Deal-Politics Disastrous For Sinking Muslim Community
By Latheef Farook –January 9, 2018
The forthcoming local government elections once again exposes the political bankruptcy of Sri Lanka’s sinking Muslim community especially in the east. Sri Lanka Muslim Congress, the unfortunate outcome of national racist politics , came with the slogan of Islam and Unity, seem to have come to the end of the road.
The SLMC ruthlessly exploited religious slogans to hoodwink the people while unity disappeared following the death of SLMC founder Mr M.H.M.Ashrarf. Almost four decades after the establishment of SLMC the unfortunate state of affairs of the Muslims especially in the east is such that the main SLMC found shelter in the United National Party for political survival, positions and perks.
The splinter groups often created by leaderships of major political parties to suit their agendas detriment to the interest of the Muslim community are busy looking for alliances for survival. With campaign for the forthcoming local government elections heating up political scene in the east seems to be chaotic with senior Muslim politicians shifting alliances, abandoning all principles, for positions and incentives.
The SLMC General Secretary Hassan Ali who has been with the party since early days finally told some home truths when he called last week to end the culture of SLMC and its splinter groups serving as agents of the major political parties- abandoning the rights and dignity of Muslim Community. He told the media that once in the government they abandon burning issues of the community to ensure they do not lose their positions and perks.
Justifying his allegation Hassan Ali explained the problems faced by the Muslims in the east since independence. He said that; The minority community’s main accusation has been that the majority community which comprised only 9.8 percent of the North-East population in 1946 increased to the present level of 25 percent solely due to colonized settlements. Demarcation of borders for districts also contributed to it. Similarly the Muslim population which was 32.5 percent in the North-East during the signing of the Indo-Ceylon Peace Agreement of July 1987 has today been reduced to a mere 17 percent.
In 1961 a new Ampara district was created by joining adjacent areas such as Dehiatta Kanda, Padiyatalawa and Bintanna Pattu. Muslims suspect that this was a move to prevent the emergence of a predominantly Muslim district in the east covering Kalmunai, Pottuvil, Sammanthurai, Mutur and some other areas. With the creation of new Ampara district and the opening of Gal Oya scheme Sinhala population recorded an increase of more than a 500 percent.
Since then encroachment of Muslim areas has been an ongoing problem. Some even estimate that Muslims lost around 60,000 acres of land due to manipulations by successive governments, both SLFP and UNP, in cooperation with the bureaucracy. They had done this under various pretexts such as archaeological areas.
At district levels too, the minority communities were discriminated against. Sixty six percent of the land area was allocated for 36 percent Sinhalese in Ampara District while 70 percent of land was allocated for 34 percent Sinhalese in the Trincomalee District.
Explaining the unwritten agenda of the successive governments Hassen Ali said that even today 74 percent of the population in the Ampara district remain Tamil speaking people. However to date there was no Muslim or Tamil appointed as government agent for this district. This has been the unwritten policy of all governments.
Added to this new local authority boundaries were created in 1987 without proper delimitation commission or consulting the Muslims of the area. In areas such as Lahugala and Panama where there were less Sinhalese more lands were given while in areas such as Pottuvil where there were more Muslim population but less lands were given.
