Sinhala men continue to intimidate Tamil cultivators in Eastern Province

[TamilNet, Thursday, 07 October 2010, 08:14 GMT]
Sinhala men continue to intimidate the Tamil cultivators in the Tamil villages located on the boundaries of the districts of Batticaloa and Ampaa’rai in Eastern Province preventing them from cultivating their paddy fields, P. Selvarasa, Batticaloa district Tamil National Alliance parliamentarian said. The Tamil cultivators uprooted from their villages due to war had resettled in their places after a period of 25 years during which the Sinhala men from their neighboring villages had appropriated most of their paddy fields, he said. Recently, Sinhala men had attacked two Tamil cultivators and chased them away from their own properties, the MP further said. No action has been taken on this issue though the TNA parliamentarians of Batticaloa district has brought it to the notice of it to the Government Agent of Batticaloa, he said.

The Tamil cultivators of the villages in Kevi’lyaamadu in Paddippadai Piratheasa Chapai area are the persons intimidated and attacked by Sinhala men from the locality.

During last year Makaa cultivation season Sinhala cultivators had encroached into the paddy fields of the Tamils and cultivated them. The matter was raised in the District Develop Meeting in which Sri Lanka Economic Development minister had been present along with several other ministers. Though it was assured that the Sinhala encroachers will be evicted nothing has been done so far to evict them.

Meanwhile, Sinhala men encroaching into Tamil villages of Kaaththaadiyaar Chenai, Thaazhayadimadu, Kevi’lyaamadu and Vavu’natheevu in Paddippadai Piratheasa Chapai area and Ponnaangkaa’ni Cheanai, Peruvaddai in Vavu’natheevu Piratheasa Chapai area continue unchecked, Selvarasa said.