Some politicians poison country’s political environment - Sampanthan
2016-04-28
In fact a part of the land has been released but there are lands still being kept. I told them I will take it up with the government in due course. I have done this earlier. Some time ago I went to Valikamam in Jaffna where Army had occupied several plots of land. There too people complained their lands were in Army hands but the lands were not being put to any use although crops cultivated before. Due to Army’s involvement they cannot get back to their occupation. When I returned and spoke to the President, he took action to release some of the lands. Hence I assured the people in Kilinochchi that I will take up their matter too.
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2016-04-28
Q. During the last few days the media was highlighting your visit to an Army camp and the fuss some sections of the Joint Opposition was making about it. There had been a complaint too about it. Is this true and what is your opinion about it?
I will tell you what happened exactly. I went to Kilinochchi where I addressed a meeting in the compound of the house of the MP for Kilinochchi. In the course of the meeting people raised several issues with me, particularly land issues. There were many who complained that their lands for which they held deeds had been acquired by the Army and that such lands had not been returned to them although the Army itself was not using those lands. After the meeting ended several women told me that the lands they complained about were on the other side of the road, meaning that they were opposite the place where the meeting was held. On the other side of the road there was a Murugan temple and they said their lands were behind that temple. I went to those lands with some of the people and looked around. Nobody stopped me or told that I cannot go. There were some soldiers around too. On inspection I observed that there were a number of houses which were unoccupied. What the people told me was therefore true. Some people identified and claimed that some of the houses belonged to them. I was not there for more than twenty minutes.
I will tell you what happened exactly. I went to Kilinochchi where I addressed a meeting in the compound of the house of the MP for Kilinochchi. In the course of the meeting people raised several issues with me, particularly land issues. There were many who complained that their lands for which they held deeds had been acquired by the Army and that such lands had not been returned to them although the Army itself was not using those lands. After the meeting ended several women told me that the lands they complained about were on the other side of the road, meaning that they were opposite the place where the meeting was held. On the other side of the road there was a Murugan temple and they said their lands were behind that temple. I went to those lands with some of the people and looked around. Nobody stopped me or told that I cannot go. There were some soldiers around too. On inspection I observed that there were a number of houses which were unoccupied. What the people told me was therefore true. Some people identified and claimed that some of the houses belonged to them. I was not there for more than twenty minutes.
In fact a part of the land has been released but there are lands still being kept. I told them I will take it up with the government in due course. I have done this earlier. Some time ago I went to Valikamam in Jaffna where Army had occupied several plots of land. There too people complained their lands were in Army hands but the lands were not being put to any use although crops cultivated before. Due to Army’s involvement they cannot get back to their occupation. When I returned and spoke to the President, he took action to release some of the lands. Hence I assured the people in Kilinochchi that I will take up their matter too.