
“Although the government is claiming that our people have been resettled I am asking the media to come and see how the Muslims are suffering under trees. The areas where they lived 22 years ago are now turned to thick forests and there are proposals to gazette them as forestlands,” said Ba-thiudeen.
COURTESY:THE SUNDAY LEADER