National Meelad-Un-Nabi celebrations in Vanni

This year's National Meelad-un-Nabi celebrations are scheduled to be held in the Vanni district. This has been declared by President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga who is the Minister-in-Charge of Muslim Religious & Cultural Affairs.

The President has entrusted the responsibility of organising the celebrations with Minister of Rehabilitation and District Development (Vanni), Rishad Bathiudeen who in turn paid a glowing tribute to the President for her magnanimous gesture in extending this opportunity to him soon after he took office as the Minister, states a press release from Ministry of Rehabilitation and District Development (Vanni).

Minister Bathiudeen has made elaborate arrangements to hold the celebrations on a grand scale. He held a series of meetings in this connection with officials from the Department of Muslim Religious and Cultural Affairs and the Ministry of Rehabilitation and District Development (Vanni). It was decided to hold these celebrations on two consecutive dates at Vavuniya and Mannar on August 20 and 21 respectively.

This is the first time that these celebrations are to be held in the Vanni district which consists of five major districts, namely Vavuniya, Mullativu, Mannar, Kilinochchi and Jaffna.

On the earlier occasions these national celebrations were held on a district level to cover only one district each year. Since these celebrations are to take place in the Vanni, Minister Rishad Bathiudeen has requested more allocation of funds to set up adequate projects in all the districts to coincide with the resettlement program of the Government.

According to Minister Rishad Bathiudeen two model villages with all facilities will be established at Mannar and Vavuniya where the main celebrations are scheduled to be held. He has made arrangements for displaced persons who have been forcibly driven out by the LTTE in 1990 now willing to resettle in their places of origin.

Over 30,000 families were displaced in the year 1990 and living in refugee camps in all parts of the island mainly in the Puttalam district over the past 15 years with immense hardship.

Minister Bathiudeen stressed that the Government has extended all possible arrangements for the resettlement of the displaced families in their respective areas and the celebrations scheduled to be held in August 2005 would enable to expedite the resettlement process. He said arrangements have been made to rehabilitate and reconstruct most of the abandoned tanks in order to recommence the cultivation activities of the displaced families.

The roadways are to be reconstructed and cooperative shops will be set up in order to facilitate the resettlers. Some selected mosques that have been destroyed or damaged due to the ethnic conflict are to be reconstructed with foreign financial assistance.

Meanwhile, Director of Muslim Religious and Cultural Affairs, M. L. Ameer said applications have already been called for essays, oratorical, Qirath (Recital of Holy Quran) competitions for schoolchildren on an islandwide basis. It will be conducted separately for girls and boys. In addition open competitions will be conducted for adults. These competitions will be based on the life and history of Prophet Mohammed.

Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapakse will be participating at the main function as the chief guest. Governors of the North Eastern Provincial Council, Tyronne Fernando and Western Provincial Council, Al-Haj S. Alavi Mowlana who is the advisor to the President on Muslim Religious and Cultural Affairs will also participate as guests of honour.

It was decided to invite Islamic scholars from India to address the main meetings. Five different books on the history of Muslims of Jaffna, Kilinochchi, Mannar, Mullaitivu and Vavuniya will be written to be released during the celebrations. A well-known writer and retired Vice President of the National College of Education, Kalaivathi Kaleel has been given the task of publishing these five books.