ÃƒÆ’Ã‚Â¢ÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚Â¬Ãƒâ€¦Ã¢â‚¬Å“Security forces grab land in the North and EastÃƒÆ’Ã‚Â¢ÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚Â¬Ãƒâ€šÃ‚Â: Sampanthan
Posted on August 9th, 2013

Asada M Erpini

 All land as well as water and mineral resources in the country should be viewed as technically belonging to the state. When the name of an individual appears on a deed, it merely means that the custodian of the relevant land at any given moment is that person, yet the state retains overall ownership.

 The security of the country supersedes all other issues. That is why education, infrastructure development, culture, etc. get relegated to the backburner when the security, sovereignty, or national integrity is threatened by home grown elements such as the JVP in the past and the LTTE or when foreign forces violate the territorial boundaries and invade a sovereign nation.

 The issue of “land grabbing” by the government or its armed forces is a matter that never arises, except in the imaginary world of Sampanthan, the leader of the unregistered political group Tamil National Alliance (TNA). In the past, too, the poor man has been accusing the armed forces of grabbing the land that belonged to the Tamils in the North, as is again reported in the local media on 09 August 2013. There may be some justification for the lament of the TNA leader if Sri Lanka comprised the seven provinces excluding the Northern and Eastern provinces while the latter two came within the suzerainty of another country. It is clear from the oft repeated utterances of the TNA leader and the stance that he has adopted that he still considers that the North and East of Sri Lanka are under the overall authority of the LTTE. Someone would do a world of good to Samapanthan if he is given a firm wakeup call to get him out of his slumber to realise that his godfather Pirabaharan bit the dust in the Nadikadal lagoon on 19 May 2009 and all peace-loving Sri Lankans are “living happily ever after”.

 There are numerous army camps and contingents located or stationed in many places in Sri Lanka. A few among these are ones at Diyatalawa, Panagoda, Anuradhapura and Pallekele. None of the civilians ever complained when the land that they had been living on for generations had to be taken for the use of the armed forces and their families. They obviously know that it was their bounden duty as Sri Lankans to abide by the decisions and the actions of higher ups who had been entrusted with the security of the country. Sampanthan is clearly unhappy about the armed forces being there in the North as otherwise the remnants of the LTTE and any new converts can plot and scheme to drag the country back to the days when the LTTE ruled the roost.

 Sampanthan continues that the lands of the Tamil civilians are being grabbed to provide housing for the members of the armed forces. Members of the armed forces too are human and they would like to have their families with them. It is too early for anyone other than Sampanthan to forget that even the LTTE leader had his family, with a teenage daughter and a 10-year old son, taken with him to Nadikadal while the onslaught by the armed forces was in full swing. Surely, the valiant armed forces of Sri Lanka and their families have a right to live in army accommodation in the North and deserve a great deal more!

 The most hilarious statement by Sampanthan is the one that concludes his accusation: “The TNA as the democratically elected representatives of the Tamil people of the North and East”. The whole of Sri Lanka knows that the TNA came into being when the LTTE prevented candidates from other groups from contesting the election that brought Sampanthan and his coterie into the limelight. Sampanthan certainly can argue that in a democracy the candidate who received the highest number of votes became the MP!



  1. Mr. Bernard Wijeyasingha Says:

    Regarding the complaints of this so called “land grab” by the military one must keep in mind that for 30 years the Tamil Tigers were doing exactly that. They wanted to grab huge chunks of Sri Lanka to form a separate state. That by any sense is a true “land grab”. India wants this stopped. India wants Colombo to devolve her central powers. India wants assurances from Colombo that her harbors will not be used for military purposes. India wants this and India wants that after supporting the Tamil Tigers for close to 30 years.
    So how about Sri Lanka’s demands? The Kundankulam nuclear powered plant that has just gone into production poses an existential threat to millions of Sri Lankans if that nuclear plant goes critical. It is also an environmental nightmare as sea water is being used to a certain degree as a cooling agent. Has Chennai even given a cursory note of explanation to Colombo? have they even made contact with Colombo? the answer is no. Maybe this could be a bargaining point. Close the nuclear plant in Tamil Nadu and negate any other such project in south India and Colombo will devolve most of the powers in the 13th amendment.

  2. Mr. Bernard Wijeyasingha Says:

    Normally in any nation including the diverse land of India, New Delhi has the right of what is called “eminent domain” in the US to expropriate private land with a reasonable purchasing price for the betterment of the nation. That is how the US highway system was built and most of her public infrastructures including army camps, dams, etc. and no one in India felt alienated by that act.
    Protests may have been lodged but usually because they were not properly compensated. In this light the repugnance openly displayed by Tamil politicians to the expropriation of private lands is akin to an “alien” force invading and taking over. By the very reasoning that the Sri Lankan military is “another” force not welcome among Sri Lankan Tamils sends a message to the rest of the nation that the “Sri Lankan” Tamils do not consider the Sri Lankan military a benevolent force that saved their lives from the Tamil Tigers during the civil war and by their own actions and statements are painting themselves as “alien” to the Sri Lankan culture and nation.
    If they are truly Sri Lankan then they should welcome the presence of the Sri Lankan military. As for India lending her voice to the Sri Lankan Tamils, Colombo should reevaluate Sri Lanka’s stand with India. To date India has demanded answers from Colombo that India’s security is not compromised by Sri Lanka’s deep water ports that now can harbor the largest naval ships. She wants assurances from Colombo on a series of issues that protects India’s interest.
    It is time that Colombo do the same to India. What assurances does Colombo have when TESO has been resurrected and New Delhi has not taken any action to dissolve this illegal organization. What actions have India taken in keeping her fishermen within Indian waters, or what actions has New Delhi taken in stopping the construction of a nuclear powered plant so close to Sri Lanka. What has New Delhi done in regards to funds raised for the LITE? What guarantees has New Delhi given that the Katchacheevu island will remain the property of Sri Lanka? To all of the above India has not given any assurances but like a post British colony she behaves like a colonial power in the sub continent by disregarding the concerns of Sri Lanka while demanding Sri Lanka address the concerns of India. That has to stop!

  3. Lorenzo Says:

    Kadirmagamar’s children are Tamil racists if they insist they want their land. They are MISUSING Kadirgamar to DISRUPT HSZs.

  4. Senevirath Says:



  5. Ratanapala Says:

    Answer to India’s concern over Sri Lanka is simple. Sri Lanka must go on to have a Million men and women that can be called to take up arms at short notice. It is time that Sri Lanka initiated National Service and trained her citizens to face up to any future “Parippu Invasions” from the land of the “crap anywhere people”.

  6. Lorenzo Says:

    Agree with Ratanapala.

    We should arm at least a MILLION people to destroy Endian interests (including humans) in case Endia invades us.

    But Endia will DO THE SAME. Endia will air drop AK-47s, ammunition, etc. to Tamil areas.

    A nation wide violent spree must be unleashed that will make Endia REGRET invasion.

    Hambantota port and Mattala airport will be our port and airport once Endia may mostly likely bomb Colombo port and KIA. Chinese ownership means Endia will be too chicken to attack these.

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