Tamil villages to be annexed to Sinhala-dominated Seruwila AGA

[TamilNet, Friday, 30 January 2004, 15:00 GMT]
Tamil villages of Upooral and Cheenenveli in the Muttur division should remain under the administration of the Verugal-Eachilampathu Assistant Government Agent (AGA) division and not moved under Sinhala dominated Seruwila AGA division, said Trincomalee district parliamentarian Mr.R.Sampanthan in a letter sent to the Trincomalee Government Agent, sources said.

Although several representations have been made to government authorities not to bring the two villages under Seruvila division, the planned move is still imminent, according to sources.

The Muttur area is divided into three divisions, Muttur, Eachilampathu-Verugal and Seruvila. Seruvila division came into existence with the creation new Sinhala settlements under State-sponsored colonization scheme launched by the then Sri Lanka Governments in power after Sri Lanka gained independence, sources said.

Mr.Sampanthan Friday wrote to the Trincomalee GA regarding the proposed annexation of two Tamil villages under the Seruvila DS division.

The full text of the letter follows:

"Upooral has 127 families comprising 428 persons. Cheenenveli has 60 families comprising 250 persons. They are all Tamil people. Cheenenveli adjoins, Ilankaithurai Muhathuwaram, a village in the Verugal-Eachilampathu AGA division-Upooral adjoins Cheenenveli. These two villages are adjoining the village of Ilankaithurai Muhathuwaram in the Verugal-Eachilampathu AGA division.

"The socio-economic interaction of the villages of Upooral and Cheenenveli is with the string of Tamil villages in the Verugal-Eachilampathu AGA division. To give one instance, children who study up to Grade V in Upooral or Cheeneveli go to schools with in the Verugal-Eachilampathu AGA division from Grade VI upwards. The schools are close by, the medium of instruction is Tamil.

"From the point of view of ethnic, linguistic, and cultural affinity, socio-economic interaction, and proximity, the villages of Upooral and Cheenenveli are that these two villages come within the authority of the Verugal-Eachilampathu AGA division.

"Two bring these two villages under the authority of the Seruvila AGA division would subject the residents of these villages all of whom are Tamil people to a great deal of discomfort and inconvenience quite unnecessarily.

"This matter has to be decided upon the basis of the wishes and aspirations, convenience and comfort of the residents of these villages and quite clearly they have to be attached to the Verugal-Eachilampathu AGA division," said Mr.Sampanthan in a letter to Trincomalee district Government Agent.