By C.V. Wigneswaran –
C.V. Wigneswaran
As soon as the War was over, steps should have been taken for disarmament, demobilization and reintegration (DDR) which is an integral part of post conflict peace consolidation.
Your Excellency the President, Hon’ Ministers, distinguished guests High Officials of Government and the Military, my dear brothers and sisters.
It is indeed a happy occasion for us. The return of even one acre of land to the owners by those who are not entitled to hold on to it, is to be welcomed. There is a wrong perception among the Military that lands captured from the Militants could be kept by them. This is a phenomenon to be expected when one country invades another country. As far as Sri Lanka was concerned the writ of the Government ran across this country continuously since all Government officials were paid and are still being paid by the Sri Lankan Government.
The war was only an insurrection, an uprising within the same Country. Therefore when the war is over the Army is expected give back the land captured by them to their People. They cannot point to the Militants to enable them to continue to hold on to any property without handing them over to the legitimate owners. What is to be done with Militant owned lands has to be decided by Civil authorities and not by the Military. Any attempt by the Military to hold on to such land would create the perception among our people that they are being held forcibly by an Occupational army. The Sinhalese would then be continued to be looked upon as aliens who have taken forcibly taken possession of their traditional lands. This could never lead to reconciliation.
As soon as the War was over, steps should have been taken for disarmament, demobilization and reintegration (DDR) which is an integral part of post conflict peace consolidation.
We are glad though very slow, steps are being directed in the correct direction. We had a professional soldier in Commander Udhaya Perera earlier and I have no doubt the new Commander Mahesh Senanayake is an equally sound professional Commander.
The Tamil people have always respected professionalism whenever and whereever found. It was such recognition that made them vote for Field Marshal Sarath Fonseka in his election against Mr. Mahinda Rajapaksa. I am glad the Field Marshall has called for an International Inquiry into the War Crimes.
While welcoming His Excellency and all the other distinguished guests let me take this opportunity to mention here that every person displaced because of the war must be allowed to get back to his/her land, trade, profession or means of livelihood. That is sacrosanct. Expansion of Airport and Habour should come in after every one of our people are placed back in their areas.
The Myliddy natural habour was second only to the Mirissa fishing habour in the South. The fishermen in Myliddy are clamouring to get back to their original means of livelihood for centuries – fishing.
I believe our President a little while ago would have inspected the houses put up by a French Company in Tellipalai and Kopay. Even though our Minister Swaminathan feeling is that my views may be negative, at least at this last minute even, let me say that such houses are not suited for our people.
They do not suit our climate, our environment, our culture, our way of life and are exorbitantly expensive. When compared with other houses we could build up to 2 – 3 houses with the money spent for each such house. Houses with furniture, TVs, Solar Panels and Gas cylinders would create a new elite among the IDPs being resettled.
Repairs to these houses cannot be under taken immediately due to the type of prefabricated materials used in building these houses. Gas cylinders are being given but the Gas has to be purchased out of their own money. How many of them could afford to buy them? If they cannot use the Gas cylinders and they try to go back to their traditional ways of cooking there would be many negative consequences in a building of the nature built.
Our engineers have inspected these buildings and given reports which are not favourable.
It would therefore be prudent to reconsider the construction of 65 000 houses building program as formulated in the present manner. Hope I have not exceeded my time limit. Thank you to all of you.
*Address by Chief Minister C.V.Wigneswaran – 12 March 2016
Rajash / March 13, 2016
CV”
The Tamil people have always respected professionalism whenever and whereever found. It was such recognition that made them vote for Field Marshal Sarath Fonseka in his election against Mr. Mahinda Rajapaksa.”
CV did you dig a hole for yourself.
Are saying the Tamil people respect the professionalism shown by Sarah Fonseka during the last days of the war indiscriminately bombing and killing innocent civilians who surrendered in the govt designated no fire zone.
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Amarasiri / March 14, 2016
Rajash
CV is saying: “The Tamil people have always respected professionalism whenever and whereever found. It was such recognition that made them vote for Field Marshal Sarath Fonseka in his election against Mr. Mahinda Rajapaksa. I am glad the Field Marshall has called for an International Inquiry into the War Crimes.”
There are a lot of Tamil people with common sense and intelligence. The Intelligence of the Tamil people is Bimodally distributed, I guess.
https://www.colombotelegraph.com/wp-content/themes/transcript/timthumb.php?src=https://www.colombotelegraph.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/OnionIQDistributions.jpg&q=90&w=629&zc=1
Rajesh, anyway, given below is an Atheist, yes Atheist who loves the Adhan, the Muslim Call to Prayer, 5 times a Day, that distracts you. Are you an Atheist and Love the Adhan too? Once you understand the Adhan, and appreciate it, you would live the Adhan,just like the Atheist. You may become Agnostic, and even a believer in Allah, God. Remember, “Prayer is better than sleep” (recited two times).
An atheist LOVES adhan
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8p5yd366J6k&ebc=ANyPxKrmHWpqilPOLOAqnOW4nly-U9zixH3st-GfcBkLBK0GHUrFGrBrcou6nXLEPTBm0Vt6R8h5AILpt_v0HD5jG4VJrAbYuA
Best Adhan in the world – Muslim Call to Prayer
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4_LN0hznp-A
Uploaded on Apr 28, 2011
Azan – The Call For Prayers
In The Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful
Adhan is the first call to prayer. The Adhan is uttered in a loud, albeit sweet melodious, voice to announce to the faithful that it is time for the Obligatory Prayer and to invite them to offer the prayers. Those who perform Adhan are known as ‘Muedhin.’ The honour of being the first Muedhin goes to Bilal, a black slave who converted to Islam. He had a very sweet, resonant and musical voice. He was appointed as Muedhin by the Prophet of Islam. The appointment of a black slave as the first person to call Muslims for prayers, shows that in Islam all human beings are treated as equals, no caste here. Rich or poor, black or white, short or tall – all are equal in the eyes of Allah. It is the piety of each individual that makes the difference.
Adhan is recited in a loud voice by the Muezzin facing the direction of the Ka’ba in the following words, which are said in the order mentioned:
“Allahu Akbar” – recited FOUR times.
Meaning, “Allah is Most Great.”(four times)
“Ash-hadu an la ilaha ill-Allah” – recited TWO times.
Meaning, “I bear witness that there is none worthy of being worshipped except Allah.”(twice)
“Ash-hadu anna Muhammad-ar-Rasoolullah” – recited TWO times.
Meaning, “I bear witness that Muhammad is the Apostle of Allah.”(recited twice)
“Hayya ‘alas-Salah” – recited TWO times.
Meaning, “Come to prayer.”(turning the face alone to the right and saying it twice)
“Hayya ‘alal-falah” – recited TWO times.
Meaning, “Come to Success.”(turning the face alone to the left and saying it twice)
“Allahu Akbar” – recited TWO times.
Meaning, “Allah is Most Great” (face back to front and saying it two times).
Morning (Fajr) Prayers
The following phrase is added after “Hayya ‘alal-falah” in the Azan of the early morning prayers:
“As-salatu khairum minannaum” – recited Two times.
Meaning, “Prayer is better than sleep” (recited two times).
”La ilaha illallah” There is no deity except for Allah.
ALLAH IS THE GREATEST
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Tigers quest for Tamil Eelam / March 15, 2016
Wiggie anna seems to be talking from his rectum. His job is to advance the cause of Eelam Tamils. Tamils dream is Tamil Eelam. The late leader of Tamils Pirabaharan have set the agenda for Tamils and Wiggi Anna should follow the National leader’s wish. He is trying to become a traitor to the Tamil cause and is hoodwinking patriotic Tamils of diaspora telling one thing here to get out $$ and going home and standing with genocidal Sinhalese. Tamils are behaving like lawless animals in the absence of watchful eyes of the late Heroic National Leader and ever vigilant Pottu Anna.
Our national leader knew Tamils can not see good from the bad, that is why he decided what is good for them: glorious Tamil Eelam.all patriotic Tamils should follow his path
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Tamil from the north / March 16, 2016
There will be no TE. Some of us buggers ran away from the country, send our children to great colleges and universities and then yearn for TE by sending other people’s children to perish for our wonderful TE day dream. Stop it now. TE is dead and leave it be. NO MORE TE anywhere.
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Dunuwila / March 15, 2016
The Ambalangoda lion was in Jaffna for around half his life
So the Jaffna people would know
His professionalism ceased the Unceasing Waves, delivered the once unwinable war & saved the life of Kumar Gunaratnam (Wijeweera and others were not so lucky)
Some crimes were committed in his absence, advised by an empowered deserter
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T. Jegendra / March 13, 2016
“The Tamil people have always respected professionalism whenever and whereever found. It was such recognition that made them vote for Field Marshal Sarath Fonseka in his election against Mr. Mahinda Rajapaksa.”
Nice try, Mr Chief Minister. To them SF was a killer as much as MR was.
But they voted for SF because the Tamil leaders wanted them to.
The Tamil leaders did so because leaders of the Tamil diaspora wanted them to.
Leaders of the Tamil diaspora did what was second nature to them, follow the interests of US imperialism.
If Tamil people voted for your ‘professionalism’ they should have learnt their bitter lesson from what they see in the NPC administration..
“The fishermen in Myliddy are clamouring to get back to their original means of livelihood for centuries – fishing.”
True, and touching too. The government and SL Navy should do something.
But why has Mr Chief Minister has not shown the slightest concern about the many more Northern Tamil victims of Indian poaching?
“…every person displaced because of the war must be allowed to get back to his/her land, trade, profession or means of livelihood. That is sacrosanct.”
Excellent. Does that include those who will be eternally displaced by the Indian coal power project in Sampur?
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S,Sivathasan / March 13, 2016
The principles enunciated by the Chief Minister and the verities laid bare by him about land getting back to the owner are unassailable. It is for the powers that be to treat the rule of law as sacrosanct and to win people’s trust with their actions. This will be the brightest step towards reconciliation.
As for Airport and Harbour, they are overdue and have to be pursued with God Speed. It was Gandhi’s ideal to wipe the tear off the eye of every Indian. Was it possible or is it practicable to do it without accelerated development? Let the Tamils and the country have them both at the swiftest speed. Japan or China can deliver at the earliest.
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Mallaiyuran / March 14, 2016
Confused Chandrikathasan,
Gandhi never wanted machineries imported into India; that is how he wanted to wipe the poor’s eyes instead of wiping the eyes wealthy investors like you. What the poor people going to do with an International Airport. Standing behind the barbed fences and watch the Sinhala air hostess? CV wanted the lands for the farmers first; then only other industrial purposes. Did you tell your SLFP boss Old King when he was building the Matale Airport, that the Palai is overdue? Why are you saying this only CV? Why you write meaningless ultra comedies frequently? He is consulting with the people who want the lands to cultivation! The army is forcefully holding the rebel girls and using them for slavery farming on our lands and winning prizes. LTTE operated best Airport in Iranai madu. Couldn’t you have told your SLFP bosses to make it as the Northern International Airport? Don’t show your PhD too much just opposing a man who is the most voted man by Tamils. TNA’s not one single parliament MP has reached his level which he achieved from PC level. You frequently behaves like a dog bark at the moon.
The war widows and refugees who are looking for houses are not the one looking for TV. There are kids walking as much as eight miles to schools. It is for these kids requests to diaspora are coming to help to buy bicycles by the people working with Yokeswaran…. Sritharan like elected peoples. Could deny that and say there aren’t any war torn Tamil kids need of bicycles because they are walking unacceptable distances to reach schools? Please know what is going in Tamils area before you talk.
I tell you my simple experience. When I was in Canada, at the start I was not allowed to work. I was suffering with the small assistance that was given to me. I complained to to my legal aid lawyer. He told me to make an appointment to my counselor and explain my problems. I was getting $150. My shared rent was $125. The roommates were doing odd jobs. They could not spent the nights without meat and beer. I did not have money in my hand to buy vegetables and cook. Many of my nights went with frosted corn flakes and rice crispies which they regularly buy for their breakfast. The lawyer advised me on few things. One them was, he told me I have to have a telephone. I asked the lawyer if that was not too much to ask the counselor. My thinking up to that time was owning a telephone back in our country was a luxury item. I thought the counselor may not think that is not important. He right away returned to me saying ” How are you going to call the prospective employer? or how can they reach you back? If you really want a job, without a telephone you are not going to get it”. At that moment I thought I was understanding something. I felt I was not in Lankawe, but in Canada. When I was in Lankawe, we apply for jobs reading the papers. There will be dead line on that with a month of interval. We send the Curriculum vite by mail. After a month, if they want us, send us a letter for an interview.. … Like that it get dragged easily well over six months. The jobs advertised on the Canadian Manpower Centers did not work like that. If an advertisement posted on the board, one applicant would call the employer on the manpower’s common telephone and leave his or her phone number with the employer. Almost on the same day the employer would call to set up a date for interview. Before the end of the week the employer will have decided with the person and he/she may start his job on the next week.
There is a length of an universe difference is in the life between the west and Lankawe. There is no question that the French Engineers and architects are much more knowledgeable than the Jaffna construction people. But if they are asked visit Jaffna and remodel the houses, certainly they will come out with the houses that are usable by our people. These people did not have a place to go for their natures duty until now. If the CEB come and demand to pay their skyrocketing electricity bill every month and threaten that they will auction the houses to recover their balance due where these poor people will be able to go? Why the Northern province people’s difficulties should not be brought out by elected Northern Province people? Why this comedian is joining with swamynathan, after all he is not SLFP. This Swamynathan used to blast at Vijayakala, the only elected member from his party in the North, when he visits North. When Ranil visited North he used to whip the CM, principals and other officers of the North? Why there is Master – Slave mentality from these SLFP, UNP people when they think of Northern Tamils?
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S,Sivathasan / March 14, 2016
Further to my comment may I add that I got a good image of the new house from Sakthi TV. It is well furnished, seemingly comfortable, and solar energised together with gas for cooking. Quality of construction and finish appear to be alright. Electric lights and TV are commonplaces now and they would have had them much earlier at their cost, but for the war. All the amenities make some amends for their years of deprivation.
Hon. Minister D M Swaminathan has given quite a good account of the rationale behind the programme. A four year programme instead of a 14 year one has the cutting edge.
Lee Kwan Yew recounts his experience with the third world citizens moving into his 3 & 4 storied flats in early seventies. Their baggage included in some cases chicken coops and even pigs. Balconies and lobbies were barricaded for the purpose. Yet the programme moved relentlessly on.
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Mallaiyuran / March 14, 2016
You are pathetic case. You think if you dip your head into sand other cannot see you. Please read CV’s statement rather than hiding you hide your head into to avoid reading it. Your account of the houses is just foolishly repeating the claim put forward by CV. Then are defending CV or Swaminathan?
You show the houses though Shakthi TV because you have to make your sponsors make money. Otherwise Shakthi TV is unwanted here. The people are not getting these houses to see it on the Shakthi TV or watch Shakthi TV and put its rating high. Many of them commented on the houses built by India when it employed Lankawe’s southern Contractors to ensure the quality. What is happening when CV complained about these houses, everybody is jumping on him? Tamils like professionalism. Cost cheap is another aspect. CV had said these houses are not cheap. It there a rule the Tamil should accepts anything that give to them shutting up their mouth? Is this the change Yahapalanaya has brought to North?
CV is fighting hard to get the relatives of these people out for long time. Swaminathan’s and his New Royal government’s’ words on these are open lies. Recently the Government brought a hate speech bill. This was in response to the opposition’s demand for BBS like organizations. But, secretly government plotted to revive PTA through these provisions. Opposition opposed the hate speech bill. The government Co-Sponsored the SinhaLE and keeping quiet about it. You can put you head underneath sand and avoid commenting on these and can come here jumping every time when Samynathan goes to North to give a false promise.
In the meeting, The New King attempted to shut up CV. Well, it was expected. Or CV might have expected that kind of retaliation when he was trying to bring out the complaints of the Northern peoples. This is what Ranil too do in the North. (But astonishingly this is not the behavior they show when it is Indian fishermen fishing on the Northern shores. Ranil even said he will shoot to death if they come there; it just because they are another Tamils and from Tamil Nadu). You may pretend like Shakthi TV did not report this by hiding your head under sand. New King used the same words to you honorable minister too. Now who are going to blame; it was the New King’s fault to trying to shut up Swamynathan when he arrogantly attempted to defend the house structures or you want to put the blame on Swamynathan? Please comment on this.
If you or Swamynathan or Shakthi TV is sincere on this house issues, I challenge you to take swamynathan and CV together with the Shakthi TV and Interview a sincere Northern Tamils sample of the house receivers and bring that news to the Public. Can you do that? Or could you pass this request to you minister Swamynathan through and open letter in CT? Please don’t think when you hide your in the sand the people would not know who you are and what are you up to.
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Mallaiyuran / March 14, 2016
May I add a passage of correction for your faulty conclusion.
As you are a juvenile and inexperienced, I have to tell something what happened in 1956. That time, there a racist man named Solomon Ridgway Dias, in those days, who dug trap for himself. The power hungry man wanted become the Prime minister of Lankawe. He eyed on the Tamil who holding the 65% of the government jobs and almost equal share of business in the south with Sinhalese majority. So he decided to destroy the Tamil. He introduced the racial pogroms to Lanakawe. He pretended to be a socialist while owning acres of estate land and claiming he had married in the Attanahala Royal Family. He inflated and deepened the racism that was just floating around on the surface within the majority community. He fooled his “addiyars” as he was making bloodless revolution like Lenin was making(that is how Lenin made the Russia as the poorest country in the ” White West” hemisphere. That is how he brought the Sinhala Only and removed not just the TVs from Tamils’ houses their wealth, their self respect, their peace, their ID or anything they had. The addiyars who newly became Colombo Tamils were licking from the plates of the left overs in Colombo started to behave as they have become as enlightened Buddhas by watching Shakthi TV so they can advice for the 65 years racial problems by blaming the war but not ready to bring in justice for the ones affected by the war. The Addiyars if they think it is LTTE’s fault the way the war was ended, they are not ready to take it to ICC, because the leftovers on plates will not be there any longer. They just put their heads under the sand and think if they blame the war on Tamils for their dismay, everybody will have to believe them but no other ways.
The houses are described by every Tamil news as not suitable for Jaffna whether conditions. Swaminathan, who probably has taken good chunk of donation to bring those houses, is not ready listen to the Tamils and implement the changes needed. Tamils who have seen those houses describing the solar panels can not stand up for the heavy need of air conditioning needed for the faulty materials used in them. Had they used the proper material, the soler panels should be saving poor peoples electricity cost. Those who responsible like Swaminathan not ready to response but brining Shakthi TV for witness.
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Janz / March 15, 2016
Autonomous lunatic Mallaiyuran is pasting alot.
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KA Sumanasekera / March 13, 2016
20 Kg of Brown Sugar was confiscated in Velvettithurai..
All shipped across Palk Straights .
Where it came from is anyone’s guess, But landing in Velvettithurai has a significance for obvious past experiences.
At least the CM is now seems to be on the same wave front as Sumanasekara with regards to Dalits.
Looks like the CM wants to keep the Elite away and make it a Dalit dominated Homeland.
I like it..
It certainly will make Yahaplana bosses plans a bit difficult.because all Vellala Elite now have to be granted asylum in Abiththya’s Megapolis, after Batalanda’s new Federal Constitution.
Wonder why the CM is not pushing the Hindians to finish those 50 thou, Dalit Houses which they promised in 2009.
Mrs Sonia perhaps promised it as a santhosam for meting out proper justice to the cowards who killed her husband and made a young White woman a widow to look after 2 young children.
Hindu lover Modi probably canned it for obvious reasons.
Will Modi give the CM his Eelaam is the next question?.
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Ajith / March 13, 2016
It is no matter whether from where or who brings the brown sugar to this buddhist land. It is coming from Lord Buddha’s birth place through the hands of buddhist Sinhala Fundamentalist security forces. We know the underworld criminals of Sinhala Buddhist Fundamentalist came through Buddha’s Land to campaign for Mahinda Rajapakse.
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Jayasiri / March 16, 2016
Well said, like a true Dalit
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Tamil from the north / March 16, 2016
KA Sumanasekeram is a dumb arse. Rajapaksa robbed the country 21 billion dollars and he is talking about 20kg of brown sugar. Oh man, what an arse.
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K Sundaram / March 13, 2016
C.V. Wigneswaran
I thought you will be very broad minded to deliver the the needs of the badly wounded Tamil community. My hope and feelings were dashed by your petty mindedness leading to hate you downright.
I hope you will go beyond to reflect a mature sense without sinking yourself into petty parochial way-path.
Please read the Puchancha Thanthiram stories few times and understand the ut-poruls and pave your path in a mature thanthiram sense.
You were a prisoner of your own when you were in the judiciary. Unfortunately you are not judicious enough to understand the intricacies of politics in the open terrain and playing petty ping pongs in all directions. Tamil do not deserve it.
You do not have administrative skills and is failing to administer the NPC. It has become a fiasco.
I am old, sick and feeble and cannot take anymore of hate politics. I hope you will understand my feelings when you read my this over a cup of Jaffna coffee.
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Douglas / March 13, 2016
Your opening statement: “As soon as the war was over steps should have been taken for disarmament, demobilization, and reintegration (DSR) which is an integral part of post conflict consideration”. I am glad at least on 12 March 2016 you have awakened to your all this while hidden wisdom and reality. Before you started this political career as the Chief Minister of NPC, you were a Supreme Court Judge, in which capacity you would have functioned with distinct “wisdom” and “impartiality” in terms of Rule of Law and delivered JUDICIOUS judgements at all times. I was very happy when you were elected as the CM of NCP and in fact, in my comments at various forums, my hope of you to be an EXAMPLE to all other Chief Ministers in other Provinces was emphasized in clear terms.
But all my hopes shattered no sooner you started working as the CM of NCP. There is a saying in my village to put all that in a few words and i.e.”Pudana Kotama Kapi Yaka” (no sooner the offering made the Devil gobbled it) You started a “fight” with the Governor demanding his removal. Then you “demanded” the removal of the Secretary and wanted to have your appointee. That sent “shock waves” across the Government and the armed forces based in the Province. From there on wards you lost track of the “Functional and Duty Demands” of a CM and deeply engrossed in “communal politics” even by passing the trends of the TNA. You lost your composure, patience, wisdom and Judicious judgement the qualities you possessed before becoming the CM. One good example is the point you stressed above of the Myliddy fishing port. What have you done so far to redress and grant relief to the suffering fishermen who are subjected to great loss and harassment by the Indian poachers? Both previous and present Governments are still “struggling” with that issue; but have you ever, even thought of making proposals to settle that burning issue? Then what happened to your PC Budget allocations? How much has been unspent and what are the development and improvement projects that you have undertaken and completed so far. Leaving aside all that (very many I did not state here) you embarked on a “communal political agenda” and created a “conflict” zone for yourself and the Province. That behavior you displayed led to the rest of the Provinces looking at you with “concerns” and “mistrust”. I doubt whether it would be possible to “regain” your lost qualities you possessed as a Judge.
Having said that, I am in a way happy to note the words of the opening statement I have quoted above. No doubt that is what all of us LOST and DID NOT DO as soon as the war was over. That has “surfaced” in your mind and heart for very good reasons. I know once on retirement you wanted to lead a “spiritual” life but as per your own view expressed, you were “pushed” into politics by a Minister in the Present Cabinet. Never mind; I still believe you can contribute immensely to the development of your Province in particular and the Country in general and could we hope for a “reincarnation” of Late Mr. Luxman kadiragammer? You can do it. Please get that SPIRITUALITY into your life and you will definitely succeed. Worth trying it.
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Lanka Watch / March 13, 2016
Unable understand the intelligence of ex supreme court justice Mr. Wigneswaran, CM. NPC. He says expansion of Palaly Airport and KKS Harbour should come after the displaced people are settled in their original lands around the airport and harbour and then build the airport & harbour. Here is a great opportunity for NP to get a regional airport and harbour, which could serve India, Middle east & Far East at a latter stage, like many domestic airports in India have become International airports with increase of passenger traffic in those areas. He also should realise that such an opportunity will not be given by any other Govt.in the future. Airport expansions take place all over the world and people are moved to get required space and this is not new for the North, Sri Lanka. Palaly has a strong runway built by the RAF during WW 2 which could take heavy aircraft and building a new runway is very costly.
Sensible thing, the Govt.and NPC should do is to firstly, do the demarcation of the area required for a regional airport and harbour and then settle the displaced people in vacant govt.lands in the province. If N/E are to be developed, the people also should do some sacrifice as these two projects will bring in employment and there will be hive of economic activities and small businesses will boom
in these areas. More over the commodity prices and airfares to and from India will come down due to shorter distance to be covered by
airplanes and cargo ships.
Secondly, the CM had thanked the Govt. for having released some lands on this occasion but it did not dawn on him to ask for monetary com-
pensation to develop their lands as they are poor and the released lands are in poor state with wells used for garbage collection and some wells contaminated, boundaries removed, and houses are roofless and walls damaged.
Lastly, it was not a mere insurgency by the youth, we should admit,
it was a fully fletched armed war that took place between Ltte and the Govt., spanning over 30 years and although the past Govt. took much longer time in celebrating war victory, rather than normalizing things.
Handing over lands and properties to owners and de militarizing the affected N/E cannot be done overnight as the CM, thinks.
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Good Observer / March 13, 2016
Dear Vigi,
I am genuinely surprised you have any views at all, which are half baked anyway.
You are one of those arch racist Tamil hypocrites who lives (as many thousands of Tamils do)very comfortably in plush and expensive Colombo 7, and demands a separate state (or whatever) for the Tamils!!! YOU can’t even run the Northern Province council. How can YOU run a separate state? Your speciality has been doing nothing for the foolish and gullible Tamil people who elected you as Chief Minister. You are completely useless like Parabakaran/VP for whom you expressed great admiration!!(Prabakaran is a man who kidnapped at least 15,000 Tamil children).He could not do the job either!!! We all saw how the Tamils ran the Northern Province under your favourite VP.!
The heroic Sinhala Buddhists had to rescue the innocent Tamil people from their murderous leaders. No doubt we will to have to do it again.
The generous Provincial council grant ($50 million in 2013 alone) given by MR/Colombo govt would have been better spent by giving a war widows pension to those 90,000? Tamil war widows.
The Tamil leaders’ trick is to ask for something which can’t be delivered and then cry foul from rooftop. Its a good living, that’s why they do it. Sampanthan (83?)et al have done it all their adult lives.
When you met the Dalai Lama you lied about Sinhalese Buddhists. As a judge you are expected to tell the “Whole truth and nothing but the truth”. So did you tell the good Lama the whole truth, that it is the Tamils (your extremely violent ancestors) who caused all these problems by wiping out the Sinhalese Buddhist capital of Anuradhapura about a 1000 years ago, having previously attacked it for about 1200 years. When the hard working Sinhala Buddhists built Polonnaruwa, murderous racist Tamils wiped it out as well. Wiping out a civilisation is clearly genocide. So it is the Tamils who committed genocide against the Sinhalese. The root cause of the present problems are derived/originate from the destruction of Anuradhapura and Polonnaruwa; the pathological violence Tamils inflicted on the Sinhalese for about 1400 years. Tamils propaganda sweeps it under the carpet. Even the good DBSJ is silent on that delicate matter.
There are some 235,090 Tamils living in the Colombo District alone and only 2284 Sinhalese live in the Jaffna District.(2012 census). I’ll be embarrassed to ask for what you and TNA demand. It goes against all natural justice. You are just a selfish, violent people. I don’t see any reason why Tamils should have an area for themselves when the Sinhalese don’t.
By the way one last point, a very learned Tamil writer, on Colombo Telegraph said that you visit a sex offender Hindu priest in Tamil Nadu. Why do you do that? Decent Tamils are shocked by your conduct. Please resign.
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Dr. Gnana Sankaralingam / March 14, 2016
Good Observer,
You are finding fault with CVW for not telling the truth about Sinhala Buddhists in Srilanka. You are also not telling the truth. Please stop blaming Tamil invaders for all the trouble in Srilanka. Vijaya and his friends were the first historically recorded kalla thonies. Is it the curse of Kuveni that has engulfed Srilanka all these years. Search for her descendants and hand over the land and power to them, if you wish not to have any future repercussions to befall on you.
It is Vijaya and his people who caused the first problem by murdering Kuveni and usurping their lands. The first religion in Srilanka is Saivaism and not Buddhism. The first king to be converted to Buddhism is Deva Nampiya Tissa, a Tamil word meaning Tissa who believed in God. His father’s name is Muttusiva denoting he was a saivaite. It was a Saiva kingdom which was converted to Buddhist. You are talking about genocide by Tamil invaders, what about people of Kuveni, who were murdered and driven out by Vijaya the ancestor of Sinhalese.
Since Sinhalese are not the original people of Srilanka and Buddhism not the first religion to be practiced in Srilanka, how can you say that Anuradhapura belongs to Sinhala Buddhists. What happened to the original Siva temples in Srilanka prior to introduction of Buddhism. If you see Isurumuniya, the layout of the temple with facilities to go around the main sanctum, suggests it was a Siva temple and hence named Isurumuniya, as Isuru in Sinhalese denotes Siva. Several Siva temples were destroyed by Mahasena, about which you are silent.
Recent DNA studies have shown that core genetic material of Sinhalese is South Indian. Archeological evidence have been unearthed to prove that ancient civilisation in Srilanka is Dravidian. If Viyaya did not land in Srilanka none of these problems would have arisen, and the natives would have continued to live in peace. There were several tribal centers of reign in Srilanka before Vijaya arrived and there were no conflicts between them. With whose permission did Sinhalese set up a kingdom anywhere in the land of the natives.
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Eusense / March 13, 2016
“As soon as the War was over, steps should have been taken for disarmament, demobilization and reintegration (DDR) which is an integral part of post conflict peace consolidation.”
Is this Vigneswaran guy serious??? It is utter stupidity even to suggest something like this. 30 years of war killing over 100,000 and do something stupid like this? It shows how inexperienced and his lack of understanding of governance. As usual Tamils always elect wrong leaders and then start blaming Sinhalese.
Have the US forces left Iraq and Afghanistan after the war? There are many reasons why the SL forces should be moved from the north. First reason is leaders like Vigneswaran who always show hostility. Also, anyone who reads comments in this website will realize how large is the population of Tamils who still support terrorism. As long as such hostility exists the SL forces should be stationed in the north. The gov. should also make a case to the UNHRC that it is unmeritorious to embark on any reconciliation efforts under these circumstances.
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Jim softy / March 13, 2016
This is what happening behind the scene in the North.
“The Bodu Bala Sena (BBS) General Secretary Ven. Galagodaaththe Gnanasara Thera today charged that there was an ongoing conspiracy by the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) and several other personnel to chase out Sinhalese from their native lands in the North and East with the intention of re-merging the two provinces.
The Northern Province and the Eastern Province were merged into one contiguous Northeastern Province with the implementation of the 13th Amendment. Later in was again divided into two provinces.
The initiative was launched from March 4. The Northern Provincial Council and the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) is backing this move to chase Sinhalese people away and preventing the resettlement of them, the Ven. Thera said.
No support was given for the development of the Sinhalese Education Zones in Vavuniya and Weli Oya areas, and no appointments were made to the existing teacher vacancies, he said.
No appointments had also been made to the State sectors in the Northern Province, while taking steps to transfer the existing State workers conspiringly, he charged.
There is an ongoing process of resettling Tamils in lands which were taken from the Sinhalese people forcibly. The TNA had forcibly stopped building houses in Kokilai Sinhala fishing village. Kokilai, Sampath Nuwara and Weli Oya are ancient lands of the Sinhalese, Gnanasara Thera said.
The Ven. Thera was referring to the houses that were being rebuilt by the Government in these areas.
There are about 325 fishing families, who are permanent residents of the Kokilai village without proper houses. The money given to reconstruct 65 houses that were given by late Ranasinghe Premadasa had been used to resettle Tamils in that village, the Thera said.
A 50 acre block of the Kok Eliya land , which was the only Sinhala village in Vavuniya had been bulldozed by a member of TNA (Sinnamon), who had been a leader of the LTTE pistol gang and taken steps to resettle Tamils in that village, he said.
We ask President Maithripala Sirisena why the Government couldn t take any action against the TNA and other Tamil organisations. Do only Sinhalese have to be law abiding citizen of this country? he said.
He also queried as to why the police could not take action against Sinnamon, who is out on bail, and had 16 charges against him. “
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kumaran / March 13, 2016
For you everything is negative! Tell me one thing that is positive other than separation where Tamils may not marry Sinhalas !
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Dr.Rajasingham Narendran / March 13, 2016
Does having better quality houses, make those who have status as displaced ‘Elites’? Should they be deprived of the opportunity to live in better and modern houses, because others before them had, poor housing. These houses appear ( from photographs) built with insulated panels and many windows. They will be cooler in the summers and if ventilation is required Windows can be opened. If an outdoor wood fired kitchen is required, a simple outdoor structure can be put up by the new occupants. This has happened at the houses built by India in Iyakachchi.
However, the new occupants may need to be taught how to use them. If used correctly such houses last long and require almost no maintenance. I have seen such housing being used in Saudi Arabia extensively and they have remained in good condition even after fifty years. Of course in Saudi Arabia, air conditioning is required. In Jaffna this requirement will not apply.
I am glad gas cylinder and furniture are being provided. The occupants have choice to use gas for cooking. Further, as it is becoming more and more difficult to procure wood for burning, even the poor households in Jaffna are beginning to use gas i
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punchinilame / March 13, 2016
“even the poor households in Jaffna are beginning to use gas..” Doc.
you forgot to mention that Solar Power will help them with cooking on
electric stoves for limited times? This is a big advantage and the new
Houses will encourage occupants to develop modern mentality, and be
constantly connected to the Internet?
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Dr.Rajasingham Narendran / March 13, 2016
Does having better quality houses, make those who have status as displaced, ‘Elites’? Should they be deprived of the opportunity to live in better and modern houses, because others before them had poor housing. These houses appear ( from photographs) built with insulated panels and many windows. They will be cooler in the summers and if ventilation is required, they Windows can be opened. If an outdoor wood fired kitchen is required, a simple outdoor structure can be put up by the new occupants. This has happened at the houses built by India in Iyakachchi.
However, the new occupants may need to be taught how to use them. If used correctly such houses last long and require almost no maintenance. I have seen such housing being used in Saudi Arabia extensively and they have remained in good condition even after fifty years. Of course in Saudi Arabia, air conditioning is required. In Jaffna this requirement will not apply. I have myself lived in such a house (three bedroomed luxury) imported from the US,for long years in Saudi Arabia.
I am glad a gas cylinder and furniture are being provided. The occupants have choice to use gas for cooking. Further, as it is becoming more and more difficult to procure wood for burning, even the poor households in Jaffna are beginning to use gas in larger numbers.
Dr.Rajasingham Narendran
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dcn / March 13, 2016
These new houses have better facilities and living standard of the occupants would be better. Why CM Winestead looking at everything negatively?
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Good Day / March 13, 2016
Thank you for all of you who have been working over the years to reopen Nadeswara College and let people to go back to their lands in part of KKS. Hopefully all people from nearby villages and other part of KKS would also get a chance to go back to their lands that they have been waiting for the last 26 years.
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Pacs / March 13, 2016
The urgent need in the north east is proper long term plan not ad hoc solutions. Take the steps according to that plan. First you plan a water and sewerage and then waste removal an disposal. Join the cities and towns with wider roads with separate lanes for bicycles and autos. Leave room for mono rail system. develop harbors or mooring stations in all coastal areas and join them with roads. Clean and save, protect the beaches. create canal transport for tourism. create one special units at existing hospitals and restructure them. establish efficient GP clinics and health Labs. instead of hospitals. begin under grad study at big schools and allocate one subject for each school . link them with good transport. each student should perform one project each year. bring down the cost of computers and tools.
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Pacs / March 13, 2016
What is the area of colombo harbor? What is the area of KKS harbour?
What is the area of colombo airport? what is the area of Palaly airport?
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justice / March 13, 2016
What is mentioned in the very first sentence of this article, happened after cessation of World War II.
Of course slowly, but surely.
Europe, Japan and other affected countries recovered from the ravages of war.
If this had happened in Sri Lanka too, commencing 2009, today many grievances would not exist.
Justice C.V.W is right.
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Dr.Rajasingham Narendran / March 15, 2016
CVW is absolutely wrong. Quite a lot has happened since the war ended in 2009. Only the politically prejudiced and blinded would refuse to acknowledge this. There yet some residual problems that need to be sorted. The NPC has not been of help in sorting out matters.
Are demining, resettlement of IDPs, caring for the IDPs, rebuilding roads and bridges, restoring electric power, rebuilding the railway system, restoring the health care system, re-establishing the school network and public services, etc, etc., small matters?
Gratitude is an important aspect of Tamil culture!
Dr.RN
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Sellam / March 13, 2016
Why cannot the armed forces release all private lands in Vali-North in Toto instead of releasing the lands piece by piece. What Mr.C.V says is right, when immediately after the war ended, the army should have released all private lands which were occupied by them. The DDR would have shown some, if not all, satisfaction for the people of vali north and the rest. Does it not show that the Government of the majority is suppressing the minority in releasing few acres of lands here and there and voicing that they are the supreme. How could the Tamil people have reconciliatory agenda with the Sinhalese when this attitude prevails. The Tamil political prisoners is another example. Let the Tamil people and their leaders wait to see the results of the new constitution, if there is going to be one.
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Dr.Rajasingham Narendran / March 15, 2016
Sellam,
Because they fought the LTTE and know them better than we do, they yet fear the LTTE ghosts lurking amongst us!
It is in our culture to fear ghosts!
Dr.RN
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Non PhD / March 13, 2016
Well articulated the feelings of the majority of the northern people.
Feasible new industrial developments can come in. But for economic self sufficiency the northerners have no choice but to depend on their traditional farming and fishing.
Therefore the bulk of the lands should be returned.
The armed forces are making use of lands that belonged to the farmers and fishermen, for their own commercial farming and fishing. In addition to these there are rumours which may be true the armed forces are running commercial hotels, guest houses etc. They are also in alcohol business and drug peddling. In order to verify these rumours they must allow media personnel into these lands.
The civil and through non government agencies and UN must make satellite surveillance through advanced countries as these actions will help to speed up the reconciliation and peace process.
Also it is time to recruit more people from the minority communities into the armed forces.
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Truth / March 13, 2016
C Vigneswaran. ( Sir )
Instead of having -ive thoughts try to conjure up some good +ive thoughts. You had and still have many chances to tell the tamil people to show the majority community of this country that they can turn their homeland into a economic miracle, and a place of communal harmony, progress and prosperity. Instead of sitting in your plush colombo home go down to jaffna, walk the streets and see all that needs to be done to bring it up to a place off prosperity in many away. Obtain the ideas of all the tamil community overseas to enlighten your +ive thoughts. There are many a good tamil persons / people who will jump at the idea to give you their plans for developement. Speak to your tamil people and tell them that they need to work bum up and chin down for the next five years if they want to bask in the sun of prosperity.
Yes! its possible, +ively possible if you move the first stone, so whats stopping you. ???????????????????????????????????????
There is nothing preventing your people from getting back to their normal way of life be it trade, teaching, administration, farming, religion, etc etc , so don’t blame all and sundry.
Is your in-law Vasudeva Nanayakara influencing you in any way ????????
You are blaming the French Company for building houses that are unsuitable for the community to reside in. Why blame them ?????????
Blame yourself for not finding out in advance what was to be built.
If your community is happy in living in thatched housing with the basic available amenities then in the name of the Gods you worship build it for them.
If your community is unaware how to start their lives from scratch and work for prosperity the hard way, then in the name of the Gods you worship, show them how.
With all due respect to you and the tamil community, the other communities of sri lanka were always looked down upon as aliens from the very beggining before and after independence. There s no denial of this. Going into details will open up old wounds and this is a time of healing and reconciliation and eternal forgiveness.
You like all the politicians of your country don’t care a damn about the people, other than to farm your selfish inner thoughts, and what you are scared of is to get into conversation with others whose intelligence is above yours. Being a man of law does not entitle you to be above others.
You talk about war crimes commited by the SL armed forces. What about all the crimes commited against all communities by the LTTE. ??????
Are those crimes to be forgotten.???????????????????????
If so then you are playing on a loosing wicket.
Frankly speaking if VP was captured alive he should have been tried as a war criminal and executed. Apologies for bringing this out.
Finally you have many chances before you to think +ively and do your best, very best to give your people dignity, pride and honour.
The Govt of SL cannot do this and its only you and the tamil academics. So you use these chances wisely and in the end you will win. Misuse them and you will end up at the bottom of the pit.
Time and tide waits for no man.
May God ( not your gods ) give you the WISDOM and ENLIGHTENMENT to see the silver lining ahead. Good Luck.
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Rajash / March 13, 2016
This housing construction is creating lot of controversies in the NE.
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Sellam / March 13, 2016
I have not seen the house and therefore I cannot comment on it. As president Sirisena said the people who are going to occupy these houses have to make comments. Chief Minister C.V. may have a point about these houses.
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Anpu / March 15, 2016
This is from some one who has seen the houses
Reconciliation cannot be built on steel houses
http://www.dailynews.lk/?q=2016/03/11/features/reconciliation-cannot-be-built-steel-houses
When the Cabinet decision to build 65, 000 houses for war affected families in the North and East was announced, it raised hopes about this Government’s efforts towards reconciliation. This was the only concrete plan coming directly to the war-affected communities. However, the decision to award it to a large foreign contractor to build steel houses at higher costs raised various concerns and dampened such a hope.
Amidst much protests over the steel houses project, the Government went ahead and erected a show house in Jaffna. I wanted to see for myself whether this house was a conducive space for families to live in. Having visited the show house, I want to share my reflections here.
The single storey house has two bedrooms, sitting room and kitchen, with an external toilet. Along with the house a tube well and hand pump, PVC water storage tank, and a solar panel which can provide partial electrification is also provided. It is furnished with beds, tables, gas cylinder for cooking, three ceiling fans, lights and other furniture. The recipient family is able to move in and live without worrying about building, electricity supply, furnishing, getting bank loans etc.
For the recipients of the house it is a God’s gift. But God is not as magnanimous. Given the homelessness and desperation of the families, this offer is commendable. It gives a survival chance to the homeless families. However, is survival alone sufficient is the question!
I met the single parent family who is in occupation of this house, while some building work is still going on. Their temporary hut at this same location was demolished and this pre-fabricated house is constructed at the same location, while the family was managing to live in a make-shift shed. I met the proud mother, her daughter and two young sons. The mother goes to work in the farms and other places to work as a labourer. They were excited about their new house and the novelty is apparent in the children’s and their mother’s faces. The joy of having received a house with no hassle and the innocent trust they have placed on the house providers, are exploited to the full to propagandize and market these deception houses.
More fundamental issues
I was happy to see them happy, but I was sad that they are going to be disappointed after one or two years. Although I felt very sad inside, I congratulated them and wished them the happiest possible life in this house. All the way home I felt sad about how little our elected as well as unelected representatives, value those who elected them. How democratic and responsive is our system of democracy? How accountable are those who govern us?
But there are more fundamental issues to consider with regards to these 65, 000 steel houses. Are such steel houses appropriate for permanent housing for people to live comfortably? Are such houses sustainable economically and environmentally? Could we not have built better houses and at cheaper prices? Is this how we are proposing to solve homelessness?
One of the first things I noticed when inside the house, at about 6.30 p.m., was the very poor natural ventilation as I felt stuffy, hot and uncomfortable. In contrast, when I walked into a thatched hut next door I felt amazingly cool with a natural breeze caressing me, and I felt comfortable. The difference in ambiance could be felt straight away. No grills or any form of ventilation is provided except for opening the doors and windows. The kitchen has no extractor fans and no ventilation, nor does it have a smoke chimney. Thus, different cooking options are ruled out, except for electric cooking, which is not in keeping with local practices.
The entire house is built in artificial materials; steel, uPVC, insulation materials, glass etc. It is a 100 percent synthetic house, whatever you see and touch is artificial – nature is missing in totality. The concrete posts and corrugated tin-sheets which are used as boundary fencing are ghastly – they blind people with powerful flashing and dazzling reflections. Doors and windows are made of uPVC which is better than Aluminium, but not as good as of wood.
Import pre-fabricated houses
Aesthetically it is not acceptable, like a blot in our village and does not blend with the surroundings; home gardens, adjacent houses, streets, temples and farmlands. Verandas are an essential feature for our way of life, which have been overlooked in the planning of these houses. Furniture provided is useful but not durable. Furniture made by local carpenters usually last 50 years. But the furniture provided in this house will last only for about five years.
All the survival needs have been addressed. However, psychologically it is not uplifting to live in such houses. The difference is between survival and living, and it is a big difference. If you live, you can be a creative person. If you only survive, there is hardly any room for creativity.
The three springs of life – love (relationships), knowledge (evidence based knowledge) and work (creative work) are not possible or not easy to achieve if you live only to survive. So you can see that the stakes are really high indeed for the whole country. Houses where people are made and nurtured, have to be seen with the bigger picture in mind and not within a narrow survival framework. So this housing scheme is fundamentally flawed, lacking in strategic thinking.
Questions about the economic costs of contracting a foreign company to import pre-fabricated houses also come to my mind. Could we have built instead traditional houses using local materials and labour, generating jobs for 100,000 people, stimulating local economy and boosting local skills?
It is a lost opportunity for incorporating all these gainful aspects in an integrated manner. The Government should take the economic costs of awarding such a project to a foreign contractor and prevent it from happening in the future.
If the Government had showcased two or three types of houses, in addition to the steel pre-fabricated houses, the people would most definitely reject the steel houses. A traditional locally built house at the same cost will be infinitely better and without any of the ill-effects stated above.
The disparity and favouritism between this selective offer, of a furnished house at four times the price to the homeless, when compared to previous housing schemes offered at Rs.550, 000 with heavy burden of debts borne by recipients will most certainly cause negative consequences. A change in the process of designing and planning homes for the homeless people is needed.
The concerns of reconciliation
Reconciliation requires the participation of all concerned, the families who will live in the houses, workers who will build and the architects, engineers and sociologists who will plan and design them.
Did the government consult professional architectural and engineering institutions and sociologists before bulldozing through this housing strategy? Our Universities are producing high calibre architects, engineers, sociologists and psychologists through our system of free education, many of whom are building based on “green concepts.” I do not think you will find in Sri Lanka, not even one architect or engineer or sociologist or psychologist, who will recommend these houses proposed by the Government.
Could we have discussed the alternative options available with all those concerned, in particular the homeless people? Are we going to continue to solve the problems of people using a top down approach without consultation with the communities? Is there something fundamentally wrong with our decision making processes?
The mass produced, pre-packed and imported houses are totally inappropriate to human living – a bit like the American style fast food or junk food outlets, causing huge obesity problems all over the world. It is only a matter of time when people realize that they have been conned, exploiting their homeless situation. After one or two years they will realize how unsuitable these houses are but by then it is too late. Those who introduced such houses will not be around to answer. But Sri Lankan government will keep paying the loans for these houses to the foreign companies for decades to come, using hard earned US Dollars. The stakes of continuing with this project are indeed high, when something as permanent as their homes, become constant reminders of the neglect shown towards a war-affected community by this Government.
It is best to stop this scheme and if it is not possible we must at least limit it to only fewer houses, and use this bad experience as a showcase to educate future governments. We must arm the people with factual information so that they will never fall prey to such icings on a badly made cake.
/
Rajash / March 13, 2016
When the Cabinet decision to build 65, 000 houses for war affected families in the North and East was announced, it raised hopes about this Government’s efforts towards reconciliation. This was the only concrete plan coming directly to the war-affected communities. However, the decision to award it to a large foreign contractor to build steel houses at higher costs raised various concerns and dampened such a hope.
Amidst much protests over the steel houses project, the Government went ahead and erected a show house in Jaffna. I wanted to see for myself whether this house was a conducive space for families to live in. Having visited the show house, I want to share my reflections here.
The single storey house has two bedrooms, sitting room and kitchen, with an external toilet. Along with the house a tube well and hand pump, PVC water storage tank, and a solar panel which can provide partial electrification is also provided. It is furnished with beds, tables, gas cylinder for cooking, three ceiling fans, lights and other furniture. The recipient family is able to move in and live without worrying about building, electricity supply, furnishing, getting bank loans etc.
For the recipients of the house it is a God’s gift. But God is not as magnanimous. Given the homelessness and desperation of the families, this offer is commendable. It gives a survival chance to the homeless families. However, is survival alone sufficient is the question!
I met the single parent family who is in occupation of this house, while some building work is still going on. Their temporary hut at this same location was demolished and this pre-fabricated house is constructed at the same location, while the family was managing to live in a make-shift shed. I met the proud mother, her daughter and two young sons. The mother goes to work in the farms and other places to work as a labourer. They were excited about their new house and the novelty is apparent in the children’s and their mother’s faces. The joy of having received a house with no hassle and the innocent trust they have placed on the house providers, are exploited to the full to propagandize and market these deception houses.
More fundamental issues
I was happy to see them happy, but I was sad that they are going to be disappointed after one or two years. Although I felt very sad inside, I congratulated them and wished them the happiest possible life in this house. All the way home I felt sad about how little our elected as well as unelected representatives, value those who elected them. How democratic and responsive is our system of democracy? How accountable are those who govern us?
But there are more fundamental issues to consider with regards to these 65, 000 steel houses. Are such steel houses appropriate for permanent housing for people to live comfortably? Are such houses sustainable economically and environmentally? Could we not have built better houses and at cheaper prices? Is this how we are proposing to solve homelessness?
One of the first things I noticed when inside the house, at about 6.30 p.m., was the very poor natural ventilation as I felt stuffy, hot and uncomfortable. In contrast, when I walked into a thatched hut next door I felt amazingly cool with a natural breeze caressing me, and I felt comfortable. The difference in ambiance could be felt straight away. No grills or any form of ventilation is provided except for opening the doors and windows. The kitchen has no extractor fans and no ventilation, nor does it have a smoke chimney. Thus, different cooking options are ruled out, except for electric cooking, which is not in keeping with local practices.
The entire house is built in artificial materials; steel, uPVC, insulation materials, glass etc. It is a 100 percent synthetic house, whatever you see and touch is artificial – nature is missing in totality. The concrete posts and corrugated tin-sheets which are used as boundary fencing are ghastly – they blind people with powerful flashing and dazzling reflections. Doors and windows are made of uPVC which is better than Aluminium, but not as good as of wood.
Import pre-fabricated houses
Aesthetically it is not acceptable, like a blot in our village and does not blend with the surroundings; home gardens, adjacent houses, streets, temples and farmlands. Verandas are an essential feature for our way of life, which have been overlooked in the planning of these houses. Furniture provided is useful but not durable. Furniture made by local carpenters usually last 50 years. But the furniture provided in this house will last only for about five years.
All the survival needs have been addressed. However, psychologically it is not uplifting to live in such houses. The difference is between survival and living, and it is a big difference. If you live, you can be a creative person. If you only survive, there is hardly any room for creativity.
The three springs of life – love (relationships), knowledge (evidence based knowledge) and work (creative work) are not possible or not easy to achieve if you live only to survive. So you can see that the stakes are really high indeed for the whole country. Houses where people are made and nurtured, have to be seen with the bigger picture in mind and not within a narrow survival framework. So this housing scheme is fundamentally flawed, lacking in strategic thinking.
Questions about the economic costs of contracting a foreign company to import pre-fabricated houses also come to my mind. Could we have built instead traditional houses using local materials and labour, generating jobs for 100,000 people, stimulating local economy and boosting local skills?
It is a lost opportunity for incorporating all these gainful aspects in an integrated manner. The Government should take the economic costs of awarding such a project to a foreign contractor and prevent it from happening in the future.
If the Government had showcased two or three types of houses, in addition to the steel pre-fabricated houses, the people would most definitely reject the steel houses. A traditional locally built house at the same cost will be infinitely better and without any of the ill-effects stated above.
The disparity and favouritism between this selective offer, of a furnished house at four times the price to the homeless, when compared to previous housing schemes offered at Rs.550, 000 with heavy burden of debts borne by recipients will most certainly cause negative consequences. A change in the process of designing and planning homes for the homeless people is needed.
The concerns of reconciliation
Reconciliation requires the participation of all concerned, the families who will live in the houses, workers who will build and the architects, engineers and sociologists who will plan and design them.
Did the government consult professional architectural and engineering institutions and sociologists before bulldozing through this housing strategy? Our Universities are producing high calibre architects, engineers, sociologists and psychologists through our system of free education, many of whom are building based on “green concepts.” I do not think you will find in Sri Lanka, not even one architect or engineer or sociologist or psychologist, who will recommend these houses proposed by the Government.
Could we have discussed the alternative options available with all those concerned, in particular the homeless people? Are we going to continue to solve the problems of people using a top down approach without consultation with the communities? Is there something fundamentally wrong with our decision making processes?
The mass produced, pre-packed and imported houses are totally inappropriate to human living – a bit like the American style fast food or junk food outlets, causing huge obesity problems all over the world. It is only a matter of time when people realize that they have been conned, exploiting their homeless situation. After one or two years they will realize how unsuitable these houses are but by then it is too late. Those who introduced such houses will not be around to answer. But Sri Lankan government will keep paying the loans for these houses to the foreign companies for decades to come, using hard earned US Dollars. The stakes of continuing with this project are indeed high, when something as permanent as their homes, become constant reminders of the neglect shown towards a war-affected community by this Government.
It is best to stop this scheme and if it is not possible we must at least limit it to only fewer houses, and use this bad experience as a showcase to educate future governments. We must arm the people with factual information so that they will never fall prey to such icings on a badly made cake.
/
Rajash / March 13, 2016
Civil,societies write to PM to stop building these prefabricated houses . As they are unsuitable.
A group of civil society activists has urged the prime minister to immediately review the current plan and the procurement process for the 65,000 houses programme for the war-displaced families.
They also want to expeditiously redesign the programme in consultation with concerned communities, especially women, and in keeping with the key principles and lessons emerging from Sri Lanka’s pioneering history in housing policy.
The group also calls for the urgent convening of a national policy roundtable on housing to ensure coherence, equity and basic standards and principles that must underpin all housing programmes undertaken by different ministries.
Text of the letter:
Open letter to the Prime Minister regarding the proposed 65,000 houses project in the North and the East
3 February 2015
Honourable Ranil Wickramasinghe
Prime Minister of Sri Lanka
Honourable Prime Minister:
We welcome the initiative and responsibility embraced by your government in deciding to construct 65,000 houses for war-affected communities in the northern and eastern provinces of the country. Apart from addressing much-needed housing needs, a project of this magnitude has the potential to create new opportunities for social mobilization and stimulate the local economy. We therefore fully support the housing project in principle, but are compelled to draw your attention to certain serious concerns and questions with significant social, economic and political ramifications, not only for communities in the north and east but also nationally.
a) While the outcomes of the procurement process have not been formally announced, the Honourable Minister for Prison Reforms, Rehabilitation, Resettlement and Hindu Religious Affairs is reported as saying in different meetings and forums that Arcelor Mittal will be awarded the contract to supply pre-fabricated metal houses. The Honourable Member of Parliament from Jaffna, Mr. Sumanthiran, is on record terming the tendering process “a sham” as the Minister had already informed them of the choice of this company as early as August 2015 (The Sunday Times, 17 January), even before the call for expressions of interest was issued.
Moreover, the Construction Association and local industry have noted that the bidding process included several exclusionary conditions “completely disproportionate to the complexity of the work” (The Sunday Times, 24 January) leading to local companies being sidelined. All of this and other concerns expressed by civil society raises serious questions regarding the propriety, integrity and economic wisdom underlying the procurement process.
Honourable Prime Minister, the risk this poses to both the project as well as the credibility of the government is but obvious. Moreover, it also points towards a troubling tendency to embrace supplier-driven housing solutions, which have proved to be expensive failures across the world including in Sri Lanka.
b) We are deeply concerned that let alone the communities, even the provincial and local government officials as well as agencies that have decades of experience in housing have not been consulted in designing this project. A statement released on 22 January and signed by a number of citizens from the northern and eastern provinces as well as elsewhere underscores this, noting the risks in by-passing meaningful community consultation. This is especially important given the new technology—pre-fabricated metal houses—the Ministry of Resettlement appears to be so heavily in favour of. We know from experience during the tsunami that innovation without a strong social process leads to waste and missed opportunities.
The lack of consultation and a community-driven approach also risks undermining support for the government in the north and east and is likely to adversely affect ongoing attempts at reconciliation.
c) The proposed project, whose details are emerging only now, also raises a number of other important questions. How did the Ministry of Resettlement arrive at a cost of rupees 2 million per house when most other estimates for a 550 sq. feet house, kitchen and toilet included, come to rupees 1 million per house? How does the Ministry justify not having guidelines to ensure the project will strengthen the local economy and strengthen livelihoods—it fails to leverage the economic benefits of such a large public investment? This is especially serious given the prospect of the contract being awarded to Arcelor Mittal, which will only expand our import bill and place a greater strain on forex reserves while bypassing the local economy. Why is the government assuming a greater debt burden for fewer houses and lower economic benefits?
Honourable Prime Minister, we recognise that meeting the housing needs of different communities Island-wide calls for a diversity of approaches. Relying on a one-size fits all approach and on a single contractor privileged through what appears to be a questionable procurement process poses significant social, political and economic risks. We also note that the inequities within communities that will arise from beneficiaries of different schemes being provided with houses of significantly different value and quality across the north and east will likely precipitate social tensions and impede both reconciliation and development.
As a global pioneer of the right to housing, Sri Lanka can look to over 35 years of innovative, community-driven approaches to housing. A coherent policy framework informed by this history and based on sound principles is crucial to ensuring participatory, sustainable and effective housing programmes that also maximize the multiplier effects of the significant levels of national investment entailed by them. Given the social and economic dislocation suffered due to the war such an approach is particularly significant for the proposed programme to construct 65,000 houses in the north and east.
Honourable Prime Minister, in the light of above we urge you to:
a) Immediately review the current plan and the procurement process for the 65,000 houses programme;
b) Expeditiously redesign the programme in consultation with concerned communities, especially women, and in keeping with the key principles and lessons emerging from Sri Lanka’s pioneering history in housing policy;
c) Urgently convene a national policy roundtable on housing to ensure coherence, equity and basic standards and principles that must underpin all housing programmes undertaken by different ministries.
Honourable Prime Minister, we hope you will give this memorandum your fullest consideration and we look forward to hearing from you at the earliest.
For and on behalf of a number of concerned individuals and organisations
(signed electronically):
Jayantha Dhanapala
Dr. Rajan Hoole
Prof. Sumathy Sivamohan
Rev. Fr. I. D. Dixon
Chandra Jayaratne
Dr. A.C. Visvalingam
Geedreck Usvatte-Aratchi
Dr. Farzana Haniffa
S.C.C Elankovan
Danesh Casie Chetty
Shreen Saroor
Chulani Kodikara
Women’s Action Network
Mannar Women’s Development Federation
Rural Development Foundation – Vavuniya
Muslim Women’s Development Trust- Puttalam
Mullaitheevu Women’s Development and Rehabilitation Federation
Suriya Women’s Development Centre Batticaloa
Women’s Coalition for Disaster Management Batticaloa
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Dr.Rajasingham Narendran / March 14, 2016
Rajesh,
I am posting a link to a photograph of a house for the displaced built by Indiain Iyakachchi, Jaffna. I hope CT will permit it to appear.
https://www.google.lk/imgres?imgurl=http://assets.irinnews.org/s3fs-public/images/201203150231130670.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.irinnews.org/node/254427&h=2250&w=3388&tbnid=YL8e1VIxMN8dhM:&docid=89kz0f7tT7pwXM&ei=oCnmVoL7BYeMuATC4LSQBA&tbm=isch&ved=0ahUKEwiCy5yFmL_LAhUHBo4KHUIwDUI4yAEQMwggKBswGw
Are not the French built houses better than these in terms of climate and materials used? The French built houses have insulated walls and roofs. If they are like the ones I have seen and lived in Saudi Arabia, the France built ones are far superior. I have visited the Iyakachchi site, when the houses were being built and found the concrete blocks used for the walls crumbling in my hands.
I think your concerns and of those who have signed the open petition are misplaced. Have any of you lived in a house made with the same materials. I have and that too in Saudi Arabia! I suggest that the houses be studied by experts on such housing, before decisions are made. At a time when old shipment containers are being converted to housing and office units in Sri Lanka, it is not right to reject purpose built houses built in France for the imagined reasons.
Dr.RN
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Rajash / March 15, 2016
Dr.RN.
I cant comment on which house is better and more suitable for living in Jaffna.
When I grew up in Jaffna I have lived in thatched roof house as well as concrete and tiled roof house.As long as there is enough ventilation both the houses are comfortable for the Jaffna heat.
There is lot of politics behind this. It appears to me that Mr.Swaminathan may have a few enemies?
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Pygmalion / March 14, 2016
Dr.R.N.
I agree.
Housing is fundamentally of two types:
1] Donor Driven[Contractor built]
2]Home-owner Driven[cash is paid to the beneficiary,in stages to sustain construction to a finish]
During the period 1979-1983,an Aided-Self-Help programme [ASH] was implemented on an all-Island basis by the Govt:In the ASH system building materials was supplied by the Govt:The Labour component was met by the Builder-settler.However,due to the escalating costs of building materials,this approach was abandoned.A typical ASH unit cost for a 500sq.ft was Rs:12,ooo in 1979!
This same unit could cost around Rs.2m by todays cost.
The Home-owner Driven Programme is now the current trend.The builder-settler is the Principal actor and as such the houses are of all shapes and sizes and invariably not fully completed,though Habitable.Besides,the Beneficiary tends to make use of the funds for other immediate needs like funerals,age-attaining ceremonies etc with the result we see only houses with so many draw-backs.
This can back-fire on the Govt:!
The Housing-Programme in the North-East,therefore needs a realistic approach,taking into account the time factor.In other words it should be a programme designed to deliver fast!
The only way out is the Donor-Driven.
True,the signatories in the Petition are heavy-weights in their respective fields:But Housing?
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Dr.Rajasingham Narendran / March 16, 2016
Pygmalion,
A perceptive comment. The tragedy is that many expect rewards from preventing old wounds healing and creating new wounds. This is vested interest of the cannibalistic kind.
Let the President get good professional advice from those who understand the principles behind such housing in terms of climate, maintenance and conveniences. Further, factors economics of scale in terms of possibility of mass production is also a factor. Erection by a trained crew with clear guidelines is also an advantage in terms of cost and time.
Dr.RN
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justice / March 14, 2016
Who selected French technology to build houses for rural population in Sri Lanka – and why?
Were international tenders called specifying the general requirements,
climate concerns, materials appropriate for Lankan environment and costs etc.?
I remember the “French Locomotives” affair – a French firm which had made only ship engines was selected to manufacture locomotives for CGR.
The locomotives were found unsuitable for our rail tracks and also broke down soon. The person who compelled the ‘French locomotives tender’ to be selected, is very close to the Prime Minister.
Why were our engineers not consulted?
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Barathan / March 14, 2016
Negative battles are our forte. Even the advent of the railway 150 years ago was opposed. Anuradhapura Sacred Area project was opposed as discriminatory to long residing Tamils. Soulbury rejected the charge. A ‘battle of the sites’ was fought and lost by the Tamils in the forties. It refers to the then proposal to build a University at Peradeniya. What location is more idyllic and yet communal reasons were read into it.
In this decade Jaffna Water Supply and Lagoon Scheme costing Rs. 27 billion, mooted by the central government, to be funded by ADB is stopped by Tamils and not a hum about it.
The latest multi billion rupee project facing negative sentiment is Housing Project. If what is implemented is slum replication, there will be neither a whisper nor a whimper.
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n.ethirveerasingam / March 14, 2016
Has anyone asked the IDPs what type of housing they wanted out of two or three or four choices including the Pre-Feb?
As for settling them first with housing and then acquiring the land later and providing them housing and land elsewhere, thought should have gone into consulting with the idps the alternatives available to them and let them to choose.
Returning the Palaly Teacher Training College to the Govt to continue when the 2 year Teacher Training program is no longer desired as a qualification for teachers, and when the 3-year colleges of education are being converted to a 4 year degree teacher education program, is pandering to a few who are still living in the past and more interested in name and past glories than the education of children now.
Rather than rebuilding an institution that served the purpose in the past and no longer needed, it is best for the international airport to extend its runway and boundaries as the land of the former college, that is no longer needed, is in the flight path.
As for the CM’s comments on the former Army Commander i hope he did not taint the war crimes case by his premature comments on the General while the General was also in the direct line of command and a prime suspect. May be CM should consult his legal adviser, if he/she is also an International Law expert, on premature hint at absolution. CM should let the judges make their determination based on evidence not some one’s political desires.
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carlion / March 14, 2016
When CV, the Tamil diaspora, TNA, parliamentarians, LTTE supporers and the many who comment in this forum give up their call for a “Separate State” and work together towards reconciliation, then only will it be possible for the military to evacuate from their presence in the North. The call and action towards reconciliation should come from both sides and that would be the most practical solution, since it cannot be achieved when one wants separation and the other wants reconciliation.
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Dr.Rajasingham Narendran / March 15, 2016
I have made some inquiries regarding the objections to these houses. The principle concern is that these houses will have not much resale value in Jaffna, because of prevailing attitudes. Should this be a concern for the government that has taken the responsibility to provide these houses.
Dr.RN
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Rajash / March 15, 2016
Dr.RN.
From whom did you make the inquiry.That is load of cobblers.
President Srisena concedes the house may not be suitable:
“We have to find out what kind of housing project people like. Out duty is to build houses after considering people’s views. Government / Provincial Council and we all can get together and build a kind of house that people like. We have to make decisions after consulting people’s views”
“We are giving houses to the people…..it’s not me (President) or Mr. Wigneswaran or Mr. Swaminathan that’s staying in these houses”
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Dr.Rajasingham Narendran / March 16, 2016
Should I reveal my sources of information? Is it relevant? I did not definitely appoint a commission of inquiry!
I have pointed out a very likely possibility , which is also supported by what happened in the Vanni.
President Sirisena is talking like a typical poltician- here nor there! 65,000 people will want 65,000 types of houses, built with State money. I think whoever decided on these houses, did right. The displaced have got modern purpose built houses that will prove their worth in time. Their lifestyles have to be upgraded to use the modern facilties -provided. As I have pointed out before they will need little or no maintenance for decades, if used properly.
Dr.RN
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Rajash / March 16, 2016
Dr.RN. you said “The principle concern is that these houses will have not much resale value in Jaffna”
The houses are given to the homeless IDPS. Are they sitting in their make shift huts and thinking of resale value?
DR.RN “I did not definitely appoint a commission of inquiry! ” – we all know commission of inquiry never works in Sri Lanka
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Dr. Rajasingham Narendran / March 16, 2016
Rajash,
“They come from Jaffna” and IDP or not, know how to count their marbles!
Dr. RN
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Rajash / March 17, 2016
The IDPs are languishing in over crowded make shift huts since the end of the war and some of them even longer than that.
What the IDPs want and longing is to get back to their original village and take over their original land and build their own house.
Your statement that the IDPs are counting their marbles and thinking of the resale value of a sub standard prefabricated house, is a statement made in poor taste.
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Dr.Rajasingham Narendran / March 17, 2016
Beauty ,ugliness and taste reside in the mind of the beholder! However, what is fact remains fact, regardless of perceptions. We will continue to wallow in misery. If donot call a spade in matters connected to our community.
Dr.RN
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Rajash / March 17, 2016
well it is obvious you have not grown out of
I quote “
“They come from Jaffna” and IDP or not, know how to count their marbles! “
unquote.
mentality.
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Former IDP / March 15, 2016
Government is struggling to get enough financial resources.
Then the funds allocated for the housing project for IDPs should be used to get resources from local materials as well as local contractors/engineers and labourers. That would also simulate local economy.
Most of the IDPs that are going to live in these houses are not even from middle class. Are we expecting them to pay the gas bill and electricity bill on regular basis? What would happen when the houses need a repair say to replace the roof? Who is going to supply the replacement materials? Who is going to pay for that?
It would be a big joke to have a fan or air condition to provide ventilation in those houses. Otherwise these houses would become hot ovens. This is not the way houses are built in Jaffna’s climate. Wake up Mr Swaminathan. It’s still not too late to correct the mistakes.
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